What if a “wrong” answer tells you more than a correct one? In today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Derek Briggs, professor of educational assessment at the University of Colorado Boulder, to unpack why assessment should go beyond testing, and instead focus on progress over mastery. Derek shows how context and thinking processes matter just as much as outcomes, and why mastery is not always simply laid out. 

To support a deeper understanding of progress, we explore a roadmap for measuring growth throughout your day-to-day. Start with a clear baseline, define where students are headed, and chart the route with smart, formative checkpoints. Derek shares an approach to “triage with intention”: use periodic measures to inform flexible grouping, then rotate focused attention across groups so support stays equitable. Derek also shares the power of strategic questioning, including entry and exit tickets. Over time, these small insights into a student's depth of knowledge add up to a clear picture that guides instruction.

Derek goes on to discuss the power of community. Inside the classroom, heterogeneous groups help students model strategies, language, and persistence for one another. Across the school, teachers who bring open-ended student work to the table can discuss expectations, co-create rubrics, and see patterns that single classrooms miss. And when families understand the learning goals and what quality work looks like, home practice becomes purposeful and encouraging. The result is a culture where curiosity replaces judgment, students take ownership of growth, and assessment becomes a daily driver of learning.

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