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There are many feelings that are invoked when people hear the word “assessment”. Many will jump to the standardized tests that our children are required to take. For others, the only form of assessment they are familiar with, or feel are appropriate are tests. Before we talk about various forms of assessment, let’s look at why we use assessments in the classroom.
Assessments are used for a variety of purposes:
- Monitor students’ progress in learning
- Make instructional decisions
- Evaluate student achievement
- Evaluate and make program and learning decisions
It’s important to understand why we should assess our students, and it doesn’t have to do with school funding or “good” standings in the state. It has to do with supporting students and the learning process.
We want to assess children’s knowledge in order to discover where their strengths lie, as well as where they need more support. The next piece, and a very important part of assessment, is to then take that knowledge and make a plan for further learning. It may mean that a student needs to be challenged more in an area, or needs additional time working on that particular skill. We then make those plans for the student. Here is another area where Differentiated Instruction comes into play. We may have various students working on different activities based on the assessment results.
For some, the only form of assessment that seems appropriate is a test. This, however, is not the only form of assessment. Tests are one of the least effective ways to assess learning. Real life activities, projects, and other classroom activities can be used for assessment. Remember the Fact Sheets in the Jigsaw example, or the RAFT example mentioned in the previous chapter? Both of these could be used to assess the students’ learning on these topics. You will probably also get a more accurate picture of their learning than from a test of any kind. Consider looking at forms of assessment that are not tests.
We know our students will be required to take standardized tests to measure learning. In Michigan, our students take the M-Step test. “All of Michigan’s state assessments measure student progress with Michigan’s content standards or other career- or college-readiness goals. The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) is given online to students in grades 3-8 and measures current student knowledge of Michigan’s high academic standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies.
High school students in grades 9 and 10 take the PSAT, to inform schools, students, and parents on what students know in ELA and mathematics, and help prepare students for the SAT college entrance exam given to every high school junior as part of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME). The MME consists of a free SAT with essay that also measures student knowledge on state ELA and mathematics standards, M-STEP science and social studies components, and a work skills assessment called ACT Wo