Jamie Louis

Too often, we hear about “closing gaps” in education — but that mindset can lead us down the wrong path. As Dylan Wiliam reminds us in Embedded Formative Assessment: “The problem with thinking about this as an issue of ‘gaps’ is that one can reduce the gap either by improving the performance of the lowest achievers or by reducing the achievement of the highest achievers… Rather than thinking about narrowing the gap, we should set a goal of proficiency for all, excellence for many, with all student groups fairly represented in the excellent. And the way to achieve this is simply to increase teacher quality.” Let’s reject the outdated belief that equity competes with excellence. We must pursue both — with a relentless focus on teacher quality, instructional leadership, and belief in every student’s potential. As Michael Barber said: “The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.” Let’s lift everyone, aim for excellence, and make sure no one is left behind. #EquityAndExcellence #FormativeAssessment #InstructionalLeadership #TeacherQuality #AllMeansAll Excerpt From Embedded Formative Assessment Dylan Wiliam @dylanwiliam