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Assessment is for Self regulated learning (I Clark)

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Assessment for Teaching - Chapter 1 (P Griffin & P Robertson)

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The program assessment process involves gathering evidence of student learning. All programs are required to collect direct evidence of student learning for each program learning outcome. However, the evidence gathered can vary across programs and depend on each program's learning outcomes and the opportunities in each curriculum map to collect data.

Types of Assessment Evidence:

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Direct evidence measures student learning by examining student work or performance directly. It can offer insight into what and to what degree students have learned through evaluating exams, papers, performances, observations, or other artifacts of student work. Direct evidence is compelling in that it offers the ability to make judgements about the relative degree of learning or mastery that students have achieved. Assessment plans are designed to gather direct evidence wherever possible. Examples of direct evidence:

Evaluation of capstone projects (scored with a rubric)

Evaluation of student portfolios (scored with a rubric)

Performance evaluations

Comprehensive examinations

Performance in proficiency exams (e.g., language proficiency exams)

Performance in licensure exams

Other faculty evaluation of student work in assignments, projects, performances, presentations, quizzes, exams, or thesis

Evaluation of a random sample of student writing (scored with a rubric)

Pre-post assessments (measuring student change over the course or program)

National or standardized exam scores

Evaluation by internship supervisor

Things to consider:

It's important that direct measures validly measure the specific learning outcomes in question and provide faculty with usable information. For example, an exam that is broken into sections that each align with a particular outcome provides more usable information than one that lumps them together.

Even valid and reliable direct measures may only capture a student's performance or learning at one particular moment and may be better at capturing learning for some students than others. It's helpful to provide students with multiple opportunities and different methods of demonstrating their learning on the same outcomes over the course of their study.

When using a scoring rubric across multiple courses and instructors in a program, it is important that faculty are normed or calibrated to interpret and use the rubric consistently.

There are some goals or outcomes a program may have, such as fostering particular dispositions or habits of mind, that are difficult to capture with direct evidence.

Indirect evidence suggests that learning has taken place and can often provide important insight about or context for interpreting direct evidence. It may also be the only kind of evidence available for program goals aimed at cultivating dispositions, habits of mind, or attitudes necessary for students to succeed. As such, most assessment plans try to include some kind of indirect evidence in conjunction with direct evidence. Examples of indirect evidence:

Exit interviews

Focus groups

Student surveys

Alumni surveys

Student self-evaluations

Supporting evidence is not evidence of learning per se, but has a role in the assessment of student learning. It can help illustrate a program's successes or needs, provide context for interpreting assessment data, or aid in designing assessment plans that address pressing questions of interest to the program. Supporting evidence also plays a role in the assessment of academic and non-academic strategic goals that a program may have.

Some examples of supporting evidence include:

GPA data

Job placement rates

Graduation rates

Student publications and presentations

Course pass rates

Grades: Grades are a kind of supporting evidence that are rarely designed to reflect specific learning outcomes, but rather combinations of outcomes and student behaviors. Grades assess the overall performance of individual students, but as evidence of the effectiveness of a program they are messy and complicated indicators at best. Assessment is more effective when evidence specific to each outcome can be separately gathered and reported. For this reason, GPA data or course grades by themselves are generally not helpful evidence for learning outcomes assessment, although they can be useful supporting evidence when examined in relation to other direct and indirect evidence of student learning.

UWM's commitments to diversity and the success of all students means individual programs have a special impetus to consider questions of equity. This means designing assessment and gathering evidence that can help programs support the success of all students. The single most important way to do that is to disaggregate data by relevant groupings wherever possible, and to include addressing and closing any achievement gaps as part of the assessment action plan. Refer to Departmental Data and Equity: Disaggregating Data for more information about campus resources for disaggregating assessment data.

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Evidence of Learning: Direct and Indirect Measures

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The program assessment process involves gathering evidence of student learning. All programs are required to collect direct evidence of student learning for each program learning outcome. However, the evidence gathered can vary across programs and depend on each program's learning outcomes and the opportunities in each curriculum map to collect data.

