What do you know about assessment?

Quick! Grab a paper and pen and jot down your initial thoughts about this word:

ASSESSMENT

What were some keywords that you wrote down? When asking non-teacher friends, these were some of the results:

• testing

• grading

• intimidating

• getting to know your situation

• knowing more information than you did before

Were any of these similar to yours? Scroll down to the bottom to share in the comments.

Let's get into it.

Assessment can be perceived in different ways, which makes it confusing (especially for new teachers). When understanding all that goes into assessment I felt very overwhelmed. How is there enough time to organize your classroom, plan your units and activities, prep your materials for the week, respond to parent and staff emails, help out in extra-curriculars in the school, and plan a detailed and purposeful assessment plan that reaches all of your students' individual needs? When you put it like that.... it still sounds daunting! In this post, we'll talk about what assessment is (and what it isn't) as well as breaking down ways to fight this overwhelming feeling.

Okay, so... What is Assessment?

Assessment is a pretty fancy word. It is the gathering and analyzing of information in order to change or evaluate something. In the teaching world, assessment can be broken down even further. There are 3 types of assessment:

Assessment of Learning

I chose to focus on this one first as it is the simplest to understand and see in the real world. It is also our initial thought when we think of "assessment".

Assessment of learning is done at the end of new learning to be used as evidence to evaluate student work. We can also call this summative assessment. Example: You would be conducting assessment of learning when you assign a science test to your grade 6 class at the end of their unit on the human body. The results from that test would factor into students' overall grade - with this final test being an indicator of the learning students have accomplished.

Methods of assessment of learning may include: final exams, midterm exams, end of unit tests, quizzes, culminating projects, student portfolios.

Assessment for Learning

This type of assessment is one that happens all of the time but can be invisible if you are not looking for it.

Assessment for learning is done all the time throughout the course of learning to provide teachers with real-time data about how students are doing and what changes need to be made. We can also call this formative assessment. Example: After introducing and working on fractions the last few days, you hold a math talk with your grade 2 students; their sharing during this discussion shows you who feels comfortable with the material, who is struggling, and what instructional practices you are using that may/may not be working. After this discussion you reflect on what was shared and you can make changes to how you were going to proceed with this unit.

Methods of assessment for learning may include: running records, low-stakes quizzes, discussions, small groups, think-pair-share, self-reflections, checklists, anecdotes, observations.

An interesting factor about formative assessment is that it includes reflection; for students and teachers. Reflecting helps students by giving them a chance to pause and think, allowing new learning to grow roots and providing time to practice metacognitive thinking. Example: You ask your grade 1 class to share their thinking after a think-pair-share moment. Reflecting helps teachers as it allows us to analyze our teaching practices and the effect they have on student learning. Example: After a read aloud followed by a class discussion in your grade 1 classroom, you note that some of your students weren't contributing to the conversation and reflect on which aspects of your instruction you could change to suit their needs (reading slower, rearrange nearby items that may be a distraction, designate carpet spaces for each student, pause longer between pages, show the illustrations longer).

Assessment as Learning

This type of assessment goes hand in hand with the previous type but has its own special impact.

Assessment as learning is done before new learning takes place to share insight with teachers as to where students are at and what prior knowledge they bring with them. We can also call this diagnostic assessment. Example: To get to know your grade 3 students and have a little bit of fun on the first day, you hand out learning surveys that ask students to fill out the ways they learn best as well as their interests in and outside of school. The information gathered here gives you insight into who your students are which helps you plan purposeful and authentic learning experiences. Bonus: this information can be used for future math and literacy activities!

Methods of assessment as learning may include: surveys, running records, low-stake quizzes, KWL charts, discussions.

That Makes Sense! But What Is The Purpose?

Type of Assessment	Also Known As	Purpose
Assessment of Learning	Summative assessment	To provide information that teachers need to make judgements on student grades
Assessment for Learning	Formative assessment	To gain insight on what students understand and where they need more guidance, and adapt your teaching to accommodate their changing needs
Assessment as Learning	Diagnostic assessment	To know who your students are as learners and as children in order to create an effective plan and a welcoming learning environment that matches their needs and strengths

Let's take a deep dive into some reasons why purposeful assessment is critical to learning.

Let's imagine two classrooms: classroom A implements consistent and purposeful assessment practices while classroom B does no assessing of any kind. A rather unrealistic vision, but this thought experiment highlights a sliver of the effect of assessment. Classroom A has activities that are linked to student interest (like a math and visual arts activity inspired by Minecraft), which the teacher knows about from their learning preferences/interests survey; creating a space where students are learning and practicing curriculum expectations while having fun at the same time. Classroom B, on the other hand, is working out of the same old textbooks, day in and day out, that have been used for 15 years; although students know what to expect in terms of expectations, they are not having fun or having time to practice different skills and connect their learning to the real world. The stark contrast of instructional methods and assessment practices show that classroom A implements assessment as and for learning (getting to know students' interests and incorporating them to create authentic learning experiences) while classroom B has created a routinely uninteresting learning environment that does not support a variety of preferred learning methods and shows no interest in getting to know students and where they are at.

