Culminating Views on Assessment

Everything Assessments, Lesson Objectives, Best Type of Assessment, Effort Grades, Student Self-Assessment, Student Growth Portfolios, Use of Figures, and More!

(senya.app, 2024)

Assessments are imperative to a successful educational experience. When creating and implementing assessments educators must consider the objectives and the selection of the assessment. An educator may chose from utilizing student assessment, student growth portfolios, figures, standardized tests, behavior evaluations, parent-teacher conferences, assessments to improve instruction, and any combination of assessments to support best practices.

Assessments & Objectives

Within the world of education, assessment is a systematic collection of data utilized to infer students’ learning development. The purpose of collecting data utilizing several methods of assessment is to support developmental progress. This can be accomplished by using lesson objectives, standards aligned assessments, open-ended assessments, selected-response assessments, performance based assessments, behavioral assessments, parent-teacher conferences, effort grades, student self-assessments, checklists, portfolios, figures, and specific types of assessment. (Westminster.edu, 2024).

Best Type of Assessments

The best type of assessment really depends on several factors such as:

• relationship of teacher and student

• students' specific needs (IEP, 504 plan, learning style)

• purpose of the assessment (formative: to shape future lessons, summative: as an end result)

• what subject is being taught

• each style serves a specific need and has value

• Open-ended: collecting thoughts

• Selected Response: collecting content memorization

• Performance: actively display learning

Effort Grades

Effort grades are similar to participation grades. These are an important assessment to consider depending on the subject being taught. Effort and participation should be a focus within physical education, visual arts, and music classes as talent plays a part in how successful a student can be within those subjects.

Student Self-Assessment

• aids in sense of empowerment

• creates ownership

• engagement with the process

• peer-to peer assessments

• teachers can provide student reflection activities

  (American College of Education, 2022).

Student Growth Portfolios

Student growth portfolios are extremely beneficial for concrete and visual learners as they have physical proof of their improvement.

(theartofeducation.edu, 2020).

Figures

Figures such as tables and graphs assist in the understanding of content for learners who may be visual learners or for all learners to see the content in a new manner to enhance their experience with the content. When it comes to assessments, figures may be a visual representation of the criteria for success for each assignment like the one below from The Art of Education University (2017).

Viewpoints

As a visual arts educator for elementary school children who is also a co-leader of the PBS committee which analyzes and supports students in behaving appropriately at school, assessments are a critical tool all educators must use. Standardized tests capture the understanding of a school of similar content to compare the success of that school to others within the state to hold the school accountable. While these assessments serve an important function on the district and state level, they may not be the best for supporting learning. Behavior assessments are critical to ensure the school population is acting accordingly and upholding the expectations of the school within their mission and vision statement. Parent teacher conferences offer the ability to cultivate and nurture relationships between the community and the educators. Involving students with their parent teacher conferences may be beneficial depending on their age, maturity level, and specific needs. When educators utilize multiple strategies of assessment to positively affect students' learning, the entire school wins.

References

American College of Education. (2022). CI6123 Assessment Strategies. Module 10: Involving students in the assessment process. [Part 1: The active role of students in a balanced assessment system]. Canvas. https://ace.instructure.com/courses/2017443/external_tools/118428

Senya.app. (2024). Subbing during state standardized testing

https://www.senya.app/resources/subbing-state-testing  

Theartofeducation.edu. (2017). Five types of rubrics to use in your art classes.

https://theartofeducation.edu/2017/03/5-types-rubrics-use-art-classes/

Theartofeducation.edu. (2020). Celebrate learning with a growth portfolio.

https://theartofeducation.edu/2020/11/celebrate-learning-with-a-growth-portfolio/

Westminster.edu. (2024). Accreditation & Assessment: What is Assessment?

https://www.westminster.edu/about/accreditationassessment/definition.cfm#:~:text=Assessment%20is%20the%20systematic%20basis,increase%20students'%20learning%20and%20development.