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8. How does Assessment look like in the Enhanced PYP

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One World International School - Singapore

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PYP Assessments: How They Help Students Reach Their Personalised Goals - OWIS Singapore

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Our goal is to make learning fun and stress-free while encouraging students to take the initiative as they learn new concepts. Here’s a look at how assessments at OWIS help students reach their personalised goals.

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As you probably know already, there are multiple types of assessments you can use to identify where your team's knowledge and skills currently stand and in which aspects they can improve even more. But, with so many options out there, determining which one will work best for you and your team can be quite tricky. For this reason, we've scoured the internet for you and created a guide list of the most recommended types of assessments to consider.

1. Diagnostic assessment

Diagnostic assessment is the most preferred type of assessment to check a learner's current knowledge base. Most of the time, it involves a series of questions given at the start of a class or training session to identify a learner's strengths and weaknesses prior to learning.

While it's mostly used at school, you can also include this assessment as part of your onboarding process to get to know your new hires and set a benchmark for tacking their skill and knowledge development. A quick tip for trainers - consider giving them the same assessment to see how they've made progress since joining your team!

2. Formative assessment

Unlike the diagnostic test, formative assessment is administered during a training or learning session to capture a learner's progress in real-time. It can take a variety of forms, sometimes even the combination of formal and informal assessment procedures like practice quizzes, point exercises, and even short essays.

The primary goal of this type of assessment is to identify how the employees are improving as they learn and, at the same time, spot any knowledge gaps, misunderstandings, or proficiency levels that they have not achieved yet. This way, trainers and instructors can immediately modify and adjust their teaching strategies to achieve a high impact learning.

3. Summative assessment

Summative assessment serves as a summary test provided at the end of a learning course or training activity. This type of assessment helps trainers and instructors define how much a learner has grown and improved over time and record their overall achievement. In contrast to the first two assessments, summative assessments are formal and highly evaluative. Plus, it usually involves clear instructions, expectations, and grading rubrics. Frequently high stakes, both instructors and students work extra harder to prepare for these assessments.

Because most businesses are now operating remotely as a result of the pandemic, online summative assessments have become the norm. And thanks to a plethora of , which can help launch your summative assessments in minutes, not days or weeks. Just input your questions and corresponding answers in their user-friendly spreadsheet, and let this tool automatically transform your content into a series of online quiz creators , creating this type of assessment is now easier than ever before. Like with EdApp's Rapid Refresh gamified tests.

You will also benefit from the smart actionable insights and granular reports of Rapid Refresh, which will be delivered instantly upon completion of this assessment. There's no need to manually check their assessments and generate reports - Rapid Refresh will do all of the hard work for you.

4. Skill assessment

Very simply, skill assessment helps measure a person's ability to accomplish specific tasks. This type of assessment is usually administered by recruiting professionals to identify whether or not a candidate meets the qualifications needed to work in a specific occupation. These skills may be innate or acquired through prior work experience, school education, or training.

Skill assessment can also be used to evaluate a person's soft skills and determine if he or she can easily fit in and get along in the workplace.

5. Gamified assessment

Gamified or game-based assessment is a type of assessment that uses various gamification elements to evaluate and gather specific information from candidates or employees, like their opinion on a certain topic or skill level. Basically, it transforms traditional tests into a game format, like memory games, true or false, and jumble words, to make the assessment more fun and contemporary. Quick and engaging, there's no surprise how gamified assessment is rapidly gaining popularity from recruitment and L&D professionals across different industries.

If this type of assessment has captured your interest, EdApp LMS has the perfect solution for you. Thanks to its intuitive authoring tool , this platform can help you put together a gamified assessment in just a few steps. All you need to do is choose from its 80+ game templates and author your questions and answers. To make it even more engaging, you can spice it up by adding weighted scores or timers - no technical or coding expertise is needed.

6. Oral assessment

Oral assessment, as its name implies, is a popular assessment type that evaluates employees or candidates orally. For this method, the instructors invite their team for a face-to-face session or virtual meeting, question them directly, and assess them based on their verbal answers. Most of the time, this assessment is done casually, with no specific structured list of questions. The answers can be elaborative or straight to the point, all up to the employer or trainer's requirements.

