Teacher Assessment and the Assessment of Students with Diverse Learning Needs

Review of Research in Education

Teacher Assessment and the Assessment of Students With Diverse Learning Needs

Edited by Jamal Abedi and Christian J. Faltis, both at University of California, Davis

Assessments play an integral role in instruction, placement, promotion and efforts to ensure that students and teachers receive the support they need for success.  At the same time, serious consequences can result if assessments are not constructed and used properly. If, for any reason, the assessment report results are not dependable due to unreliable or invalid tests, this can jeopardize the very population they were intended to serve. In Review of Research in Education (Volume 39), the authors bring awareness to specific considerations necessary in the use of high-stakes assessments, shed light on the decisions made based on the results of assessments and explore the implications of using high-stakes assessments for students with diverse learning needs. As the nation moves toward the development and implementation of a new generation of assessments, attention to teacher assessment and the assessment of students with diverse learning needs is of paramount importance.