Culturally responsive pedagogy and the assessment of accomplished teaching

This article addresses the complexities and psychometric challenges facing efforts to devise a standards-based performance assessment of teaching that is appropriate for teachers in a wide variety of contexts and that also sa tisfies psychometric considerations of reliability and validity. in particu lar, the question of whether a general assessment of; teaching practice can be sufficiently comprehensive to honor and recognize accomplished cultural ly relevant pedagogy is considered. Drawing upon the experience of the Nati onal Board far Professional Teaching Standards, it is argued that such an a ssessment, although presenting enormous technical challenges, is both possi ble and practically attainable.