Supportive schools require educators and administrators to be data-centered. Equity issues often stem from our preconceived, systemically influenced belief systems. An alterative to making decisions based on our gut feelings, educators should focus on utilizing well-designed, objective measurement tools. Test data should be used regularly to make instructional decisions. ED887, Authentic Assessments course at Emporia State University, discussed using a variety of assessment methods, both formative and summative, to alter instruction in order to meet the needs of our students. Assessment practices should be encouraged and evaluated during regularly scheduled professional development sessions. Assessment data should be looked at collaboratively…show more content… Unfortunately, traditional testing practices do not capture all that students can do. Education deals in the humanistic business; therefore, characteristics of the learners must be addressed first. While transitioning from standardized testing to authentic performance-based measures will not itself guarantee assessment equity, assessments that are sensitive to society’s diverse cultures and social contexts must be considered. Furthermore, content and validity of the assessments must be continuously challenged and analyzed. Status quo practices and fixed mindsets will only obstruct the goal of greater equity. Rick Wormeli, guru for effective grading practices, challenges the traditional idea that grades are often disciplinary and not closely tied to student achievement of content. He defines working mastery as; “Students have mastered content when they demonstrate a thorough understanding as evidenced by doing something substantive with the content beyond merely echoing it. Anyone can repeat information; it’s the masterful student who can break content into its component pieces, explain it and alternative perspectives regarding it cogently to others, and use it purposefully in new situations.” Providing students with the opportunity for ‘redos,’ retakes, and feedback only…show more content… Education must extend outside of brick and mortar schoolhouses. Home visits are a valuable option that would allow for teachers to first meet families on their own “turf.” Sensitivity to students’ home cultures often comes from seeing and being part of that environment, even if only momentarily. Furthermore, the district can reach out to the families by hiring staff from the community who speak families’ home languages, translating any and all correspondence, provide transportation to and from all school events, and hosting adult education and parenting courses at neighborhood schools. Engaging families often extends beyond what’s happening within the four walls of a classroom. Schools also can no longer operate between eight o’clock in the morning and three o’clock in the afternoon. Extended learning opportunities before and after school, as well as during the summer, will also serve to enhance the learning experience while developing the whole-child. While Kansas supports full-day kindergarten, the district could open their doors to a pre-kindergarten program. The RAND Corporation released a document in 2005 stating that early childhood intervention programs have been shown to yield benefits in academic achievement, behavior, educational progression and attainment, delinquency and crime, and labor market success, among other
