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What
is assessment? standardized
tests? documentation?
performances? class
tests? projects?
observations? self/peer
evaluations? portfolios?
diagnostic
tools? other?
Assessment
for learning is a recent trend in education which encompasses the
broad nature of all factors influencing a student's learning. Part
of the problem with assessment is developing a language or literacy within
education so that all partners are communicating and understanding
with a common set of terms that have specific meaning. We know
that assessment is much more than test results arbitrarily
designed and quantified. The intent of good assessment practise is
to collect student data and make sense of it in order to change
teaching and learning in a positive proactive direction. Another
key element is the component of student self-evaluation and the power it generates. Assessment
procedures identify needs and resources, replace hypotheses with
facts, identify causes of problems rather than symptoms,
facilitate informed decision-making, goal setting and
monitoring. A goal in assessment for learning is to develop the
capacity at the school and division level to manage and implement
change that enhances student learning. Types
of Data: student learning, perceptual, demographic, and school
processes. Student learning refers to the knowledge, skills and
attitudes measured through a multitude of assessment tools. Perceptual data helps to understand what students,
teachers and parents think about the school through newspaper
articles, interviews and surveys. Demographics helps to
understand students and unique needs as well as identifying
factors affecting school goals. Examples of demographic data
include: primary languages, attendance patterns, dropout rates,
graduation rates, mobility, suspension, socioeconomic status,
parent involvement, staff mobility, staff gender, staff
attendance, and health issues. School process refers the
information shared about school's efforts to promote high levels
of student achievement, and helps staff make decisions about
curriculum, instruction and assessment. Analyzing
Student Learning: First, observe and gather information by looking
and hearing; next, analyze and interpret to think about what it
means and why it happens; generate a hypothesis about what to do
and how it might work; and finally, act and experiment by setting
a plan and evaluating it. Examples of student learning data:
documentation, observations, test
results - teacher made and standardized; performance assessments -
portfolios, tasks, exhibitions; report cards, course enrollments;
promotion/retention rates; and graduation/dropout rates. Identifying
Facts: By making observations and collecting data, a source of
material is available for analysis. Determine what the student
data is showing. Compare subgroups, look for trends across years,
within classes. Look for unique or unexpected information within
the data and find the questions raised. Think about what other
data might give you. Note the specific observations about student
learning, and begin to interpret. Determine a focus. Informed
Decision Making: using data helps identify student needs, about
which instructional practice to use, about what professional
development to seek, and which programs and practices should be
maintained, initiated or stopped. Program
Elements to be Considered: materials and equipment available for
teachers, students, and parents with regards to quality, quantity,
and accessibility; existing program content, time spent in direct
contact with students; teacher schedules and time for planning and
instructing; diagnosis of learning processes both formal and
informal; assessment of student outcomes; classroom management;
classroom environment; physical facilities; teacher knowledge and
skills; teacher attitudes; communication systems between
administration, teachers and parents; and staff development. Self-Evaluation:
judging the quality of
your own work based on evidence and explicit criteria for the
purpose of doing better work. Involve students in defining
evaluative criteria by brainstorming criteria, negotiate between
teacher and students, and use student language. Teach students how to apply the
criteria by showing examples and practicing classifying the
examples using the criteria generated. Give
students feedback on their self-evaluation by providing
comparative data and talking about differences. Help students
develop action plans by having them identify strengths/weaknesses
and by generating goals. The teacher then guides students to
develop specific actions towards their goals and finally, record
the goal and action plan. Rubrics:
A rubric is a scoring tool containing a set of criteria used to
discriminate among different degrees of quality, understanding, or
proficiency. Some comparative words for rubrics are: rarely,
sometimes, always; no variety, some variety, a wide variety;
little use, some use, excellent use; not, somewhat, extremely;
few, some, many; quite a few errors, hardly any errors, or no
errors. Portfolios:
There are two basic types of portfolios - the BEST WORK portfolio
is a showcase of student achievement and the GROWTH portfolio
which shows development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
teamwork. The collection of material itself is not the ultimate
value of using a portfolio, rather it is the reflection on the
work that yields the value because it leads to metacognition of
learning. An
"Assessment Literate School" has these qualities:
professional development, measurable goals, variety of tools,
empowering student learning, open communication, student centered,
collaboration and reflection. The staff share the same set of
beliefs that all children can learn and subsequently, a culture
for learning is created for kids and teachers. Everything is
driven by student data rather than by assumptions. Assessment
for learning is a state of mind, of actively searching and
evaluating materials, resources and tools to apply to every
situation within the classroom. Each individual teacher is on a
continuum of growth towards this fluid and complex integration of
ideas that can ready applied with the learning community. |
