ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to simplify the most prevalent type of assessments used in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)–tests and quizzes–while providing some clear guidance to help put school leaders on the road to success. The whole purpose for establishing a proficiency mark or a tiered system is to provide each PLC with a clear indicator of student success and to assist them in identifying the level of remediation or enrichment that will benefit a student the most. Pacing guides and unpacking documents/protocols are an integral part of the common assessment process. The common assessment needs to be completed and in the hands of all the teachers prior to the start of instructional planning for the skill or standard. The number of standards per common assessment will vary largely between those counted as quizzes and those counted as tests. Each reassessment should contain the same number of question types, passages, and same number of questions per passage, whenever applicable.
