Too many educational systems determine the success or failure of students based on just a few assessments. Assessments that don’t have a clear goal or purpose, aside from measuring what children can memorize and regurgitate back.

This week on the podcast, we’re talking about going beyond those assessments and looking at the purpose of assessments and creating a system that’s relevant, equitable, and student-driven.

Kristine Hadeed of Beyond Multiple Choice is sharing her personal perspective as well as that of her organization. And she digs into the value of not only assessing students in a different way but also looking at how we’re assessing teaching and teacher training.

This is an important conversation as we head into the final weeks of the school year, but it’s also one we should be having as we’re planning out next school year. I hope you’ll tune in!

About Kristine Hadeed:

Kristine Hadeed is a Marketing and Communications Strategist for Perigean Technologies, a research and design company that helps organizations improve cognitive performance through engineering and learning.

At Perigean, Kristine helps organize Beyond Multiple Choice, a free virtual event series that explores one overarching question:

“How can we move beyond multiple-choice to better assess the effectiveness of learning, teaching, and training?”

A former classroom educator and Teach for America alumna, Kristine frequently engages in discussions and community organizing around education reform. She is passionate about helping to share ideas surrounding important social issues in ways that are digestible and actionable for the general public. Beyond Multiple Choice seeks to do just that by involving diverse education stakeholders in public discussions on how we can reimagine assessment to transform learning outcomes.

Jump in the Conversation:

[2:02] – Unpacking accessibility in conferences
[3:17] – Starting the movement
[6:50] – More cross-collaboration is needed
[8:17] – Teachers need the time and support to use the research and tech
[9:15] – People in ed space know what’s best but the problem is more systemic factors, change management, and creating buy-in
[11:10] – Everyone has a stake in education
[17:06] – Academics and classroom management is important but there’s so much more that goes into cultivating emotional needs of kids
[19:54] – How do we assess training of teachers
[27:12] – Upcoming conference
[30:03] – Turbo Time
[34:11] – What everyone needs to know about assessment of learning
[35:32] – How to be an activist
[37:19] – Kristine’s Magic Wand
[38:54] – Maureen’s Takeaways

Links & Resources

• Beyond Multiple Choice Summit – Advancing Public Discourse Around Assessment
• Beyond Multiple Choice
• Teach for America
• We Speak for Ourselves by D. Watkins
• Why I, as a Black Man, Attend KKK Rallies – Daryl Davis TEDx Talk
• Email Maureen
• Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools
• The Education Evolution
• Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
• Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
• LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
• EdActive Collective
• Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids
• Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
• The Micro-School Coalition
• Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition
• LEADPrep

Transcript:

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 0:03
Hello fellow parents and educators. Thank you for joining me at Education Evolution, where we are disrupting the status quo in today’s learning models. We talk about present day education, what’s broken, who’s fixing it, and how. I’m Dr. Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your host and founder of education evolution, micro school coalition, and co founder of at active, I consult and train with schools and leaders who are fiercely committed to changing the narrative, reimagining the education landscape, and creating learning that serves all children and prepares them to thrive. If you are new, welcome to the podcast. Please subscribe on our website to get it delivered to your inbox weekly. If you’ve been around a while, have you left a review?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:08
Hi, Kristine, it is so good to have you on Education Evolution.

Kristine Hadeed 1:13
Thanks for having me. I’m so excited to be here.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:16
And listeners today I’m chatting with Kristine Hadeed of Beyond Multiple Choice an organization who is asking the question, how can we move beyond the multiple choice to better assess the effectiveness of learning, teaching and training? Boy, this is an important question, isn’t it?

Kristine Hadeed 1:36
Absolutely. I think it’s one of the most important that we can ask in education today, actually.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 1:43
Absolutely. And Kristine, over the past few years, beyond multiple choice. You’ve held conferences around progressive thinking and assessment. And your conferences have had over 1000 attendees. Wow, it sounds like this is a topic that people are really wanting to unpack.

