Assessment policies and practices in contexts of diversity: unravelling the tensions

There is no question that teachers nowadays are challenged to adapt their teaching practices to the needs that arise from increasing diversity in the current classroom. Since effective teaching asks for alignment between teaching and assessment practices, the increasing diversity challenges teachers’ assessment practices and schools’ assessment policies as well. This study will explore these practices and policies in schools with a diverse student population. To this end, data was collected in 2017 through case studies in six primary schools, three of which are characterized by a heterogeneous pupil composition and three of which have a homogeneous composition. The data collection includes interviews with six school principals and 24 teachers in primary education, six of whom are employed in pre-primary education. Although the results show a variety in reported assessment practices, there is no evidence for differences linked to schools’ pupil composition. This study emphasizes the crucial role of an assessment policy at the school level, as it serves as a condition for high-quality assessment practices that support effective teaching, while also responding to the challenges of diversity.