Assessment Philosophy

Louis King

An effective teacher is able to use assessment practices to actively make connections
between student interests and the curricular outcomes. It is important for a teacher to find the
balance between what content to teach and which teaching method is the most appropriate to
do so. Formal and informal assessments of a students classroom ability form that balance.
Every student has a preferred learning style that helps him or her grasp the ideas presented
throughout an entire course. A systematic, frequent, and varied approach is required to
accurately measure each students ability to comfortably apply their understanding of key
concepts. A teacher must tailor every assessment to be a positive and fair experience for all
students. Simultaneously, the assessment should lead to a memorable learning experience that
encourages students to be creative, to collaborate, and most importantly express their unique
ideas.

Pre-assessment tools are used to gauge students knowledge upon beginning a new
unit. The current academic reality of the students will directly influence how lessons will be
modified to create a memorable learning experience. The main purpose of pre-assessment is to
get students excited about what they will be learning based on what they already know. In my
opinion pre-assessments should be done in the form of whole class activities that allow
students to share their knowledge with their peers. These assessments are formative in nature,
and are not meant to evaluate students on any newly acquired knowledge and as a result any
form of pre-assessment should not be incorporated in the students final grade.

Formative assessments should be done to further student understanding based on the
information gathered from pre-assessment activities. Written and oral feedback should be
given to provide students with the opportunity to re-evaluate their work. Formative
assessments should be frequent and informative in nature. Student misconceptions should be
corrected as early as possible when learning new material while frequent feedback is given to
address students individual needs. Formative assessment provides learning opportunities for
the teacher as well as the student. Material is too often presented in ways that are beneficial to
only a small portion of the class. The formative assessment process provides the teacher with
more opportunities to scaffold student learning. When formatively assessing students its
helpful to keep in mind that the students are still learning how to apply important concepts.
Any grading of student work should be done once students are comfortable enough to show
what they know.

Students should only be evaluated once theyve been informed of where their weak
areas (if any) lie and have been provided with the opportunity to re-assess their current
understanding of material. Summative assessments that reflect students academic
development within the instructional module should be used following intensive study of an
intended unit. Summative assessment should be done in a manner that best allows students to
show their understanding and covers multiple levels of Blooms Taxonomy. This ensures that
students are not only working within their comfort zone, but it evaluates their ability to connect
content to their own set of learning styles. Students should not be restricted to one method of
expressing their knowledge. Student choice plays a major role in fair assessment practices that
directly influence a students grade.

Providing choice on assignments, tests, and class activities allows students to take
control of their own assessments and become more autonomous learners. Students are not
necessarily prepared to be assessed on all of the material theyre expected to know. Offering
students choices on how theyre assessed increases student engagement and increases the
chance of them finding something they are passionate about. Students might not be able to
relate to every question on an assignment or test and are thusly at a disadvantage. Providing
students with a question bank where they select a few questions they feel comfortable with
allows them to answer problems that they want to solve and reduces the anxiety of answering
questions they cannot relate to. Students that are unable to choose questions/tasks they feel
they can comfortably answer/perform should be provided with chance to show that they are
capable of understanding the material in a manner agreed upon by the teacher and the
student.

Students should be provided with the choice to re-take every test and assignment they
write. Having the chance to re-write assignments and tests allows students to learn from where
their misconceptions lie and have their ideas more accurately assessed. In order to re-take a
test or assignment students must however show evidence of attempted improvement. This can
be accomplished by having mandatory extra help sessions for all students wishing to re-write
the assessment. This not only deters students from relying on re-writing tests and assignments
but it also provides students with the opportunity to master the essential learnings. Students
should always be provided with the opportunity to show their understanding even if they take
longer than their peers.

Assessment should be done in a systematic manner. Continual assessment of students
allows for the teacher to properly monitor the learning process and communicate their
expectations. Each year ones assessment practices should be updated in order to provide
students with the best learning opportunities possible. Ensuring that students are up to date on
how theyre being assessed is vital to their success in the classroom. Students that take an
active role in their school work are more likely to succeed and retain information throughout
their academic career. As classes change so do the needs of the students. Taking the same
approach to assessment from year to year assumes that all students learn in the same manner.
Updating assessment practices based on firsthand experience allows for continual growth as an
assessor and an educator.