posted by:
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Mack McCary
on April 26, 1999
at 11:36AM
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subject:
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Who we are, questions re student assessment
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I'm Mack McCary, co-PI with Susan Friel in the MIPS project: Math Improvement through Problem Solving. We are working with 5 rural counties in northeastern North Carolina to transform math instruction K-8 through incorporating inquiry and a focus on student understanding. My second "part-time" job, in addition to being assistant superintendent in one of the counties, has been leading a consortium of 8 districts begun by CLASS & Grant Wiggins, to develop a balanced assessment system using authentic performance tasks and student portfolios. We have been utilizing NC-developed criterion referenced tests over the last 5 years to assess changes in student math achievement which are associated with changes in math instruction, especially in the middle school implementation of the Connected Math Project (CMP). Our teachers are beginning to develop culminating performance tasks, tho we are not far enough along to have made systematic use of that data. Our biggest question is how to find or develop assessment tools which can help distinguish between procedural knowledge and deeper understanding, especially the ability to explain concepts and reasoning, and the ability to apply learning to ill-structured, more real life-like, problems. The New Standards data Pittsburg reported at the LSC conference was fascinating and revealing. Our current state tests do a fair job of assessing basic procedural knowledge, and some conceptual understanding, but not in a form that one can clearly see explanation-connections and application to problem solving clearly revealed.
=== Dr. C. E. McCary III Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools
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