Anita Vivio

April 2014

Philosophy of Assessment

Assessment, one of the new buzzwords of the 21
st
century, is being
reevaluated. Nurturing teachers are determined to make assessments (from
research based utilities) effective. They understand how this process can
emotionally distract the student who has not fared well. These educators use it
accordingly; they judge the process of active learning, while preserving the
emotional stability of the students.
The purpose of assessment is to judge learning. However, at times it is used
to determine how well a student can memorize facts and figures, to pass that final
exam. Educators proudly support that rote recall with an A, and both parties are
happy. So what is it teachers need to focus on? Do they focus assessment on the
actual learning, or do they simply grade what students spew back to them?
Assessment is the evaluation of student academic behavior, academic ability, and
progress. It can measure student aptitude, skill set, and curriculum effectiveness;
and judging only those factors is the true basis of assessment.
Paul Wright and others (Marzano, p.1) made an important observation, the
most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher. Effective teachers
regardless of the diversity of the classroom can improve student learning. Kati
Haycock (Marzano, p. 2) states highly effective teachers produce achievement gains
of 52 percent. So what do teachers need to do, to improve learning? Feedback.
Feedback is a powerful strategy. The immeasurable part of this strategy is the
confidence, positive feedback provides. Feedback is noted as being one of the most
important student-motivating factors, and if it is received quickly, it can verify the
learning activities the student is presently involved in. The student feels emotionally
supported by the teacher, when feedback is received in a timely manner.
Marzano suggests, the use of strategies such as: well-designed practice
activities, comparison activities, using graphs, pictures, and maps (Marzano p. 2).
These activities can be used everyday in the classroom during any active learning
activity. These strategies are used to visually support, and mentally organize, the
learning objective. A professor once told me, In order for a student to know a
subject, they have to own it! In order to own it, you must see it, understand it, use
it, and put it in your own words.
Twenty-first century style of learning is all about, owning your work. The
Family & Consumer Sciences classroom is the perfect place to use this learning style.
Students will have the opportunity to work cooperatively with their peers. They
must develop presentations, plan, implement, and assign specific details of projects
to each member of the group. They must, as a team, submit organized presentations.
While engaging in this process, students learn the value of shared responsibility,
critical thinking, communication, problem solving, teamwork, and cooperation.
These cooperative, hands-on learning assignments have a far greater value to the
student, than the grade earned. If needed, the student has the opportunity to also
focus their attention and connect to the material they did not quite understand, and
experience total learning, filling in all learning gaps.
Another 21
st
century style is project-based learning. The student has to
develop his own work in accordance with the specified criteria. They must research,
write, and learn all the details the project has assigned. Due diligence, prioritizing,
time management, and creativity are learned. Technology skills can also play an
important part of the classroom setting. I personally understand how difficult
adding technology to a project is. Not all students are digital natives, and many may
have technology anxiety. However, with the technical support of their peers, and the
hands experience of developing web pages and power points, can make these teens
marketable and employable in years to come.
Once the student spends the amount of time required producing the project,
they will discover that true learning that has taken place. Teachers can assess these
21
st
century learning ideas through the use of a rubric.
The rubric, when used in the classroom, can identify the most important
details of the project and measure each level of performance. This type of rubric is
the analytical rubric. It grades the student on each category that is specified. The
analytical rubric will show if the student is realizing learning in all criteria. Points
are earned according to the mastery of that learning. The analytical rubric is my
choice of assessment for project-based learning. For an overall measurement of
performance, the holistic rubric is used. There is still specific criteria assigned, but
the student is graded, and points are received, on the overall quality of the
submission.
Data notebooking can be used to help the student achieve better assessment
scores. With data note booking the student has all of their test scores charted. They
can track their academic progress and visually see how they are progressing
through classroom instruction, and can pinpoint any difficulties that are being
experienced. This type of note booking can allow the student to take an active role in
prioritizing their personal academic goals.
The general point system used in assessment is under scrutiny. Every teacher
uses it, and most teachers use it to promote false/padded-learning scores. The
Hanover Research report (2011) views the point grading system as a valid system,
but should not use non-academic factors such as, attendance, behavior, homework
grades, and grading on a curve or allowing extra credit.
Standard-based grading is based on student academic achievement and
proficiency. Hanover Research (2011 p.7) states, Common points-based system
awards different assignments a score on a scale of 0-100. These grades are then
averaged at the end of a grading period, and ranked from A to F. These achievement
scores can be comprised of the summative grades of quizzes, essay exams and
projects. Hanover (2011 p. 7) goes further to explain, When teachers assign grades,
especially final grades, they are communicating a number of messages to students
with a single mark. What do these messages say, and how can we make a direct
connection between student academic achievement and that grade?
In order to send the true message when assigning those final grades, the
educator must take into account all academic strides the student has made. Many
students, who live in the lower rungs of the economic ladder, have to overcome
many obstacles in order to be educated. They must, regardless of what that grade is,
be praised and supported, for their academic achievement. Many of these students
will surpass their education expectations, and many will not make that perfect
mark. However, the teacher has the responsibility to make the student feel they
have achieved the best possible score they are academically capable of. For many
students, receiving a C in a class is way beyond what they could ever hope for. It is
our duty to make that C feel like an A, for those students.
Assessing academic strides. A phrase we will hear from kindergarten to
graduation, must have a strong basis and foundation. Response to Intervention
Instruction (RTII) is one program that assesses, reevaluates, modifies instruction
and then reassesses academic progress. This continuing process of academic
assessment from elementary to high school has been proven effective. It is worth
the efforts, to see the academic progress of a child, charted, compared and deemed
successful.
Academic testing can be adapted to assist the RTII and IEP student.
Assessments whether they are quizzes or final exams, can be rewritten to make the
language easier to understand, and spaced to make it easier to read. They can be
adapted to allow the student to stand or write on a white board in order to make the
student more comfortable if they are experiencing anxiety. Testing can be modified
and read to the student, and then allow them to respond verbally.
If school districts could agree on, and make it a standard practice that all
teachers follow, to assess only student academic progress and weight grades
accurately, we could have a standard way of comparing student progress and
readiness scores; not only teacher to teacher, but school district to school district.
The practice of comparing these district readiness marks could supply the
investigator with invaluable information concerning the effectiveness of curriculum,
students progress scores, and state supported summative test scores. All of this
information is available to be studied, but we should be careful how we use this
information. Without knowing how other district teachers assess their students,
(rather true or padded academic scores) these scores can be misconstrued. The
state proctored summative exams can give insight as to how well students from
different districts measure up to each other. These exams, and marks reported from
those exams, are from a controlled environment, and can be trusted.
Assessing student 21
st
century skills must be based on true scores. It should
always represent a variety of diverse testing, which will reflect the overall academic
progress of the student. It must connect to the economically disadvantaged, and
support their learning situation. Assessment and the standard-based point system
can truly be an effective way to measure progress, but it must be accompanied with
analytical rubrics, and avoid teacher pitfalls. The teacher has the power to reflect
whatever criteria they wish; they can manipulate the numbers and produce pumped
up scores in order to secure their futures. But, in the end, it is the student that must
be prepared to prove their knowledge and academic skill. It is our job as teachers, to
send them out into the world prepared, and knowledgeable.







References:
Hanover Research (2011) Effective grading practices in the middle school and high
school environments. Retrieved April 14, 2014 from
http://.hanoverreasearch.com/evaluation/index.php
Marzano, J. R., (2005) Classroom assessment & grading that work. ASCD Publishing,
Alexandria, VA, 22311.