The best part about this type of assessment is that oral responses can never be plagiarized or copied. Plus, it offers real-time, instant results.

7. Ipsative assessment

Ipsative assessment is the practice of retaking an assessment and comparing the results from the previous performance. This type of assessment helps learners identify their mistakes and areas where they still need to improve, motivating them to perform better on their next assessment. The ipsative assessment builds on the idea that learning is a process, and there's still room for improvement for those who have achieved a lower mark on their first attempt.

If you want to administer this type of assessment, you may want to consider checking EdApp's Brain Boost. This feature enhances the spaced repetition strategy by using an adaptive, dynamic quiz that's based upon the SM-2 learning algorithm. Essentially, Brain Boost will send assessment questions to your learners in order to determine what they recall from their training or classes, and also what they don't. The algorithm will indicate whether or not a learner is having difficulty remembering some topics more than others. If so, they will be assessed more frequently on those topics than ones they are already comfortable with.

8. Norm-referenced assessment

Norm-referenced assessment, also called NRT tests, is a type of assessment that significantly compares a learner's knowledge and performance to another.

The comparison class is called the "norming group", which typically consists of a small group of test-takers that share specific characteristics, like age, education, job position, and more. This assessment ranks learners from highest to lowest to accentuate differences among them and point out who is ahead or behind the norm. This information can assist trainers and managers in determining which members of the team require additional attention and guidance at work.

9. Criterion-referenced assessment

Criterion-referenced assessment is a type of assessment that measures a learner's learning progress or performance based on pre-determined and agreed-upon criteria and standards.

Unlike the NRT tests, this evaluation doesn't compare an individual against their peers. A criterion-referenced assessment directly measures up a person's skills and abilities to the criterion, regardless of how the other test takers perform on the assessment. This, in turn, will help trainers and managers gather insights about an employee's strengths and areas for improvement.

10. Scenario-Based Assessment

Perhaps you want to see how an individual will perform in real-world situations? Needless to say, scenario-based assessment is the way to go. This type of assessment involves a hypothetical scenario where learners are expected to apply their theoretical knowledge. Using this method, assessors will be able to see firsthand the level of expertise of their learners. Not only does it produce a more reliable evaluation of your employees' skills and knowledge, but this type of assessment also serves as an effective way to help your team practice and develop their skills. Scenario-based assessments provide a great opportunity to explore their role and function, without the pressure of being involved yet in a real-world situation.

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As you probably know already, there are multiple types of assessments you can use to identify where your team's knowledge and skills currently stand and in which aspects they can improve even more. But, with so many options out there, determining which one will work best for you and your team can be quite tricky.

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Assessments come in many shapes and sizes. For those who are new to assessment or just starting out, the terms can be hard to sort out or simply unfamiliar. Knowing one type of assessment from another can be a helpful way to understand how best to use assessment to your advantage. That's why we've taken the time to layout the different types of assessment for you in this post.

The multi-faceted nature of assessments means that educators can leverage them in a number of ways to provide valuable formal or informal structure to the learning process. The main thing to remember is that the assessment is a learning tool. What all assessments have in common is that they provide a snapshot of student understanding at a particular time in the learning process.

Reasonably so, when you were a K-12 student yourself, you may not have been aware of the variety of assessments that teachers leverage. To the average student, or anyone who has ever been a student, the word 'test' has a pretty clear cut definition and it usually includes some level of anxiety and expectation about a final outcome. But, to educators, tests - or assessments - are actually quite multi-faceted and have both formal and informal places throughout the learning process.

Assessments can run the gamut from start to finish when it comes to instruction. Think of it like a long distance race that has a start and finish line and many stations to refuel in between. The race can be any instructional period of time, such as a unit, a quarter, or even the full year. In this metaphor, the student is the runner and the teacher is the coach who is trying to help the student run the race as well as they possibly can. Different assessments types, when utilized by the coach (teacher) in the right way, can help the runner (student) run the race better and more effectively.

