Assessment

Amy Tollefson is the district-level principal with Osseo Area Schools in a diverse suburb of Minneapolis. Over more than 20 years, she has also served as a secondary school principal, secondary social studies teacher, district office coordinator, and assistant principal.

Rea Smith is an elementary mathematics and science curriculum specialist in northwestern Arkansas. She passionately supports the work of professional learning communities with a focus on common assessments to improve student and teacher learning.

Matt Townsley, EdD, is an associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is a former district administrator and teacher in Solon Community Schools, also in Iowa, where he led curriculum, assessment, and school-improvement initiatives, all under the umbrella of a professional learning community philosophy.

Nathan L. Wear is the associate superintendent and chief academic officer of Linn-Mar CSD in Marion, Iowa. He has served as an elementary teacher and as an elementary and high school principal.

Assessment sits at the center of instructional decisions and multitiered systems of support that ensure student success. This webinar, featuring assessment expert Nicole Dimich, will provide guidance in how to design meaningful assessments and set up information that empowers teachers to be instructionally agile and students to be invested in their learning.

Many articles, blogs, books, podcasts, and webinars have been written and shared for the purpose of reiterating the need to close student achievement gaps. And yet, the process and progress in closing the gaps has been out of reach.

Kirk Savage, EdD, is an assistant superintendent for Chilliwack School District in British Columbia, Canada, where he has been working as a senior leadership team member since 2012.

Jonathan Ferris is a program coordinator at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia, where he oversees practicum placements for teacher candidates, supervises faculty mentors, and teaches courses on classroom management, professionalism, ethics, and teacher presence.

Bri Crook most recently served as the instructional coach at Baxter Elementary in Baxter, Iowa. She has several years of experience in education at the elementary level and district level, also serving as the technology director.

Dr. Ryan Sikkes is an educational consultant and presenter with over 20 years’ worth of experience in teaching and administration in Canada’s Yukon Territory. He is passionate about supporting schools and systems in their efforts to improve assessment and grading practices.