1. Diagnostic Assessment
1.1. Definition
1.1.1. Pre-assessments that are used to gauge student understanding
1.2. Advantages
1.2.1. Lesson plans can be adjusted based on the level of student understanding, time can be spent most efficiently, focus in on student understanding
1.3. Disadvantages
1.3.1. A poor diagnostic test can lead your lesson in the wrong direction (If it is too simple or complex, if student cheat on it, if it is poorly written)
1.4. Example
1.4.1. Before beginning a lesson on Monday covering Ancient Civilizations, my exit ticket on Friday covers the main topics of the unit, and I can alter my lessons and the seating arrangements to best suit my students based on their responses. In my observations, I have seen a pre-test sent home as homework.
2. Formative Assessment
2.1. Definition
2.1.1. Various methods to check for student understanding throughout a lesson
2.2. Advantages
2.2.1. You can know where to focus, what students need more help with, what to clarify, and can find out how much students are understanding before moving on. Teaching methods can be adjusted accordingly
2.3. Disadvantages
2.3.1. Some techniques may misrepresent understanding, such as Popsicle sticks if you randomly call on a few that are not truly representative of the whole, or thumbs up/down if students are not honest
2.4. Example
2.4.1. After describing how to find the volume of a box, you ask students to calculate and write the answer to a sample problem on their whiteboards to check for understanding before moving on. In my observations, I have seen a deck of cards used to randomly call on students as a form of formative assessment
3. Performance-Based Assessment
3.1. Definition
3.1.1. An alternative way to assess student knowledge that analyzes both the final product, and the process that was involved in creating that final product
3.2. Advantages
3.2.1. Students are more engaged, room for creativity, interactive, better assesses the whole student
3.3. Disadvantages
3.3.1. More time consuming, difficulties when grading as much of the process may be up to interpretation
3.4. Example
3.4.1. In my observations, I have seen students write a story that includes specified grammatical structures and a set number of their weekly vocabulary words. Their stories were then assessed for each required component.
4. Portfolio Assessment
4.1. Definition
4.1.1. Keep samples of student work in a portfolio to track student learning and progress over time
4.2. Advantages
4.2.1. Gives an accurate view of student progression. You aren't comparing the student to others, but to themselves. You can get a good picture of how far they have come by comparing the pieces of work over time
4.3. Disadvantages
4.3.1. Doesn't provide immediate feedback, need to wait for work to collect in the portfolio before making valid comparisons on progress
4.4. Example
4.4.1. Students turn in a book report every Monday based on their reading assignments for the week. The reports are kept in a portfolio, and at the end of the quarter, the reports are compared to assess writing style and depth and level of understanding of the text. I haven't observed this, but did have past teachers keep portfolios of written assignments.
5. Authentic Assessment
5.1. Definition
5.1.1. Applying knowledge and skills in real world situations
5.2. Advantages
5.2.1. Makes the lessons more relevant to the students, easier to relate to and remember, more engaged
5.3. Disadvantages
5.3.1. Can be time consuming and more difficult to grade
5.4. Example
5.4.1. After discussing similes and metaphors, students will not only pick them out in a sample narrative, but they will discuss why they were used, applying and making sense of their learning to come to a deeper understanding. In my observation of a math lesson, students needed to apply the formula to a real-life situation, determining how far they could drive based on gas prices and mileage.
6. Peer-Assessment
6.1. Definition
6.1.1. A student's work is assessed by one or more other students
6.2. Advantages
6.2.1. Students are often more comfortable approaching peers, honest feedback, gives students a chance to improve upon their work before being assessed by the teacher
6.3. Disadvantages
6.3.1. May not be accurate, may not be helpful if the peer that is assessing does not have a firm grasp of the subject, or if a student at a much lower level of achievement in that particular area
6.4. Example
6.4.1. Using a rubric, I observed student read over a peer's paper and assess where they would fall on the scale currently, and give recommendations for improvement
7. Summative Assessment
7.1. Definition
7.1.1. An assessment of how much students learned at the end of a unit
7.2. Advantages
7.2.1. Assess what students took away from a unit, motivate students to pay attention and study the unit material
7.3. Disadvantages
7.3.1. It is often relied on more than formative assessments. It doesn't always accurately measure what students really know
7.4. Example
7.4.1. After finishing a unit on Geometry, students will take an exam that has a variety of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and free response questions that cover all major Geometry concepts that were covered. I observed students take a multi-page exam after a math unit.
8. High-Stakes Assessment
8.1. Definition
8.1.1. An assessment that students know carries serious consequences or determines important decisions
8.2. Advantages
8.2.1. Taken seriously, students pay attention and study, and the results can provide helpful information
8.3. Disadvantages
8.3.1. May not accurately test student abilities, especially for ELL and learning disabled students
8.4. Example
8.4.1. A final is given that covers important topics from throughout the year. I observed students take a multi-page exam covering a math unit.
9. Self-Assessment
9.1. Definition
9.1.1. A student evaluates their own work based on the assignment objectives, rubric, and/or level of understanding
9.2. Advantages
9.2.1. Allows a student to reflect, create a plan for improvement, and a chance to implement changes, and apply learning to future assignments
9.3. Disadvantages
9.3.1. Students may not realize where their gaps in understanding are, or may not assess themselves accurately
9.4. Example
9.4.1. After presenting country reports to the class, students assess both their report and their presentation, and write how they feel they did, and what they could work to improve. In my observations, the teacher walked around during an activity and asked students to describe what they did and didn't understand to assess their own learning.
10. Norm-Referenced Assessment
10.1. Definition
10.1.1. Assessments with goals based on average student performance
10.2. Advantages
10.2.1. Can provide insight on how well students are learning what they need to know when compared to other similar students, teachers can adjust their methods and redirect their time if achievement is low in a particular area
10.3. Disadvantages
10.3.1. The test may not accurately test student abilities (ELL students may know the material but be unable to interpret the text within the time limit)
10.4. Example
10.4.1. STAR testing results can compare 6th grade students in a particular class to students 6th grade students from the entire state. I haven't observed this assessment type yet, but I can imagine that the teacher can gather helpful information when the results come in.