Assessment and Curriculum

Abstract

This chapter addresses how curriculum can be explained to students in order to facilitate assessment. Many educators are familiar with curricular terminology like standards and outcomes, but traditional curriculum writing has focused more on teachers than on students. Learning targets are a particular type of student outcome that emphasizes ease of comprehension by students. Learning targets can be classified as knowledge, reasoning, skills, products, or dispositions. Classroom assessment is more effective when both teacher and students have clarity about what will be assessed, how it will be assessed, and what suffices as evidence of mastery.