Erika Aranas

" There are three sides to every story—your side, my side, and the truth. " —JOHN ADAMS The goal of assessment is to collect objective evidence that represents the truth about student performance. In order to assure objectivity the assessment plan must be well grounded in the principles of assessment. The first step in developing an objective assessment plan is to become familiar with the terminology of assessment to facilitate your understanding of the bigger picture. The purpose of this chapter is to review the basic terminology and principles of assessment and provide you with a basic understanding of the framework on which to base an objective and comprehensive systematic assessment plan. These concepts are discussed in detail in subsequent chapters. Many of you are familiar with these terms. Some readers may even prefer to move past this chapter and delve right into the strategies for developing assessment tools. However, as further discussion demonstrates, you cannot start collecting data until your assessment plan is established. Unless you consistently work in the area of assessment, you will find this refresher beneficial. Reviewing this chapter will increase your fluency in the Language of Assessment and your understanding of the proposed guidelines. Assessment Chapter 1, " The Role of Assessment in Instruction, " introduces you to the concept of assessment as the broad and comprehensive process of collecting quantitative and qualitative data to make informed educational decisions about students. It is a process that encompasses the full range of procedures used to obtain information about student