Every Teacher’s Guide to Assessment It’s not a stretch to say that assessment is a hot button issue in education; however, you’d be hard pressed to find an educator who doesn’t see the value in measuring student progress. Assessments themselves have been vilified, when, in fact, it’s why assessments are given and how the data is used that is really the issue. The Glossary of Education Reform gives this great overview of what high-stakes testing is and how it impacts students, teachers, and schools. Let’s take a look at what assessment is, why it’s important, and how it can be delivered in the classroom in a useful manner. What is assessment? Assessment is the measurement of what students are learning. Why do we do it? The information gleaned from assessments is extremely valuable. Assessment Basics Assessments can take many forms and can be designed for many reasons. Types of Assessment Question Types Delivery Methods Pencil and paper: There’s no need for a lengthy description with this delivery method. Scoring In Short
Marzano's 9 Instructional Strategies In Infographic Form Marzano’s 9 Instructional Strategies In Infographic Form by TeachThought Staff In education, louder than the call for innovation, engagement, thought, or self-direction is the call to be research-based. In fact, being research-based may even trump being data-based, the two twins of modern ed reform. The former stems, in part, from deserved skepticism of trends that have little evidence of performance, and the latter comes from a similar place. The big idea behind the both is “proof”–having some kind of confidence that what we’re doing now works, and that because of both data and research, we can more or less nail down what exactly it is that we’re doing that works or doesn’t work, and why. To be clear, being data or research-based isn’t anywhere close to fool-proof. But this is all way, way beside the point–a long-winded contextualizing for Robert Marzano’s work. And so Dr. Marzano’s 9 Instructional Strategies Marzano’s 9 Instructional Strategies In Infographic Form
27 Characteristics Of Authentic Assessment 27 Characteristics Of Authentic Assessment by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education What is “authentic assessment”? Almost 25 years ago, I wrote a widely-read and discussed paper that was entitled: “A True Test: Toward More Authentic and Equitable Assessment” that was published in the Phi Delta Kappan. (My colleague from the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Essential Schools, Fred Newmann, was the first to use the phrase in a book, a pamphlet for NASSP in 1988 entitled Beyond standardized testing: Assessing authentic academic achievement in secondary schools. So, it has been with some interest (and occasional eye-rolling, as befits an old guy who has been through this many times before) that I have followed a lengthy back and forth argument in social media recently as to the meaning of “authentic” and, especially, the idea of “authentic assessment” in mathematics. Put the other way around, many people are defining “authentic” as “hands-on” and practical. The Original Argument A. 1. 2. 3. 4.
27 Teacher Actions That Help Promote Valid Assessment Data Via TeachThought There is often talk about assessment–its forms, frequency, and the integration of gleaned data to revise planned instruction. Formative versus assessment, rigor, and the evasive nature of understanding are also areas for exploration. But rarely is there discussion about the kinds of things teachers can do–literal actions and concrete strategies–to help streamline the assessment process, and hopefully produce purer results you can trust. In the infographic below, Mia MacMeekin offers her now familiar “27 ways” format, this time teacher actions that are conducive to more valid assessment results–and thus data you can trust. As with any list, some are better than others, but a few stand out: Evaluate Having the student evaluate the format helps bring them closer to the actual process of learning Seconds Or thirds, fourths, and fifths. Match Align assessment forms so that the form isn’t the barrier. Limit & Relax This is especially true for struggling readers and younger students.
Ten Creative Alternatives to Standardized Tests It's easy to bust on standardized tests. They suck. They're boring. The following are ten creative alternatives: Portfolios: These are a great way to show mastery, growth and future goal-setting. The Free Toolkit Click below to get the free Creative Classroom Toolkit
Dipsticks: Efficient Ways to Check for Understanding What strategy can double student learning gains? According to 250 empirical studies, the answer is formative assessment, defined by Bill Younglove as "the frequent, interactive checking of student progress and understanding in order to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately." Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates student learning according to a benchmark, formative assessment monitors student understanding so that kids are always aware of their academic strengths and learning gaps. Meanwhile, teachers can improve the effectiveness of their instruction, re-teaching if necessary. Alternative formative assessment (AFA) strategies can be as simple (and important) as checking the oil in your car -- hence the name "dipsticks." In the sections below, we'll discuss things to consider when implementing AFAs. Observation: A Key Practice in Alternative Formative Assessment A fundamental element of most AFAs is observation. New to Alternative Formative Assessment?
