Lessons from a Classroom Teacher's Use of Alternative Literacy Assessment

• Published in: Research in the teaching of English 2002-05, Vol.36 (4), p.462-494
• Main Authors: Bauer, Eurydice Bouchereau, García, Georgia Earnest
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative Assessment; Art teachers; Case Studies; Classroom observations; Elementary Education; Ethnography; Group instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Instructional Improvement; Language arts; Language teachers; Literacy; Reading instruction; Small Group Instruction; Teacher Behavior; Teachers; Writing; Writing instruction
• ISSN: 0034-527X; 1943-2348
• DOI: 10.58680/rte20021757

This case study investigates the possible link between a classroom teacher's implementation of alternative literacy assessment and her classroom instruction. Specifically, we explore two research questions: 1) What was the link between her use of alternative literacy assessment and her shift toward more student-centered reading instruction? 2) What factors helped to support her implementation of alternative literacy assessment and move toward student-centered reading instruction? The term student-centered in this paper refers to instruction based on the teacher's ongoing knowledge of individual students' reading and writing rather than instruction based on structured whole group or small group instruction. The findings suggest that the assessment changes that the teacher made led to instructional changes that allowed her to see how her students approached, undertook, and completed complex tasks. In addition, greater student equity seemed to occur because the type of instruction that all of the students received changed, with all of the students being given the opportunity to self-select their reading materials, self evaluate, and share their interpretations. Equity refers to students' gaining access to instruction (formal and informal) that is responsive to their literacy needs (educational equity), that is reflective of what they can and cannot do (assessment equity), and that provides them greater voice in their literacy development (empowerment equity). Findings from this study illuminate the role that alternative literacy assessments can play in the classroom in terms of reflecting literacy task performance, presenting information on students' strengths and weaknesses, and improving the quality of instruction provided to all students. In addition, they suggest the teacher change issues that are important for the infusion of alternative assessment into classroom settings.