Assessments! That area teachers always feel like they are
forced to administer but aren’t really sure why or what purpose it serves!
There is always this gray area of what should assessments look like and how we should
take the data from assessments to improve student learning. In addition, there
is always this notion of how assessments are derived and who is behind them.
For example, in my district, teachers number one complaint about assessments is
that no one ever includes the teachers in the assessments. Rather we get an
email dictating to us the following assessments are to be given, at this time
and once completed you are to meet with your grade level and analyze the data.
While this may seem fine to some, we have no idea why we are administering such
assessment, what we are supposed to do with the data we analyze and so forth.
This becomes very frustrating for teachers. We are never given background
information and it becomes difficult when the students inquire why they are
taking said test, and realistically we do not know either!
I found the video to be rather interesting in that I liked
their model of the teachers were going to do most of the work rather than them
doing it. I agree with the preparation of the assessment and how including the
teachers, support teachers, administration, just to name a few is a huge
component to developing successful assessments. I also loved the compon
As a Reading Specialist in order to make sure students are
learning what we are teaching them requires a few components. One of the main
components is to ensure that the teacher truly understands why they are
administering such assessment and what they will get out of it. In order for
students to learn what we are teaching them, we as educators need to know why
we are teaching them what it is we are teaching. Strengths and weaknesses
should be identified within the classroom, school and district and such
assessments can be derived. No good comes out of giving assessments for the
sake of giving them, although some districts do do this!
In order to provide effective and meaningful assessments to
improve student achievement, the student’s interests must be taken into
account. A variety of texts should be offered and instruction should be
differentiated to accommodate the various needs of your students. It is also
critical to analyze throughout the school year and make changes as needed.
The district I work in utilizes the following district wide
assessments:
PARCC
Dibels (grades k-2)
Standard Based Assessments (new this year)
SGO Assessment
Marking Period Assessments (has been replaced by Standard
Based)
Of these assessments, SBA, SGO, MPA were not created with a
group of teachers, professionals, cst, etc. They were all created by either
literacy coaches or the ELA supervisor. While it seems these assessments are
helpful, many of them contain errors that make analyzing the data very
difficult. In addition to these assessments, teachers are encouraged to create
their own assessments and can even create them using the LinkIt program so they
can take them via chromebooks.
Overall, assessments are only as good as the information
being taught. If data is being properly analyzed, assessments are created in
the right way and used for the right purposes districts can see the benefits.
References:
Wisconsin DPI. (2015, January 16). Leading A Balanced Literacy Assessment System: Conducting A
Literacy Assessment Review. Retrieved April 14, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uruFu6f-kg0
References:
Jetton, T. L., & Alexander, P. A. (2001). Interest Assessment and the Content
Area Literacy Environment: Challenges for Research and Practice. Educational Psychology Review, 13(3), 303-318.
Wisconsin DPI. (2015, January 16). Leading A Balanced Literacy Assessment System: Conducting A
Literacy Assessment Review. Retrieved April 14, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uruFu6f-kg0
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI very much agree with you that as teachers, it is extremely important that we be included in the process of selecting assessments. As you noted, it is extremely aggravating when administrators tell us that we must give certain assessments to our students. We do not have a say in the process, yet it is our responsibility to find the time to administer, grade, and analyze the results of the assessments. I, too, thought it was great that the presenters in the video suggested coming up with a team (including teachers) to review current assessments and change them, if needed. Further, as you stated, it is imperative that all educators are given a purpose for administering assessments. This will help us to use the data for the betterment of our students. Assessing students can truly provide us with a wealth of information on our students' strengths and weaknesses. Yet, in order for them to help us adapt our instruction to meet the needs of our students, we must clearly understand how to properly administer and score assessments, and we should be included in the selection process.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI think you touch on some really important points, especially that it can be really frustrating and confusing to assess and reassess data from tests, quizzes, and even formative assessment. With the increased importance being placed on PARCC and other high-stakes tests, should teachers be analyzing data based on what is expected from these tests or what is being taught in content curriculum? I agree that it is very confusing as to what should be achieved with the data that is collected through assessment, and as literacy teachers in any content area, we should be more unified as to what to do with data.
I also think you bring up a good point as to whether or not teachers should write their own assessments (or at least have the option to, like your district) or have them be delegated from the state. I agree with you that there should be wide, differentiated instruction that would result in similar assessments; as a result of this, it would make sense for teachers to create their own assessments. I think that allowing the department of education to delegate what is tested in a classroom is nonsensical, especially because they are almost never inside an actual classroom. This goes along with what kind of data is expected out of teachers and makes it even more confusing to analyze text. I think it is extremely important for teachers to have control over what is assessed in their classrooms and how those assessments take place.
I completely agree that teachers should have a say in the assessments that their students give. There have been so many times where the administration had told us we would have say in the assessments but then send out an email saying we have just adopted a new program. You also make a great point when you speak about using valid assessments in order to assess the information that the students have learned. The way some of these assessments are written are so confusing that teachers are often at a loss on how to answer the questions. How can we prepare the students if we can't even understand the questions.
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