Assessing Students for Learning
Year 1- Fall and Spring 2020-2021
Garfield Elementary - SDC mild/moderate 2nd-4th grade
This picture is an example of an assessment tool I created to help set learning goals. I use assessment data to establish learning goals and to plan, differentiate, and modify instruction. When I grade classwork, homework, and exams I give my students feedback and I analyze what concepts the class is struggling with. I then modify my instruction in that area with more clear instruction and more practice. I like to conference with my students individually so that they know how they can improve their assessment scores. During student-teacher conferences I ask my students to come up with some goals in how they will improve their assessment scores. My students are happy to take responsibility for their own learning. When setting goals I take the opportunity to differentiate my delivery of instruction to meet my students' needs by making any necessary modifications to my teaching goals and strategies.
This picture is an example of a writing prompt that has a self-monitoring checklist at the bottom that students are instructed to utilize to proofread their work. I involve all students in self-assessment, goal setting, and monitoring progress. My students enjoy correcting their own spelling exams. My students also love sharing when their scores improved over the previous week. When my students have writing assignments I tell them they always have to revise their work before turning it in. They have to check for correct capitalization, word spacing, and end punctuation. The teacher-student conference is also an excellent way to have students self-monitor their learning and set goals for their own progress. All of my students have IEPs and I take time to explain to them the goals that they are working on so that they know what outcome is expected of them. My students often ask me how they are doing with meeting their goals. During parent conferences, I always ask my parents to have their child present during the conference so that the student is aware of the goals and standards that are expected for them to master.
This picture is an example of a student's completed weekly spelling test. I use assessment information to share timely and comprehensible feedback with students and their families. Students have classwork and assessment information on google classroom where they can see their progress and completed work or work in progress. Students have the ability to engage in their own learning by keeping track of their assignments. Parent/guardians get student assessment information during report card periods, parent conferences, IEPs, and progress reports. I am aware that most of my students are performing two grade levels below so I also provide parents with easy suggestions/ strategies that they can implement at home. For example, simple strategies for busy parents/guardians will be assessing their child on five high-frequency words until the student reaches mastery. Another strategy is orally asking their child to skip count and all they have to do is listen to the child to check for mastery. If the parent/guardian does not have additional time to work on these foundational skills I provide them with engaging videos that the child can do independently.
Year 1 Reflection
CSTP Standard 5 states that teachers need to assess students for learning.
The application of CSTP 5 in my teaching practice is that this helps me redirect and assist students who need extra help. A big part of planning and design instruction is based on the outcome and results of assessments. I use assessments to drive my instruction and to reflect on the delivery of my instruction. There are some assessments that are done weekly in which I can see whether my students understood the task. For example, I give my students weekly spelling tests which help me know whether my students learned the weekly phonics focus. I teach the focus sound throughout the week by blending words, spelling words, using the word in a sentence, giving the words for homework, and providing daily practice. At the end of the week, students are assessed on the weekly spelling words. For those students that do poorly in the spelling test, I get to reteach the spelling pattern during small group instruction.
There are other assessments that I use to monitor student learning such as I-ready diagnostic, BPST, and the Eureka Exit Ticket. These are some assessments use to drive my instruction. When my students do poorly in the assessments I either reteach, pre-teach, review, or give mini-lessons on the skill or concept that the student had difficulty with. If many students do poorly in an area that tells me that I have to modify or change my delivery of instruction.
I learned how to make assessments integral to the learning process by ensuring assessments are an interactive process between the teacher and students. As a special education teacher, many of the assessments are personalized to one student as stated in the IEP. All of my students are assessed with teacher-made assessments specific to their learning goals. The impact on student learning is essential because assessments help identify skills students need to strengthen in order to get on grade level.
Year 2- Fall and Spring 2021-2022
This is a picture of a student informational writing work sample. The graphic organizer contained sentence starters and a writing monitoring checklist. Prior to the writing activity, we read about kangaroos, brainstormed about what they are, what can they do, what they have, what they eat, where they live, and what they like, and drew pictures of their thinking.
My students take the weekly Benchmark Advance spelling test. Students get to examine, reflect, and revise their own work. Students like to self-correct their work to get instant feedback. They also set goals for themselves before and after the test. As a class we set goals such as everyone should get a least two words correct. Students also set goals for themselves individually after their test such as next time I am going to do better than this time. I also make a copy of their spelling test to take home to their parents. Their parents are aware of this because I reviewed the classwork, homework, test procedures, and expectations to all parents during conference week and back-to-school night.
In this video clip, I am handing out a quick assessment to check for understanding after a social-emotional learning lesson that I conducted for my inquiry cycle 2. I was teaching my students the strategy of Stop, Think, and Act. During the lesson, we mention that everyone has emotions and that sometimes our emotions can get too overwhelming or us to handle. This strategy reminds students to think about their response to undesirable situations. We also went over all the strategies that we can try instead of acting out in an undesirable way such as hitting, yelling, or other tantrum-like behaviors. Instead of talking out, we can try deep breathing, going out for a walk, counting slowly, requesting a break, drawing a picture, or writing a letter.
Year 2 Reflection
CSTP Standard 5 states that teachers need to assess students for learning.
The application of CSTP 5 in my teaching practice is that this helps me redirect and assist students who need extra help. During the second year of induction I have continued to provide students with assessments to help students achieve their learning goals. I have continued to use assessment results to dictate and drive my instruction. This second year, I have continued to use I-ready diagnostic, BPST, weekly spelling test, and the Eureka Exit ticket to drive my instruction. I do recognized that although all these assessments drive my instruction I have to focus on providing students with opportunities to achieve their IEP goals, during the delivery of instruction. I do use the results of the assessments to provide students with small group instruction and individualize planning. I use assessments to pre-teach, reteach, provide mini-lessons or completely change the delivery of instruction if I noticed that most students did not understand the skills or concepts being tested.
I learned how to make assessments integral to the learning process by ensuring assessments are an interactive process between the teacher and students. Assessments are use as a communication tool in which students have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have learned a skill or concept. Assessments are a tool to monitor learning and change the direction of the upcoming learning goals. If I noticed that student needs more practice on an specific standard I use the results of the assessments to make changes to future lessons.
The impact on student learning is essential because assessments help identify skills students need to strengthen in order to get on grade level. I will continue to use assessments not only drive my instruction but also to use the results to reflect on the delivery of my instruction. In my classroom, I will continue to provide students with state assessments, district mandated assessments, the adopted core assessments, but most importantly teacher created assessments which closely identifies my student's individual needs.