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Assessment

InTASC Standard 6: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Introduction

Each of our students is on their own individual journey to content mastery. It is crucially important that we, as educators, assess knowledge at every phase of this journey to provide the most impactful and responsive instruction possible. There are three core types of assessment that should be given as often as possible. Diagnostic assessments allow us to see where each of our students are starting in regards to content knowledge, summative assessments allow us to see if students have gained mastery, and formative assessments act as check points along the way. Each of these three assessments give valuable data that can be used to monitor learner progress, illuminate gaps in student knowledge that need to be closed to obtain mastery, and to guide both teacher's and learners' decision making. Furthermore, a teacher assessing his or her students is not enough to be effective—students need to be invested in their own growth. Developing systems to invest students in the assessment process acts as a way to increase engagement while shaping my students into well-rounded individuals. 

 

Assessments are at the very heart of planning and instruction in my classroom. I utilize a variety of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis as well as at specific times during each unit to monitor my students' progress and to guide my decision making. Also, I have systems in place to invest students in their growth for each of these assessment phases. I use the data obtained through each of these assessments, in conjunction with data obtained by my colleagues who teach chemistry in the other Small Learning Communities at my school, to inform my instruction and pivot my plans if necessary to fit the needs of each of my students. 

 

Please click each of the four images below to see how I utilize the four key aspects of an effective assessment system in my classroom to engage all learners in their own growth monitor their progress and guide decision making

Diagnostic Assessments

Formative Assessments

Summative Assessments

Investing Students in their Growth

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Conclusion

An effective classroom assessment system must serve three purposes—allowing the instructor to monitor progress of each student along their journey towards mastery, allowing students a way to invest in their own personal and academic growth, and providing valuable data to guide teacher and learner decision making and to shape instruction and future planning. Each student is an individual with a diverse set of beliefs, cultural values, and learning styles and a variety of assessments should be given to allow all students the opportunity to express their knowledge. I strive to provide assessments and feedback to my students as often as possible to assist their academic growth. While I am happy with the assessment system currently used in my classroom, I am still a work in progress—as I say to my students while discussing growth mindsets. I am always looking for ways to modify and improve my system to make it as meaningful and effective for each of my students.  

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