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Assessing student learning is the only way to ensure, after-the-fact, that instruction was effective and successful. Well-designed assessments not only allow for reflection on personal strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, but can (and should!) be used for data-driven decisionmaking. Poor test averages indicate that a remediation lesson, and potentially additional practice, must be prioritized. Great test averages indicate that there is a celebration to be had and students should be congratulated!
However, assessments are not just something that can be thrown together: they must be thought out, intentional, and double- and triple-checked. Making effective assessments has a huge impact on the student learning experience overall, and should be treated as such.
Below are a few of the ways I assess student learning.
Creating assessments that accurately evaluate student understanding
Creating assessments that accurately evaluate student understanding
Skill Quiz Example.pdfNot all assessments are created equal—rather, an effective assessment incisively assesses the learning goal while avoiding extraneous inclusions, has a clear grading rubric so that the teacher can ensure consistency in data, parallels instruction closely, and tests directly on state standards to ensure each one is being met.
This is easier said than done! However, by backwards planning from assessments, creating grading rubrics before administering an assessment, and collaborating with colleagues for consistency in assessment, it can most certainly be done! Above is an example of a formal assessment created to evaluate student understanding of Angle Pair Relationships.
Reteaching to address the needs that assessment results reveal
Reteaching to address the needs that assessment results reveal
ZeroProductPropertyPracticeWorksheetThere will be lessons that require remediation and reteaching. However, if you just teach the same lesson again and hope that students "get it this time," things are not likely to improve! A key aspect of the reteaching process is reflecting on student assessment results and planning a lesson that is tailored to the needs students display.
I created the worksheet above as a Zero Product Property reteaching opportunity. I intentionally created a scaffolded worksheet that allowed student to practice simpler problems but, eventually, to encounter every possible case. I found the summary notes to be particularly helpful.
Assessing student understanding in the moment
Assessing student understanding in the moment
Although after-the-fact formal/summative assessments are an important chekpoint for student learning, they should not be the only type of assessments students complete. For their sake and for the sake of the teacher, students should be provided opportunities to assess their own learning and for the teacher to assess their learning often.
Examples of ways I like to assess student learning include individual questioning ("How would you start solving this problem?", "What do you think the best first step is for this question?", etc.), informal self-assessment ("Give me a thumbs up if that explanation made sense to you," "On a scale of one to four, show me on your fingers how you felt about those practice problems—one being 'I wasn't even sure how to start,' two being..."), and graded practice with feedback.
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