Types of Assessment           By: Kate Boardman

1. Diagnostic

1.1. Definition: Pre-assessment to see what a student already knows before a learning program has started

1.2. Advantages: Provides teachers with a baseline and ability to differentiate accordingly

1.3. Disadvantages: Could mislead teachers with inaccurate information. Primarily used for math and reading subjects.

1.4. Purpose: To provide teachers with a baseline to see where students are and what their misconceptions are and can give students an idea of upcoming learning

1.5. Assement for Learning: Provides teachers with a baseline about students prior knowledge, misconceptions and readiness.

1.6. Example: A pre-unit test for math

2. Formative

2.1. Definition: Assessment that happens during instructional learning time

2.2. Purpose: Can be a checkpoint along the way to check for student understanding as you go.

2.3. Advantages: There are many ways to formatively assess students; students are tested in real time; more affective than summative and provides instant feedback

2.4. Disadvantages: Difficult to provide grades; students might not take it seriously, it can be very time consuming

2.5. Assessment for learning: Teachers are provided with instant feedback with how the students are doing and the students also know what they are doing things correctly or not

2.6. Example: You could have your students write their answers on individual whiteboards and get them to all hold them up at once to get a visual of their understanding.

3. Summative

3.1. Definition: A formal evaluation of students understanding usually at the end of an instructional unit

3.2. Purpose: To see how well students did on the unit and standards

3.3. Advantages: Formal tool used to generate grades to measure student learning; can motivate students;  help teachers with their educational path and teaching strategies;

3.4. Disadvantages: Can cause teachers to teach to the test, can be stressful for students and not all students test well

3.5. Assessment of Learning: Used to grade students learning related to a specific unit

3.6. Example: Unit test

4. Peer Assessment

4.1. Students grade and provide feedback on each other's work

4.2. Purpose: To save time and help reinforce what was learned

4.3. Advantages: Can save teachers time and help students understanding by reinforcing content; encourages team building and collaboration

4.4. Disadvantages: Students might not feel comfortable with their peers looking at their work; feedback might not be accurate

4.5. Assessment for/of Learning: Students monitor their own learning

4.6. Example: Provide students with a rubric and have them assess their peers after giving a presentation of their projects

5. Self Assessment

5.1. Definition: Students evaluate their own work

5.2. Purpose: To provide motivation and self evaluation

5.3. Advantages: Students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses and evaluate their personal growth and develop self evaluation skills

5.4. Disadvantages: Can result in students awarding themselves higher grades than deserved

5.5. Assessment of/for learning: Affects future learning by self monitoring work

5.6. Example: Students are given a rubric and evaluate their own projects, art work, writing, etc.

6. Authentic

6.1. Definition: Students answer real world problems

6.2. Purpose: To see students application of skills and knowledge with real-world examples and tasks

6.3. Advantages: Promotes critical thinking, creativity, team building skills

6.4. Disadvantages: Can be time consuming and difficult to provide consistent grades

6.5. Assessment of Learning: Can see if skills are actually applicable in real world situations

6.6. Example: Students could come up with examples of how to raise money to help endangered animals after learning about them

7. Portfolio

7.1. Definition: A collection of students work over time

7.2. Purpose: To see students work and growth over time

7.3. Advantages: Allows students to be creative; shows samples of their work; grading can be flexible; shows growth and development over time; can reflect various learning styles

7.4. Disadvantages: Can be difficult to grade and manage

7.5. Assessment of Learning: Provides additional perspectives on student learning in addition to summative assessments

7.6. Example: Students can submit a compilation of writing samples over time in a journal

8. Performance Based

8.1. Definition: Students demonstrate the skills and information they learn in class

8.2. Purpose: Can measure students understanding and application of skills related to topic and real scenarios

8.3. Advantages: Students can be active; strong emphasis on practical skills

8.4. Disadvantages: Can be time consuming; difficult to determine grades with various interpretations

8.5. Assessment of/for Learning: Students can showcase what they have learned, but also have the opportunity for feedback and self assessment to learn from

8.6. Example: Have students act out a story to show their understanding of what happens

9. High Stakes

9.1. Definition: Test has personal and direct benefits for the students based on the results

9.2. Purpose: To help make important decisions about the students, school and state as a whole for collecting data and statistics

9.3. Advantages: Students, teachers, schools and states can use this information to guide learning

9.4. Disadvantage: Can be very stressful for students and teachers who might end up teaching to the test; not all students test well; can provide inaccurate information based on various learning styles and strengths

9.5. Assessment of Learning: Evaluates students knowledge and skills and whether they are ready to move to the next level

9.6. Example: State wide reading test to see if the child can move onto the next grade