Alternative Assessments
What challenges do alternative assessments present to teachers at your school?
Alternative assessments (AA) are a fine means to determining the education of a student. Standardized assessment is very rigorous but allows for the system to be managed effectively and efficiently. AA's present certain challenges, not to the students but the staff and faculty. AA's require more imagination and creativity. Grading scales provide rigid guidance and it is mostly simple to evaluate students be applying basic mathematics and scoring to tests.
The main challenge of AA's is getting them approved and then synthesized into the classroom. In non-standard classrooms like special-education or gifted programs, alternative assessments are more readily put into action due to the abnormality of the inherent situation. Since the basis of American education is equality and uniformity, alternative assessment are not seen as being aligned with the larger educational philosophies that are being practiced and emphasized in today's schooling environment.
Since diversity is often frowned upon in public schools as denoted by many traditions, policies and dogmas, it may be up to the individual teacher or faculty member to take it upon themselves to assess the student in more than one way. The challenges...
Striking a strong balance between the collective and the individual is essential if teachers and school leaders wish to promote the use of alternative assessments to meet the very diverse needs of the students.
The middle ground may be hard to find due to many monetary resources being attached to educational funds. As long as standardized testing denotes educational resources, it should be expected that schools will focus on this method to preserve their existence. A new formula is needed to help guide and nurture a new way to evaluate diverse learners.
When things are completely equal they are still and motionless. Learning only accompanies diversity and inequality. While many educators and theorists clamor for equality and equal rights, a wise educator will take advantage of this seemingly injustice and use it to teach lessons and foster growth. Stagnation and…
