Archived Information

State of the Art: Mathematics - July 1993

image omitted Curricular and pedagogical change in mathematics cannot occur without accompanying change in student assessment.

Through assessment, a better understanding should be obtained of how students are relating mathematical ideas to each other and if they are building an integrated notion of mathematics....Making sure that assessment is integral to instruction should mean that the information obtained is directly useful for guiding instruction. In short, good assessment is good instruction. 
                                       (Webb and Briars 1990, p. 117)
Curricular and pedagogical changes in mathematics must transform how students are assessed. As mathematics curricula and pedagogy are changed, the instruments for measuring student achievement must also be changed. It is not fair to students, teachers, or school districts to be measured by outdated standards.

The majority of standardized tests our children take are still overly reliant on multiple choice items that measure predominantly low-level mathematics skills. Although they are beginning to reflect the changes in mathematics teaching and learning, these tests include few types of questions that require higher order problem-solving skills. School districts should analyze standardized tests and use the test that most closely assesses meaningful standards that are in place, such as the NCTM standards.

Researchers are developing alternative assessment tools that both measure student achievement and promote learning. Performance assessment, student interviews, group project reports, and portfolios are a few in the wide range of new assessment tools that researchers are investigating and teachers are beginning to use.
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[Students need shared learning experiences.] [Table of Contents] [ Lasting change takes broad support.]

This page was last updated January 4, 2002 (jca)