#53:
Assessing Mathematical Proficiency
Up: MSRI Publications
MSRI Publications – Volume 53
Assessing Mathematical Proficiency
Edited by
Alan H. Schoenfeld
Testing matters! It can determine kids' and schools' futures. In a
conference at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute,
mathematicians,
math education researchers, teachers, test developers, and
policymakers
gathered to work through critical issues related to mathematics
assessment.
They examined:
-
the challenges of assessing student learning in ways that
support
instructional improvement;
-
ethical issues related to assessment, including the impact of
testing on
urban and high-poverty schools;
-
the different (and sometimes conflicting) needs of the different
groups;
and
-
different frameworks, tools, and methods for assessment,
comparing the
kinds of information they offer about students' mathematical
proficiency.
This volume presents the results of the discussions. It highlights the
kinds of information that different assessments can offer, including
many
examples of some of the best mathematics assessments worldwide. A
special
feature is an interview with a student about his knowledge of
fractions,
demonstrating what interviews (versus standardized tests) can reveal.