My Personal Philosophy of Assessment and Evaluation

By Stacey Hoffe

My general belief about assessment and evaluation is summarized by Anne Davies

(2011) who states, When we assess, we are gathering information about students
learning that informs our teaching and helps students learn more. We may teach
differently, based on what we find as we assess. When we evaluate, we decide whether
or not students have learned what they needed to learn and how well they have learned
it. Evaluation is a process of reviewing the evidence and determining its value. This
paper will convey my beliefs about assessment and evaluation and will discuss several
key aspects that shape my personal philosophy of assessment. This includes creating
student-friendly outcomes, using diagnostic assessments, assessing students in
formative and summative ways, differentiating assessments, providing an opportunity
for revisions and finally, building a safe classroom environment.

Creating Outcomes

Herbst and Davies (2014) said, Work is made easier when teachers can work together
across departments or grade-levels to draft student-friendly descriptions of learning
destinations (p. 4). This supports my belief in sharing curriculum outcomes with
students. I think it is important to adapt the language in curriculum outcomes so that
they are easily understood by students. Student-friendly outcomes will not only help to
guide my teaching, but they will also help to inform students about their own learning.
When expectations are clear from the beginning, students will be more likely to set
relevant and appropriate learning goals.

Assessing Students in a Formative Way

Determining students prior knowledge and current level of understanding before

starting the school year, a new unit, or even a new topic, is a crucial step in teaching
and lesson planning. Utilizing diagnostic assessments such as observations, interviews,
pretests or self assessments, are tools that I plan to use to inform my teaching
decisions. I hope to effectively teach and differentiate to the level that my students are
at. More specifically, diagnostic assessments will help me to determine students needs,
abilities, and readiness to acquire new knowledge by specifically targeting gaps in
understanding.

Theorist Lev Vygotsky, believes that it crucial to recognize the Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD) which is the area between what the student is capable of at the
moment, and the point you want the student to reach (Hill & Flynn, 2006). Through use
of diagnostic assessments, I can reveal the ZPD for students in my class and ensure
that I am not teaching beyond their level. Once diagnostic assessments are completed,
student-friendly outcomes are shared and teaching and learning have begun, it is
important to remember to consistently reflect on how this process is going. I believe it is
critical to implement various types of formative assessments as a way to gain insight
into students understanding and adjust instruction if necessary.
Chappuis (2005) suggests using strategies that help students address the following
questions; Where am I going, where am I now, and how can I close the gap? I think
that this can be achieved through descriptive verbal and written feedback which
identifies strengths and points to work on. I plan on keeping record of formative
assessments in an anecdotal way rather than assigning grades. It is my belief that this
will increase motivation and help students to focus on what is truly important; the
learning, not the grades. I believe that through increased motivation to learn and
improve, better grades will naturally follow.

Implementing Summative Assessments and Standardized Tests

Sanchez (2013) states, We are not educating students for tests; we are educating them
for life. This statements resonates with me because I feel that too often, students are
taught to believe that the only reason they are learning content is to be successful on
mandated standardized tests. One of the major limitations of standardized tests and the
reason why I believe they are a poor method to use, is because they limit the
development of higher order thinking skills. While I recognize that standardized tests are
sometimes required, I think it is important to be aware that success on these tests are
not the ultimate goal. This understanding of learning is not the attitude I want to impart
on my students. I believe that it is important to provide context and meaning for students
and find ways to motivate them to be confident in their knowledge, skills, and abilities
and be motivated to critically think and make improvements, not simply receive a good
grade. However, I believe that there are types of summative assessments which are
assigned a grade, that can be a valuable tool if implemented correctly.

Alfie Kohn (1993) has thoroughly discussed his stance on grades, particularly the
negative effects of using grades to reward or punish students. I strongly agree with this
perspective and feel that can make students less motivated to learn and care about
learning. Having said that, I still feel that grades for summative assessments can play a
valuable role in the student's learning journey if used properly. I believe this is only true
if summative assessments are coupled with ample opportunities for formative
assessment and feedback, and if grades are focused on content and meeting
competency outcomes rather than behaviour expectations. I also believe it is important
to avoid averaging grades as this makes them less accurate. OConnor & Wormeli
(2011) discuss how grades should only reflect a student's ultimate mastery of a concept
and averaging grades can suggest they have mastered a task when they actually have
not. Additionally, I strongly believe that grading policies should be set up in a way to
support motivation to learn. As Brookhart (2011) suggests, A student should never
reach a place where there is no point doing any more work because failure is
inevitable. Summative assessments provide concrete evidence to students and their
families of where they fall in comparison to the achievement standards. They can be an
effective measurement if used at the end of a unit and only when supported by
formative assessment.
 Flexibility and Negotiation

Herbst & Davies (2014) said, Treating students equally can be unfair. I think it is
crucial that students are provided with opportunities to express their learning in different
forms whether it be a formative or summative assessment. Consequently, I believe
teachers should be flexible and open to differentiation and opportunities to work
creatively to build on students individual strengths. I have observed situations when
students were not able to achieve or demonstrate their full potential because all
members of the class were held to the same standard, treated in the same way, and
expected to perform the same assessments and evaluations. I strongly believe that this
limits the students who may not be successful (or as successful) using traditional forms
of assessment and evaluation. Equity is the key, not equality.

This became particularly evident for me during my first practicum. I noticed that by
assigning the same work and expecting the same outcomes from all my students, I was
actually disadvantaging the majority. With so many learning styles, interests, and
exceptionalities that exist in every classroom, it would be unfair to expect that they learn
things and show their learning in the exact same way.

