James McMillan, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Northwestern University
• M.A. in College Student Personnel, Michigan State University
• B.A. in Biology, Albion College

Research interests

Classroom assessment, student perceptions of assessment, student assessment errors and mistakes

Career highlights

• Distinguished Career Professor in the Department of Foundations of Education
• Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in educational psychology, research and measurement
• Served as department chair, interim associate dean of academic affairs, and executive director of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium
• Led the development of a doctoral program in research and evaluation at VCU
• Actively participated in national professional associations
• Authored numerous professional books, journal articles and presentations
• Established a national and international reputation for contributions in classroom assessment

Selected articles/books

Peer-reviewed articles

• McMillan, J. H., & Moore, S. (2020).  Better being wrong (sometimes):  Classroom assessment that enhances student learning and motivation. The Clearinghouse. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2020.1721414
• Brookhart, S. M., Guskey, T. R., Bowers, A. J., McMillan, J. H., Smith, J. K., Smith, L. F., Stevens, M. T., & Welsh, M. E. (2016). A century of grading research: Meaning and value in the most common educational measure. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 803-848.
• McMillan, J. H. (2016). National Board Certified Teachers’ perspectives on using measures of student learning for teacher evaluation. Educational Forum. 80(1), 48-60. DOI:10.1080/00131725.2015.1102366

Books

• McMillan, J. H. (in press). Foundations of educational research. (8/e). Boston, MA: Pearson. (also editions 1-7)
• Brookhart, S. M. & McMillan, J. H. (Eds.). (2020). Classroom assessment and measurement. New York, NY: National Council on Measurement in Education and Routledge.
• McMillan, J. H. (Ed.). (2017-2020). Student assessment for educators. [book series]. New York, NY: Routledge.
• McMillan, J. H. (2018). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice that enhance student learning and motivation (7/e). Boston, MA: Pearson. (also editions 1-6)
• McMillan, J. H. (2018). Using students’ assessment mistakes and learning deficits to enhance motivation and learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Bio

After more than four decades, James H. McMillan, Ph.D., retired in May 2020 as the longest-serving faculty member in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education’s history. McMillan, a Distinguished Career Professor in the Department of Foundations of Education, joined VCU’s faculty in 1979. He taught undergraduate and graduate courses in educational psychology, research and measurement, and served as department chair, interim associate dean of academic affairs, and executive director of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium, a partnership between VCU and Richmond area school divisions. During his career, McMillan led the development of a doctoral program in research and evaluation at VCU, actively participated in national professional associations, and authored numerous professional books, journal articles and presentations. He established a national and international reputation for contributions in classroom assessment.

Curriculum Vitae