Research+Class

 **1.** __ **What is Assessment?** __
 * INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS (Weeks I and II) **

**ASSESSMENT DEFINITIONS**

**__Diagnostic Assessment:__** Assessment which takes place prior to instruction; designed to determine a student’s attitude, skills or knowledge in order to identify student needs. **__Formative Assessment:__** Assessment designed to provide direction for improvement and/or adjustment to a program for individual students or for a whole class, e.g., observation, quizzes, homework, instructional questions, initial drafts/attempts. **__Summative Assessment:__** Assessment/evaluation designed to provide information to be used in making a judgment about a student’s achievement at the end of a sequence of instruction, e.g., final drafts/attempts, tests, exams, assignments, projects, performances. The characteristics of assessment that improves learning are that: PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT:
 * It is embedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential part
 * It involves sharing goals with students
 * It aims to help students to know and recognize the standards they are aiming for
 * It involves students in self-assessment
 * It provides feedback which leads to students recognizing their next steps and how to take them
 * It is underpinned by confidence that every student can improve
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">It involves both teacher and students reviewing and reflecting on assessment data
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To assist in student learning
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To identify students’ strengths and weaknesses
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To assess the effectiveness of a particular instructional strategy
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To assess and improve the effectiveness of curriculum programs
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To assess and improve teaching effectiveness
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To provide data that assist in decision-making about a student’s future
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">To communicate with and involve parents and guardians in their children’s learning

**2.** __ **What is the difference between assessment and testing?** __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">Assessments are ongoing instructional tools used to assess how students are doing along the journey of learning needed information and skills. Assessment is used to drive instruction. Testing tells what level of knowledge or skills a student has acquired at a specific point in time, which is a form of summative assessment.

**3.** **__ What are the principles upon which good classroom assessment should be based? __**

**PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">FROM THE PRACTITIONERS: **4.** **__ What is the Relationship of Assessment to Bloom’s Taxonomy? __**
 * PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE AN ASSESSMENT PROGRAM**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Teachers need to know how well they are doing.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Students need to know how well they are doing.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment is a reciprocal process, and includes assessment of teacher performance and teacher achievement.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">The program of assessment should aid teaching effectiveness and contribute to the intellectual and psychological growth of children.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Evidence and input data for knowing how well the teacher and students are doing should come from a variety of sources and types of data-collecting devices.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment is an ongoing process. The selection and implementation of plans and activities require continual monitoring and assessment to check progress and change or adopt strategies to promote desired behavior.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Reflection and self-assessment are important components of any successful assessment program. Reflection and self-assessment are important if students are to develop the skills necessary for them to assume increasingly greater ownership of their own learning.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">A teacher’s responsibility is to facilitate student learning and to assess student progress in that learning, and for that, the teacher is, or should be, held accountable.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Students should be at the center of the assessment process: assessments should maximize student benefits with a minimum of negative effects.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">The primary purpose of assessment should be to provide information on student strengths and weaknesses in order to guide student improvement.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment information should not be used for political or judgmental purposes especially if doing so may cause harm to students or to the ability of teachers to teach effectively.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment and evaluation procedures should be fair to all students.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment should start with self-assessment and allow for contribution by all interested parties including the community.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">The effects of assessment on student motivation should be carefully considered.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Assessment should be equally concerned with higher level thinking skills, skill application, content investigation and analysis, and discussion of complex issues.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Emphasis should be placed on reporting student growth and progress rather than student comparisons.
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">The selection, presentation and distribution of assessment information must consider all of the above principles.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When designing assessments teachers should utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy as students’ progress in their knowledge. Tests will assess knowledge, but assessments can be utilized to move students into higher level thinking skills. =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Let's Move On... =