Review: Assessment in the Learning Organization: Shifting the Paradigm

The following resource is available for Sullivan Heights teachers in our Learning Commons: 

Review of “Assessment in the Learning Organization: Shifting the Paradigm” edited by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick
Edited by Costa and Kallick, this book is a collection of writings by practicing educators on a variety of issues related to assessment. As the name suggests, the book argues for a paradigm shift in assessment. It is divided into seven sections:

• Part I. Systems Thinking: Interactive Assessment in Holonomous Organizations
• Part II. Process Design: Feedback Spirals as Components of Continued Learning
• Part III. Shifting the Paradigm: Giving Up Old Mental Models
• Part IV. Shared Vision
• Part V. Teams Build Assessment – And Assessment Builds Teams
• Part VI. The Developmental Continuum of Personal Mastery
• Part VII. Envisioning the World Anew: Seven Tasks Facing Learning Organizations

This book explains the theory behind the effort to continually improve the assessment process, but also provides practical examples (many from schools here in BC!) to help illustrate the concepts. Some examples include student notes to parents, student self reports, samples of report cards, suggestions of ways to evaluate a variety of tasks, and much more.