Assessing Assessment in K-5 Math Programs

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have received funding to study what constitutes quality assessment in elementary school mathematics and how such assessment supports learning. The National Science Foundation awarded the university a five-year, $3 million grant to examine the assessment component of two important K-5 mathematics curricula: "Everyday Mathematics" and "Math Trailblazers."

"Everyday Mathematics" was developed at the University of Chicago and "Math Trailblazers" came out of UIC. These programs are used by more than three million students in the United States.

James Pellegrino, a professor of psychology and education, will head the team that will examine these NSF-sponsored K-5 math programs. Pellegrino's team is comprised of curriculum designers, cognitive scientists, mathematics educators, and measurement specialists. They will focus on the math performance of urban, ethnically and linguistically diverse students and examine how teachers can use assessment tools to better assist students' achievement.

The research will "make major contributions to understanding what constitutes quality assessment in elementary school mathematics and how such assessment supports student learning as part of an ongoing and coherent instructional process tied to nationally defined standards," Pellegrino said.

The study could also provide a better understanding of how to design assessment materials and to facilitate related professional development for teachers, whether or not they're using the curricula being reviewed.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago, Oct. 8, 2007.