Overview:

Assessment is a cornerstone of teaching and learning in any classroom and, if done well, has the potential to greatly impact student success. So, how do we do assessment well by understanding student needs as well as demands of the curriculum? This workshop will take a “what works” approach focused on three different points of an overall assessment process:

• • Pre-assessment: How do we know what students know, can do, and value prior to engaging in learning?Planning for instruction for a unit of instruction, a semester, or a year should take into account student needs first. Designing effective pre-assessments and using data from pre-assessments to inform instructional planning are key to this process.

• • Ongoing Assessment: How do we know what students know, can do, and value while engaged in learning and how do we use this information to adjust teaching and to provide feedback to students? Of all the types of assessments, on-going assessment has the greatest potential to propel student learning forward but only if they are high quality.

• • Post-assessment: How do we know what students know, can do, and value after engaging in a learning? Post-assessments take many forms to include both traditional types of assessments as well as authentic, performance-based assessments of student learning. Data from these types of assessment are typically summative nature and yet still provide meaningful information for both teachers and students.

This practical, interactive workshop will first begin with a focus on how to create these types of classroom-based assessments aligned with the cognitive rigor of classroom learning goals and curriculum standards. Then, we will explore how data from each of these three types of assessments can guide teaching practices and deepen student learning. Research-guided “how to” materials will accompany the session to support teachers, coaches, and mentors to put into action the tools and techniques provided in the session.

Workshop Leader Biography: Leslie Grant

Leslie W. Grant, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Education at the William & Mary School of Education where she teaches courses in curriculum development and evaluation, K12 assessment systems, and strategic planning in K12 schools and higher education. She regularly publishes, presents, and works with teachers and school leaders internationally on aligning and gaining greater coherence among curriculum, instruction, and assessment at all levels of the system, how to use data to enhance teaching and deepen learning, and what makes great teachers through international comparisons of teaching and learning. Leslie is a past president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and of the Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and Teaching Effectiveness (CREATE), serving on the board of directors for both organizations. Leslie began her career in education as a middle school teacher and served as an instructional leader.

Selected recent presentations, workshops, and institutes:

• • EARCOS 2025 and 2026 Teachers Conference Sessions - Creating Valid and Reliable Classroom-based Assessments to Enhance Teaching and Learning

• • EARCOS 2024 and 2025 Leaders Conference Sessions – How do Develop Assessment Literacy in Your School to Deepen Teaching and Learning

• • EARCOS Teacher Leader Institute 2024 – 25 – Professional Growth and Development for Teacher Leaders to Support Sustainable Change in International Schools

• • EARCOS 2024 Leader Conference and 2025 Teacher Conference Keynote – What Makes Great Teachers Great? What We Know about International School Teachers

• • Provided classroom-based assessment presentations, workshops, and courses to teachers and leaders in East Asian international schools in China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Selected recent publications:

• • Book (forthcoming June 2026) – Teacher-Made Assessments: How to Connect Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning, 3rd edition

• • EARCOS Triannual Journal article (Fall 2024) - Effective Teachers in International Schools: What about the Students?

• • EARCOS Triannual Journal article (Spring 2024) - Effective Teachers in International Schools: What We Know and What We Need to Know

  
  Refreshment Break: coffee, tea, bottle waters, snack and fruits
  Lunch: school lunch on March 14-15
  Registration Fee: USD 540 (RMB 3960) per participant
  Early Bird: USD 490 (RMB 3600) per participant before 31/08/2026
  
  Refund Policy:
  

• • If the workshop is canceled for reasons beyond our control and we are unable to find a suitable alternative time for most participants, IES will inform participants of the cancellation and refund the actual paid registration fee only, additional expenses (such as hotel accommodations, transportation, etc.) are not eligible for refunds.
• • If a registered participant notifies IES before 20/08/2026 that he or she cannot attend or transfer registration to another person or event, IES will issue a refund of the actual paid registration fee. However, if this notification is received after 20/08/2026, IES will not issue a refund.
• • A 2% transaction fee, charged by the payment platform (not the organizer), will be deducted from any refunds.

Certificate: E-certificate signed by Leslie Grant will be issued after the workshop.