60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate What They Know 60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate What They Know by Ryan Schaaf, Notre Dame of Maryland University When I was a high school student, I had the privilege of having a wonderful English teacher. As I now reflect upon her and my learning experiences fondly, I had only one criticism – I did the same type of work day in and day out. Nowadays, many educators use the same methods over and over again in their lessons for students to express themselves and demonstrate their new knowledge. Below is a diverse list adapted from resources found at fortheteachers.org of potential student products or activities learners can use to demonstrate their mastery of lesson content. 60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate What They Know 60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate Understanding
20 Simple Assessment Strategies You Can Use Every Day 20 Simple Assessment Strategies You Can Use Every Day by Saga Briggs The ultimate goal of teaching is understanding. But sometimes it’s easier to talk than to teach, as we all know, especially when we need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. We hope students will understand, if not now then before test time, and we keep our fingers crossed that their results will indicate we’ve done our job. Below are 22 simple assessment strategies and tips to help you become more frequent in your teaching, planning, and curriculum design. 22 Simple Assessment Strategies & Tips You Can Use Every Day 1. Avoid yes/no questions and phrases like “Does this make sense?” 2. During the last five minutes of class ask students to reflect on the lesson and write down what they’ve learned. 3. Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension. 4. Have students summarize or paraphrase important concepts and lessons. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
40 Alternative Assessment Ideas for Learning When people think of assessment, pencils and bubble sheets may be the first things that come to mind. Assessment does not always have to involve paper and pencil, but can instead be a project, an observation, or a task that shows a student has learned the material. In the end, all we really want to know is that the skill was mastered, right? Why not make it fun and engaging for students as well? Many teachers shy away from alternative assessments because they take extra time and effort to create and to grade. The project card and rubric can be run on card stock (one on each side of the page), laminated, and hole punched with other alternative assessment ideas. Here are 40 alternative assessment ideas to get you started! Alternative Reading Assessments 1. Create a bookmark to match the theme of the last book read. 2. Put together a group of 5 things from the story of the week. 3. Students can make a stuffed animal that matches the theme of the story read. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Assessment Design: A Matrix To Assess Your Assessments Assessment Design: A Matrix To Assess Your Assessments by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education On Rigor, Language, & Verbs Rigor is not established by the unthinking use of Webb or Bloom or other verbs. A moment’s thought after looking over these verbs should make you say: Huh? Take “predict” for example. In summary, just throwing some verbs around as starters for “rigorous” tasks is not enough to address the first bullet concerning the challenge of the task.
Inclusive assessment approaches to learning in the English Language Classroom – I’m a teacher not a psychologist! 'I think there is a learner in my class with SEN but I’m not sure, because I don’t know what I should be looking for and I don’t know what to do next. I probably should talk to the parent but don’t know how.’Eliza, primary teacher from Italy 'We have to do state exams at the end of the year and I know some of the learners with SENs in my class won’t be at the right standard. What can I do? How do I give them some confidence when they know they are behind the others?'Maria, secondary teacher from Spain There are two main challenges with assessment for learners with SENs Challenge 1 How do we know if a learner has a SEN? It is not our job as teachers to diagnose special needs and to give labels to learners. How do we recognise these difficulties as teachers? The easiest way is to do what teachers do best, pay attention to the learner and their learning. Of course, all learners may show these behaviours sometimes. Is the problem across all classes and at all times of day? Challenge 2
34 Strategies For The Stages Of Assessment: Before, During & After - 34 Strategies For The Stages Of Assessment: Before, During & After by TeachThought Staff For professional development on assessment, contact us today. The follow graphic from the infographic-famous Mia MacMeekin offers 34 strategies for each stage of the assessment process–before, during, and after. Rather than simply repeat them from the graphic, we’ve give a quick primer on the differences between each stage in terms of its purpose/function in the learning process. Take to the comments with any strategies you find useful in your classroom, and give Mia a follow on twitter and say hello! Before/Pre-Assessment Our take: The purpose of pre-assessment is to provide data to revise planned instruction. During Our take: The purpose of assessment during instruction is to begin to measure progress from the pre-assessment, as well as clarifying individual gaps in understanding to further refine instruction. After/Post-Assessment 34 Strategies For The Stages Of Assessment