Some assessments are helpful before the race even begins to help determine what the best running strategy is ( diagnostic). Some assessments are beneficial during the race to track progress and see if adjustments to the strategy should be made during the race ( formative). Some assessments are given to see if students in entire schools or districts, the entire running team, are moving forward and learning the material ( interim). And some assessments are best at the very end of the race, to review performance, see how you did, and see how to improve for the next race ( summative).

Assessments help the teacher determine what to teach, how to teach, and in the end, how effectively they taught it.

Assessments can run the gamut from start to finish when it comes to instruction. Think of it like a race that has a start and finish line and many stations to refuel in between.

If you have ever asked the question, "What is a formative assessment?" or have been confused by formative assessment vs. summative assessment or interim vs final, that's OK! Below you'll find a 5 part primer on the types of assessments a student will likely see in his/her school career. Within each article you'll also discover sample assessments that are ready for you to assign to your students.

Dig Deeper Into Different Types of Assessment:

Diagnostic assessments happen at the start to gauge pre-knowledge.

Formative assessments are used in the middle of a lesson or year to determine how students are progressing.

Interim assessments are given across an entire school or district in order to compare results of groups of students.

Benchmark assessments are used to measure the academic progress of large groups of students.

In a summative assessment, success is measured at the end of a checkpoint.

Assessments help you gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each student so you can adjust and guide student learning accordingly. By giving grade level assessments, you can track student performance, help students develop, and improve student learning. Choose an assessment type that evaluates students in a way that fits the goals of your instruction and get started!

Ready to put an assessment into practice? You can sign up for a free Edulastic account and create or discover your own online assessment, all in one place!

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Different Types of Assessment and What You Need to Know About Them

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Assessments come in many shapes and sizes. For those who are new to assessment or just starting out, the terms can be hard to sort out or simply unfamiliar. Knowing one type of assessment from another can be a helpful way to understand how best to use assessment to your advantage.

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Formative assessment-discovering what students know while they're still in the process of learning it-can be tricky. Designing just the right assessment can feel high stakes-for teachers, not students-because we're using it to figure out what comes next. Are we ready to move on? Do our students need a different path into the concepts? Or, more likely, which students are ready to move on and which need a different path?

When it comes to figuring out what our students really know, we have to look at more than one kind of information. A single data point-no matter how well designed the quiz, presentation, or problem behind it-isn't enough information to help us plan the next step in our instruction.

Add to that the fact that different learning tasks are best measured in different ways, and we can see why we need a variety of formative assessment tools we can deploy quickly, seamlessly, and in a low-stakes way-all while not creating an unmanageable workload. That's why it's important to keep it simple: Formative assessments generally just need to be checked, not graded, as the point is to get a basic read on the progress of individuals, or the class as a whole.

7 Approaches to Formative Assessment

1. Entry and exit slips: Those marginal minutes at the beginning and end of class can provide some great opportunities to find out what kids remember. Start the class off with a quick question about the previous day's work while students are getting settled-you can ask differentiated questions written out on chart paper or projected on the board, for example.

A quick way to see the big picture if you use paper exit tickets is to sort the papers into three piles: Students got the point; they sort of got it; and they didn't get it. The size of the stacks is your clue about what to do next.

No matter the tool, the key to keeping students engaged in the process of just-walked-in or almost-out-the-door formative assessment is the questions. Ask students to write for one minute on the most meaningful thing they learned. You can try prompts like:

What are three things you learned, two things you're still curious about, and one thing you don't understand?

How would you have done things differently today, if you had the choice?

What I found interesting about this work was...

Right now I'm feeling...

Today was hard because...

Or skip the words completely and have students draw or circle emojis to represent their assessment of their understanding.

