Welcome to the Classroom Assessment SIG. Borrowing from McMillan (2013), we define classroom assessment as a process that teachers and students use in collecting, evaluating, and using evidence of student learning for a variety of purposes, including diagnosing strengths and weaknesses in understanding and skill development, monitoring student progress toward proficiency, assigning grades, and providing feedback to parents. Unlike standardized testing, classroom assessment is locally controlled, and consists of a broad range of measures, including both structured techniques such as tests, papers, student peer and self-assessment, reports, and portfolios, as well as informal ways of collecting evidence, including anecdotal observation and spontaneous questioning of students. 

The purposes of our SIG are 1) to understand and promote student learning through improved classroom assessment practices, and 2) to assist primary, secondary, and post-secondary teachers in understanding why and how to improve their classroom assessment practices in the service of learning. To serve these purposes, the SIG promotes quality research into classroom assessment practices, using all legitimate research approaches and methods. We continually seek active collaboration with other SIGs and AERA divisions that share an interest in promoting research into classroom assessment.

Our SIG recognizes excellence in research by awarding a Distinguished Paper Award and a new Student Travel Award every year. We invite you to join the SIG and submit research proposals. We hope you will also volunteer to review proposals and to serve as a chair or discussant at our sessions at the annual AERA conference. However you chose to become involved, we look forward to meeting you and learning about your work in our field.

Best regards,
Heidi Andrade, Ed.D.
University at Albany—SUNY