A Teacher’s Guide to Assessment
Assessment is the fuel that drives quality work. Well defined assessmentguides students’ attempts toward producing quality work. Well designedassessment both describes accomplishments and leads to further growth.Assessment is not the last step in the learning process but an importantlandmark in a continuing cycle of growth.Good assessment follows three steps:
- describes student’s work ("Your opening remark was a bit confusing")
- evaluates strengths and needs ("You need to think through your audience’seyes")
- provides pathways to growth ("Your next presentation will include a clearlydefined opening statement")
Growth Oriented Assessment:- Gives feedback on the process as well as the product
- Describes rather than judges
- Avoids value judgments
- Avoids flattery
- Is specific
- Encourages further improvement
- Is clearly communicated at the beginning of a project
- Evaluates authentic criteria
- Avoids Gotchas
Types of Assessment:- Teacher based assessment
- Provides a structure for student work
- Communicates a definition of quality work
- Clearly describes expectations
- Is given as part of the original assignment and re-evaluated at the endof the project
- Allows teachers to be the authority in a class
- Peer Assessment
- Is based on class goals and expectations. Provide a rubric.
- Allows the student to see his/her work through others’ eyes
- Is designed to help guarantee the success of a project
- Is given through out the developmental states of a project
- can benefit the assessor as well as the recipient
- Self Assessment
- Places responsibility for growth on the student
- Allows students to understand their own strengths and needs
- Teaches students to be accurate critics of their own work
- Allows students a sense of ownership in their own work
- Allows students to feel a sense of power over their own learning
How to create assessment rubrics- Clearly define goals of assessment (i.e. Effective Research)
- Itemize criteria that define quality (i.e. Quality includes: use of primarysources; at least three sources; proper use of citations...)
- Clearly define ranking scales (i.e. A - F; 1-5; Quality, Above Average,Average, No Credit).
- Rubrics need to be predictable and understandable. Using the same rubricover several projects allows students to understand expectations.
- Rubrics need to include all categories important to assessment. If it isimportant, include it. If it is not important, leave it out.