2. Low-stakes quizzes and polls: If you want to find out whether your students really know as much as you think they know, polls and quizzes created with Socrative or Quizlet or in-class games and tools like Quizalize, Kahoot, FlipQuiz, Gimkit, Plickers, and Flippity can help you get a better sense of how much they really understand. (Grading quizzes but assigning low point values is a great way to make sure students really try: The quizzes matter, but an individual low score can't kill a student's grade.) Kids in many classes are always logged in to these tools, so formative assessments can be done very quickly. Teachers can see each kid's response, and determine both individually and in aggregate how students are doing.

Because you can design the questions yourself, you determine the level of complexity. Ask questions at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy and you'll get insight into what facts, vocabulary terms, or processes kids remember. Ask more complicated questions ("What advice do you think Katniss Everdeen would offer Scout Finch if the two of them were talking at the end of chapter 3?"), and you'll get more sophisticated insights.

3. Dipsticks: So-called alternative formative assessments are meant to be as easy and quick as checking the oil in your car, so they're sometimes referred to as dipsticks. These can be things like asking students to:

write a letter explaining a key idea to a friend,

draw a sketch to visually represent new knowledge, or

do a think, pair, share exercise with a partner.

Your own observations of students at work in class can provide valuable data as well, but they can be tricky to keep track of. Taking quick notes on a tablet or smartphone, or using a copy of your roster, is one approach. A focused observation form is more formal and can help you narrow your note-taking focus as you watch students work.

4. Interview assessments: If you want to dig a little deeper into students' understanding of content, try discussion-based assessment methods. Casual chats with students in the classroom can help them feel at ease even as you get a sense of what they know, and you may find that five-minute interview assessments work really well. Five minutes per student would take quite a bit of time, but you don't have to talk to every student about every project or lesson.

You can also shift some of this work to students using a peer-feedback process called TAG feedback (Tell your peer something they did well, Ask a thoughtful question, Give a positive suggestion). When you have students share the feedback they have for a peer, you gain insight into both students' learning.

For more introverted students-or for more private assessments-use Flipgrid, Explain Everything, or Seesaw to have students record their answers to prompts and demonstrate what they can do.

5. Methods that incorporate art: Consider using visual art or photography or videography as an assessment tool. Whether students draw, create a collage, or sculpt, you may find that the assessment helps them synthesize their learning. Or think beyond the visual and have kids act out their understanding of the content. They can create a dance to model cell mitosis or act out stories like Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" to explore the subtext.

6. Misconceptions and errors: Sometimes it's helpful to see if students understand why something is incorrect or why a concept is hard. Ask students to explain the " muddiest point" in the lesson-the place where things got confusing or particularly difficult or where they still lack clarity. Or do a misconception check: Present students with a common misunderstanding and ask them to apply previous knowledge to correct the mistake, or ask them to decide if a statement contains any mistakes at all, and then discuss their answers.

You can use sticky notes to get a quick insight into what areas your kids think they need to work on. Ask them to pick their own trouble spot from three or four areas where you think the class as a whole needs work, and write those areas in separate columns on a whiteboard. Have you students answer on a sticky note and then put the note in the correct column-you can see the results at a glance.

Several self-assessments let the teacher see what every kid thinks very quickly. For example, you can use colored stacking cups that allow kids to flag that they're all set (green cup), working through some confusion (yellow), or really confused and in need of help (red).

Similar strategies involve using participation cards for discussions (each student has three cards-"I agree," "I disagree," and "I don't know how to respond") and thumbs-up responses (instead of raising a hand, students hold a fist at their belly and put their thumb up when they're ready to contribute). Students can instead use six hand gestures to silently signal that they agree, disagree, have something to add, and more. All of these strategies give teachers an unobtrusive way to see what students are thinking.

No matter which tools you select, make time to do your own reflection to ensure that you're only assessing the content and not getting lost in the assessment fog. If a tool is too complicated, is not reliable or accessible, or takes up a disproportionate amount of time, it's OK to put it aside and try something different.

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7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

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Within these methods you'll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they're still learning.

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Unique Characteristics of the PYP Assessment

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Whether new or experienced, every teacher knows the importance of assessments in informing our classroom practices and identifying gaps and next steps. However, given the guided inquiry approach of the PYP, we can often get confused by what to assess and how best to assess it. We have designed this comprehensive guide as your companion for inquiring into assessment in your PYP classroom.

