Principled Assessment: Understanding Best Practices

This training invites educators to rethink the role of assessment in contemporary classrooms and schools. Rather than viewing assessment as a final judgment of learning, participants will explore how well-designed assessment systems can guide instruction, support student agency, and improve learning outcomes. The session surfaces prevailing assumptions about grading and assessment, encouraging educators to critically examine practices that may unintentionally distort evidence of learning or limit student growth. Drawing on influential thinking in assessment reform, including the work of Ken O’Connor, participants will engage with ideas that challenge traditional grading conventions and promote greater clarity, consistency, and fairness. Through reflection and discussion, educators will consider how assessment decisions influence motivation, equity, and instructional planning. By the end of the training, participants will be positioned to make more principled assessment choices that align purpose, evidence, and reporting, laying out the groundwork for sound assessment practices.