Kristine Hadeed 2:02
Absolutely, we started out very small, kind of like a niche conference for researchers and academics to really explore what the latest thinking and outcomes and solutions are around assessments. Really, during the pandemic, that became almost a blessing in disguise, because it forced us to move online and make our platform more accessible, which also drastically increased our audience. So it’s really allowed us to hear from more diverse voices and get our message out to a lot more people.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 2:36
That is so important. I’m part of the active collective and we have a summit online has been such a gift just because people can get it. They can. It’s recorded, they can get it later. And no travel, no hotels, no necessarily getting a substitute teacher. So I think accessibility and equity has become a big theme during the pandemic. And I hope we keep that on our radar as we move forward. So good for you.

Kristine Hadeed 3:06
Absolutely. Thanks.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 3:09
So how did you get involved in this movement? And how did it get started?

Kristine Hadeed 3:16
Yeah, so this is a little multifaceted. So it’s a little twisty and turny, how it got started and how I came to be involved. So beyond multiple choice started in 2017, about that was initially started in the US by Brian moon, who’s my boss and Jeff Ross, who are two guys who each kind of have their own interest in investments and education and assessments. Brian is from here in the United States. I met him in Virginia and Jeff is from the UK. I think they met at an international conference that was also related to assessments. And they saw a need to have conversations that were a little bit different from what they were hearing and engaging with. And so they created beyond multiple choice. And I came aboard in 2019. I started working for Brian. His umbrella company is called pierogi in technologies. So here’s where it gets a little complex, the umbrella organization I worked for his parents and technologies, which is a research and design company that creates solutions to help teams and organizations improve their cognitive performance. Under heterogeneous technologies beyond multiple choice is one of the initiatives that we kind of CO organize. So that’s how I came to be involved and really helped to brainstorm and find ways to evolve the beyond multiple choice initiative and expand its reach and just help it become a more inclusive and amplified platform.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 5:08
I love that. And I have to confess, when you invited me to be a part of this year’s summit, I was a little nervous because research and design, you know, all of that I like in my doctoral program, I listen to the qualitative, the stories. So when you get into that, I was a little hesitant, but then I looked back at like, last year’s conference agenda. And when I saw that you had Jay Mackay, of understanding by design, it’s like, oh, yeah, this is truly about what I believe in and, and how we need to create learning and create assessment and, and so it’s like, okay, cool, I don’t have to be a research genius, to really benefit from beyond multiple choice and to be a part of the conversation. So I appreciate that, while you have that broad background, you’ve made it accessible to educators.

Kristine Hadeed 5:57
Absolutely. And personally, I don’t have a research background, the extensive my education background, is really as a Teach for America core member, I taught fifth grade for two years and the greater Tulsa area, which is where I still reside in Oklahoma. And that was kind of my entry points into a lot of the issues surrounding public education, especially in the US. So I bring that perspective, and entrust my boss, Brian noon, who I mentioned, he is more of the research side. And I think what we’ve found through our partnership, and working together and developing this virtual event series, is that there really is such a need for more cross collaboration, marrying more of the research perspective with the more practical implementation of the design processes. Because when we’re working in silos, you just get such a mismatch of priorities and a misalignment of understanding of how the research and the practical components can work together. And I think, I think as we continue to have these events, and learn more from people in diverse spaces around education, it just becomes so much more apparent that we really all need to be talking more, because it does no good. If you have all this advanced research, all this advanced technology. But the people in the classroom, the teachers, the instructional designers, the curriculum, designers aren’t aware of it, or aren’t able to utilize it due to policy constraints, or because they don’t have the support from families and voters, there are so many multifaceted elements when you consider how we can actually implement what is possible and what we know works and helping people learn and teach and work better.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 8:14
I completely agree. And I feel like our teachers are super beleaguered these days, it’s like, okay, covered all this content, get ready for the state testing. Oh, yeah, your kids have traumas and aces and make sure that you’re kind of aware of that, and social emotional learning. And I’m gonna give you five classes of 30 kids each. So do this for 150 kids each day. And I just think like, when do they have time to really unpack research? And then what resources? Do they have to even apply this? Are you finding a big disconnect between what you know about assessment? And what teachers have the ability to access and implement?