Keep these insights in mind when creating an assessment plan:

• be intentional - make sure the work you ask students to complete matches how you will be assessing them

• explicitly teach metacognition - students need to see how to think and reflect effectively in order to practice effectively

• create time and space for students to practice metacognitive skills (reflection and self-assessing) - this helps students be accountable for their work and practice critical skills for life outside of school

• be cautious of misconceptions that may arise - have clear learning goals and expectations to combat this

• use simple, student-friendly language when creating expectations or providing feedback

• schedule time/create ways that offer descriptive feedback - it should be specific and direct so students understand their next steps

• practice reflection yourself - self-assess your own instructional practices to make sure you are including all students' strengths, needs, and preferred learning styles

• intentionally make mistakes - this reminds students that no one is perfect and that mistakes help us learn

• tools can be used more than once - as long as you know the purpose, you can use a running record as a diagnostic and a summative

• assessment and instruction are friends - purposeful learning comes from intentional teaching that comes from assessment and instruction intertwined

How do you feel about assessment?

• Great! I'm comfortable creating an assessment plan.
• So-so. Not great but not overwhelmed.
• Overwhelmed! How is there enough time in one day?!

What Can I Do About Assessment?

The weight of assessment might feel too heavy to bear right now, but don't stress! This section is going to offer some clear ideas with examples that you can implement into your instructional and assessment practices. Keep in mind that different activities can be used for different/all forms of assessment.

Teacher Moderation

• Teachers coming together to compare work/success criteria

• Collaborate on success criteria

• Break down misconceptions and ambiguity in assessment

• Explore what learning gaps may arise

Benefit? Students are evaluated the same (across teacher/subject/grade); increased teacher confidence regarding evaluating

Assessment for Learning; Assessment as Learning

Reflection

• Opportunity for students to practice metacognitive skills

• Increases student accountability

• Improves teachers next steps & instructional practices

• Exit Tickets (1 thing you learned & 1 question you have); Journal Entries (written account of how students feel they are doing academically); Checklists (breaks large tasks into smaller more manageable steps that keep students on track & aware of expectations)

Benefit? Fosters sense of student responsibility; opportunity to practice skills for life outside of school

Assessment for Learning

Descriptive Feedback

• Use student-friendly language

• Provide feedback early and often

• Make it specific and concise

Benefit? Students feel connected to learning as they can clearly see what their strengths/needs are

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning

Single-Point Rubric

• T-chart rubric with success criteria in middle

• Left column for feedback on areas of need

• Right column for feedback on areas of strength

Benefit? Switches focus from percentage/letter grade to specific feedback; simpler to create than standard rubric

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning

Exemplars

• Work that serves as an example for current/future student reference

• Should showcase different levels of achievement

• Take time to go through exemplars with class

Benefit? Gives students clear understanding of what is expected to achieve desired level

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning

Clear Learning Expectations/Goals

• Posted goal of the day/block in student-friendly language

• May minimize distracted behaviours

• Provides structure for students (and teachers)

Benefit? Helps students plan out their work; sets the tone for the day/block

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning

1:1 Conference

• One on one time for teachers to give feedback to student, face to face

• Keep conferences short (max 5 minutes); prevents students from feeling overwhelmed with information

• May eliminate task ambiguity

• May eliminate students' hesitation over trying/taking risks; can lead to increased confidence

Benefit? Builds stronger relationships with students; opportunity for descriptive feedback; keeps students & teachers on the same page

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning; Assessment as Learning

Portfolios

• Assessment portfolios that contain student work related to/used for evaluating

• May motivate and inspire students

• Great tool for communication with parents

Benefit? Keeps track of progress for assessment; visual representation of student growth and progress

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning

Running Records

• Teacher listens to a student reading while recording down their reading behaviours

• Teachers look for: omitting words/phrases, repeating words/phrases, self-correcting, substitute words/phrases, insert words/phrases

• Quick to administer

Benefit? Simple to do; easy to analyze data over time

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning; Assessment as Learning

PM Benchmark

• Identifies what level of reading students are at

• Variety of levelled reader books

• Students show excitement when advancing to new level

Benefit? Assessment that is consistent & unambiguous; low prep

Assessment for Learning; Assessment of Learning; Assessment as Learning

Pre-Tests

• Informs teachers about students' prior knowledge, strengths, and needs

• May include Running Records, surveys, low-stakes quizzes, KWL charts, discussions

• Vital information that helps teachers map out future plans

Benefit? Creates stronger bond between student and teacher; creates opportunity for authentic and purposeful learning

Assessment as Learning

Get to Know Your Students!

• Likely the most important aspect in creating effective, authentic assessment

• Find out about their needs, strengths, IEP accommodations/modifications

• Makes learning fun for students; purposeful with real-world connections

And that's it!

I hope this quick guide has shared some new insights, new connections, and new techniques that you feel confident implementing into your teaching practice.

Don't forget to share your initial thoughts about assessment below, along with any connections or thoughts this post has inspired!

Happy assessing!