ABSTRACT
A colleague whom I admire was recently speaking with me about his years as an elementary school principal. He said that the most important piece of the assessment process is “putting it all together” (S. Gould, personal communication, August 16, 2011). Specifically, he spoke about a teacher’s disposition to want to know more and solve problems,“as opposed to the attitude that you’re ‘supposed’ to ‘do’ assessment or that every person is an individual. It takes a whole set of keys to figure out how to unlock something.”That attitude about assessment is, of course, most empowered when supported by a principal and school district with a similar stance toward assessment-unlocking information about children that will enable all stakeholders to work in the interest of children’s successes in school and life.
