Building on the success of the popular first edition, the author tackles the latest issues and practices in the field of classroom assessment. The No Child Left Behind Act has transformed the role of educational assessment, requiring annual assessments as part of a federal system of educational accountability. National accreditation organizations such NCATE have mandated standards-based performance and emphasized specific assessment benchmarks in meeting these standards. The inclusion movement to accommodate special-needs students in the regular education classroom also has impacted classroom assessment practices. Teacher assessment, classroom environment, test anxiety, the Race to the Top grants, and many more timely topics receive comprehensive yet accessible treatment.
Banks provides thorough and well-documented discussions of performance assessment, essay and multiple-choice assessments, formative assessment, and reliability/validity issues as well as invaluable classroom assessment tools that include portfolios, rubrics, journals, and models such as Anderson and Krathwohl's revision of Bloom's Taxonomy. Gender and diversity issues, including learning differences and socioeconomic influences on student achievement, are given in-depth coverage. Outstanding features include case studies, point/counterpoint debates on controversial assessment topics and practices, teacher application exercises, thought-provoking self-assessment exercises, and end-of-chapter activities that include review questions and opportunities for directed learning.
"Great book! It is easy to follow, succinct, and thorough." --Celia Hilber, Jacksonville State University
"I appreciate the voice of the author in the chapters. The book reads more like a conversation with an expert than a bucket of facts. The text prepares beginning teachers. There may be more to learn about assessment during their careers but the Banks text provides all that is needed for a good foundation." --Donna M. Johnson, Dakota Wesleyan University
"I have decided to use the new edition. Factors that played into my decision were its reasonable price, link of assessment to the other stages of instructional design, note of diversity and environment, and the point/counterpoint sections that can be used for discussion. I like the comprehensive look at many types of assessment." --Terri Jongekrijg, Oakland University