Kristine Hadeed 8:58
You know, what, I don’t know if the big disconnect is between what we know and what teachers know. I almost get the sense that at this point, a lot of people in the education space know what’s best for learning at all stages from childhood, early childhood to adult learning, and there’s actually a lot of commonalities there. But the problem is really a lot of more systemic factors and some of the some more personal factors when it comes to change management and creating buy in and really making that leap from what we know and how we practice it because there is a learning curve there just in the implementation. But I think it’s encouraging see that I think a lot of people have a shared vision for what education could be, but they’re There is definitely a disconnect. And we’re still kind of learning exactly where that is and how to take steps forward that can actually progress us to what that shared vision looks like.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 10:14
Absolutely, I agree. What we know and getting to how to implement it is definitely a process. And I’d like to break it down even further assessment, because I was impressed when I was reading more about beyond multiple choice, that you also go beyond the typical thinking around assessment, which is, how do we assess learning? And you’re talking about how do we assess learning, teaching, and training and all of those fit together? And so that’s we’re just really focused on how we assess what the learner is doing, not what we are doing as teachers or not how we are trained to do what we do as teachers. So could you break it down? When you’re talking about assessment for learning, what would be great for people to really know to make sure that they’re looking more holistically and beyond multiple choice,

Kristine Hadeed 11:08
I think, collectively, and everyone has a stake in education, whether you’re a researcher, a teacher, a students, a family member, or parents of students, it’s something that everyone really needs to understand the nuances and complexities around so that we can support solutions that actually work. But I think one of the fundamental things to understand is that there are so many different purposes that assessment can have, and different ways that it can be implemented. And so you kind of really have to start with asking, what is the point of this particular assessments? And how do we ensure that the assessment design and implementation is actually conducive to that purpose? So for instance, I would say, a lot of the criticism that I’ve seen around assessment today has to do with more of the summative heist stakes testing. And so we kind of have to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of that? Is there a place for it? And perhaps there is, maybe it’s just being over utilized? And so in cases may be where it’s not the most appropriate form of assessment? What are we actually trying to figure out? Are this are we trying to give the students a chance to assess their own learning and feel confidence in their growth? Are we trying to give the teachers a chance to assess the effectiveness of their teaching and where they can improve and how they communicate information and guide students towards mastery? Are we trying to give communities a chance to assess how valuable the information and skills are that a school community is learning and how how their curriculum can actually help create a better world for all of us? There are so many, depending on who you ask, there are different reasons why we would assess and to some degree, we should probably be incorporating all of it. But our system is really only geared towards one outcome of really, almost just labeling and scoring students based on a very minut activity that really doesn’t serve us in the grand scheme.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 13:35
I completely agree. And that’s why I was impressed that you had Jay McTighe weaken some atomic ties work for the last couple of decades on understanding by design really flips things and reverse engineers, like, hey, what’s my essential question? As an educator? How will I assess if the kids have grasp it or grout, grappling with it? And then designing the lessons and so much of education is teach all these lessons and then do a summative? What are they memorize? And what if? What if we really looked at, you know, big picture? And then like you said, what are we trying to get at with assessment? And then activities are the last piece that come into place? I think that would really help us look at assessment differently and not do what some educators scornfully call post mortems. You know, after the unit is done, we test them. And it does no good. It doesn’t inform how we’ll instruct or how kids will learn because they’re done with that unit, and they’ve moved on. So it really serves no purpose except for to label something that’s already dead. Instead of informing Hey, hey, this kid needs more of this or this kid has that how can we move ahead? So I agree with you we need to get clear. What are we trying to assess, and why and high stakes tests that are summative at the end of the process? Maybe one tool but they should be one A limited tool because it really doesn’t enhance what’s next.

Kristine Hadeed 15:06
Absolutely. And I think if we can reframe assessment that way, and really show all the different diverse possibilities and ways of getting feedback, it can become a lot more fun and positive for students too. Just to share a little bit of my own experience, I was actually homeschooled through high school. So I had never taken a high stakes test until I took the LSAT because I wanted to go to college. So my experience with assessment was a lot different, I think, than what’s normal when I was growing up. And I actually loved assessments because it really just consisted of me sitting down with my mom, or by myself, going over maybe math problems that that I did, seeing what I had gotten wrong, and trying to figure out where I could do better. So it was just as a feedback and reflection, and I could see the growth in myself. So I loved that process. It was much less about feeling bad because I got something wrong. And feeling like that reflected on me as a person. Oh, now I’m a C student. So now I’m a D students. Yeah, it was just it was all just part of the journey towards me becoming more confidence in my skills. And that’s what I hope it can become one day for everyone. Really?

