The “I” Needs the “We”—To Develop and Refine Classroom Assessment Practices, An Educator Needs the System and Strong Leaders

By Carol Commodore

It has been my privilege over the last 20 years to work with educators all over the U.S. and the world in the area of assessment, leadership, and systems.  What I have learned from these experiences is that educators work hard and are dedicated to the students they serve, but to do their work more easily and well they need the support of the educational systems in which they work.  They must also have strong leaders who understand their needs and strive to remove the barriers and provide the resources for change.  To make positive, productive changes in classroom assessment practices, I have drawn particular conclusions about systems and leaders.

Systems, especially effective systems:

• Are dynamic.  When you improve or innovate in one area of the system, it can have an impact on multiple areas of the system
• Change person by person
• Support rather than impede the work of individuals within the system
• Are large and small, but regardless of size effective systems, have strong leaders and committed individuals who know and can communicate the mission and vision of the educational system
• Need people who know their roles in the system and know what decisions they have to make so all can succeed in making the vision become a reality
• Have people who know they are valued by the type of feedback and support they receive
• Have people who continually strive and work together to improve their knowledge and skills in classroom assessment practices and team learning
• Have people who respect each other
• Have people who know they are making a positive difference by the results that are produced and analyzed

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