Classroom Assessment: Issues and Practices

The federal government s No Child Left Behind Act mandates annual classroom assessments; meeting the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education directs the focus of teaching and learning; and the inclusion of special students in regular education classrooms affects many assessment practices. Reflecting the reality of teaching today, Banks addresses these topics as major themes of the book. He also provides accessible coverage of informal assessment practices, performance assessment, assessment of teachers, diversity and gender issues, and student motivation. A detailed description of models, such as Bloom s Taxonomy and a major revision of Bloom s Taxonomy, demonstrates critical aspects in planning for instruction and assessment. Banks well-organized treatment and use of pedagogical features facilitate pre- and in-service teachers understanding and retention of the material. First, readers examine the basic aspects of assessment practices. Next, they look at the actual construction of various types of classroom assessments. Finally, they consider a variety of other classroom assessment issues and practices. Outstanding features of the text include 14 case studies, 32 teacher application exercises, over 200 multiple-choice and review questions, and end-of-chapter activities that give readers the opportunity to construct their own portfolios and answer self-assessment questions.