Setting and Using Criteria, 2nd Edition

Setting and Using Criteria is the first book in Knowing What Counts, a series for middle- and secondary-school teachers who want to involve their students in assessment and evaluation.

Foreword by Sandra Herbst, Assistant Superintendent, River East Transcona School Division

Setting and Using Criteria is full of practical ways to help teachers increase student engagement, learning, and achievement by involving students in the process of classroom assessment. This book shows teachers how to co-construct criteria with students using a simple four-step process and then how to use the co-constructed criteria for assessing products, processes, and collections of evidence of learning. In Chapter 1 the authors also provide five different classroom models for setting and using criteria, and show how these ideas are adaptable to any classroom setting. In Chapter 2 there are ten ways to give students descriptive, specific feedback to improve the quality of their work, while keeping them engaged and focused on the criteria that lead to quality and success. The foreword, written by Sandra Herbst, focuses on the power of these ideas to engage learners and increase achievement.

Sections include:

• What are criteria and why do we set them?
• A four-step process for setting criteria with students
• Scenarios for setting criteria with students
• Shifting to criteria-based assessment
• Ten ways to give specific feedback
• Questions and responses

Includes reproducibles for teachers to adapt for their own use in schools and classrooms.

about the author

Anne Davies Anne Davies, PhD, has worked in most Canadian provinces, in American states, and overseas. She works with educators at every level—primary to post-secondary, as well as with parents. Anne is involved with schools and jurisdictions in multi-year projects, working closely with local educators. This allows her to help people find assessment-for-learning solutions that work in a specific context. Anne does sessions at home in the Comox Valley, and works with educators in various locations to provide workshops to meet local needs.

Caren Cameron Caren Cameron, M.Ed., is on leave as District Principal of Educational Programs for District #62 (Sooke) in British Columbia. She spends her time working with colleagues across North America. She has co-authored several practical books to assist busy teachers.

Kathleen Gregory Kathleen Gregory, M.Ed., teaches English in a secondary school in Victoria, British Columbia. She is also a summer-school instructor for assessment courses at the University of Victoria. Kathleen presents workshops on a variety of assessment topics and literacy strategies. Kathleen has been a district curriculum coordinator and a support teacher for classroom teachers and school teams who are integrating students with special needs. She has co-authored several books.