Assessment as Equity

 Assessment as Equity

When assessment is done in an equitable way, relationships between the teacher and the student and parents can grow and flourish. When assessment practices are not equitable, relationships are damaged. I began my Professional Master of Education degree, specializing in Assessment and Evaluation, in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. By the time I finished a year and a half later, I realized that we, as teachers, have been grossly underserved in our education on appropriate assessment practices. As a teacher who strives for equity and as a parent of neuro-diverse children, I believed that I had been fair, inclusive and equitable in my assessment practices. I was wrong. Most teachers are making mistakes that damage relationships, undermine the learning of students and further disadvantage the marginalized without even realizing it. A strong statement, I know, but true. As Craig Kielburger says in the quote below, once I saw the problem, I could no longer ignore the injustice and began a mission to teach what I learned to others to help improve student learning across the school, the board and the province .I will use this blog to examine issues in assessment and explore ways that assessment can be used as a primary tool in creating equitable classrooms and schools.

It's easier to be ignorant and say I don't know about the problem. But once you know, once you've seen it in their eyes, then you have a responsibility to do something."

~ Craig Kielburger