Philosophy of Assessment

Philosophy of Assessment
Sarah Baird
Seton Hill University

Philosophy of Assessment

Being a teacher entails a variety of meaningful responsibilities.

Teachers are called upon to be positive role models, willing communicators,
loving support systems, and the architects of the future. With all of these
duties (and more) resting on our shoulders, it can be easy to forget about
one of the most essential aspects of education: assessment. Assessment is
an aspect of any curriculum that should not be taken lightly or overlooked.
Assessment is used for a variety of reasons and is a crucial part of
every classroom. First of all, assessment is used to see how well students
are grasping the materials being presented in class. When utilized correctly,
the teacher can then use this information to modify and adjust his or her
instruction to help students thrive in the classroom. Another reason to use
assessment in the classroom is because it provides clear and concrete data
about how well students are performing. In addition to using this information
to modify instruction, teachers may begin to notice trends with certain
students. Teachers can then use these data to refer students who may need
special services or further interventions.
It is critical to provide students with various types of assessments
because all students are unique and have their own learning styles. While
some students may excel by completing a creative, project-based
assessment, others may do their best when writing a structured essay.
Because of these differences, it is important to give a variety of assessments
to gain a better understanding of the students overall mastery of concepts.
At times, it is also acceptable to allow students choices about which type of

Philosophy of Assessment

assessment they would like to complete in order to best suit their own
learning style. As a teacher, I will do my best to provide each student with
the most ideal circumstances in regard to assessment to ensure their
success in my classroom.
One type of assessment that I would be sure to utilize in my classroom
is project-based learning (PBL). When assessing using PBL, students are
asked to access the highest level of Blooms Taxonomy, creating. Harris
explains, Project work is a fundamental approach that enables all children to
be self-motivated and successful learners equipped with the skills to do indepth investigations (Harris, 2013). Through PBL, students are able to
express their knowledge in a variety of ways that best demonstrate their
understanding of the course objectives. PBL is helpful for all learners
because it allows students to work at their own pace and create something
that showcases their best possible work.
Another form of assessment that I would love to use in my classroom is
data notebooking. Through data notebooking, students are able to keep
track of their personal progress and own their learning. Students gain a
sense of responsibility and can easily see areas where they need to focus
more of their attention on improving. Each data notebook can be
personalized to the needs of the individual student so that he or she can take
ownership of the learning, be it through coloring in charts, graphing, or
making lists.

Philosophy of Assessment

Going along with the fact that every student is an individual is the
response to intervention and instruction process (RTII). RTII is a process by
which students are given individualized instruction and enrichment based on
their educational needs. Students are arranged into flexible groupings based
on their curricular needs. It is important that groupings remain flexible so
that students can freely be moved from group to group as their needs
change. As students are continually provided with individualized instruction
through RTII, educators should start to notice improvement in student
achievement at every level. As RTII becomes more and more common,
teachers must remember that despite the potential scheduling conflicts and
initial inconvenience of implementing a new program, the benefits of RTII
have been shown to far surpass any potential drawbacks.
Another type of assessment that is useful in individualizing instruction
is functional behavior assessment (FBA). While most students will respond to
traditional classroom management techniques, such as positive guidance,
sometimes there are underlying causes for negative behavior in the
classroom that need to be addressed in order to correct the behavior. By
completing an FBA, teachers are able to see their classroom management
techniques through the viewpoint of another educator. In addition, an FBA
can identify the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences affecting the
student. In some instances, the teacher may realize that he or she is
inadvertently influencing the unwanted behavior. In any case, the teacher

Philosophy of Assessment

can use the data from the FBA to create a new behavior management plan to
improve the students behavior.
Even when a variety of assessments are used, some students still
require additional assistance in order to reach their full potential.
Adaptations can range from simple to more complex, but should always be
made when needed to accommodate learners with special needs. In todays
classroom, it is inevitable that teachers will need to work with students from
a wide range of ability levels. I have seen first-hand the positive difference
that can be made when a student is given the adaptations they need in order
to succeed. Some examples of more simple adaptations that I would use in
the classroom include more time to complete assessments, allowing students
to complete assessments orally, and providing word banks or more simple
language when writing test questions. Examples of more complex
adaptations include providing alternate assessments, providing the student
with text-to-speech technology, or allowing the student to complete the
assessment in a different setting, such as a resource room.
In addition to students who require additional adaptations, all learners
in the 21st century classroom need a variety of supports. The classroom
arrangement should allow space for group work and collaboration, both of
which are critically important to 21st century learners. Surroundings should
be bright and stimulating, but not overwhelming. In addition, I will focus on
hands-on learning and technology integration as often as possible. It is vital
for students in the 21st century to be comfortable, not only with using

Philosophy of Assessment

technology, but with using technology properly and efficiently. Another part
of educating 21st century learners is training students to have leadership
skills and be global citizens. In todays world, students need to learn about
many different cultures and ways of life that are different from their own.
Students also need to be taught conflict resolution and peacekeeping skills
that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and help them to succeed
in the global economy of the 21st century.
Weighting grades on assessment is just as important as creating the
assessments themselves. If students are given points for completing
assignments that are unrelated to class topics, their grades can then be
skewed by unrelated information. For example, if students in a math class
are given points for completing assignments that have to do more with
classroom management than math (i.e. bringing back tests with a parent
signature, putting a cover on a text book, attendance, etc.), their grades will
not be an accurate representation of their true knowledge of the curriculum.
By completing unrelated assignments, students may be able to earn a high
score in the class despite struggling with the material. Marzano reiterates
this concept when he states that, grades are so imprecise that they are
almost meaningless (Marzano, 2006). Of course, I do not want the grades
of my students to be meaningless, so great consideration will be taken in
regards to weighting grades in my classroom. Each grade will be given with
a purpose and will be as accurate of a representation as possible of the
students true mastery of curriculum objectives.

Philosophy of Assessment

Clearly, many considerations need to be taken when it comes to

creating and delivering assessments in the classroom. Among these are the
use of various assessment techniques, individualizing assessments to meet
the unique needs of students, and properly weighting grades. However,
when all of these elements work together properly, assessment is an
irreplaceable element in the educational process.

References
Kathleen Harris, International Journal of Childrens Spirituality (2013): Teacher, I had a dream: a
glimpse of the spiritual domain of children using project-based learning, International Journal of
Childrens Spirituality, DOI: 10.1080/1364436X.2013.858665

Philosophy of Assessment
Marzano, R. J. (2006). Classroom Assessment & Grading that Work. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.