Running head: ASSESSMENT PHILOSOPHY 1

Assessment Philosophy

Jenna Betts

St. Thomas University

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Introduction

As a teacher there are many roles you have to take on; one of those is assessing students

work. There are three types of assessment that I will use in my future classroom. Those being:

diagnostic assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment. As my concentration is

in elementary education, my main form of assessment would be formative. In addition to these

forms of assessment, the use of zeros, re-dos, and homework as assessment strategies must be

also be considered.

Diagnostic Assessment

Diagnostic assessment is an important initial step that all teachers should be actively

using throughout their career. It is helpful to think of diagnostic assessment as a test that is

given before instruction (Diagnostic, Formative & Summative Assessments, 2013). These tests

are used to assist teachers in developing lessons plans and understanding students needs. As a

result, I plan to use diagnostic assessment in conjunction with formative and summative

assessment. I will use this form of assessment at the beginning of each new unit in order to

understand what my students prior knowledge of the subject is. The results of which will allow

me to adjust my lessons to the needs of my students. Diagnostic assessment also allows students

to express their opinion and ask questions about a new topic. An introduction to a new topic in

this format also allows the teacher to understand what the students interests are. This form of

assessment aids the teacher in distributing meaningful and engaging lessons, but it also provides

the chance for students to build new skills. Students expressing their opinions builds upon

critical thinking and speaking skills. The strategies that I would use to support diagnostic

assessment would include group discussions, Know, Want, Learn (KWL) charts, response
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journals, conferences with students, and mind maps. All these aiding strategies provide

meaningful learning for both the teacher and students at the beginning of new units.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment, in my opinion, is the most important type of assessment. I feel that

this form of assessment is vital because it contains the most powerful tools that teachers can use

to support student success (Marzano, 2006). This type of assessment is typically embedded

within the instructional process; meaning it is done during instruction (Diagnostic, Formative &

Summative Assessments, 2013). Formative assessment can be used in diverse ways. For

example, I would use formative assessment to determine where students are in their

understanding of specific topics and also to guide me when planning for instruction. Formative

assessment should take place throughout the entirety of a unit and must include considerable

amounts of constructive feedback. There are many different strategies that I would undertake to

support formative assessment. Some of those being: peer and self-assessment, questioning,

discussions, exit slips, graphic organizers, kinesthetic assessments, think-pair-share; the list

could go on. Formative assessment gives students the opportunity to display their learning and

growth, while providing the teacher with concrete data that can used to give meaningful and

timely feedback.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is typically used at the end of a unit to determine students

understanding of a topic and provide them with an overall grade. Summative assessment can

include tests, creative projects, written or oral products, conversations, demonstrations or final
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exams. Before conducting summative assessments, to guarantee student success, I would ensure

that students are well prepared and that they know what will be expected of them beforehand.

Student-Centered Assessment

In looking at the three types of assessment to use in my future classroom, it is evident that

the teacher typically decides which assessments will be used. However, I do believe there is a

place for student choice. For example, when it is time for summative assessment, I can provide

my students with choice on how they want to be assessed. The students could perhaps choose to

do some form of creative project or simply write a test. In all, my future classroom will be

student-centered; they will have say when it comes to their learning and, whenever possible, in

how they demonstrate their learning.

Re-dos, Zeros, and Homework

Summative assessment is related to an overall grade. When thinking about this, I

considered the option of re-assessment; all students should have a chance to show what they

know and grow from mistakes. Not all tests or project marks truly represent what students are

capable of. I believe that students should have a chance to re-do assignments to better their grade

and most importantly their learning. Wormeli provides practical tips to help manage re-dos in the

classroom. One tip suggests allowing two or three redo attempts, but if the student continues to

fail the student is simply not ready. This tip provided me with an understanding that sometimes

students will fail, and if this is the case the teacher needs to come up with a way to reach that

student and help them grasp the concept (Wormeli, 2011). Thinking about this issue, I believe

that providing students with constructive feedback allows them to see where they need a bit more

work and then providing the option to re-do an assignment or test can support the feedback the
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teacher gave, resulting in success. Homework can be used to assess student understandings. I

believe that homework should only be assigned if it can grow understanding; if a student is

failing assignments or needs extra work on certain topics, homework could be assigned to

deepen their understanding on that certain subject. Although, at an Elementary grade level I

believe that students should be encouraged to bring home books to practice reading skills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to note that these three forms of assessment and strategies

are used together to aid in the success of student grades. Assessment is crucial to a students

growth and to the teachers understanding of their students. It is important to note that my

opinions about assessment and my beliefs are bound to change as I grow throughout this

profession and learn more effective strategies for assessment.

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References

Diagnostic, Formative & Summative Assessments What's the difference? (2013, February 05).

Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://thinkonline.smarttutor.com/diagnostic

formative-summative-assessments-whats-the-difference/

Marzano, R (2006). Classroom Assessment & Grading that Work. Alexandria, VA: Association

for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wormeli, R. (2011). Redos and retakes done right. Effective Grading Practices, 69(3), 22-26