Through this guide and the accompanying resources, we will deep dive into 5 key questions:

1. Part 1. Why do we assess?

2. Part 2. What to assess?

3. Part 3. How to assess?

4. Part 4. What do we mean by assessment capable students?

5. Part 5. What are some ways of reporting on learning?

At different points in this guide, you will find resources that you can start using in your classroom today. Excited? Let's get started!
Please note: We designed this guide to be navigated sequentially. That being said, this is your inquiry so feel free to jump around to the sections you find most relevant to your context.
Part 1- Why do we assess?

Simon Sinek says no matter what you do, " start with why." When the learning community is aligned on the "why" of assessment, trust is built and meaningful action takes place. Teachers, students, parents, and administrators can then work towards a common goal.

Assessment holds different meanings for different stakeholders. It is often an intimidating subject to broach. Assessment impacts much more than just grades, it affects instruction, placement, student retention, and funding. It pushes us to ask hard questions, such as "Are we teaching effectively?", "Are all students catered to?", "Do teachers use assessment to better teaching and learning practices?", "How are we performing as a school?".

Before we dive into the "what" and "how" of assessment, it is important to align on the "why". We will break down the conceptual question "Why does assessment matter across the learning community?"

In this first part, you will -

Understand the importance of assessment for the different stakeholders in our learning community. Read more

Part 2 - What to assess?

Now that we know why we assess, we need to be able to identify what we are going to assess in our classrooms.

Sugata Mitra says, "We live in a world where, when we want to know something, we can learn it in two minutes. Could it be, the devastating question, that we're heading towards a future where knowing is obsolete?" He makes the case that often we assess what children know rather than assessing whether they can think.

As PYP educators and designers of inquiry-based learning, it is often challenging to figure out what to assess. Some big wonderings include "Should we be assessing knowledge or concepts?", "How do we use curricular standards or scope and sequence documents to create success criteria?", "What are strategies we can use to assess meaningfully?"

In the PYP, you are responsible for assessing student knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills. We will dive into the conceptual question, "How do we decide what to teach and assess?"

In this second part, you will -

Unpack how to assess knowledge, understandings, and skills. Explore more

Grab editable assessment templates you can use in your classroom. Download here

Part 3 - How to assess?

Assessments in the PYP are all about process over product. Assessments are often designed after learning is planned, but they need to take center stage. Assessments need to be weaved in through the course of the unit. Our goal is to be able to tell the story of learning - where it began, how it grew, how thinking changed, and what understandings were brought about.

However, the big question remains "How do we check for student understanding while they're still in the process of learning?" We will get hands-on and look into the conceptual question, "How do we design meaningful and balanced assessment for a unit of inquiry".

In this third part, you will -

Explore the 4 types of assessments. Read more

Discover an assessment cycle and strategies you can use to create meaningful ongoing assessments for your classroom. Click here to watch the video. Explore more

Watch this guided video to unpack the assessment cycle and view real-life examples. Click here

Use our assessment planning template to organize yourself. Download here

Part 4 - Developing assessment capable students

Assessment capable students are simply students who have agency, take ownership, and reflect on their progress.

In educator circles, it is repeatedly said that we're preparing children for an unknown future. We cannot know what challenges and opportunities our students will face in their future. Therefore, our primary goal as PYP educators is to equip students with the skills and capability they need to learn on their own.

When children become assessment capable, they continuously reflect on their learning, set learning goals, and plan next steps to achieve their goals. They self-assess by asking questions such as, "Where am I going?", "Where am I right now?" ,"How can I close the gap?" Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and John Hattie say, "When students know how to learn, they are able to become their own teachers". Once that happens, once children become assessment capable, learning is truly limitless. We will zoom into the conceptual question "What is assessment capability and how do you grow it?"

