Rethinking Assessment

I appreciate conferences that put lectures online.  I can't fly all over the country and I realize that it is NOT the same as being there - but at least I can get some direction, insight and support.  Recently, I listened to Andrew Kern's talk "Assessment that Blesses".  I will admit I was also cleaning dishes and doing other things so I know I missed some key points of his talk.

First, an aside. In our educational system, assessment rules the roost.  You teach to the test - whatever the test is.  In a sense what gets measured, gets done (or taught).  How else will you know if a student has learned something if you are not assessing it?  I will not go into the flaws of this type of input/output thinking when applied to humans - but it is prevalent.  Thus, our assessment informs and shapes what and how we teach.  This is why assessment is worth discussing - it is not an after thought but a guiding light.

Back to Kern's comments.

These are the two primary points that I heard this time:


First, one of the key issues with our current method of assessment is that we compare ourselves with ourselves to figure out our standards.  We want to know what percentile score our child has in each subject.  In light of this, Kern shares the following verse from Corinthians:

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12


I am still unpacking the consequences of that statement applied to education.

He argues that our primary method of assessment is foolish.  For centuries education was intended to teach you to live the good life.  But in our relativistic era how do you know what is "good" - it can't be a standard any longer?   We now aim at college entrance and maybe job preparation. There is no ultimate standard any longer and our assessment reflects that relativism.

So that leads to the second point and the logical question - What should your standard be?  Kern suggests that the curriculum for a Christian could be Philipians 4:8-9

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Much of his talk is about why this is a good standard and how to "use" it.  I am now trying to better understand what educating for the "good" would look like.  To that I end I am listening to a history of ethics lecture series by Peter Kreeft.  I am really enjoying it - because I am nerdy like that.  I will listen to Kern's lecture again and I am sure I will gain some new insights.