Past, Present, and Future of Assessment in Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis

Authors

Stephanie Green, University of South FloridaFollow
Jessica Kearbey, University of South Florida
Jennifer Wolgemuth, University of South Florida
Vonzell Agosto, University of South Florida
Jeanine Romano, University of South Florida
Mike Riley, University of South Florida
Aimee Frier, University of South Florida

Abstract

As a diverse group of educationalists, we worry about the role of assessment in K-12 schools and current neoliberal education policies. In this paper, we aim to highlight some of the unintended or often overlooked consequences of these policies by taking an arts-based approach to our research. We interviewed various educational stakeholders about their past and present experiences with assessment, as well as their imagined futures. By creating poetic representations to present the results, we aim to shed a new light on the otherwise familiar contexts of assessment in the schools. Many are afraid of a future where neoliberal policies continue to determine the nature and role of assessment in schools, but want to believe that things will get better.

Keywords

Assessment, Narrative, Qualitative Research

Author Bio(s)

Stephanie Green is a doctoral student, pursuing a degree in Educational Measurement and Evaluation, at the University of South Florida. She also works as a Supervisor of Research and Evaluation Services for the District School Board of Pasco County, Florida. Her research focuses on the social outcomes of education, assessment in K-12 schools, and teacher evaluation.

Jennifer R Wolgemuth is an Assistant Professor of Educational Research at the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on the unintended and messy outcomes of social science research, including its personal and social impacts on researchers, participants and those who shepherd research evidence into policy and practice.

Vonzell Agosto, Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, focuses her research on curriculum leadership policy, practice, and preparation related to anti-oppressive education. Her publications appear in the Journal of School Leadership, Teachers College Record, and Race, Ethnicity and Education.

Michael W. Riley is a Visiting Lecturer at Clemson University. His research interests include building and sustaining effective school-family-community relationships, teacher education for collaboration and co-teaching, and inclusive education.

Aimee Frier is a doctoral candidate in the departments of Special Education and Literacy Studies and the University of South Florida. Her research interests include digital literacies and students with reading difficulties.

Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to Stephanie Green at smgreen3@mail.usf.edu or smgreen@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Publication Date

7-27-2015

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2229

Recommended APA Citation

Green, S., Kearbey, J., Wolgemuth, J., Agosto, V., Romano, J., Riley, M., & Frier, A. (2015). Past, Present, and Future of Assessment in Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis. The Qualitative Report, 20(7), 1111-1124. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2229