Some thoughts on assessment in mathematics education
	(From various works in progress and in print)

Michael L. Connell, Ph.D.
307 MBH
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

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** CONNELL@GSE.UTAH.EDU  <-- THIS ADDRESS WILL WORK **
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A brief "let's get the ball started" statement...
	Evaluation schemes used in traditional instruction often 
appear designed to identify and reward "winners" over "losers" using 
information acquired from measures of success or failure on narrowly 
prescribed sets of cognitive tasks (Dean Corrigan put this very nicely 
in his 1990 keynote to the Far West Regional Meeting of the Holmes 
Group).  If we want every child to become a "winner", this approach 
seems tremendously wasteful of human potential.  I certainly would 
not want the designated "losers" opting out of further mathematics 
education.  A shift is needed toward evaluation methods which could 
be used to guide instruction aimed at maximizing the number of 
"winners".
	Exactly how this might be done is the subject of a great deal 
of debate and discussion.  "Measuring what counts: A conceptual 
guide for mathematics assessment" by the Mathematical Sciences 
Education Board (published in 1993, by the National Academy Press) 
captures and addresses the essence of much of this debate.  As this 
section of the board evolves it is my hope that we might together find 
out "What counts" in our practice and grow together in the 
sophistication and student effectiveness of our evaluative measures.
.