Teaching the teachers - elementary
The University of Oregon College of Education is integrating standards-based teaching methods into its curriculum for elementary school teachers
By Lisa Hollingsworth
Elementary teachers (grades K - 8) in the public school system in Oregon must be prepared to assess their students' progress toward the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) benchmarks as mandated by the state. Student teachers are being taught new ways to assess students with what are called performance-based assessments. An elementary school student's progress is no longer to be gauged via pen and pencil tests. Students will be performing more hands-on and verbal demonstations of what they have learned. Also, students will be integrating different subjects into one project and will be expected to explain what they have learned.
Mary Gleason, associate professor, teaches elementary methods class which integrates performance-based assessment at the University of Oregon College of Education. According to Professor Gleason, performance-based assessment training is being integrated into existing teaching methods classes.
Because the performance assessment requirements are so new, there are not many proven assessment models available. Student teachers are currently required to design performance assessments. In her Methods class, Gleason requires her students to "design a lesson to teach and then show me how it will meet Oregon benchmarks and standards." OPEN , (Oregon Public Education Network) is compiling a data base of successful performance assessment techniques from provided by teachers across the state.
"The most substantial change in training teachers is the new language.
Student teachers are being taught how to move around in this new system,"
says Gleason.
What elementary teachers are being taught. . .
. . . about benchmarks
- Teachers are learning what the benchmarks are for their grade level.
- Teachers are learning how to assess whether children have reached their assigned benchmark.
- Teachers are learning the terminology of the new system
. . . about performance assessments
- Teachers are learning how to design assessments.
- Teachers are learning how to integrate performance assessments into pre-testing and post-testing.
- Teachers are learning how to supervise and document students' progress towards the CIM (8th grade).
- Teachers are learning how to explain these new assessment procedures and their results to students and parents.
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