Advancing research-based classroom assessment in a Canadian secondary school: Navigating the dilemmas

Advancing research-based classroom assessment (CA) in K-12 schools is a difficult and often opaque process. Rather than challenges that can be overcome, educators striving to more fully implement research-based CA practices are likely to find themselves navigating a number of ongoing dilemmas. In this paper, we describe some conceptual, pedagogical, political, and cultural dilemmas that emerged during a multi-year initiative to implement more equitable CA practices in a secondary school in Manitoba, Canada. We share strategies for navigating each dilemma in relation to several dimensions of the CA process (e.g., planning and designing, documenting and reporting, etc.). We also offer suggestions for how teachers, school and district leaders, and teacher educators might use the insights from our analysis proactively as they seek to further develop CA practices.