Colleagues,

Although Janet Looney will still be answering the (very many)  
questions I asked, and other questions from discussion participants,  
let's also move on to the first set of case studies, from England. I  
have asked John Vorhaus and John Comings if they could:

1. give a short overview of the national adult basic skills context  
in England, particularly noting any features or terms of the context  
that may be unfamiliar to a U.S. audience and that are important to  
understand the case studies;

2. describe the three case studies; and

3. describe what are the most interesting, significant findings and  
also explain how the case studies might be a good example of  
formative assessment.

It would be helpful if, in describing teacher formative assessment  
practices in England, you could describe or give examples of what  
goes beyond usual good practice in teaching and learning, what, in  
particular, is good practice in formative assessment. That is, some  
may wonder if formative assessment is just a different name for good  
teaching? Is it really something new? Is it really a discrete set of  
practices? If, as Black and Wiliam's research shows, it makes a  
difference in students' learning in elementary and secondary  
education, what about formative assessment makes that difference? Why  
is formative assessment such a powerful set of strategies, so  
effective?  I believe that some of our subscribers are still trying  
to understand of these issues; perhaps the case studies in England  
might shed some light on them.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net