Article,
Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment
Phi Delta Kappan, 80 (2): 139--148 (1998)
Abstract
Few reform initiatives focus on what goes on in the 'black box' of
the classroom, on what really happens in the interaction between
teachers and students. This article is about the inside of the black
box. The authors focus on one aspect of teaching: formative assessment.
The main plank of their argument is that standards can be raised
only by changes that are put into direct effect by teachers and pupils
in classrooms. There is a body of firm evidence that formative assessment
is an essential component of classroom work and that its development
can raise standards of achievement. They consider different ways
in which formative assessment can be improved, and then offer four
steps to implementing improvement strategies.
