Friday, March 20, 2015

Doing Assessment Right

We have beliefs of what education should be, however, does the rubber meet the road?

Upside Down
The 'upside down' assesment practices adn policies we've built in education - those time, processes, and places in which our we place barriers before our primary goals and values:

WE WANT OUR LEARNERS TO BE MOTIVATED.  
However, we cannot move at our own pace, we all do the same test, quizzes and projects.  If we finish, we can have more worksheets.

WE WANT OUR LEARNERS TO PERSEVERE AND ATTEND TO PRECISION.
We only give partial credit if they need to make changes or need extra time.

WE WANT OUR LEARNERS TO TAKE RISKS AND MAKE THE MISTAKES NECESSARY FOR DEEP UNDERSTANDING.
We define academic achievement with a grade and we employ a grading system that is rife with inconsistencies.  
We have individual grading criteria that involves personal preferences (participation, compliance, ability, attitude, effort, etc . . . )
We creat inconsistencies within a specific measure that is interpreted to represent a single truth.

WE WANT OUR LEARNERS TO DEMONSTRATE RESPONSIBILITIES
**Self Reflection:  I was a believer that allowing them to turn in late work made them procrastinators.  I am looking for the balance.  No, we don't want them to procrastinate, but we want them to follow through.
We often do not require them to be responsible.  
We do not offer points for late work which discourages learners from following through or completing a task, like responsible adults would do, even if it is late.  (Don't bother turning in your mortgage payment, because it is already late).


Upside Right"  
Assessment practices must build hope, efficacy, adn achievement for learners and teachers.  In this learning environment, the following tenets ground all assessment policies and practices.
1.  STUDENT INVESTMENT occurs when assessment and self-regulation have a symbolic relationship.
2.  The COMMUNICATION of assessment results must generate productive responses from learners and all of the stake holders who support them.
3.  ASSESSMENT ARCHITECTURE is most effective when it is planned, purposeful, and intentionally sequenced in advance of instruction by all of those responsible for the delivery.
4.  Assessment PURPOSES (formative adn summative) must be interdependent to maximize learning and verify achievement.
5.  INSTRUCTIONAL AGILITY occurs when emerging evidence informs real time modification within the context of the expected learning.
6.  The INTERPRETATION of assessment results must be accurate, accessible, and reliable.

A learning rich culture provides opportunities for risk taking, productive failure, and celebrated successes.

ASSESSMENT
Create a culture conducive to growth midsets.
Engage the learner in the following activites:  Set true goals that can be monitord over time. monitor progress with on going data, celebrate small wins along the way..
Isolate and diagnose errors in a manner that provides the learner with the KSAs to address and close the gap.
Allow for revision and precision.
Score for proficiency at the end of the learning.


A learning rich culture provides opportunities for risk taking, productive failure, and celebrated succes.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.