Summative literacy assessments and how they imagine children: An international comparison

As scholars from Australia, South Africa, and the United States, we have individually and collectively encountered both summative and formative assessment practices over many years and in many contexts. Some of these assessment practices have global talons originating in other parts of the world as policy practices increasingly entail global policy borrowing. Others are local. Significantly, we are all employed by universities, teach in mid-sized or large urban areas, and engage with communities and schools where the dominant language is English. While each context brings its own set of challenges, policies and resources, we share a commitment to serving children who have been historically underserved by school education. We are particularly interested in how assessments position and treat children who have traditionally been denied access to quality equitable schooling..