Assessment Study Lesson Study als methodiek voor het ontwerpen van en leren over Functioneel Meertalig Assessment

More and more students receive education in a language (Dutch) that is not their first. This situation poses challenges in relation to assessment. A Dutch-language math test, for example, provides an incomplete and thereby invalid picture of the mathematical competencies of learners who are still acquiring the language of instruction. Consequently, monolingual assessment practices are unfair and contribute to educational inequality. Functional Multilingual Assessment (FMA; De Backer et al., 2017) offers a solution to this validity problem, as FMA makes students’ knowledge and skills visible by means of different languages and assessment formats. However, implementation of FMA is complex, as it requires both a shift from a monolingual to a multilingual perspective and from testing to assessment practices. In the current study, we explored the extent to which Lesson-Study provides a supportive framework for practical and professional development regarding the multidimensional FMA-concept. Professionals (N=15) from five elementary schools providing education to newcomers conducted a so-called Assessment-Study together with a process facilitator (N=4). An analysis of the FMA practices developed by these Assessment-Study teams and insights from participants’ reflections on the Assessment-Study process show that a Lesson-Study methodology can support educational professionals in shaping and learning about FMA.