Q: Since the beginning of this year, my school has embarked on an effort to use more holistic assessments of student learning—to put more emphasis on formative assessments and less on summative assessments. What modes of assessment can give us the best picture of students' learning and help us close achievement gaps?
<ATTRIB>—James HanTeacher and Research ActivistSt. Anthony's Primary School, Singapore</ATTRIB>
Remember the Purpose
A: We should think of all assessments as formative. Why give a student a test if not to learn from the student's responses how to adjust instruction? The purpose of assessments is to answer the question, Where is the student today, and how can I help the student grow tomorrow?
Although there is no single best assessment to gauge a student's understanding, some types of assessments give a clearer and fuller picture of the student's comprehension. The more we move away from fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, or true-false questions and toward questions that require more complex and detailed answers, the better we can assess the student's understanding of the subject.
If possible, teachers should try to meet individually with students so that the students can explain their answers or have students demonstrate their understanding with authentic learning tasks. I also suggest allowing the students show their comprehension in a variety of ways. The best assessment is actually to have multiple assessments of the same topic or skill.
<ATTRIB>—Ben ShuldinerPrincipal, High School for Public ServiceBrooklyn, New York</ATTRIB>
Plan Backward from the End Task
Ongoing formative assessment allows the teacher to guide the instruction to the end product. When we focus on a summative task, we should ask ourselves, What does the student need to know and do to accomplish the task? For example, if the summative task will include writing an editorial about climate change, both instruction and formative assessment should include not only the relevant scientific content but also guidance on how to compose an editorial. This backward planning of instruction ensures that the student has the opportunity to develop all the skills and knowledge he or she needs.
<ATTRIB>—Ron Klemp, ProfessorSanta Monica College and California State University, Northridge</ATTRIB>
Let Students Choose How to Show Understanding
Giving students an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of content completes the circle that, to coin a now-common phrase, begins with the end in mind. Before you even begin a unit of teaching, identify what students need to understand. Step back and summarize all the standards addressed in a unit. Make content relevant. Then, consider the various modes to demonstrate understanding and provide a choice of response activities. Some students are artists, others writers or builders. Choosing the method of response gives students the ability to demonstrate true understanding.
<ATTRIB>—Tracy BroccolinoManager, Connections Virtual AcademyBaltimore, Maryland</ATTRIB>
