Conceptualizing teachers’ capacity for learning trajectory-oriented formative assessment in mathematics

TASK (Teachers’ Assessment of Student Knowledge) is an online assessment designed to measure teacher’s capacity for learning trajectory-oriented formative assessment in mathematics, specifically through their ability to analyze student work and make instructional decisions based on that work. In this chapter, we begin by articulating the conceptual framework behind learning trajectory-oriented formative assessment and describing the instrument, scoring rubrics, and ongoing development of TASK. We then present the results of a large-scale field test of TASK, both in terms of the overall results and additional studies of the properties of the instrument. Evidence suggests that this new instrument yields reliable and valid scores of teachers’ formative assessment capacity in mathematics, is feasible for widespread use in a variety of settings, provides useful reporting of results, and can be used to better understand specific aspects of teacher knowledge. We draw on the results of this field test to investigate the relationships between various dimensions of teachers’ ability to analyze student work in mathematics and their instructional decision making.