The Effects of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL) on Student Achievement
Regional need and study purpose. Research suggests that high-quality formative assessments in the classroom can increase student achievement at relatively low cost. Despite widespread use of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning (CASL), a professional development program, no studies could be found that evaluate its impact on student or teacher outcomes. This study will conduct such an evaluation.
Intervention description. The CASL program aims to increase teacher understanding of assessment, improve the quality of assessment, help teachers provide descriptive feedback to students, increase student involvement in assessment, and increase student achievement in mathematics.
Study design and period. The 62 schools in the sample, recruited from 31 districts in Colorado, were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The sample is diverse—large and small and rural, suburban, and urban. It comprises 325 teachers and more than 6,000 grade 4 and 5 students. The study period is 2006–10.
Key outcomes and measures. The primary outcome is student academic achievement in mathematics, measured by student scores on the Colorado Student Assessment Program. Student motivation is also examined and assessed by student surveys. Teacher outcomes include knowledge and practice of classroom assessments and student involvement in those assessments, assessed by tests, teacher work samples, and student surveys.
Data collection approach. Data are collected during the study to describe the fidelity of implementing CASL, show the professional development context, and estimate the impact of CASL on student and teacher outcomes. Teachers supply much of this information through logs and surveys.
Analysis plan. The study's primary goal is to estimate CASL's impact on student achievement. Further analyses estimate the effects of CASL on student motivation and teacher knowledge and practice. Multilevel modeling accounts for the random assignment of schools and the sources of variability in the data that result from the nested school environment.
Principal investigators. Bruce Randel, PhD, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
Additional Information. Region, contact information, and references
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