Scaling up strategies for change: change in formative assessment practices

Abstract

This article discusses some of the results of the CATCH (Classroom Assessment as a basis for Teacher Change) project. CATCH was meant to develop, apply and scale up a professional development programme designed to change teachers’ instruction by helping them change their formative assessment practices. The authors focus on the analysis of three consecutive rounds of structured interviews with CATCH teachers in two US school districts. Regarding teacher changes through participation in this programme, changes in attitude toward assessment as well as in their classroom practices were found for all participants from both research sites. Some striking attitude changes were related to the so‐called assessment pyramid, a crucial element of the CATCH professional development programme. The interviews also revealed which sources of support teachers thought were important to help sustain these changes in their classrooms, schools and school districts. Evidence of scaling up and dissemination of presented ideas, ideas ‘travelling’ to other curriculum areas, larger groups of teachers and other grade levels was also found. Appropriate organizational structures have enabled ‘travel’ on a district level.