The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to assessment practices in K-12 settings, bringing longstanding concerns about the validity, fairness, and equity of assessment practices more sharply into focus. In this moment, many educators are advocating for approaches to assessment that more fully recognize the impact of mental and physical health, social conditions, and economic precarity on students and their learning. Through this forum, we hope to advance conversations and prompt renewed attention to assessment that more effectively supports learners in K-12 settings.  

We will engage with questions such as: 

• What is fair assessment and why does it matter?
• What is the role of assessment in culturally responsive pedagogy and why does that matter?
• What are some key elements of ethical and effective assessment?  

We have invited three panelists to share their knowledge: Dr. Robin Tierney will be speaking about fairness in assessment; Dr. Theresa Papp will be speaking about culturally responsive assessment; and Katie White, from the Canadian Assessment for Learning Network, will share some ideas about assessment practices that consider the whole child. After the panelists have spoken, there will be time for dialogue. The forum will be conducted through Zoom on Jan. 26, 2021, from 6:30 -8 p.m. (CST). There is no cost to attend; however, attendees will need to pre-register in order to receive the Zoom link.