Chapter 5: Assessment as an Instructional Strategy: Coupling Assessment for Learning and Instruction in Teacher Education

Teacher preparation programs aim to provide curriculum and experiential learning opportunities to ensure their teacher candidates are effective in the classroom. Similarly, teacher preparation programs have been criticized for not adequately addressing the importance of assessment within their programs (Popham, 2011). Several studies have indicated beginning teachers lack the skills necessary to engage in the complex task of assessing student learning (MacLellan, 2004; Volante & Fazio, 2007). Stiggins (2004) stated, “few teachers are prepared to face the challenges of classroom assessment because they have not been given the opportunity to learn to do so” (p. 762). Yet assessing student learning is a critical component of effective teaching (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Mertler & Campbell, 2005; Penual & Shepard, 2016; Popham, 2011).