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On
this webpage you will find a description of assessment. You will also find some research about
assessment and how it is used in today's classroom. There is an assessment tools
link. If you click on this link it will take you to a list of different
assessment tools you can use with readers, especially struggling readers. This
list will include assessments for motivation, decoding, comprehension, and fluency. I have
also included a link to a list of websites that I find to be very informative
and helpful for teachers who need some information on assessment. The
recommended teacher resources link lists the different books and articles that I
used to develop this website. I highly recommended reading any of these
sources in full! I hope you
find everything that you are looking for!
Assessment
can be used at various times throughout a lesson and can improve instruction in
several ways. "Diagnostic assessment helps the teacher and the students
determine what the students know and are able to do. Formative assessment
provides information throughout the teaching and learning process and guides
instructional decisions, time allocation, and selection of learning tools and
resources. Summative assessment provides a measure of progress at a point in
time, providing information accountability for students and teachers. Assessment
results help parents monitor their children's progress. Results also provide
help and encouragement for students and families and help families make a
positive connection with the classroom teacher. Assessment provides a means to
share results." (Carr and Harris, 2001, 64-66) One
perspective on assessment is that assessment is a part
of a circular pattern. According to Popham, assessment has an ideal role within
the instructional process. Assessment's role lies in between content and
inferences. "Content is the combination of knowledge and skills and
sometimes the affective outcomes that are the object of a teacher's instruction.
The assessment samples the larger body of content. Based on students' response
to assessment, the teacher infers the degree to which the student has mastered
that larger body of content. Finally, relying on such inferences, the teacher
decides how best to teach the students." (Popham, 2001, 28-29)
Assessment is a common topic with past and current research articles.
There are research articles that discuss the limitations or advantages
for certain styles of assessment. Here
are a few key points that I found interesting from just a few of the many
research articles on assessment.
Research has shown that standardized testing cannot be the only source of
assessment for students. This is
even truer for struggling readers because any problems that other students have
with standardized tests are magnified for low-level readers in three different
ways. First, test results may not
provide valid information for students reading significantly below their grade
placement, because those students who read substantially below level often cannot
read the material on the test. Second,
because standardized tests are administered only once or twice a year, they
cannot provide documentation of significant changes, small and large, that occur
throughout a school year. Finally,
although standardized tests and state testing programs are improving, and will
continue to provide some useful general information for outside audiences, the
most productive and useful way to assess is to "situate" assessment in the classroom, closest to the child and to
instruction. (Valencia, S., 1997)
Ninety percent of all assessment takes place in the classroom
where teachers are not limited by the constraints of standardized tests.
(Valencia, S., 1997)
There
are many ways to assess students in the classroom, such as use of portfolios,
journals, conferences, and the use of computer software.
Using computer software can be a great way to assess students in the
classroom. However, researchers
warn teachers about being particular on what software to use in the classroom.
The following are some tips for selecting reading assessment software:
make sure the software has assessment capabilities that measure a
student's current level, make sure it has the ability to plot each student's
progress, make sure it has the ability to show a final assessment detailing results, and review
tutorial content to determine whether it will hold students' interest.
It is important that the reading
assessment
software can provide continuous assessment, accurate documentation and
interesting tutorials to keep students motivated. (Sibenaller, K.
2001)
Portfolios are an example of authentic assessment.
Authentic classroom assessment includes multiple measures of student
learning, all of which are aimed at providing information that is useful for
planning instruction. These
assessments provide students with authentic texts of appropriate difficulty and
a variety of types of support to meet their needs. Because teachers are focused
on what they are teaching and what they want to assess, the assessments are
associated with instruction and with individual students' needs. The assessment
fits the child rather than trying to make the child fit the assessment. As a
result, authentic classroom reading assessment is more likely to assess the
growth, no matter how large or small, that characterizes real learning.
(Valencia, S., 1997)
No matter which types of assessment
you choose to use for your classroom the teacher needs to keep a few things in
mind. There probably are some
errors involved with any type of assessment you use. It is important for the teacher to be aware of errors that
might occur and how the reliability of assessment is
determined. Assessment should
also be used to plan for instruction in the classroom.
When assessment is integrated with instruction, it lets teachers know
what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is
most appropriate, and how summative assessments provide diagnostic information.
Finally, assessment should be fair and ethical.
The following three areas are important to consider for a fair
assessment: student knowledge of learning goals and the format of the
assessments prior to instruction, student prerequisite knowledge and skills
(including test-taking skills), and avoiding stereotypes.
(McMillan, J., 2000)
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What
can you find on this webpage?
What
is assessment? 