Closing the Circle: Grading, Assessment and Reporting in a Standards-based System

Erma Anderson is a former high school physics and mathematics teacher who currently is a mathematics consultant working with international schools on implementing the AERO Mathematics Standards. She also facilitates the Math Specialist in International Schools (MSIS) and Math Fellows in International Schools (MFIS) initiative.

Erma has worked with the National Science Teachers Association on the Mentoring Initiative e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS), development of sciLINKS (www.sciLINKS.org), and Project Manager of Scope, Sequence and Coordination of Secondary School Science.

She was Associate Project Director for the Council for Basic Education’s Schools Around the World project, developing and implementing the Evidence to Excellence protocol for mathematics and science. In the past 15 years, she has facilitated conversations about the K-12 math and science curriculum, instruction and assessment in over 120 international schools.

Erma was awarded the Finis Engleman Award, NESA's highest honor, at the 2011 Fall Leadership Conference in Athens.

THOMAS R. GUSKEY, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher and later served as an administrator in Chicago Public Schools.

He is a Fellow in the American Educational Research Association and was awarded the Association’s prestigious Relating Research to Practice Award.

His most recent books include Get Set, Go! Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems, and, What We Know About Grading: What Works, What Doesn't, and What's Next.

David Chojnacki has had a lifetime of engagement in, leadership of and networking with independent schools around the world, most recently focusing on school governance. He has been the head of four international schools: International School of Ouagadougou; Karachi American School; the American Embassy School in New Delhi; and Cairo American College.

In 1996, David was named the executive director of NESA, leading the organization to international prominence and serving the member schools by providing valued services in networking, professional development, executive coaching of school leaders, and governance. He served in that capacity for 21 years. Currently, he focuses on guiding school boards in effective school governance.

David has served on multiple non-profit boards and has been trained in governance by BoardSource, in facilitation by Thinking Collaborative (“Adaptive Schools”) and in coaching by the Newfield Network. He co-authored the international version of the NAIS Trustee Handbook and the curriculum for Leading Together, a project to enhance the effectiveness of the board chair/head of school partnership.