New Assessment Practices in Mathematics

Abstract

Assessment practices need to change in mathematics classrooms that adopt the curriculum standards recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). An assessment system that focuses on broad learning outcomes, uses tasks that are aligned with instructional practices, involves students actively in the process, and informs teachers' instructional and curricular decisions is recommended. Such an assessment process requires teachers to identify important mathematical ideas, along with performance standards that describe what students must do to demonstrate that those ideas have been learned. Open-ended questions, observations, interviews, pre- and post-assessments, self- and peer-assessments are strategies that can be used to gather evidence of students learning. Documentation strategies are needed to help teachers organize and manage assessment data. NCTM has provided six standards for assessment that teachers can use as guidelines to help them evaluate the appropriateness of assessment tasks.