Review of Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers Alhazmi, T. W. (2025, December 17). Review of Collaborative assessment for multilingual learners and teachers: Pathways to partnerships, by M. Gottlieb & A. Honigsfeld. Education Review, 32. https://doi.org/10.14507/er.v32.4367 December 17, 2025 ISSN 1094-5296 Gottlieb, M., & Honigsfeld, A. (2024). Collaborative assessment for multilingual learners and teachers: Pathways to partnerships. Corwin Press. 200 pp. ISBN 9781071930861 Reviewed by Taghreed Waslalah Alhazmi University of Massachusetts Amherst United States In an era marked by growing linguistic diversity and calls for inclusive education, Collaborative assessment for multilingual learners and teachers offers a timely reimagining of how assessment practices can better serve multilingual students in K–12 settings. Informed by decades of research and practice, the authors introduce a triadic model of assessment—assessment as learning, assessment for learning, and assessment of learning—and invite K–12 teachers to adopt a human-centered, asset-based framework that elevates the voice and agency of multilingual learners. The text is organized into six chapters that follow an educational “journey” format. It combines theoretical foundations with practical techniques and instruments that may be used immediately. The authors attempt to integrate policy, pedagogy, and classroom practice. One notable feature is the metaphorical structure. Each chapter is guided by reflective prompts, such as “Where are we going?” and “What do we need to pack?” While these prompts help frame the reader’s thinking, it is the classroom scenarios from the Katherine Johnson School and the real-life teaching practices that truly make the abstract assessment concepts more relatable and accessible. Moreover, the authors show how assessment unfolds in practice, helping readers visualize how such strategies can be implemented in their own classrooms. One of the authors’ most significant contributions is the portrayal of assessment as a shared responsibility among students, teachers, and families. Through practices such as student-led conferences, bilingual video projects, peer feedback, and learning language goal setting, the authors portray assessment as a culturally responsive, collaborative dialogue. For example, Kelly Cray’s approach to empowering students through bilingual media production demonstrates a https://doi.org/10.14507/er.v32.4367 Review of Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers 2 pedagogical commitment to honoring their linguistic resources and family contexts: https://www.theautisteducator.com/. The authors emphasize that collaborative assessment cannot be reduced to a one-size-fits-all model; it must be contextually adapted and supported by institutional frameworks. The text’s engagement with the integration of technology in educational assessment, especially in multilingual settings, is a particularly timely contribution. Gottlieb and Honigsfeld advocate the intentional, pedagogically sound use of digital tools to substitute interactivity, provide immediate feedback, and expand family engagement. They recognize that technology in the context of learning assessment has become indispensable in both professional and personal educational spheres. The authors observe, “As early as the late elementary grades or middle school, we know that social media becomes paramount for students, and no matter which pathway students decide to explore in assessment OF learning, the internet will always play a role. Most recently, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken hold in the educational community” (p. 182). AI, they propose, can serve as a multimodal assistant to meet assessment requirements while promoting collaboration and creativity among learners. To operationalize this idea, the authors offer a practical framework for the classroom use of AI in the form of a five-level continuum (Figure 5.8, p. 182). This continuum ranges from prohibiting AI use entirely to allowing its comprehensive integration throughout instruction and assessment, provided that there is prior agreement with teachers. The model supports differentiated implementation, enabling educators to scaffold student autonomy and creativity according to contextual needs and policy constraints. This reflects the authors’ broader vision for adaptive, equity-centered assessments that evolve with technological advances. However, despite acknowledging the growing presence of AI, the authors stop short of providing a comprehensive or critical discussion of the associated challenges. Key concerns, such as digital fatigue, inequitable access to devices and internet connectivity, and the ethical implications of AI in education, are only briefly mentioned. Moreover, while the authors acknowledge the caveats surrounding AI use and suggest turning to district- or state-level guidance (p. 182), they do not elaborate on what such guidance might entail or how to ensure its alignment with inclusive assessment practices. The discussion of AI is notably brief and lacks actionable strategies for teachers seeking to implement AI in nuanced, analytically sound ways. A deeper exploration of these issues— particularly concerning data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the socioemotional effects of