PETERBOROUGH, N.H., March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — For many educators, charting progress in the classroom can be a major dilemma, especially when the only assessment tools and strategies available for a traditional setting with a traditional report card and grading system. It is imperative, then, that teachers find a fair and valid way to assess and report progress.
Staff Development for Educators' (SDE) two-day seminar on Standards-based Assessment & Grading: Principles & Practicalities for Todays Classroom, offered this spring for teachers of grades 5-12, is designed to do just that. Educators will learn how to manage evidence-based assessment and grading, using innovative strategies designed to meet common standards and be tailored to students' unique needs.
In this seminar, led by internationally-acclaimed education consultant and assessment expert Rick Wormeli, educators will be treated to an engaging, provocative, and practical look at standards and outcomes-based assessment and grading practice through the lens of diverse student bodies, changing polities, and evolving pedagogy.
Wormeli, one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, brings energy, validity, and high standards to his presentations and instructional practice. A teacher for more than 30 years, Wormeli's work has been reported on ABC's Good Morning America and onHardball with Chris Matthews, and featured in publications such as the Washington Post, National Geographic, and Good Housekeeping. An exciting and engaging presenter, he is also the author of the award-winning book Meet Me in the Middle, as well as Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessment & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, and Differentiation: From Planning to Practice.
"It is a pioneering time to be an educator," explains Wormeli, "and evidence-based assessment and grading are two frontiers critical to your success. Don't miss this chance to collaborate with your peers, identify what really works, and plan how you can shape the course of education for you and your students. "
Wormeli will guide teachers through the necessary elements for useful pre-, formative, common, and summative assessments that really work in today's classrooms, and focuses especially on what to grade, how to grade, and how to report a grade, especially when working with students who learn differently. The seminar will address those issues at the forefront of assessment and grading, including designing rubrics, using grading scales, averaging scores, handling zeroes, homework, do-overs, late work, and extra credit.
The thoughtful, research-based solutions provided by Wormeli will assist educators in developing a principled mindset to determine assessment and grading techniques that create transcripts of true integrity that stakeholders in other schools and districts can trust. Wormeli will teach educators how to precisely focus assessments so that they provide real and valid evidence of what is (and what is not) mastery.
Complete coverage of strategies for "unwrapping" the content standards and outcomes meaningfully aids teachers in creating rubric design, and tiering and scaffolding assignments in classes with diverse students. Additionally, it helps educators communicate with students and parents alike, what is being taught, assessed, and reported. Teachers will discover how to make that true connection between assessing what they are teaching and what their students are learning.
Lastly, educators will discover how to design assessment tools, rubrics, and tasks to provide valid evidence of mastery, guide response to student needs, and provide descriptive feedback essential to students in their learning.
The seminar is designed for new and veteran teachers alike.
Staff Development for Educators is America's leading provider of professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. SDE believes that educators have the most important job in the world. That's Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21stcentury.
All SDE events include a free resource book of handouts, lesson ideas, reproducibles, and more, and a free 60-day membership at TeachingMadeEasier.com. With the paid registration of a staff member, SDE extends free tuition to a principal from the same building, and also offers group discounts for groups of 10+ and 20+.
Standards-based Assessment & Grading will be offered in Albuquerque, NM on April 29-30, and in Rockford, IL on May 7- 8. Educators interested registering for this seminar, or learning about more about SDE's national conferences, upcoming SDE events, or other professional development opportunities, can visit www.SDE.com, call 1-800-462-1478, or email Email.