1. Components of All Types of Assessment
1.1. Identifies what students know, understand, can do, and feel
1.2. Provide useful, specific feedback to students
1.3. Can be quantitative or qualitative
1.4. Can be formal or informal
1.5. Require clear examplars and/or rubrics
1.6. Include self-assessments and teacher-assessments
1.7. Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and share it with others
1.8. Should reflect a variety of learning styles and approaches
1.9. Should be authentic and reflect real-life experiences
1.10. Employ a variety of strategies and tools
1.11. Formal assessments should be made standard across grade level teams, and sometimes, grade-to-grade (such as the use of the DRA) so data can be analyzed horizontally and vertically
1.12. Data should be independently and collaboratively reviewed by teachers and school administrators
1.13. Should help parents understand their child's learning and development
2. Pre-Assessment
2.1. Before a unit
2.2. Purpose: find what students already know
2.3. Informs the written and taught curriculum
2.4. Key questions:
2.4.1. What do we already know?
2.4.2. What do we want to learn?
2.4.3. What learning activities will help us reach our goals?
2.4.4. What teaching methods will be most effective with this group of learners?
3. Formative Assessment
3.1. During a unit
3.2. Purpose: inform instruction
3.3. Informs the taught curriculum
3.4. Key questions:
3.4.1. What have we learned so far?
3.4.2. How is our inquiry developing?
3.4.3. What skills have we developed?
3.4.4. Have the learning activities we've done so far been effective in helping us make progress towards our goals?
3.4.5. How should our upcoming learning activities be modified or extended?
4. Summative Assessment
4.1. After a unit; culminating experience
4.2. Purpose: measure what students learned
4.3. Determines which concepts need to be revisited later in the year
4.4. Informs the written and taught curriculum for the following year
4.5. Key questions:
4.5.1. What did we learn in this unit?
4.5.2. Were the learning activities effective?
4.5.3. Did we meet our goals for the unit?
4.5.4. What do we need to review (that students haven't yet learned)?
4.5.5. What should we change about this unit for next year?