So What Do They Really Know?: Assessment That Informs Teaching and Learning
InSo What Do They Really Know?Cris Tovani explores the  complex issue of monitoring, assessing, and grading students' thinking  and performance with fairness and fidelity. Like all teachers, Cris  struggles to balance her student-centered instruction with school system  mandates. Her recommendations are realistic and practical; she  understands that what isn't manageable isn't sustainable.Cris  describes the systems and structure she uses in her own classroom and  shows teachers how to use assessments to monitor student growth and  provide targeted feedback that enables students to master content goals.  She also shares ways to bring students into the assessment cycle so  they can monitor their own learning, maximizing motivation and  engagement.So What Do They Really Know?includes a wealth of information:Lessons from Cris's classroomTemplates showing how teachers can use the workshop model to assess and differentiate instructionStudent work, including samples from linguistically diverse learners, struggling readers, and college-bound seniorsAnchor charts of student thinkingIdeas on how to give feedbackGuidelines that explain how conferring is different from monitoringSuggestions for assessing learning and differentiating instruction during conferencesAdvice for managing ongoing assessmentCris's  willingness to share her own struggles continues to be a hallmark of  her work. Teachers will recognize their own students and the challenges  they face as they join Cris on the journey to figure out how to raise  student achievement.