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Running Header: Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning

Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning

Tatianna Ortega

National University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690−Capstone Course

Daniel Weintraub
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Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning
Abstract

Assessment in the classroom can happen in so many different ways. Assessments can help a

teacher to see where each student is at in learning a specific topic, to their reading level, to just

seeing how well they are thriving in the classroom environment. This paper is going to talk about

those ways, and why they are beneficial for teachers to help with learning.
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Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning
Assessments are ways that teachers can check and see how their students are doing in a

particular area. “Teachers who develop useful assessments, provide corrective instruction, and

give students second chances to demonstrate success can improve their instruction and help

students learn.” (Guskey, 2003) There are so many different ways a teacher can assess students,

and can even adjust them to fit the student’s needs.

Assessments fit into two definitive groups, summative and formative. Summative

assessments are generally ones that come at the very end of a unit, topic, school year, etc. They

could be final essays, chapter tests, final projects, or state tests. While formative assessments are

done throughout the school year and give an idea of how well a student is comprehending the

material being taught and where their strengths and weaknesses are. Some examples of formative

assessments would be exit ticket, 3-2-1, or shoulder share.

According to Guskey, in order for assessments to be successful in the classroom and also

help adjust the learning process to benefit all students, assessments must be made useful,

followed up with corrective instruction, and give second chances for students to be able to show

successes. In order to make assessments useful, teachers should not only use them to help them

with future teachings, but also make sure to include the student when the assessment is

completed. Students can’t change behavior or mindset if they don’t know what they missed or

what should be adjusted.

Once students have been informed of assessment results, they should be instructed on the

correct information that was missed. “High-quality, corrective instruction is not the same as

reteaching, which often consists simply of restating the original explanations louder and more

slowly.” (Guskey, 2003) It is when a teacher can break down the information more for the

students understanding. Even if a teacher begins with teaching and utilization differentiation,
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Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning
sometimes a student needs more support, or a different way to look at the material so they can

understand it.

After that the teacher needs to give the student a second chance to show they comprehend

the material and can relay it back to the teacher. This could be re-taking a test, to correcting

wrong answers, or even a new assessment altogether. A student shouldn’t feel penalized for not

understanding the first time, but given an opportunity to show what they did go back and learn

and understand.

Assessments can always be altered and adjusted to fit the needs of the students and class.

Once these three factors go into place, students and the assessments they are given will start to

more accurately demonstrate what students know and understand. Students will feel more

confident in their work and sharing that knowledge with peers and the teacher.
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Week 4 – Assessing Student Learning
References

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016, June). California Teaching

Performance Expectations. Retrieved from Commision on Teacher Credentialing:

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/educator-prep/standards/adopted-tpes-

2016.pdf

Guskey, T. R. (2003, Feb.). Educational Leadership. Retrieved from Association for Supervision

and Curriculum Development: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-

leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx

Patricia M. Costantino, M. N. (2009). Developing a Professional Teaching Portfolio. Upper

Saddle River: Pearson.