Allyn & Bacon / Merrill

Education

Browse available resources for Reading & Literacy:



Connecting Standards and Assessments Through Literacy, with a Foreword by Rick Stiggins
Mark W. Conley, Michigan State University

ISBN-10: 0205351336
ISBN-13: 9780205351336

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Copyright: 2005
Format: Paper; 192 pp
Published: 11/02/2004

Suggested retail price: $41.00
Buy from myPearsonStore



This exciting new text examines the connection between meeting literacy standards and conducting literacy assessments and helps students understand the confusing world of standards and tests directly affecting today's classrooms.

Taking a common sense approach to the complex set of assessment challenges teachers face today, respected author Mark Conley maps a clear route to balance in the use of large-scale assessment to serve its intended purposes and the use of classroom assessment to meet the information needs of its intended users. Sure to get students engaged and thinking critically about assessment in standards-based schools, Conley challenges students to address a critical assessment issue: assessment, evaluation and grading practices born and bred to produce dependable rankings–that is, to help only a few students succeed–must now be transformed into practices that permit all students to succeed. Some of the topics featured in the text (e.g. No Child Left Behind, adequate yearly progress, national and state standards and instruction in relation to assessment, early literacy standards and assessments) have been carefully selected for their currency, importance and relevance to students' needs.

A great text for any student in a teacher preparation program, Connecting Standards and Assessments Through Literacy helps pre-service teachers make clear meaning out of the complexity surrounding assessment and guides them in making practical connections between standards, test performance and future classroom practice.

  • Emphasizes how to translate information from standards and tests to use in classroom teaching and assessment simplifying students, approach to planning and teaching lessons and creating their own tests in line with standards for future classroom use. (Ch. 8)
  • Explains in down to earth terms the importance of key issues related to standards and assessment throughout giving students a better understanding for how to connect these concepts and for how to design better instruction in their daily practice.
  • Integrates the value of standards and assessment with respect to testing and designing lessons teaching students practical ways to incorporate these ideas into their own lessons and tests. (Sections II & III).
  • Section III of the text is devoted to help students interpret and communicate information about standards and assessments to students, parents and school personnel.
  • End-of-chapter exercises help students apply major chapter content.
  • Suggested Readings offer students and instructors further in-depth topic discussion.

I. HIGH STANDARDS AND HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENT: THE LITERACY CONNECTION.

1. Higher Educational Standards.

2. High-Stakes Assessment.

II. CONNECTING STANDARDS, ASSESSMENT WITH DAILY PRACTICE.

3. Clarifying and Communicating About Standards.

4. Clarifying and Communicating About Testing.

5. Making Standards Work for You.

6. When Teaching to the Test is Just Good Curriculum.

7. Building Lessons Around Test-Taking Skills that Matter.

8. Integrating Standards and Assessment through Daily Practice.

9. Promoting Reading Fluency.

III. CONNECTING CLASSROOM PRACTICE TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

10. Making Sense of Large-scale Assessment Information.

11. Selecting, Designing and Using Classroom Assessments.

12. Communicating Assessment Information.

About the Book

Demystifying the relationships among assessment, standards, and classroom practice, Connecting Standards and Assessment through Literacy prepares teachers to create effective instruction plans. Dr. Conley addresses No Child Left Behind legislation as well as state and national standards, offering teachers not only a clear framework to link standards and assessment through instruction, but also an up-to-the-moment road map to navigate state and national education requirements.

Dr. Conley's simple and meaningful assertion is that literacy connects standards and assessment. The text demonstrates this connection plainly, breaking down the issues related to standards and assessment one at a time and explaining how teachers can proceed to create integrated lesson plans. Application exercises at the end of every chapter enable teachers to confirm their mastery.

Glowing Endorsements for Connecting Standards and Assessment through Literacy

“In an environment of high stakes testing, Mark Conley's no-nonsense book should help bring some clarity to current discussions about standards, teaching, and assessment. It is both accessible and practical, providing clear suggestions for exploring and solving current assessment and curriculum dilemmas.”
—Peter Johnston, Ph. D.
The State University of New York at Albany

“Connecting Standards and Assessment through Literacy demystifies the standards movement by clearly laying out what it means for schools, school districts, and parents in terms of classroom instruction and assessment. Without undermining the importance of teachers as professional decision makers, Mark Conley delivers his message in a way that makes it possible for educators at all levels to see the connections between standards and assessments and how those connections, when appropriately interpreted, can translate into improved literacy teaching and learning. In a word, this book is solid.”
—Donna E. Alvermann, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor of Reading Education
The University of Georgia

About the Author

Dr. Mark Conley teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in content area literacy and assessment at Michigan State University. He also coordinates and teaches in the field-based content area literacy course for undergraduate secondary teacher preparation students and designs online courses in content area literacy, teacher inquiry, and classroom assessment.

View a Sample Chapter PDF:

For Elementary Reading Methods (K-8)


  • Primary Grades Literacy CD
    Harris & Tompkins
    © 2006 | Allyn & Bacon | CD-ROM Only | Instock
    ISBN-10: 013172133X | ISBN-13: 9780131721333


  • Teaching Writing CD-ROM
    Education
    © 2005 | Allyn & Bacon | CD-ROM Only | Instock
    ISBN-10: 0131175904 | ISBN-13: 9780131175907


Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students, contact your Pearson Higher Education representative for pricing and ordering information.

Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students, browse our available packages below, or contact your Pearson Higher Education representative to create your own package.



Copyright ©2009 Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Permissions