Collaborative Common Assessments. Cassandra Erkens

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Names: Erkens, Cassandra, author.

      Title: Collaborative common assessments : Teamwork. Instruction. Results / Cassandra Erkens.

      Description: Bloomington, IN : Solution Tree Press, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2015038715 | ISBN 9781936763009 (perfect bound)

      Subjects: LCSH: Teachers--Rating of. | Teacher effectiveness. | Professional learning communities. | Group work in education.

      Classification: LCC LB2838 .E748 2016 | DDC 371.14/4--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015038715

       Solution Tree

      Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO

      Edmund M. Ackerman, President

       Solution Tree Press

      President: Douglas M. Rife

      Senior Acquisitions Editor: Amy Rubenstein

      Editorial Director: Lesley Bolton

      Managing Production Editor: Caroline Weiss

      Senior Editor: Kari Gillesse

      Proofreader: Elisabeth Abrams

      Text Designer: Abigail Bowen

      Cover Designer: Rachel Smith

      With deep gratitude, this book is dedicated to the remarkable, collaborative teachers and leaders everywhere who make schools into learning organizations every day for their learners and themselves.

      Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment to download the reproducibles in this book.

       Acknowledgments

      This book has truly been a labor of love—or at least a lot of labor. It took far longer than I ever imagined it would, and at some points, I wasn’t even certain it would ever actually happen. But there are some who believed in me and the book, long before I was able to deserve their faith. Toward that end, I offer a well-deserved note of gratitude to many.

      To Nicole Vagle and Tom Schimmer, longtime friends, sounding boards, advocates of my work, and assessment experts. Your insights have always been shared with openness and grace. Your feedback has always been inspirational.

      To Jeff Jones, extraordinary friend, outstanding colleague, and innovative publisher. You believed in me long before I believed in myself. I would not have started the book if it had not been for your prompting.

      To Douglas Rife, patient, patient, patient publisher. You offered doses of wisdom and shots of courage along the way. Your grace and patience were greatly appreciated.

      To Kari Gillesse, my remarkable editor who made this book so much better than it began.

      To Claudia Wheatley, a persistent and provocative voice of reason. You more than anyone nudged me forward and worked to protect my time, and I am forever grateful.

      To my PLC mentors, Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, and all of the PLC associates; and to my assessment mentors, Jan Chappuis, Richard Stiggins, and all of my Assessment Training Institute colleagues. The experts in each group have offered me so many incredible opportunities to spread my wings and grow into deeper understanding of the depth you have brought individually and collectively to the educational community at large. There will never be sufficient words to express my gratitude.

      I also owe a note of gratitude to my son, Ethan—a budding graphic designer—for his help with the majority of the graphics found in this book. We learned through this process together.

      Most importantly, however, I forever remain indebted to the remarkable educators and teaching teams who have truly and wholeheartedly engaged in the work of collaborative common assessments, most especially Bill Olsen of Rutland High School, Rutland, Vermont, and Susannah O’Bara of Hawk Elementary, Denton, Texas, for sharing your data and examples with me. Educators everywhere have tried the things I have offered, have given feedback and shared results, have helped me understand even more deeply the power of this work, and, most importantly, have inspired and compelled me to finish the book. I dedicate this book to you.

      Solution Tree Press would like to thank the following reviewers:

      Carie Barthelemess

      Director of Assessment

      Hallsville Independent School District

      Hallsville, Texas

      Anaya L. Bryson

      Sugar Hill, Georgia

      Jan Chappuis

      Author, Educational Researcher, and Consultant

       JanChappuis.com

      Portland, Oregon

      Sharon Davis

      Assistant Principal

      Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School

      Dallas, Texas

      Tom Schimmer

      Author and Consultant

      Tom Schimmer Consulting

      Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

      Nicole Dimich Vagle

      Author and Consultant

      Lighthouse Learning Community

      Minneapolis, Minnesota

       Table of Contents

       About the Author

       Foreword