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 16:34
Absolutely. I agree. And then all of this test anxiety that this generation has is gone, because it’s like, Hmm, what did I get? How am I doing? What might I want to it’s a part of a reflective process instead of this label, you know, and this judgment. So yeah, that is so much more holistic, and helpful. So we’re unpacking assessment and learning. You’ve gone further talk about assessment in teaching, which aside from me, as the principal coming in once a year and maybe running through the Danielson rubric, you know, and stamping again, on teachers, what I’ve seen in 130 minute observation, what could assessing Assessment of Teaching look like?

Kristine Hadeed 17:20
Absolutely. And And again, I’ll say, you know, I’m not a researcher. So this is just from my own experience from my limited two years in the classroom, where I did get observed and evaluated. But I think that one thing that’s missing from teacher evaluations, is it’s very focused on kind of, at least in my school and district, it was it was more focused on the academic and class management’s, I would say, proficiency. So yeah, the the academics and the class management, which are very, very important to being an effective teacher, but anyone who’s taught will tell you that there’s so much more that goes into helping to cultivate the emotional needs that students have and positive classroom culture. So I think perhaps, evaluate evaluating those areas as well. You know, how strong are your relationships with your students and their families? How do you feel when you walk into the classroom? How do students feel when they walk into your classroom? How do you feel coming into work every day? I think those are as important qualities to assess and gain feedback on if we’re really concerned about creating a holistic environment that is conducive to creating a joyful experience of learning.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 18:51
I so agree, how do you feel coming into work today? And if it’s not, like, anticipate, you know, I’m anticipating this, I’m looking forward to it. You know, what’s going on? And how can that be changed? Because kids are so intuitive. And they know when a teacher is like, oh, my gosh, today, we’re going to do this. Or it’s like, Okay, guys, take out your bugs, let’s go through these hoops. You know, so how can we be engaged so that kids catch that energy, see that joy, and also want to engage? I think that’s looking at it a very different way than a lot of times it’s looked at in school. So I completely agree.

Kristine Hadeed 19:30
Absolutely. Yeah.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 19:32
How about training? How do we assess training because right now a teacher goes through a set number of courses gets a certificate, and off they go. We assess their student teaching with some observations by the supervisor. It’s pretty much the way it was many moons ago when I was training to be a teacher. What else could it look like?

Kristine Hadeed 19:54
You know what, that’s a that’s really great question. I don’t know that I personally have I have an answer for it. But, um, I imagined that it could look a lot like how we assess learning. One thing that that did strike me when I was doing my Teach For America core commitments was. So basically, like I said, I don’t have a background in education, I actually studied journalism in school, and Teach for America. For those who aren’t familiar with the program. It’s a AmeriCorps program where they recruits young professionals who are passionate about helping to end economic and racial disparities in education. And they place you in high needs areas that usually have teacher shortages, which was the case when I taught in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And you basically get just a crash course in teaching over a summer, and then they put you in the classroom. And they do their best to support you through that process. But there is no way to be fully prepared to be an effective educator in two months. But going through that process, getting that crash course, being trained to be a teacher, in just two months, I was very sensitive to what it took for me to gain and process and practice those skills. And how I was using that experience to be empathetic towards my students as I then tried to teach them skills and information. And so much of it was very similar. I reflected in myself that the emotional components was so important. If I didn’t feel happy if I didn’t feel like I had a relationship with my instructor, if I didn’t feel confidence and able to be vulnerable and courageous and admitting my mistakes, if I felt hungry, my training experience as a teacher suffered through that if I didn’t get the breaks that I needed. So I think there’s so much similarity and crossover between how we teach students and how we should teach adults, including teachers, I think there’s there’s a lot more similarities maybe then than we realize,

