Book Review: Assessment in the Classroom
BOOK REVIEW: ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM
Pagkalinawan, Kathleen Iza B.
December 4, 2010
“Assessment in the Classroom” was written by Annie Ward and Mildred-Murray Ward for Wadsworth Publishing Company in 1999. The book with its immaculate layout is intended to be used by students in an introductory course in educational measurement or as foundation for in-service training programs. The focus of the book is on classroom assessment and the text is written specifically to address classroom teachers at all levels of education. School administrators, department supervisors and trainers may find the book as a good source in developing and constructing in-service programs or as mere reference in evaluating the classroom teacher’s assessment tools. The goal according to Ward is “to help educators, whatever their current assignment, use a variety of assessments to plan for instruction, evaluate the success of the instruction, and evaluate the progress of individual students and group of students.” The authors have specifically organized the contents of book as they would probably organize the course (as a subject) starting from stating aims-“What Will You Learn From This Book” to a Situationer and Historical and Founding Principles; defining and extensively discussing basic concepts, nature, purposes, levels and characteristics of measurement; preparing and writing a variety of assessments (pen and paper, direct observation and retrospective reports, portfolio assessment, performance and production tasks, etc) including external testing programs; evaluating and reporting and making recommendations for the results of varied tests; and some statistical analyses which also serve as the book’s special features. The book does not require background on statistics or psychology as it is practically the bible of assessments. Some concepts such as validity and reliability are integrated and discussed in relation to specific assessment techniques. Some worksheets and
Pagkalinawan, Kathleen Iza B.
December 4, 2010
“Assessment in the Classroom” was written by Annie Ward and Mildred-Murray Ward for Wadsworth Publishing Company in 1999. The book with its immaculate layout is intended to be used by students in an introductory course in educational measurement or as foundation for in-service training programs. The focus of the book is on classroom assessment and the text is written specifically to address classroom teachers at all levels of education. School administrators, department supervisors and trainers may find the book as a good source in developing and constructing in-service programs or as mere reference in evaluating the classroom teacher’s assessment tools. The goal according to Ward is “to help educators, whatever their current assignment, use a variety of assessments to plan for instruction, evaluate the success of the instruction, and evaluate the progress of individual students and group of students.” The authors have specifically organized the contents of book as they would probably organize the course (as a subject) starting from stating aims-“What Will You Learn From This Book” to a Situationer and Historical and Founding Principles; defining and extensively discussing basic concepts, nature, purposes, levels and characteristics of measurement; preparing and writing a variety of assessments (pen and paper, direct observation and retrospective reports, portfolio assessment, performance and production tasks, etc) including external testing programs; evaluating and reporting and making recommendations for the results of varied tests; and some statistical analyses which also serve as the book’s special features. The book does not require background on statistics or psychology as it is practically the bible of assessments. Some concepts such as validity and reliability are integrated and discussed in relation to specific assessment techniques. Some worksheets and