I plan on being flexible in the way that I teach so that I can address all learning styles
and preferences. I also plan on allowing students to demonstrate their learning in a form
that builds on their strengths, interests, and abilities. For instance, students who are
visual learners should be given the opportunity demonstrate their learning in a way that
is meaningful to them. So, if a piece of creative art can better illustrate their thoughts
than a written essay, I believe this should be permitted. Additionally, if students can
articulate their thoughts well orally, they should be permitted to present their work in that
form.

I think that co-constructing checklists is an effective way to collaborate with students

and provide them with an opportunity to negotiate how they are assessed. I think that
they are more likely to understand what the expectations of the assignment are if they
had a part to play in creating the expected outcomes. Students also have an opportunity
to clarify meanings of words and make requirements more concise during the co-
construction process.

Homework, Re-dos and Revisions

I completely support the idea of providing students with an opportunity to re-do

assignments. Wormeli (2014) discusses the negative effects of giving students a failing
grade. Instead, he believes that students should be provided with an opportunity to
receive feedback and make changes. I also support this idea as I believe that an
opportunity to revise their work would build perseverance. I believe this will be much
more effective for the teaching and learning relationship as students will be more
motivated to listen and learn and consequently, make changes and build on current
knowledge.
Reflecting on my personal experience as a student, I feel that all of the projects I was
most successful on, were the projects that I received written and verbal descriptive
feedback throughout the process or during the learning. Then, following this feedback I
was provided with an opportunity to make revisions. Additionally, these were the
projects I feel that the greatest amount of learning took place and it was also the work I
was most proud of.

While I believe that some assignments may require extra effort either during break at
school or at home, I generally feel that homework should be limited. I think homework
can demotivate students and can also be an inaccurate reflection of their actual ability
and understanding, therefore, I believe homework should be assigned only when the
student is able to complete the task confidently on their own. Otherwise, there is a
possibility that family members or peers will do the work for them or they will not be able
to complete the work without guidance and assistance from the teacher. This is a
disadvantage to students and is not an accurate reflection of their ability. To combat this
potential problem, I plan to offer extra help during breaks or after school for students
who are struggling and require extra help. I will also provide sufficient time in-class to
work on projects and continuously evaluate my unit plans to ensure that I am effectively
meeting the needs of my students and providing them with enough time to complete
meaningful tasks. Any homework that is assigned will not be evaluated for a grade but
instead, will be used a a formative assessment to help inform my teaching.

Positive Classroom Environment and Relationship Building

Despite all these pedagogically sound and well-researched strategies and techniques, I
strongly believe that without a safe and positive classroom environment, students will
not fully participate and be successful in their learning and assessment. That is why I
feel that the first step towards student success is creating an environment where they
feel that they can ask questions, make mistakes and receive feedback without
judgement or ridicule. When we create a classroom community that is safe for learners,
they are more likely to take risks necessary for learning (Davis, 2011, p.15).

Coming from a social work background, I have learned how valuable it is to create a
space where people feel safe. I have had the privilege of working with many clients and
have observed the benefits of building professional therapeutic relationships with them
in a space that is positive and safe. It was evident in my work with this clients that when
this type of environment was established and the relationships were developed, they
were more likely to make more meaningful progress on their goals.

Part of creating a positive and safe environment is taking the time to build relationships
with students. Getting to know the students, their strengths, their abilities and their
interests, can assist in making assessments more relevant and engaging. Also, it is
more likely that students will approach teachers for help when they feel that they have a
supportive relationship with them. One way I hope to achieve this is through
conferencing. Not only is this an effective way of conducting formative or summative
assessments, but it is an opportunity to speak one-on-one with students and show that
you are interested and invested in their success. This will definitely be a strategy I will
implement in my future classroom.

Conclusion

In summary, my assessment philosophy includes utilizing diagnostic, formative and

summative assessments in meaningful ways that will intrinsically motivate students to
strive for learning and personal progress. I plan to limit standardized testing and teach
for the purposes of learning, not for receiving a grade. I value flexibility and the
opportunity to collaborate and negotiate assessment details with students and feel that
it is valuable for students to have the opportunity to receive descriptive feedback and
the opportunity to revise their work. Finally, I feel that creating a safe classroom and
building relationships with students is by far the most important aspect of successful
teaching, learning and assessment.
 References

Brookhart, S. (2011). Starting the Conversation About Grading. Effective Grading

Practices, 69(3), 10-14.

Chappuis, J. (2005). Helping Students Understand Assessment. Educational

Leadership, 63(3), 39-43.

Davies, A. (2011). Making Classroom Assessment Work, 3rd Edition. Courtenay, BC:
Connections Publishing and Bloomington, IN:Solution Tree Press.

Herbst, S. and Davies, A. (2014). A Fresh Look at Grading and Reporting in High
Schools. Courtenay, BC: Connections Publishing and Bloomington, IN:Solution Tree
Press.

Hill, J., & Flynn, K. (2006). Classroom instruction that works with English language
learners. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards. (pp. 48-67). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Company.

O'Connor, K., & Wormeli, R. (2011). Reporting student learning. Educational

Leadership, 11, 40-44.

Sanchez, W. B. (2013). Open-Ended Questions and the Process Standards.

Mathematic Teacher, 107, 206-211.

Wormeli, R. (2014). Perseverance and Grit. Association of Middle Level Education.