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Many questions are in the minds of students and teachers related to assessment methods in vogue today. This is an era where numbers are currency. They all wonder if there will ever be an alternative set of numbers and metrics policymakers and reformers can bring into place in order to weight effectiveness of schools.

They also wonder if there are any alternatives that can be offered to reformers considering the limited numerical accountability options. Are there any immeasurable variables that are softer such as divergent thinking, attitudes towards school and student engagement?

This is the topic that rages amongst students and teachers all over our country. On the one hand, there is the business community that who have devised ways to improve our work. Working on a four step cycle, their plans start with setting a measurable goal, working towards meeting the goal and reviewing outcomes to find out if and where we have fallen short to improve outcomes.

Along with the built in accountability mechanism in the No Child Left Behind initiative., this logic only resulted in placing immense pressure on the teachers. Teachers started being driven by data.

Data used for outcome measurement is generally the standardized test scores. Instruction in schools now focus only on improving these test scores which in turn is hugely detrimental to learning goals we greatly value.

If we realize that our effectiveness cannot really be assessed in a fair manner through test scores, then what can be used in their place to ensure that students are accountable in a measurable and concrete manner?

For this we must first have an idea of our goals and complexity of learning. There are meaningful ways by which teachers can take responsibility for student learning. For example, teachers can first discuss among themselves as to what they desire for their students. At the end of the year, what do they want their students to be and what do they most value?

Once they are focused in what they want, it will be easier for them to create lessons through effective collaboration. Close attention must be paid to how much and how effective student learning is even as the lessons are being taught.

In keeping with the requirements of the National Board certification, teachers must gather evidence of the impact their teaching has on students. They must also substantiate their claims with work samples.

History teachers in Oakland have been innovative and creative with their assessment system for more than a decade now. District wide, students are given a common writing task by their teachers. They are required to draw evidence from primary historical documents to respond to a question.

Students are given photographs, editorial cartoons and written documents from the specific period and must answer questions related to events they have learnt about. Samples of their work are taken by teachers to the scoring sessions for mass comparison. This has indeed created a rich environment of strategy sharing and collaboration among teachers.

All around the country, teachers can strive to innovate and create powerful assessment models keeping in mind the only goal of ensuring high quality education for students.