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 22:24
I love that answer. It makes such good sense. And I think as teachers, it’s really important for us to try new things so that we remember, I mean, for me starting this podcast, I am like if there’s a way to scrub technology, I find it, you know, so it’s like, oh my gosh, there’s this mic, and there’s this and there’s recording, and what about this and and I think that when we do that as adults, and don’t just do what we’re good at, we do get that empathy with the learners, we get that, oh, this is like when I have to change a tire or do my tax return, you know, when they have to do chemistry or have to do PE Hmm. So then we remember what it’s like the human piece. And we’re not just dispensers of content, we’re looking at those pieces that are super important, like you said, relationships. I’ve served on accrediting teams, I’ve led teams in different schools. And one of the core questions they’ve asked us, does every kid have an advocate an adult they can connect with? I love that, because it’s not just the classroom observation of how is technology being used? It’s like that human piece? Is there a place where kids feel safe, where they feel like they’re seen, and we all need to remember the holistic pieces, hungry? Hangry, no breaks, that impacts all of us. So how can we when we’re training teachers, remind them it’s not just about how I set an objective, how I manage the lesson, how you know, the steps I do to instruct, but how am I holistic? How am I human? And then how am I as we talked about how am I tapping into my joy. So when I teach kids see that, and they can respond with joy too. So I think these things that we call soft skills are as important as the structural logistics of, you know, training up as an educator. So I love that beyond multiple choice has learning, teaching training, looking at assessment of all three in their mission. I think that’s so holistic at a time when we’re talking about whole child whole experience. So thank you that it just really is expansive for me.

Kristine Hadeed 24:38
Absolutely. And I will add because I know me saying that is just preaching to the choir. Again, I think so many people already know this. But it’s really more of a message for leaders and policymakers because teachers teachers know this, and I’m sure you know, I got the message as a teacher from admin, exactly what you said. Students need a relationship with an adult’s the importance of teaching the whole students. But as a teacher, when you know these things, and you’re told to prioritize them, but then at the end of the day, that’s not what you’re graded and evaluated on. That’s not what your salary is based on, it will never be a priority, you will always put the other things first, because that is your bread and butter. That is what you’re being critiqued on. And so I think, in addition to recognizing the importance of these holistic, the holistic nature of learning and teaching, we also need to create systems that support and emphasize and incentivize practices that also incorporate that perspective.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 25:49
Absolutely. What we reward is what we’re going to get more of. So you’re right, we have to incentivize the aspect of pieces of instruction, not just the content driven pieces.

Kristine Hadeed 26:03
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, it’s such a multifaceted conversation. And this just really, again, underscores the importance of having diverse perspectives. And obviously, you know, we should have diverse diversity when it comes to race and gender and ability and all the different identities that are out there. But also, when it comes to just different roles and perspectives in the field of education. I think having those nuanced insights from the classroom, to you know, the principal’s office, to the district’s level to the people developing the curriculum to the policymakers, we all kind of really need to be on the same page to understand how our little bubbles and niches that we’re our own experts, and can all fit together to create one holistic, cohesive system.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 27:04
Agreed. So talk to me about your upcoming conference, because you are big on getting the word out. What are you doing in June?

Kristine Hadeed 27:14
Absolutely. So beyond multiple choice right now has two kind of flagship events, we have a November Conference, which is three days long, that was our original event series. And then we have a newer events, which is a one day seminar non today, or this year, it’s going to be on June 15. And our June seminar is kind of an opportunity to really explore more of this holistic softer side of how we make these changes that we know are possible, and assessments and learning, really talking more to the people who are implementing them learning about the unanticipated or unknown challenges that exist that make it hard to implement the technologies and the practices that we know are best for kids. So this seminar, the theme is going to be advancing public discourse around assessments. And we’re very excited to have you as our keynote speaker, because you are such a great example of that with your podcast, and just all of the work that you’ve done to create innovation and education. And you from my perspective, it really Yeah, absolutely. I think your willingness to have these kinds of conversations is such an important part of that. But I’m, I’m eager to learn from you and hear where where you think we can go and what things you think we can collectively do differently to make sure there’s more inclusivity of voices and creating solutions that work for everyone.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 28:57
Yeah, and I am constantly blown away by my podcast guests. In fact, I was in Philly visiting my daughter’s over spring break. And I got to visit the Global Learning Academy where this 76 year old black woman has created her third school about exposing blackened students or to beyond their community beyond their state beyond their country. And by eighth grade, they have a passport and they’re traveling internationally. It’s like, so I’m like, constantly in awe of amazing pieces out there. And because I feel like I have bits and pieces of possibilities. And it’s, it’s a pleasure to get to learn this and then to get to share it out. So I can’t wait.

