Strong Teams, Strong Results

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Strong teams, strong results

Formative assessment helps teacher teams strengthen equity

By Michelle Crowell and Nancy Love

October 2018

Vol. 39 No. 5

At a diverse elementary school, a grade-level planning team is meeting about an upcoming lesson and creating an exit ticket, a brief formative assessment tool to check for students’ understanding. School administrators have recently asked special educators and language development specialists to become part of the collaborative team. As the group begins working on the exit ticket, one special education teacher expresses concern: “My students couldn’t do that. It’s too hard for them. They will get discouraged.” Teams can strengthen courage, conviction, and cultural proficiency to make progress toward equity, one team meeting at a time. Embedded in each step are high-expectations messages that teachers continually communicate to students. Her teammate pushes back gently, “I think with modifications this assessment can work for all our

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Authors

Nancy Love and Michelle Crowell

Nancy Love (love@RBTeach.com) is a senior consultant at Research for Better Teaching. Michelle Crowell (mcrowell@everett.k12.ma.us) is principal of Parlin School in Everett, Massachusetts.

References

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