Assessment in Schools
Assessing student progress is vital in education, as it provides a steady, constantly updated base from which learning can be measured. Not only does it measure the students current knowledge; it also provides a way to interpret individual development and learning landmarks so that the teacher knows what to work on with each student and can understand what is going on developmentally. Assessment can be handled in a variety of ways, including formative and summative.
Currently, some schools are piloting formative assessment to see if it is a good possibility for assessment in American schools. Formative assessment consists of ways of gathering information about student learning without putting the information towards a grade for the student. The thinking behind it is that without the aspect of the grades, students can focus on learning concepts instead of learning things specifically for graded tests. Homework is seen as a learning opportunity- it can be redone until it demonstrates knowledge of concepts, with no penalty to the grade.
Summative assessment, currently the traditional way of grading and assessment in American schools, relies on graded homework and tests- everything is put towards the final grade. Points given for "busy work" are placed in the same pool with points from tests and evaluations.
American schools and teachers are currently not in agreement about the best way to assess learning. There are proponents of each type of assessment, as well as advocates of a combined approach. Schools need to figure out the best way to cater to student learning while still being sure that learning goals and state standards are being met. According to the National Middle Schools Association, "In a balanced assessment system, both summative and formative assessments are an integral part of information gathering. Depend too much on one or the other and the reality of student achievement in your classroom becomes unclear," (Garrison & Ehringhaus 2007).
After viewing this website, I hope you will be able to make informed decisions about what type of assessment is most appropriate for your classroom or child to be exposed to.
Currently, some schools are piloting formative assessment to see if it is a good possibility for assessment in American schools. Formative assessment consists of ways of gathering information about student learning without putting the information towards a grade for the student. The thinking behind it is that without the aspect of the grades, students can focus on learning concepts instead of learning things specifically for graded tests. Homework is seen as a learning opportunity- it can be redone until it demonstrates knowledge of concepts, with no penalty to the grade.
Summative assessment, currently the traditional way of grading and assessment in American schools, relies on graded homework and tests- everything is put towards the final grade. Points given for "busy work" are placed in the same pool with points from tests and evaluations.
American schools and teachers are currently not in agreement about the best way to assess learning. There are proponents of each type of assessment, as well as advocates of a combined approach. Schools need to figure out the best way to cater to student learning while still being sure that learning goals and state standards are being met. According to the National Middle Schools Association, "In a balanced assessment system, both summative and formative assessments are an integral part of information gathering. Depend too much on one or the other and the reality of student achievement in your classroom becomes unclear," (Garrison & Ehringhaus 2007).
After viewing this website, I hope you will be able to make informed decisions about what type of assessment is most appropriate for your classroom or child to be exposed to.