AI—would have significantly improved the book’s practical relevance in today’s rapidly digitizing educational landscape. Gottlieb and Honigsfeld meaningfully contribute to the contemporary literature on multilingual education and equitable assessment. Their contribution aligns with models of culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, 2012) and complements coteaching frameworks (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2019). Furthermore, it contrasts with teacher-centered models, such as William’s (2011) embedded formative assessment, by advocating for student-led learning experiences. Education Review / Reseñas Educativas / Resenhas Educativas 3 Several quotations encapsulate the book’s core philosophy: “We fully embrace an assets-based approach to all aspects of multilingual learners’ education” (p. 7) and “Notice the natural flow as students seamlessly integrate math content with the language for math" (p. 63). These statements demonstrate how translanguaging can enhance metalinguistic awareness and function as a powerful collaborative learning strategy. This means that when multilingual learners use all their languages to make meaning, they sharpen their ability to analyze language itself and engage more actively with peers. Thus, translanguaging becomes a powerful collaborative tool that deepens comprehension and supports shared problem-solving. This book will resonate with educators, school leaders, instructional coaches, and teacher educators who are committed to equity in multilingual classrooms. It provides both theoretical grounding and practical tools to support inclusive collaborative assessment practices. In addition, policymakers and curriculum developers interested in rethinking standardized testing frameworks may find the authors’ vision instructive. This text is a timely and essential contribution to the field of multilingual education. It presents a flexible and principled framework for reimagining assessment within inclusive and culturally diverse classrooms. While the discussion of technology could benefit from further expansion, the strengths of the book—its triadic model, culturally responsive stance, and global relevance— far outweigh its limitations. The book is a bold call to rethink assessment as a humanizing, collaborative, and empowering process that recognizes the full potential of multilingual learners. References Honigsfeld, A., & Dove, M. G. (2019). Co-teaching for English learners: A guide to collaborative planning, instruction, assessment, and reflection. Corwin. Paris, D. (2012). Culturally sustaining pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12441244 Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Solution Tree Press. About the Reviewer Taghreed Alhazmi is a PhD candidate in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a faculty member at Taibah University specializing in language and communication disorders. She has extensive experience working with children with developmental language disorder, dyslexia, and autism across educational and clinical settings in Saudi Arabia. Taghreed currently serves as a researcher and instructional leader, contributing to projects focused on multilingual assessment and inclusive education. Her research interests include cognitive-linguistic development in Arabic-speaking https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12441244 Review of Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers 4 children, collaborative assessment for multilingual learners, and the integration of innovative technologies to support diverse learners. About the Book Authors Margo Gottlieb Ph.D., is co-founder and lead developer for WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and former director, assessment and evaluation, at the Illinois Resource Center. She has devoted her professional career to improving educational opportunities for multilingual learners, their teachers and other educational leaders. Over the years she has been a language teacher and coordinator, a bilingual facilitator, a director of assessment and evaluation, and a consultant to school districts, states, publishers, governments, universities, and organizations. Andrea Honigsfeld is a professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York, where she teaches graduate courses related to cultural and linguistic diversity, language and literacy development, and equity. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English teacher in Hungary, an English-as-a-second- language teacher in New York City, and taught Hungarian at New York University. As a Fulbright Scholar, Andrea lectured in Iceland and has presented at conferences across the United States, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Education Review / Reseñas Educativas / Resenhas Educativas is supported by the Scholarly Communications Group at the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Arizona State University. Copyright is retained by the first or sole author, who grants right of first publication to the Education Review. Readers are free to copy, display, distribute, and adapt this article, as long as the work is attributed to the author(s) and Education Review, the changes are identified, and the same license applies to the derivative work. 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