I'm pleased to announce that my book De-Testing and De-Grading Schools: Authentic Alternatives to Standardization and Accountability, that I co-edited with Paul Thomas, was awarded an Outstanding Academic 2014 title by Choice magazine.

Each January, Choice publishes a prestigious list of the best in scholarly titles reviewed during the previous calendar year. Thomas’ book was chosen based on overall excellence in presentation and scholarship, importance relative to other literature in the field, distinction as a first treatment of a given subject in book or electronic form, originality or uniqueness of treatment, value to undergraduate students and importance in building undergraduate library collections.

De-Testing and De-Grading is Bower's first book and was co-edited by American educator Paul Thomas and published by Peter Lang USA.

A.L. Hsu, chair of the Childhood Education and Literacy Department at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, described the book:

"Bower and Thomas have edited a powerful volume that criticizes testing and the quantification of education. A selection of contributors with wide-ranging experiences in both K-12 and higher education settings offer diverse perspectives on the dangers of standardized testing and the utilization of grades to sort, classify, and compare students. The varied accounts push readers to reconsider the purpose of giving grades and reflect upon the difference between assessment and measurement. With the increasing number of state assessments and the elaborate systems of accountability in education, this volume inspires readers to focus on the primary goal of learning and how that can be achieved, beginning in kindergarten and going all the way through graduate school studies. Contributors offer alternatives to traditional assessments in the form of authentic tasks where the emphasis is on learning and recognizing growth and development. A must read for anyone in the field of education, including parents, teachers, administrators, and policy makers. Recommended for general readers, undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.  

--A. L. Hsu, State University of New York College at Old Westbury