Evaluating the Practice of Continuous Assessment in Trinidad and Tobago: The Promise Versus the Reality

• In Event: International Perspectives on Assessment in the Schools

Abstract

Teacher-led, curriculum-based continuous assessment is increasingly common within the education systems of developing nations. However, there is often a strong disconnect between promise and reality, stemming from the complexities of assessment practice in the classroom, tensions between summative and formative purposes, and teacher belief systems. This disconnect is interrogated using a theory driven, mixed methods evaluation. Findings for the Trinidad and Tobago continuous assessment program suggest that some aspects of assessment practice are much easier to implement, with formative assessment being especially susceptible to distortions created by low assessment literacy and contradictory teacher belief systems. These factors create significant constraints on the quality of data provided, perhaps limiting possible use in high stakes selection.

Author

• Jerome De Lisle, University of the West Indies