ASSESS

How do we know if our students have reached the target?

Documents

Types of Classroom Assessment

Tenants of Assessment

Keys of Effective Assessment Design

Classroom Assessment For Student Learning

"Assessment for learning begins when teachers share achievement targets with students, presenting those expectations in student-friendly language accompanied by examples of exemplary student work. Then, frequent self assessments provide students (and teachers) with continual access to descriptive feedback in amounts they can manage effectively without being overwhelmed. Thus, students can chart their trajectory toward the transparent achievement targets teachers have established."

From: The Emotional Dynamic of Student Assessment for Learning, by: Rick Stiggins

Assessment is arguably one of the most important activities that we engage in as an educator. Assessments establish a students baseline skills and knowledge, they allows us to check in and make sure our instruction is hitting the mark, and in the end they allow us to determine if learning has taken place. Unfortunately, in a landscape of high stakes testing, assessment has developed negative connotations. As educators it is our responsibility take back assessments, and make them meaningful tools once more.

At North Marion School District we base our assessment practices on the work of Rick Stiggins and his book Classroom Assessment for Student Learning. In this books Stiggins outlines Five Keys for effective assessment (see graphic). We believe that if we uses these five keys as a basis of all of our assessments, we will begin to redefine assessments for our students.

Along with sound assessment design, we are also exploring how sound assessment data can be used to improve our practices. By using PLCs as a place where teachers can develop assessments, analyze assessment data, and develop a plan for addressing student learning needs, we know we can see a positive impact on student learning. In addition, PLCs can develop common assessment where appropriate, and compare data.

To help us shape our assessments, we follow Stiggins 7 Principals of Sound Assessment Design.

From: The Seven Principals of Student Centered Classroom Assessment, by: Rick Stiggins

Principle 1 Assessments require clear thinking and effective communication.

Those who develop and use high quality assessments must share a highly refined focus. They must be clear thinkers, capable of communicating effectively, both to those being assessed and those who must understand the assessment results.

Principle 2 Classroom assessment is the key.

Teachers direct the assessments that determine what students learn and how those students feel about the learning. Nearly all of the assessment events that take place in students’ lives happen at the behest of their teachers.

Principle 3 Students are assessment users.

Students are the most important users of assessment results. Students are consumers of assessment results – right from the time students arrive at school, they look at their teachers for evidence of success. If that early evidence suggests they are succeeding, what begins to grow in them is a sense of hopefulness and an expectation of more success in the future.

Principle 4 Clear and appropriate targets are essential.

The quality of any assessment depends first and foremost on the clarity and appropriateness of our definition of the achievement target to be assessed.

Principle 5 High quality assessment is a must.

High quality assessment is essential in all assessment contacts. Sound assessments must satisfy five specific quality standards: 1) clear targets; 2) focused purpose; 3) proper method; 4) sound sampling; and 5) accurate assessment free of bias and distortion.

Principle 6 Understand the personal implications.

Assessment is an interpersonal activity. The principle has two important dimensions. The first has to do with the important reality of life in classrooms: Students are people and teachers are people, too, and sometimes we like each other and sometimes we don’t. Second, assessment is very complex in that it virtually always is accompanied by personal anecdotes and personal consequences.

Principle 7 Assessment as teaching and learning.

Assessments and instruction can be one and the same, if and when we want them to be.