Kristine Hadeed 29:36
Off. Well, we’re so excited to have you. And so it’s such an honor to be on the podcast today and helping to advance these conversations. So

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 29:49
absolutely. It’s super important and our kids can’t wait. It’s not like oh, we have the next 20 years. No, our kids need it yesterday. So I’m grateful for what you’re doing and I want to Good now and get to know Kristine a bit. We have some turbo time questions. So we get to make sure we have that human connection and not just talking ideas. So are you ready for me to fire some questions at you?

Kristine Hadeed 30:13
I am ready.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 30:15
Awesome. What is the last book you read?

Kristine Hadeed 30:19
So the last book that I read, it’s called we speak for ourselves how woke culture prohibits progress. And it was written by an incredible author named Dee Watkins, who I actually met personally, when I was living in Baltimore, Maryland, he has a really just fascinating and moving story. He’s a black man who grew up really in a very underserved part of Baltimore around all the drugs and the violence and the poverty. But he presents it from his personal perspective in such a moving way that is really eye opening and poses another layer of nuance to some of the social justice and equity concerns that are very prominent today. He adds another layer of perspective to the conversation that I don’t think is really captured and in our discussions of it.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 31:19
Oh, wow, that definitely sounds like something to check out. How about two inspirational folks you’d love to meet

Kristine Hadeed 31:28
two folks I’d love to meet or Stacey Abrams, and Shaun King. Stacey Abrams is the black woman who helps Joe Biden secure his presidency by really launching an incredible, grassroots voter registration campaign in Georgia. And I believe she’s running for governor again, this next election cycle, just her grassroots organizing is so inspirational to me. And also, Shaun King has done an incredible job with that he’s in social justice activist who has done a lot of work in exposing some of the systemic issues that face us today and helping to bring justice for people who have been harmed.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 32:17
How important sidenote, Stacey Abrams, I read her inaugural novel last year, a thriller based in a legislative setting, so she’s also this amazing, compelling fiction author

Kristine Hadeed 32:36
who knew? Hi, heard about that? I have actually been really interested to read that book.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 32:42
I loved it. Yes. How about a TED Talk that inspires you?

Kristine Hadeed 32:47
So for me personally, I was really inspired by a TED Talk by Darrell Davis called Why I as a black man attend que que que rallies. And Darrell Davis, he’s a musician. He just has a really interesting and extreme level of curiosity, really, that led him to wonder how a group that doesn’t know him could hate him so much because of his skin color. And he put himself in what would seem like a very dangerous situation to get to know those people. And through that process of building relationships, again, just underscoring how important that is he actually convinced dozens of kkk members to leave that organization and change their minds about their beliefs. So it really not only is it an incredible story, and really inspirational about ways that we can approach healing from racial injustice, and improving racial equity in this country. But it also to me sheds a lot of light on how important relationships are to the learning process in general.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 34:02
Absolutely. What is the biggest thing you wish folks knew about better assessment of learning?

Kristine Hadeed 34:11
I would say that it is at the core to me just about perspective and feedback. And depending on whose feedback you’re seeking, and what kind of perspective you’re trying to gain, it can be different. There’s no one form of assessments. It’s just one of many tools for gaining feedback on the journey to learning and growth.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 34:44
Absolutely. How about the passion that you bring to be on multiple choice?

Kristine Hadeed 34:52
I just have a deep love for learning and sharing new ideas. I studied journalism because I really couldn’t decide what I wanted to study in college, and so communication, a path towards me to be able to just learn from a bunch of people and learn how about a bunch of different things. So that has always been my passion. And I definitely bring that to the on multiple choice as well.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 35:20
Yes. How do you think others can be activists to transform? Assessment, whether it’s learning, training, teaching,

Kristine Hadeed 35:32
I would say just start where you are, and know that you have a valuable perspective and that you’re good enough to make a difference as you are. Like I mentioned, I’m not a researcher. I’m not an expert. I have two years of teaching experience. But I mean, beyond that I did or myself just a normal person. I get impostor syndrome. I’m, despite all of your accomplishments, I’m sure you do, too. Oh, yes. And being a teacher, despite my imposter syndrome, when I was working with parents, they would feel the same way because they thought I have so much more knowledge than them. We are all just trying to figure this out together. And if we’re going to make solutions for everyone, we need everyone’s voice. So I would say just don’t doubt that you have something valuable to contribute and that you have a stake in transforming education.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 36:28
That feels so good, so compassionate, and empathetic, I really appreciate that last triple time question, what is something most people may not know about you?

