MAC believes that quality education depends on the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and meaningful assessment that verifies and advances learning. We also believe that all learners can achieve rigorous, ambitious academic outcomes when they are provided with sufficient learning opportunities supported through meaningful assessment processes. Integral to meaningful assessment is equitable assessment wherein schools help all students achieve ambitious outcomes through a bias-free, balanced approach to assessment that honors the unique strengths, talents, and identities of all students.
Current Research and Development
Components of an Equitable Assessment System
Inspired by Transcend Education’s original “Leaps for Equitable 21st Century Learning,” the Michigan Assessment Consortium (MAC) has identified and described ten Components of an Equitable Assessment System (CEAS). We further describe three necessary Foundational Convictions that together create equitable learning environments where all learners are provided equitable access to high-quality, differentiated instruction by qualified educators who hold and communicate high expectations for all learners and provide them with sufficient time and opportunities to achieve ambitious outcomes.
The Components of an Equitable Assessment System are rooted in MAC’s Assessment Literacy Standards. By widely sharing the CEAS descriptions, examples, and recommended resources, we aim to guide educators in implementing assessment practices and systems necessary to support all learners. We actively seek feedback on the CEAS work by educators in the field. And through the use of student and teacher perception surveys, we are supporting schools in improving their assessment practices while also identifying and elevating examples of the Components at work in schools.
Explore the Components of an Equitable Assessment System
Schools and districts that create equitable learning environments exhibit all of the following features:
Educators hold and communicate high expectations for all learners. They believe
that all students are capable of showing proficiency on the most rigorous outcomes,
when given sufficient time and support to do so.
All learners are individually provided sufficient time and opportunities to learn the
knowledge and skills expected by teachers, recognizing that time is an important
factor in promoting ambitious outcomes for all students.
All learners are provided equitable access to instruction by qualified, experienced
teachers who understand their discipline deeply and know how to provide
differentiated instruction within that discipline to support all learners.
All learners have equitable access to educators who use a variety of high-quality
assessment methods to demonstrate proficiency and who are skilled in using both
assessment of and assessment for learning throughout the learning cycle.
Assessment systems advance the totality of cognitive, emotional, and physical factors
that impact the child’s learning, development, and overall health and well-being.
Assessment based on learner ability to apply, analyze, and use student understanding
in relevant ways, across multiple contexts.
All learners have to demonstrate and apply what they understand and know by
engaging in new, novel, real-world contexts for genuine audiences.
All learners have opportunities to reflect and monitor their own progress towards
instructional and social and emotional learning (SEL) outcomes. The learning
community engages in constructive peer feedback around learning targets and
success criteria.
The assessment process demonstrates empathy and understanding, by taking
into account individuals’ culture and experiences, thereby adjusting to support all
learners’ success.
A systemic, facilitated process for assessment builds meaningful relationships and
establishes a community of learners that nurtures empathy, fosters belonging,
supports well-being and creates social capital.
The focus, timing, and method of (both formative and summative) assessment, as
well as the resources and supports provided, are tailored to each learner’s identity,
prior knowledge, development, learning styles, and life experiences.
All learners have an active voice in when and how they are assessed using methods
that encourage student ownership of their learning and meaningfully draw on their
interest and prior knowledge.
All learners have an active voice in when and how they are assessed using methods
that encourage student ownership of their learning and meaningfully draw on their
interest and prior knowledge.