Dear Parents and Families. I recently presented information at the PTA General Membership meeting on assessment and school. I have attached a lengthy document which was available at the meeting. It includes details about how teachers use assessment to make instructional decisions. I hope you find it helpful. On another note Mount Erie’s annual school board visit is slated for Wednesday, February 8. It would be wonderful to see you there. All parents are invited.
1) What is classroom assessment?
Classroom assessment includes all the processes involved in making decisions about students learning progress. It might be observation of students’ work, their answers to questions in class, and performance on teacher-made and standardized tests. It facilitates teachers in decision making about learning progress through a systematic method of gathering information.
The relationship between learning and assessment is very strong. The research is clear: Students learn more in classes where assessment is an integral part of instruction than in those where it isn’t. Brief assessment that provides frequent feedback about learning progress is more effective than long, infrequent ones, like once-a-term tests.
2) How do teachers use assessment in the classroom?
The classroom assessment process assumes that students need to receive feedback early and often, that they need to evaluate the quality of their own learning, and that they can help the teacher improve the strength of instruction.
The basic steps in the classroom assessment process are setting targets and writing objectives, choosing assessment items and technique, administer assessments and analyze the data and share the results with students.
3) What types of assessment do teachers use?
Almost all of us know about the types of tests typically encountered in school. There are final exams, midterms, end-of unit tests, pop quizzes and so on. All of those tests have one thing in common. They represent a teacher’s attempt to see how much the students have learned. More accurately, such tests are used to determine student learning with respect to the knowledge and skills that the teacher is attempting to promote (state standards). If teachers are reasonably sure about what their students currently know, then the teacher can more accurately tailor instructional activities to what students need to know.
The types of assessments such as the quizzes and examinations that most of us took in school have historically been paper-and pencil instruments. However, recently, teachers have been urged to broaden their view of testing so that student progress is determined through a wider variety of measurement techniques.
Classroom assessment falls into two main categories:
- Formative assessments are on-going assessments, reviews, and observations in a classroom. Teachers use formative assessment to improve instructional methods and student’s feedback throughout the teaching and learning process. It is often called assessment for learning because it occurs during the learning. In a classroom, formative assessment might be a teacher (or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student’s work and would not be used for grading.
- Summative assessments are typically used to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction at the end of a unit or at a pre-determined time. The goal of summative assessments is to make a judgment of student competency, after an instructional phase is complete. It is often called assessment of learning because it occurs after the learning. In the classroom, this might be an end-of-unit test.
However, with advent of computerized analysis, storage and access to data, teachers are also using standardized tests to gauge student growth, establish intervention needs or to provide accountability for the general level of schooling at a particular site. This is what is referred to as school-wide data and helps to establish a school’s data profile.
4) What types of school-wide assessment is collected at Mount Erie?
School-wide assessment at Mount Erie is differentiated mainly between our primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-6) levels.
In primary reading we are using a test called DRA2 (Developmental Reading Assessment). It measures accuracy, comprehension and oral reading fluency. The DRA2 identifies students’ independent reading level, reading strengths and weaknesses, planning instruction, and monitoring reading growth. It is administered three times per year except at kindergarten (2 times).
In primary math we have just adopted a new diagnostic assessment tool called Assessing Math Concepts by Kathy Richardson. Teachers recently spent a day of professional training learning how to administer and analyze the tests. We are planning to use them holistically (class profile) and individually to identify areas of strength and weakness for targeted instruction. If our initial observations bear out, this assessment series might be the best primary math tools our teachers have had in a long time.
At the intermediate level, teachers use the Measures of Academic Progress or MAP test. MAP data is growth data and the test provides detailed individual student information in reading and math. We have historically tested students twice per year (fall and spring), but this year we added a mid-winter test cycle.
Teachers also review and analyze the state required assessment data from the MSP (Measures of Student Progress). However since MSP data is released in the fall of the next academic school year it is best utilized by the current classroom teacher to give some basic information about a student’s proficiency toward standards in math, reading, writing (grade 4) and science (grade 5).
Our school uses the information from all four tests, along with teacher rating scales, to identify students who are struggling with learning and to provide targeted support and intervention programs for them.
5) How does assessment information create a school data profile?
Teachers and principals use school data to create a profile of important information about the school and the students. For example we are using DRA2 data to identify struggling readers in grade K-2 and then targeting instruction for those students over a period of time. We use the same assessment again to see if the student has shown progress. We also use MAP and MSP data to look at trends across grades and classrooms. Test data can be compared to demographic samples in the school. It helps us know if we’re meeting the needs of certain groups of students. An obvious concern at any school is something called the “achievement gap.” The achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. In Anacortes this is primarily a poverty gap. In general, students from poor homes do not perform as well in school, on standardized tests or with respect to other measures. What is the school’s response to this situation?
6) How can you be involved in the assessment component of school?
You need to be informed about assessment taking place in your child’s grade. Ask questions about the tests and what the scores mean. Understand how the information compares your child to other students in the broad sense. You will not see data about other children, but the MAP test is norm-referenced so 50th percentile is considered average performance not a failing grade. What details are available from the test data to provide a descriptive picture of your child as a learner? Does he struggle with word decoding or is it more about comprehension?
You should expect a certain level of communication by the teacher and the principal regarding test data and the school. You should certainly be aware of your child’s test results, but also how the school performs overall. Are most kids achieving? Do you see big dips with no explanation?
You can support the school and your child by emphasizing the importance of assessment. Try to avoid vacations in the middle of the important test windows. Make sure your child gets lots of sleep and practices healthy eating habits. All of these things will contribute to success for your child.
When your child struggles, advocate. Ask the school (principal and teacher) what efforts are being made to support or intervene on your child’s behalf. Teachers are working tirelessly to plan rigorous learning that will translate to school and test success.
