Assessment that Supports Literacy – Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright

Assessment Learning Network, May 21, 2019


Margaret Heritage is an internationally recognized expert in formative assessment, senior advisor to WestEd, and an independent consultant advising Michigan’s FAME program. Tanya Wright is an associate professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University (MSU), a researcher focused on early language literacy development, and a principal contributor to Literacy Essentials preschool-K and K-3. The two presenters will partner to explore assessment practices and systems that best support the development of literacy proficiency in the early grades.

Event Resources

Presenter: Margaret Heritage

Margaret Heritage is an independent consultant in education. For her entire career, her work has spanned both research and practice. In addition to spending many years in her native England as a practitioner, a university lecturer, and an inspector of schools, she had an extensive period at UCLA, first as principal of the laboratory school of the Graduate School of Education and Information Students and then as an Assistant Director at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing. She also served as Senior Scientist at WestEd. Her current work centers on formative assessment, including how formative assessment supports regulatory processes and contributes to educational equity goals. Her most recent books include Self-regulation: The role of language and formative assessment (Harvard Education Press), and Progressing students’ language day by day (Corwin) with Alison Bailey.

Presenter: Tanya Wright

Tanya S. Wright is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. She is a former kindergarten teacher whose research and teaching focus on curriculum and instruction in language and literacy during the early childhood and elementary years. Her research examines instructional practices that promote oral language, vocabulary, and knowledge development for young children. Wright is co- author of several books for teachers and parents including, "All About Words: Increasing Vocabulary in the Common Core Classroom PreK-2." Her work has been published in journals such as American Educator, The Elementary School Journal, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Literacy Research, Reading and Writing, Science and Children, and Reading Research Quarterly.

Learning Moments

LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: Comprehensive assessment system for literacy in early grades
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: How assessment opportunities can be embedded in literacy learning
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: How formative assessment can support early literacy group instruction
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: Knowledge and skills for literacy assessment
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: Role of a screener in a comprehensive assessment system
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: Advice to teachers
LM-Margaret Heritage & Tanya Wright: Principal support for teachers using the formative assessment process

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