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RUNNING HEAD: WHY ASSESS

Why Assess
Judy Compton
EDUC 101
Dr. Julie Bilz
04/04/2016
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Teachers assess students to understand if the performance of the teacher and the students is
helping the students to understand material in the curriculum. A teacher needs to know if the
lesson plans are affective. An assessment is a process of gathering information about a students
learning process and making instructional decisions based on the information received.
Information from assessments provide feedback to the student, teacher and parents. A classroom
assessment should promote and verify a students learning. The information provided teachers
use to determine how well students are learning the material being taught, identify type of
feedback to enhance student learning, to develop strategies for improvement for effectiveness,
and to determine if students have reached a certain level of performance.
Quantitative and qualitative are both ways of gathering information. Quantitative is using
numerical scores to evaluate a students learning as well as the effectiveness of the teaching.
Measurement and evaluation techniques such as teacher made classroom tests or performance
based assessments. Qualitative is formal and informal observations of a students performance on
various learning tasks, the manner students approach learning tasks, or student self-assessment
reports of interests and attitudes. Quantitative is less subjective than quantitative.
Formative and summative is how to use the results. Formative is how teachers measure
students attainment of knowledge and skills for the purpose of making decisions about teaching.
Summative is when teachers use measurements to determine grades at the end of the unit,
semester or year. Measurements from summative are used to decide whether a student is ready to
proceed to next phase of education.
The book talks about emerging trends in classroom assessment. Authentic also known as
alternative requires students to use higher-level thinking skills to perform, create or solve real life
problems not just give answers based on designated answers. Students are required to solve
problems or work on tasks which approximate as much as possible to those encountered outside
of the classroom. Encouragement to students to develop responses which belong to the students
about problem situations by allowing students to decide what information is relevant. Students
decide how information should be used and organized. The focus is on students ability to think
and develop in-depth understanding. Applying academic learning to important, realistic problems
is another focus. An authentic assessment I would use is to read a book the students and then let
the students create the next part of the story. The students could tell what would happen next,
create a book or make a picture.
Portfolio is another type of emerging trend in classroom assessments. A portfolio is a
collection of the students work which tells a story about the learners growth in proficiency,
long-term achievement, and significant accomplishments in a given academic area. Examples are
provided of the important work under taken by the student, which represent the students best
work. An important part of a portfolio is clarifying criteria used to select work to be included in
the portfolio. Students can use a portfolio as an organized way of presenting work to a teacher
for assessment. Some states require a portfolio by the students to graduate. I would use a
portfolio in the classroom to keep track of progress of a student, to show a student what he or she
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has accomplished and for parent teacher conferences. A portfolio with pictures of the student
doing the work I feel is a something a student may enjoy looking back at when he or she is older.
Peer assessments is another emerging trend in classroom assessment. One student asses
another students work is how peer assessment works. A peer assessment is typically done
informally during a class session. Student may be more accepting to critical feedback from a peer
than from an adult or teacher. A peer may be able to speak to the student in a way which makes
more sense to the student than if the teacher explains it. Teacher can observe a peer assessment
and provide input when necessary. I would use peer assessment on a math assignment. The
students would do the math assignment and grade each others papers in groups of two. Then the
students could discuss which question have different answers and figure out why the answers are
different.
Performance-based assessment is an emerging trend in the classroom. Performance-based
assessment is based on observation and judgement. A student is observed on how he or she
performs on a task or a review is done on a student-produced project. The student-produced
project is judged on quality. The quality of thinking involved, argumentation and writing are
judged. The assessment is used to determine what a student can do as well as what a student
knows. Teachers at times observe and evaluate actual performance or application of skill or
evaluate a product created by the student or students. The focus is on the students ability to
apply knowledge, skills and work habits through performance of tasks found meaningful and
engaging. Performance-based assessments answer the question How well can student use what
he or she knows. Performance tasks should be interesting and relevant to knowledge, skills and
work habits emphasized in curriculum. To use performance-based assessment in the classroom I
would let the students pick a question for a survey to ask classmates and to put information into a
graph of the students choice.
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REFERENCES
Parkay, F. W. (2013). Becoming a teacher. Boston: Pearson.