Remembering Jim Popham: His Scholarship, Leadership, and Commitment to Students

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

W. James (Jim) Popham, AERA President in 1978, was a renowned and prolific researcher who was known for compelling communication in his writing for scholars and practitioners alike. His public presentations, including his extensive teaching, were immensely engaging, innovative, well-argued, and often hilarious. His empirical early scholarship focused on instructional design and teacher education, and he presciently developed and validated teacher performance assessments back in the mid -1960s. He advocated for the measurement of clear goals for learning. A prolific writer, Jim made major contributions to both classroom and large-scale assessment, underscoring in both the important conceptual link between students' assessment performance and their instructional experiences. In all of his efforts, Jim focused on making a difference in the lives of students. The session will highlight some of his significant intellectual contributions as well as memorable experiences through brief comments and reflections from session participants. There will also be ample opportunity for Jim’s colleagues, former students, and the wider AERA community to share their own reflections in honor of Jim.

Sub Unit

• AERA Sessions

Chair

• Eva L. Baker, University of California - Los Angeles

Participants

• Joan L. Herman, University of California - Los Angeles

• James W. Pellegrino, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Christina A. Christie, University of California - Los Angeles

• Scott F. Marion, Center for Assessment