Validating Assessments
Week 5 Discussion 1
"Assessment is not about you as a teacher; it is about your students." -Lopez
To be honest, I've always received mixed messages regarding assessment results. Even though I know the real purpose for assessments is to find out how I can better help my students succeed, my district makes the results a type of competition between schools/ teachers.
I was really encouraged to read how Mr. Lopez was able to get his school to choose the assessments that they felt gave valuable data and eliminate assessments that did not. Moving to a new grade level I've been faced with new assessments. How to properly use those results is essential in helping my students succeed.
I also liked the approach that Mr. Lopez used with his student. He was able to put him at ease and know what the results were going to be used for. I've noticed with my little 2nd graders that if i explain to them the purpose of the assessment, exam, assignment, or project they feel more at ease and aren't as nervous.
Defending Our Assessment Practices
1. Why are you participating in the assessments that you use with students?
2. Can you share in explicit detail the value that you find in each assessment?
3. Do you participate in assessments that you find no value in for students?
4. Are you using an assessment you have no idea how to deliver, but are afraid to ask for help with?
The most important reason why I administer assessments to my students is that they are mandated by my district. But, as a teacher I administer the assessments to see where my students are and how I can help them be successful.
Currently there are multiple assessments that I must administer for the primary grades, and I am finding more uses for instruction and intervention. Through a new computerized assessment I am able to find the exact area that each student is weak in. This way I can set up my intervention groups and plan lessons accordingly.
Unfortunately, there are some tests that are outdated but yet we are still administering. My school site's rational is that they will serve as a back up to the current updated assessment.
Since I've moved down to the primary grades there are multiple assessments that I need to administer. Honestly, there are some assessments that I have forgot how to administer because I spend so much time in the upper grades. I was able to consult with a veteran primary teacher to bush up on the assessment and how to report and use the results to group the students into their ability groups.
In what ways have you succeeded/ failed to make students your partner in assessment.
Succeeded making students partners in assessment
* Explain why the students must take this assessment
* Explain the results, what they mean
* Explain how the results will tell them what areas they need to work on.
Failures in making students partners in assessment
* Give assessments without analyzing data for instruction
* Give assessments with out knowing how to use results