Observing and Measuring Growth
Teachers rely on assessments in order to gauge and understand student progress throughout the unit, class, and school year. Teachers utilize differing methods of assessment, both formative and summative, to monitor student growth. These assessments should guide and encourage student progress, as well as guiding teacher decisions regarding lesson planning and direction of the curriculum. By matching assessments with learning objectives, teachers should be able to adjust planning and instruction to reach students in meaningful and engaging learning experiences.
When beginning a two-week unit during student teaching, I implemented a pre-unit assessment to gauge student understanding of the upcoming material. I created this assessment on PowerTest and incorporated key aspects from the SOL guidelines for the unit. The implementation of a pre-test or preliminary assessment can identify students’ strengths and weaknesses and help teachers to meet demands or gaps in knowledge without repeating previous material. In other words, by assessing what students might already know, I was able to focus on areas where they needed greater instruction. At the end of the unit, I administered the same pre-test as the unit test and observed tangible growth.
In my experiences, I have tried to incorporate colleagues and students to collaboratively create assessments that effectively apply and equate student knowledge. As a student teacher, I found the expertise and experience of veteran teachers indispensable. As I developed formative assessments throughout my lessons, I frequently inquired with my supervising teacher and adopted ideas based upon this feedback. Additionally, I relied on the input of a SPED specialist, as I crafted assessments to incorporate the needs of special-needs students. Another effective technique in creating assessments is working with students and asking for their input. I tried to collaborate with students by asking for ideas and suggestions when grading and shaping formative assessments throughout the unit. I utilized student input when creating a rubric for a project for a 6th-grade Introduction to Foreign Language class.
In my planning and execution, I assure that students are prepared for assessments by utilizing differing types, thereby allowing all learners to achieve success. When planning my two-week unit, I tried to incorporate a wide variety of assessments to meet and assess student strengths. Many of these assessments are formative, from simple checks for understanding to projects. By implementing a variety of assessments, I am incorporating a better understanding of student ability across multiple intelligences. To engage students, I rely on project-based assessments involving a variety of tasks and skills. For a 12th-grade AP Government project, students created video reenactments of landmark Supreme Court cases and posted them to YouTube.
For more detailed information on my ideas regarding assessment, please see my essay on Virginia Professional Practice Standard (PPS) #4: Assessment of and for Learning.