Careless Carl

Red Flag # 1: 

One potential pitfall in assessment writing is being unclear, inconsistent, carless, or thoughtless with regards to your measurements (assessment tools).

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Solutions:

A) As you are writing assessments, make sure they match the unit goals you were using to teach your lessons. Be absolutely sure that your assessment measures the goals you have been setting and teaching in your classroom. Otherwise your assessment will be inconsistent. 

-Classroom Commandment

B) Do not give your students a "first draft" test. As a teacher, no doubt you would be displeased reading a first draft essay, composition, math project, etc. Give the same respect to your students. As you design your assessments, review each question you have written. Is it grammatically sound? Do you give away any answers in your test writing? Have you asked meaningful questions with appropriate rigor? Only give 'best practice assessments.' 

-Stiggins and Chappuis, pg. 85

C) Know the grading criteria before you begin to score the tests. Grades for tests should be derived based on a students' ability to meet certain criteria, not based on Eifler's "Angel/Devil Phenomenon." A high quality answer for sweet, polite, brings-you-an-apple Jane is a high quality answer for smart-ass Doug, the criteria is pre-determined, not assigned on the fly. 

-Classroom + S&C