Abstract of

Theory and Research Into Practice
Principles for Literacy Assessment

Peter Johnston, The University at Albany–SUNY, Albany, New York, USA

Paula Costello, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina

From the article's introduction: “What gets assessed is what gets taught” is a common assertion whose meaning is often underestimated. It is not just what gets assessed, but how it is assessed that has implications for what is learned. When a child who is asked the meaning of his report card grades responds, “If I knew that I'd be the teacher” he is saying something about the relationships of authority learned in the process of assessment. When a teacher wishes out loud that her faculty “could discuss retention and realistic expectations for grade levels without the nastiness and accusations,” she is also reporting on the relational aspect of assessment practices (Johnston, 2003, p. 90). Our goal in this article is to offer a framework for understanding literacy assessment that incorporates these dimensions and reminds us of the broader picture of literacy assessment of which we often lose sight.”

Abstract from Johnston, P., & Costello, P. (2005, April/May/June). Principles for Literacy Assessment. Reading Research Quarterly, 40(2), 256–267. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.40.2.6