Assessment
Definition
the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something, appraising something - measurement of skills, attitudes & beliefs trying to improve learning, level of performance
Formative
Concerned with the process
Definition
a guideline that includes criteria/outcomes desired from an assignment.
a set of guidelines for assessment that states the characteristics and/or the dimensions being assessed with clear performance criteria and a rating scale
Evaluation
Making a judgement about the value/quality of something, the outcome, focus on grades, final review, product oriented, judgemental
What has been learned? Are goals attained? Standards met?
Summative (can be formative)
Concerned with the product
1 & 2 (purpose and plans)
1. Assessment serves different purposes at different times; it may be used to find out what students already know and can do; it may be used to help students improve their learning; or it may be used to let students, and their parents, know how much they have learned within a prescribed period of time (TLDR; has different purposes for different circumstances)
2. Assessment must be planned and purposeful.
Fix 1: Include only achievement in students' grade
Fix 2: Provide support to students so they submit work on time
Fix 3: Encourage demonstration of learning.
Fix 1: do not grade on effort, participation, or adherence to class rules
Fix 2: set up support systems to reduce/eliminate late work; do not reduce marks on work submitted late - does not result in changes behaviour
Fix 3: Mastery! seek evidence that more work results in higher achievement; do not give bonus points or extra credit
Assessment FOR Learning
Informs students about their own learning
shows them where they are in relation to learning targets (criteria)
formative assessment/ pre-assessment
checkpoint for your students
ex. KWL
Make your own!
Positive
Start with what you want
Make it growth based
Criterion Referenced vs. Norm Referenced vs. Self-Referenced
Criterion Referenced: assessment of students' success in meeting stated objectives, learning goals, expectations, or criteria based on absolute standards
Norm Referenced: assessment/evaluation in relation to other students within a class or across classes/schools or a segment of the population
Self-Referenced: Assessment designed to compare an individual's performance with his or her previous performance
3 & 4 (balanced and instruction)
3. Assessment must be balanced, including oral and performance as well as written tasks, and be flexible in order to improve learning for all students.
4. Assessment and instruction are inseparable because effective assessment informs learning.
Fix 4: Encourage original, honest, quality, academic work & learning
Fix 5: Attendance is reported separate from grades
Fix 6: Assess/grade each student individually
Fix 4: determine actual level of student achievement (redo, alternate); do not punish academic dishonesty with reduced grades
Fix 5: report absences separately (reasons - irrelevant); attendance is not relevant to achievement grade (unless in music, drama, P.E, etc)
Fix 6: report individual achievement evidence; do not include group scores in grades
Assessment OF Learning
Summative assessment - sums up the learning
determines grade
informs others about students - accountability
results may be presented in a number of ways
for student learning
ex: presentation, diorama, exam
Criteria
a detailed list inside of a rubric that explains what the students have shown to receive a grade
characteristics or dimensions of student performance
Validity vs. Reliability
Validity: the degree to which an assessment strategy measures what it is intended to measure
Reliability: the consistency with which an assessment strategy measure whatever it is meant to measure
5 & 6 ( helpful and collaborative)
5. For assessment to be helpful to students, it must inform them in words, not numerical scores or letter grades, what they have done well, what they have done poorly, and what they need to do next in order to improve.
6. Assessment is a collaborative process that is most effective when it involves self, peer, and teacher assessment
Fix 7: Report standard-based learning
Fix 8: Use appropriate, clear performance standards
Fix 9: Cooperative Learning - Individual Assessment
Fix 7: organize and report evidence by standards/learning goals; do not summarize grading records into a single grade
Fix 8: organize and report evidence by standards/learning goals; don't assign grades using inappropriate or unclear standards; GIVE FEEDBACK
Fix 9: Compare each student's performance to preset standards; do not assign grades based on a student's achievement compared to other students
Assessment AS Learning
students reflect on their own learning and make adjustments
self assessment - metacognition
occurs as you're learning, assessing where your level of knowledge is at and what you can do to keep learning and striving for next
ex: self-assessment task
3 Point Scale
3 - Always Participates
2 - Sometimes Participates
1 - Rarely Participates
Start with your desired outcomes
Use positive language
Learning Goal vs. Standard vs. Performance Standards vs. Content Standards
Learning Goal: an observable result demonstrated by a student's knowledge, skills, or behaviour; a generic term
Standard: statement that describes what (content) and/or how well (performance) students are expected to understand and perform
Performance Standards: how well students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skill
Content Standards: what students are expected to know and be able to do
7 (performance standards)
7. Performance standards are an essential component of effective assessment
Fix 10: Quality Assessment
Fix 11: Determine grades
Fix 12: Encourage completion of assessments to assess learning
Fix 10: rely on quality assessment (exercises/rubrics/clear); do not rely on assessments that fail to meet standards of quality
Why are we assessing? What are we assessing? How will we assess it?
Fix 11: consider other measures of central tendency (mean/median/mode); do not rely only on the mean and abandon average
Fix 12: use alternatives like reassessing or "insufficient evidence"; do not include zeros in grade determination where evidence is missing
Diagnostic vs. Formative vs. Summative
Diagnostic: assessment usually carried out prior to instruction that is designed to determine a student's attitude, skills, or knowledge to identify specific student needs.
Formative: assessment designed to provide direction for improvement and/or adjustment to a program for individual students or for a whole class.
Summative: assessment designed to provide information about a student's achievement at or towards the end of a period of instruction
Features of Good-Quality Rubrics - Ken O'Connor
- help understand what is wanted on an assignment
- understand what quality looks like
- what we did well and what to improve on
- enable self-assessment
- help plan instruction, grade consistently, and justify grades
- help communicate with parents
- for and of learning
- easy to use, positive
- match task/assignment
- define levels of performance
Achievement
Grade vs. Mark
Achievement: the demonstration of student performance on learning goals measured against established criteria (performance standards)
Grade: the number or letter reported at the end of a period of time as a summary statement of student performance
Mark: the score given on any single test or performance
8 (grades and reporting)
8. Grading and reporting student achievement is a caring, sensitive process that requires teachers' professional judgement
Fix 13: Summative assessment for grades
Fix 14: Use current assessment results
Fix 15: Involve students in assessment and grading process
Fix 13: use only summative evidence; do not use information from formative or practice to determine grades
Fix 14: emphasize recent, current achievement; do not summarize evidence over time when learning is developmental
Fix 15: students can and should play key roles in assessment and grading; do not leave students out, assessment is done WITH them