Synopses & Reviews
ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition, you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products.
Packages
Access codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase.
Used or rental books
If you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code.
Access codes
Access codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase.
--
Written with energy and wit, this reader-friendly text discusses practical ways in which teachers can develop and use well-written tests to improve their effectiveness in the classroom.
With its constant attention to the instructional implications of educational assessment, Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know, 7/e, helps readers become assessment literate -- to understand the fundamental concepts and processes of educational testing that will influence teachers’ hour-to-hour instructional decisions. The text recognizes and highlights the exponential increase in the importance of educational assessment in an era of common core state standards, national assessment consortia, and teacher-evaluations based on students’ test scores. However, because the seventh edition was completed at a time when the nature of high-stakes educational testing in the U.S. was genuinely unsettled, the author consistently informs the readers of instances when, in truth, they need to “stay tuned” for the next development in today’s high-stakes U.S. testing arena. As a result, the reader feels part of an exciting and evolving profession.
Synopsis
From reviews of the book:
“I think that [the writing] is a particular strength of this text. The conversational and humorous tone is highly engaging and will help to hook students, especially those that might be a little hesitant about this topic. . . . The coverage and depth of discussion are . . . strengths. This book also tackles some of the ethical dilemmas associated with assessment. [And] it . . . places the topic of assessment within the current political reality of accountability and helps students develop some appropriate responses to these challenges. . . . I am a huge fan of this book!”
–Michael Boyle, Loyola University, Chicago
“Popham is a highly respected voice in the field of educational assessment. Over the years he has contributed tremendously to our understanding of the measurement issues that face educators. . . . I have found Popham’s text to be an excellent choice for my introductory course in classroom assessment. Popham includes many “bonus items” that are not available in other texts including his “What Teachers Really Need to Know,” “Parent Talk,” “Pondertime,” and “Self-Check.” “Extended Applications” are also excellent in promoting critical thinking about key issues. The addition of these components, together with Popham’s engaging writing style, helps bring assessment to life for educators.”
–Deborah Bennett, Purdue University
Synopsis
From reviews of the book:
“I think that [the writing] is a particular strength of this text. The conversational and humorous tone is highly engaging and will help to hook students, especially those that might be a little hesitant about this topic. . . . The coverage and depth of discussion are . . . strengths. This book also tackles some of the ethical dilemmas associated with assessment. [And] it . . . places the topic of assessment within the current political reality of accountability and helps students develop some appropriate responses to these challenges. . . . I am a huge fan of this book!”
–Michael Boyle, Loyola University, Chicago
“Popham is a highly respected voice in the field of educational assessment. Over the years he has contributed tremendously to our understanding of the measurement issues that face educators. . . . I have found Popham’s text to be an excellent choice for my introductory course in classroom assessment. Popham includes many “bonus items” that are not available in other texts including his “What Teachers Really Need to Know,” “Parent Talk,” “Pondertime,” and “Self-Check.” “Extended Applications” are also excellent in promoting critical thinking about key issues. The addition of these components, together with Popham’s engaging writing style, helps bring assessment to life for educators.”
–Deborah Bennett, Purdue University
About the Author
W. James Popham, professor emeritus at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, began his career as a high school teacher in Oregon and then moved to the University of California at Los Angeles, where for nearly 30 years he taught courses in instructional methods for prospective teachers as well as courses in evaluation and measurement for graduate students. At UCLA he won several distinguished teaching awards and was recognized by UCLA Today as one of UCLA’s top 20 professors of the twentieth century. The author of more than 30 books and hundreds of scholarly papers, Dr. Popham is a former president of the American Educational Research Association and the recipient of the National Council on Measurement in Education Award for Career Contributions to Educational Measurement.
Table of Contents
1 Why Do Teachers Need to Know about Assessment?
2 Deciding What to Assess and How to Assess It
3 Reliability of Assessment
4 Validity
5 Absence-of-Bias
6 Selected-Response Tests
7 Constructed-Response Tests
8 Performance Assessment
9 Portfolio Assessment
10 Affective Assessment
11 Improving Teacher-Developed Assessments
12 Formative Assessment
13 Making Sense Out of Standardized Test Scores
14 Appropriate and Inappropriate Test-Preparation Practices
15 The Evaluation of Instruction
16 Assessment-Based Grading
Extended Applications
Glossary
Index