Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT 1

Final Inclusion Position Paper

Megan DePalmo

N.C. State University

Philosophy of Assessment
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Introduction

Upon graduating from NC State, I will be teaching middle school social studies. I want to

ideally find a position for an eighth grade classroom because the levels content focuses on

American history. My plan is to stay in North Carolina and teach in the Raleigh or Cary area.

During my development of teaching practices, I have developed a philosophy of assessment to

use in this ideal classroom. Assessment has come to mean more than just an exam to me; it is a

way of checking on whether students are progressing forwards in their learning process. An

educator can examine his or her students progress with multiple forms of assessment, including

formative and summative assessments. I plan to approach my teaching practice with a variety of

forms to ensure I have a well-rounded look at how my students are performing academically.

Belief Statements

A good educator assesses learning before, during, and after instructional time. The

various class discussions we have had led me to this first belief. Ms. Feldman gave the example

of assessing the middle school language arts class for their understanding of grammar content the

day after she taught instruction. The data collected from the quiz helped her to make an informed

decision on how to preceed forward with instruction and that particular class. Data from

assessment is essential to put educators into action, and have them choose the best instructional

strategies for future content. By assessing what a student brings into a classroom, the teacher is

aware of what learning needs an individual or the class may have. A pretest on the American

Revolution would be a way to check for how much my students already know. Lesson plans may

be revised to better suit the individual students with the information gathered. If I realize my

students did not grasp a history concept from assessing during instruction, I can alter my

approach to try a different tactic with the content. Once I finish teaching a unit, I may administer
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a test or assign a project to finalize my assessment of the class comprehension of material.

Assessing learning after instruction may help me to realize if I need to change any of my future

actions.

Teachers need to always be vigilant in examining for biased assessments. ED 311 and

312 covered the idea of bias on tests, including standardized tests, and how to generate

appropriate questions. If questions discuss race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or inappropriate

behaviors, they are considered to be biased (ETS, 2012). My goal in my classroom is to break

down the barriers created by bias, and construct a fair assessment for all students in my class. I

can eliminate some of the barriers by assessing information that has been given to the students

during instruction, such as a previous graphic organizer or document excerpt. Including clear

expectations of my grading process will be helpful, as well. Rubrics are an excellent way of

informing students on what is required for their submitted work, and takes the feelings of

unsureness out of the equation.When I assign a project or overnight assignment for my class to

complete, I can include a rubric to give students the opportunity to display their best work.

Summative assessments should be created before designing lesson plans. I was not aware

that instructional methods should be decided after the creation of the summative assessment,

before this course. Creating a test with my PLT showed me how important it is to have your

measurable learning outcomes from lessons match up with what is asked of students on exams.

Chapter three of our textbook discusses the relationship between the objectives and summative

assessment; both are continuously altered together to match the essential knowledge of a unit

(Wormeli, 2006, p. 27). My unit test made me realize how essential planned learning outcomes

are in making an effective assessment. In my future classroom, I will construct my summative

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assessments first, and then pull from them to create pre-assessments, as well. I will get a clear

understand of my students knowledge by using both.

Tests are not the only form of assessment. Most of educations emphasis is placed on

standardized testing, but that does not sum up assessment. Assessment may be informal or

formal, and given throughout the learning process. Informal assessments, or formative

assessments, give ongoing feedback for the instructor. I can create activities for students to

complete in my class, such as developing a timeline with a partner, or plan for them to complete

a quick write to hand in at the end of class. If I want to finalize what a student has learned, then I

could assign an end-of-unit project or paper to allow for a creative way to excel. ED 311 and 312

explained the importance of understanding the various forms of assessment, as well as knowing

to utilize them in our classroom. The cartoon showing different animals being asked to climb the

tree was a visual for this belief. Not every animal can climb the tree, just as not every child is a

good test taker. Alternative forms need to be offered to give the opportunity for every student to

succeed.

An assessment needs to have more than one question format. Well-rounded assessments

encompass various question or prompt formats, such as traditional and not-so-traditional

(Wormeli, 2006, 75). Traditional forms include fill in the blank, multiple choice, or essay

questions. The traditional question forms are typically seen on exams, but do not have to be the

only test format options. Teachers could also use diagrams, analogies, or performances to have

students show their level of mastery. The common assessment created by my PLT included both

types of prompts, which opened up the possibilities of encouraging higher levels of thinking

from Blooms Taxonomy on the test. In my classroom, exams will have at least three question

formats to ensure a larger opportunity for students communicate their comprehension.

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Sample Syllabus

Welcome to eighth grade social studies with Ms. DePalmo! I am so happy to have each of you in

my class this year, and hope to create a positive learning environment for everyone. Please refer

to the sections below for information on submitting late assignments, the grading scale, and

expectations for this class. I do want to encourage all students to strive for achievement, while

highlighting my philosophy on grading. Grades are given to show individuals learning progress,

and there is always room for improvement. I do not believe that tests are the only way to

measure the advancement of each student, so I will be including other forms of assessment

throughout the year. The alternative forms of assessment, such as projects, papers, or

assignments, will give everyone an opportunity to showcase their knowledge. I am looking

forward to a wonderful year!

Expectations:

I expect for students to be on time to class, as well as invest in the course. The more effort,

including time and attention, you put into American history, the more you will get out of it!

Participation is part of investing effort into the class. If you are struggling with any of the

information, please come see me. I am always happy to help anyone who asks for it.

Grading scale:

Grading Scale Percent

Projects 25%

Papers 25%

Class assignments or activities 20%

Quizzes/Tests 15%

Homework 15%
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Late assignment policy:

If you are absent, then you may submit work up to one day after missing our class. Any

assignments a student wishes to redo or submit late after the one day, must be signed by a parent

or guardian figure.

Conclusion

The philosophy of assessment I have developed over this course has better prepared me

for managing my own classroom. I realize the importance assessment caries in determining a

students academic performance or achievement. Educators must broaden their beliefs on

assessment to be able to create a nurturing environment for all students. I have made connections

to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards with understanding of standard four and

five, the need to reflect on my practice and facilitate learning for my students. Assessments are

useful for educators to determine their next course of actions, as well as measure their students

learning progress. I hope to continue to evolve my assessment beliefs to maintain an order of

professionalism, while putting the needs of my students first.