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CANFree Reproducibles
Assessment Literacy for Educators
Rethinking the What, Why, and How of Assessment and Grading Book
Don’t settle for outdated grading practices. This book, guided by 43 essential tenets and split into three parts, provides a research-based framework to help educators design accurate, equitable assessments. Learn how to truly measure student growth and proficiency, moving beyond traditional models.
Benefits
- Understand the history of assessment in the United States, including failures and biases
- Learn the technical characteristics and limitations of influential large-scale exams
- Employ a variety of effective classroom assessments to measure student knowledge on specific learning progressions
- Aggregate formative assessment scores over time and compute summative scores to accurately report student status and
- Individualize the assessment and learning process with competency-based practices
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Revisiting Assessment Practices
Part I: Large-Scale Assessments
Chapter 1: The Influence of Large-Scale Assessments
Chapter 2: Technical Characteristics of Large-Scale Assessments
Part II: Classroom Assessments
Chapter 3: Rethinking Classroom Assessments
Chapter 4: Scoring Classroom Assessments
Chapter 5: Aggregating Classroom Assessment Score
Part III: Grading Practice
Chapter 6: Grading Systems
Chapter 7: Competency-Based Systems
Epilogue: Applying the Tenets of Assessment Literacy
REPRODUCIBLES
Chapter 3: Rethinking Classroom Assessments
Chapter 4: Scoring Classroom Assessments
Chapter 5: Aggregating Classroom Assessment Scores
- Precision Chart
- Expanded Recordkeeping for Method of Mounting Evidence (Template)
- Table 5.5: Comparison of Instrumental and Argument-Based Perspectives of Validity
Chapter 6: Grading Systems
Epilogue: Applying the Tenets of Assessment Literacy
- Table E.1: Tenets of Assessment Literacy
- Figure E.1: Sample Likert Questions for Large-Scale Assessment Tenets
- Figure E.2: Sample Likert Questions for Classroom Assessment Tenets
- Figure E.3: Sample Likert Questions for Grading Practice Tenets
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
BOOKS
- Gotto, J., Grenham, O., Kosena, B. J., Marzano, R. J., & Swanson, P. (2025). Pioneers of personalized education: Westminster Public Schools and the pursuit of competency-based learning. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J. (2010). Formative assessment and standards-based grading. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J. (2018). Making classroom assessments reliable and valid. Solution Tree Press.
- Marzano, R. J., & Abbott, S. D. (2022). Teaching in a competency-based elementary school: The Marzano Academies model. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., Cahill, B., Gotto, J., Kosena, B. J., Lynch, M. J., & Pearson, L. (2025). Test-specific thinking: Teaching students to think the way tests make them. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., & Hardy, P. B. (2023). Leading a competency-based secondary school: The Marzano Academies model. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., Heflebower, T., Hoegh, J. K., Warrick, P., & Grift, G. (2016). Collaborative teams that transform schools: The next step in PLCs. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., & Kosena, B. J. (2022). Leading a competency-based elementary school: The Marzano Academies model. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., Finn, M., & Finn, D., III. (2017). A handbook for personalized competency-based education. Marzano Resources.
- Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., & Ruyle, M. (2019). The new art and science of classroom assessment. Solution Tree Press.
- Marzano, R. J., Zima, B., & Simms, J. A. (2025). Marzano mastery approaches: A decision-making process for competency-based schools. Marzano Resources.
- Rains, C. L. (2020). Leadership in High Reliability School districts. In R. Eaker & R. J. Marzano (Eds.), Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools: Cultures of continuous learning (pp. 351–383). Solution Tree Press.
WEBSITE
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
