Assessment FOR / AS / OF Learning
Which type of assessment is primarily used to support learning during instruction?
Assessment FOR/AS learning.
What three sources of evidence are required by Growing Success?
Observations, conversations, and products.
What term describes teachers interpreting evidence of learning rather than applying a formula?
Professional judgement.
According to Feldman, what often masquerades as learning in traditional grading systems?
Compliance
Why is fairness in assessment not the same as treating all students identically?
Because students have different needs, contexts, and ways of demonstrating learning.
Which type of assessment involves students reflecting on and monitoring their own learning?
Assessment AS learning.
Which source of evidence often reveals student thinking most directly?
Conversations / Conferences
Why does professional judgement make some people uncomfortable?
Because it involves uncertainty and responsibility rather than fixed rules.
Why can grades hide patterns of growth in student learning?
They reduce complex evidence to a single number.
What is an example of a common assessment tension teachers face?
Equity versus consistency.
Which type of assessment is most often associated with final evaluations or reporting?
Assessment OF learning.
Why are products often the most overused form of assessment evidence?
They are easiest to collect and score.
What does it mean to make professional judgement “visible in action”?
Explaining how evidence led to a specific assessment decision.
What does Feldman argue grading systems often distort?
The evidence teachers use to make decisions.
Why is sitting with uncertainty an important part of ethical assessment?
Because not all learning evidence aligns neatly.
Why is assessment for learning considered more than just “practice”?
Because it informs instructional decisions and next steps for learning.
What is one risk of relying only on products when assessing learning?
It can privilege presentation, compliance, or writing ability over understanding.
What is a key difference between professional judgement and personal opinion?
Professional judgement is grounded in evidence and shared criteria.
How can bias enter assessment even without harmful intent?
Through what teachers choose to notice, value, and count.
Why can attendance or behaviour complicate assessment decisions?
They may not reflect academic learning.
Why can assessment of learning become problematic if it dominates classroom assessment practices?
It can shift focus from learning to performance and compliance.
Why does Growing Success emphasize evidence gathered over time rather than single moments?
Because learning develops unevenly and cannot be captured in one task.
Why is professional judgement central to ethical assessment practice?
Because teachers must respond to learners, not just scores.
Why might traditional grading advantage students who “know how to do school”?
Because they are familiar with expectations around compliance and presentation.
What shift does this course encourage from beliefs about assessment to practice?
Moving from what teachers value to how they actually make assessment decisions.