Blog Entry Week Eight
Description
This
week in EDAT 6114 the reading focused on the different types of assessments and
how they are used. Assessment is something we use all the time in the
classroom, but there are many different types and forms of assessment available
to us. Assessments should be used to determine grades, but also to drive
instruction and to meet the needs of our students.
Analysis
Slavin (2018) states that
evaluation can be used for three different things: feedback, information, and
incentive. The main goal in giving assessments is not always just to get a
numerical grade. In terms of feedback, teachers can reflect on the
effectiveness of their instruction and use assessment to meet students where
they are struggling. Assessments are also an opportunity for the teacher to
provide written or verbal feedback to their students on their strengths and
weaknesses. Assessments can also provide information to parents, keeping them
informed on their child’s progress. Evaluation can also provide information for
selecting or grouping, and accountability. Finally, evaluation instills a sense
of motivation in students and acts as an incentive.
Evaluation comes in a lot of different forms. Slavin
first discusses formative vs. summative evaluation. Formative assessments are
meant to “tell teachers whether additional instruction is needed and to tell
students whether additional learning is needed” (Slavin, 2018, p. 350). These
are the type of assessments that “form” instruction and drive the teacher to
make decisions based on the knowledge her students are demonstrating. Some
examples of formative assessment are observations during group work, quizzes,
and exit tickets. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are “tests of
student knowledge at the end of instructional units “ (Slavin, 2018, p. 350).
Slavin (2018) says that while these types of assessments may not happen often,
they must be reliable. In order to decide what the best way to evaluate your
students is, you need to first evaluate the goals that you and your students
have. Slavin (2018) also mentions norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced
testing. Norm-reference testing “focus[es] on comparisons of a student’s scores
with those of other students” while criterion-referenced testing “focus on
assessing students’ mastery of specific skills, regardless of how other
students did on the same skill” (Slavin, 2018, p. 350). Usually, formative
assessments are classified as criterion-referenced. Summative assessments can
be criterion referenced or norm referenced. Different assessments will be best
matched for different goals. Sometimes teachers are evaluating for incentive or
feedback, and other times teachers are assessing to compare one student to
another. When choosing an assessment, teachers need to be mindful of what they
are trying to achieve through the assessment.
After deciding what is being tested, teachers can create
the test. However, they need to be very careful to create a clear, fair
assessment that represents what has already been learned. Assessments should also be reliable, and
should improve learning. When writing tests, there are many options for types
of questions. Selected response items are can be scored as either correct or
incorrect. Multiple choice, true or false, and matching are all examples of
selected response items. Tests can also have constructed response items on
them. These types of questions “require the student to supply rather than
select the answer” (Slavin, 218, p. 360). This includes things like fill in the
blank, short answer, and essay questions. Some tests may also have
problem-solving assessments on them, which prompt “students to organize,
select, and apply complex procedures that have at least several important steps
or components” (Slavin, 2018, p. 364).
There are other forms of assessment that are not
completed in one sitting or in the “traditional” way. The first form is
portfolio assessments, which are collections of students work taken over a long
period, and evaluated as a set. This is often a good item to show parents or to
use to show growth over time. Another type of assessment, performance
assessments, are tests of knowledge in a real life setting. This might be
setting up and conducting an experiment, solving real world math problems, or
completing an oral history project. These types of assessments are a way to
connect to the students’ real life and build their schema. It also allows
teachers to avoid teaching to specific test questions.
The last thing Slavin (2018) discusses is grades. When
giving grades, teachers must be able to explain the meaning behind the grades
given. Grade may be given as letters, or performance-based grades such as
emerging, proficient, and so on. Slavin’s (2018) main point is that assessments
and grade should be fair and rooted in importance. Tests should not be given
just because, and grades must be backed up by evidence. Assessment is not
something that can be easily done. A lot of thought must go into what type, the
goal, and the end grade.
Reflection
Schools have become very data driven
in the recent years. Assessment is something I do in my classroom every single
day. I have used assessment in all three of the ways Slavin (2018) mentioned in
this chapter. I often give my students written and oral feedback on their
assignments almost immediately. My students know how they are doing and what
they need to work on. I also use assessments to drive my instruction and group
my students in a way that they are working with peers who have similar
misunderstandings and struggles. This way I can pinpoint exactly what they need
to work on, and give my students targeted support. In terms of information, I
often communicate with parents at conferences and go over assessments to give
them an idea of how their child is doing. The last use, incentive, is something
that I don’t always use, but it still happens naturally for some students. I
try not to focus on the grade or the number, because some of my students just
aren’t going to get an A. I frequently share with my students that math was
really difficult for me in third grade, and that’s okay. I don’t want my
students to be discouraged by a B or a C, so I use growth as an incentive. As
long as students are getting better and learning, we celebrate.
In my classroom I use several forms
of assessment. The one I use most frequently is formative assessment. This
might come in the form of quizzes and “at your seat” work during math workshop,
but it also comes in during my small group sessions with my students where I
can observe the way that they are thinking and interacting with the content. During
these times, I give oral and written feedback depending on the activity. I use
all of the things I see to drive my instruction and meet my students where they
need support. I also use summative assessments in my classroom. We have county
issues end of unit tests that we are required to give our students. There are
usually seven or eight of them throughout the year. These do not make up my
students’ entire grade since I do not feel that they always reflect my
students’ true ability. I also use authentic assessments in my classroom when I
am able. This usually comes in when I have my students complete projects that
have real life context. One example is for area and perimeter, my students
create a tiny house out of paper and have to put in specific pieces of
furniture as well as other components. They are required to find the area and
perimeter of their entire year, house, and all of the components of the house.
My students use authentic assessment in math, writing, and science most
frequently.
When
assigning grades I usually use a variety of summative and formative assessments
to assign a final grade, along with any projects we have done. Our county uses
letter grades for report cards, but I keep checklists of standards and whether
or not students have mastered them to help me decide on grades if there is any
uncertainty. I think it is absolutely important to keep in mind your goals when
deciding on how to assess a student. You need to ask yourself: “what do I want
them to know? How will I know if they have learned this?” Teachers should be
using different assessments throughout the year since not all students respond
to the same assessments in the same ways. I also try to make sure that grades
are never a surprise. I communicate with my students frequently to let them know
what they are doing well, and what they need to work on. Their parents are
aware of these things, too, so that they can work on these skills at home. At
the end of the day, assessment needs to be tailored to what is being taught. It
depends on the teacher’s goals, and the students in their classroom.
Assessments are very important not only for grades, but for teacher and
students feedback, grouping and parent communication, and incentives. Teachers
must be sure that assessment doesn’t come down to just shooting for an A and
teaching to the test, because that is not the goal.
Reference
Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational psychology:
Theory and practice (12th ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson Education.
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