What Educators Learn When They Evaluate Students

Abstract

Many reports emphasize that the main aim of education reform has been
improved student performance. Reform efforts have focused on curricula
content, the professional development of educators, the development of
non-traditional teaching and assessment methods and giving parents more
choice in their children's educational experiences. Yet, after 20 years
of reforms, it remains unclear what actually works to raise student
achievement. Student achievement is measured using different types of
assessments. Because they use the results of these assessments to
evaluate their students, and have evaluation information available to
them, educators are able to learn from the process of evaluating their
students. Q methodology was used to investigate such 'process use' and
to understand how educators gain lessons from the evaluation process
that can contribute to the success of education initiatives. The four
perspectives which emerged were shaped by student qualities, the
educators' relationships with their stakeholders, the relationships
among colleagues, the purpose or stakes associated with the evaluation
activity, the relationships among the stakeholders in the teaching
context and the assessment approach employed.