Kristine Hadeed 36:42
I would say one thing most people don’t know about me is that I write poetry actually used to be a spoken word poet again, whoa, kind of relates to my love of communication. And that was my way of expressing myself creatively. And one of my poems has actually been published in the New York Times. So why don’t normally share that with people.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 37:06
That is so cool. Well, I’m so glad you shared it with Education Evolution. Thank you.

Kristine Hadeed 37:13
Sure.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 37:15
I’d like to wrap up the podcast with the magic wand moment. So if I were to hand you a magic wand, what would you want to wish to make assessment relevant in today’s world?

Kristine Hadeed 37:33
Oh, if I had a magic wand, you know what? I would just like to see our systems change to be truly democratic. Because I truly believe that. I don’t know the answer. I don’t think any one person knows the answer for how to transform assessments to make it to make it beneficial for everyone. But I do think that if we have systems in place and a culture in place that truly valued and amplified everyone’s voice, especially those that are least heard from nowadays, I think that the solution would come to light.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 38:20
Yes, I completely agree. That’s a wonderful answer. Kristine, I so appreciate what you are doing and how you are supporting us in helping education evolve and be relevant and accessible and equitable. So thank you so much for being our guest today.

Kristine Hadeed 38:40
Oh, such a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 38:54
It is so powerful to bring in the research perspective, and combine it with practical implementation. When we’re talking about assessment. I value that beyond the multiple choice has that strong research base. And it’s very impactful not to just look at assessment of student learning, but Assessment of Teaching, and of teacher training as well. If we really want systemic change, and learning to be relevant, equitable and student driven. All three levels of assessment deserve close examination.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 39:33
Kristine’s reminder that we need to get clear on the purpose for our assessment is timely as we enter this fourth quarter of the school year. This is a perfect time to ask what is the point of our year end assessments and how do we design them accordingly? The summative high stakes testing really inform the learners and educators in a way that will make a future difference and do the summative Test tie into higher level thinking, with students analyzing, synthesizing, applying, demonstrating and creating. There’s so much that assessment can be. Christine left us with a wonderful magic wand response. Wouldn’t it be great for our systems to change and become truly democratic? To look beyond one right answer, and to become cultures that value and amplify all voices. This is the legacy our youth deserve us to leave them. I’m pleased to get to be the keynote speaker at the beyond the multiple choice June Summit.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 40:41
And speaking of summits this Thursday, and Friday is our ED active Summit. We would love to have parents, educators, policymakers, business people, students, and everybody else that cares about the education of our youth participate. It’s free, and we will record it so you can check it out later. After each presentation, there’s time for you to ask your questions. And there are also three panels spread throughout the summit, so that our speakers can create synergy, as they collaboratively look at future possibilities for the evolution of education. Please check out the link in our show notes and join us. And as always, thank you for being a part of the Education Evolution.

Maureen O’Shaughnessy 41:36
If you are finding yourself thinking, I need to do this in my school. Let’s talk about it. I consult and also have a book TEDx talk an online course to support starting learner driven schools and programs. My goal is to help schools and individuals find new innovative solutions to reaching every student. Let’s create an action plan together. Visit educationevolution.org/consult to book a call and let’s get started. Education evolution listeners, you are the ones to ensure we create classrooms where each student is seen, heard, valued and thriving. We need you. Let’s go out and reach every student today. I’d be so grateful if you’d head over to your podcast app to give a great rating and review if you found this episode valuable. Don’t wait. Please do it right now before you forget. I really appreciate it. Thank you listeners signing off. This is Maureen O’Shaughnessy, your partner in boldly reimagining education.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai