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ORIGINAL POST On Principles of Assessment

Created by Amanda Marie Durdan on Mar 21, 2014 5:38 PM

Implementing the Fundamental Principles of Assessment in the Junior Classroom Practices and Procedures that are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students.

This principle can be implemented in the junior classroom by telling the students which of the overall and specific expectations an assignment will cover. The expectations can be written into the assignment handout, and can be posted online with assignment instructions. The expectations can even be used in the language of the rubric provided to students at the start of the activity. Parents and students can see the direct link to the curriculum and it will help them to better understand where a childs final grade comes from.

Practices and Procedures that provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement.

This principle can be implemented in the junior classroom by providing students with opportunities to have their work looked over by the teacher for feedback throughout different stages of the activity. This could mean that teachers have due dates for different stages of the assignment (outline, rough, final). Teachers can also provide students with opportunities to peer evaluate each others work to provide feedback.

Practices and Procedures that develop students self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

Self- assessment skills should be explicitly taught and demonstrated at the start of the year. They can begin with simple tools and evolve into more sophisticated self- reflections and metacognitive activities. I do goal setting a few times a year in my classroom. Before each goal setting activity the class has an open discussion about why setting goals is important and how goal setting can affect your life. Implementing these activities makes students more accountable for their learning and provides them with important skill sets for their futures.
March 21 at 10:52 PM

Amanda, You have identified some practical ways of implementing these principles into a teacher's daily practice. I like how you have put self-assessment at the forefront of your teaching and teaching year as you suggest to explicitly teach self-assessment at the beginning of the year. Incorporating

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goal setting on a continual basis and the importance of these helps to instill in students the value of setting goals, as well as leads to holding students accountable for their success. Rodger
March 26 at 9:10 PM

Hi Amanda, I have enjoyed your post and I agree with your overall theme of communication and transparency. I particularly like your point about staggering due dates for descriptive feedback. Not only will this allow students to recieve the feedback they need while it is still relevant and they are able to improve their work before final submission, but staggered due dates and peer evaluation will also help the students stay on track with their work and assist in time management. From personal experience, I find that having checkpoints for assignments helps keep me organized and ensures that I do not end up rushing at the last minute to get it all done! Staggered due dates are also a benefit for the teacher as well since we are able to catch anything that needs our attention in student work before a final product is turned in for evaluation. Thank you for sharing. Gurpreet

March 28 at 9:43 AM

Hi Amanda, I think you did a great job here highlighting the importance of formative and self assessment. Your focus on teaching not only curriculum content but also the ability for students to review teacher feedback and assess their own work is crucial. As educators I think it is important we realize that we are not just teaching students content but also HOW to learn, your plan to keep students tracking their own success and evaluating themselves is a great way to have them take ownership of their own education and supports meaningful learning in the classroom. Diana

March 28 at 1:16 PM

Hi everyone, Thanks for your comments. Self assessment and goal setting to me are important skill sets of successful people, and teaching them early helps to create good habits. Gurpreet, it is true that staggered due dates are helpful for the teacher as well, Universal Design I suppose! Amanda

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March 28 at 10:48 PM

Hi Amanda, You write in the second principle: "This could mean that teachers have due dates for different stages of the assignment (outline, rough, final)" and this is the scaffolding that we assist students with in these years, and while we slowly release the reins on student into their senior years they don't always act independently in their time and project management. I haven't attempted this idea with junior students, but with my G10 students a scheduled 5 minute conference at different stages of a culuminating task can work wonders to have students reflect on their process and progress. Thanks for sharing, Andrew

March 29 at 10:04 PM

Hi Andrew, That's a great idea. I think that they really appreciate the one-on-one time, and that it can be motivating for those students who really need a push in the right directions. Thanks, Amanda