English Journal - Volume 103, Issue 1, 2013

The new EJ editors introduce their first issue.

Members of the Secondary Section Steering Committee comment on topics of importance to English language arts educators.

“Speaking My Mind” invites readers to speak out about controversial issues relevant to the teaching of English language arts.

The authors argue that high-stakes, standardized testing contradicts curriculum and instruction aligned with professional standards promoted by NCTE and innovative educators.

Emphasizing the deficiencies of standardized assessments, the author highlights the complexity of assessment as well as the significance of the teacher-student relationship.

This article looks at where the CCSS came from, their strengths and weaknesses, and how as a profession we can best respond to the challenges they pose.

Should teacher-supplied evidence of student growth—evidence garnered by using classroom assessments—be used to evaluate a teacher?

This article explores problems with the trend of business language making its way into schools and provides strategies for how to address this issue.

The author explores the balance of responsibility for effective formative reading assessment between classroom teachers and the curricular structure within which they work.

This article explores the use of informal communication as an assessment tool for English language arts teachers.

The authors describe a framework for approaching how teachers across the disciplines discuss what students are expected to know and how students are assessed.

The authors assert that the time that teachers spend providing feedback could better be used to focus on formative assessment systems.

The author describes the complex process one teacher goes through to create meaningful formative and summative assessments to define and support student learning.

This article, grounded in the belief that art is a way of understanding, describes the use of drawing and writing to support metacognition.

Student digital video composing serves as a powerful means of literature learning and authentic assessment of that learning.

By looking more closely at the videogame feedback model, the authors uncover authentic forms of assessment that can inform student learning.

The authors consider how portfolios can meet the challenges of assessing various aspects of literacy and student learning.

The author discusses the benefits of a standards-based, student-centered approach to assessment.