In this fourth part, you will -

Dive into 3 traits of assessment capable students in this guided video. Watch here

Learn simple but effective strategies for growing assessment capability for all learners. Explore more

Part 5 - Reporting on Learning

We have finally arrived at the last stop of every assessment cycle - reporting on learning. Historically, report cards have a bad reputation. They are seen as stressful for the teachers writing them, overwhelming for the parents who read them, and inaccessible for the students who are at the center of them.

In the PYP, reporting on learning is a celebration of progress with the learning community. When done right, reporting is continuous, growth-focused, and personalized. Reporting on learning takes many forms - report cards, student portfolios, student-led conferences, and more. However, we're going to deep dive into 2 central components - using student portfolios and writing report cards. Both of these give us opportunities to build a shared language around learning and frame the dialogue for moving forward. We will look at the conceptual question "What might reporting look like in a PYP classroom?"

In this fifth and final part, you will -

Explore the roles that student portfolio can play in reporting with this short video and checklist. Watch here

Discuss tips, tricks and best practices for writing report card comments in this blog. Read more

Explore how PYP schools around the world approach their progress reports with this downloadable resource. Explore more

Conclusion

Authentic assessments are a key ingredient in making a true inquiry-based learning environment. Becoming an assessment-capable community of educators, students, and parents takes time and constant effort.

Through this guide, our hope was to allow you to make connections between how learning and assessments are so intricately connected in the PYP and to empower you with actionable resources and strategies that you can take back to your classroom. As you grow your practice as an assessment capable educator, you can look back to this guide and find -
Disclaimer - The ideas and resources presented in this blog have been developed independently from and are not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Toddle's resources seek to encourage sharing of perspectives and innovative ideas for classroom teaching and learning. They are not intended to be replacements for official IB guidelines and publications. Views and opinions expressed by authors of these resources are personal and should not be construed as official guidance by the IB. Please seek assistance from your school's IB coordinator and/or refer to IB documents before implementing these ideas and strategies in your classroom.

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Your Guide to Assessments in the PYP: Unpacking the what, why and how of assessments

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Unpack the what, why, how of IB PYP assessments - get templates, guides and strategies that you can use in your PYP classroom. Explore more!

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At Meridian School, we believe the purpose of assessment is to communicate to students and parents areas of strength and needed growth through various types of authentic assessment. Parents also gain information concerning their child's status in relation to grade level expectations and state norms. For teachers, regular assessments help gather information needed to adjust instruction or to reteach for continued learning. Meridian focuses classroom time on instruction with formative assessment along the way, and summative assessment at the end of major concepts or skills. Differentiated assessment is provided to accommodate the different learning styles of students. We believe that assessment is a critical piece of information that is necessary for the best education of our students; however, we do not place heavy emphasis on benchmarking and state standardized testing.

Assessment in the Classroom

Forms of assessment within individual classrooms include both formative and summative instruments and are tailored to meet different modalities and individual needs. These include, but are not limited to:

* Pre-assessment - knowledge of a student's prior knowledge should drive the instruction within the classroom. For example, at Meridian, a simple pre-assessment is given before each of the major concepts taught within our math program. In that way, teachers can determine whether the student is not at grade level and content must be adjusted to teach foundational elements that might be missing, is at grade level in which case students are taught as the program directs, or if the student has already mastered the concept in which case the student is given either an advanced level of difficulty or taught through higher levels of thinking such as real world problem solving. Pre-assessment is done in each of our planners through oral discussion, use of KWL charts or other graphic organizers, or through the provocation activity.

* Formative assessment - Informal assessment is done constantly throughout the grading periods. This can be accomplished by use of running records, anecdotal notes, checklists, completion of simple graphic organizers or, in some cases, quizzes. It can also be accomplished through regular student reflection, both oral and written. Formative assessments in relation to the lines of inquiry are developed as common assessments. Grade levels may also utilize common formative assessments in reading, writing, word study and math.

* Summative assessment - Summatives are given to gauge the student's progress in major concepts or areas of instruction. They include the summative assessments focused on the central idea of each planner. They also include the end of concept tests for our math program. A full reading inventory through Fountas and Pinnell is used to assess fluency, comprehension and word recall in Meridian's reading program. Within the writing program, we utilize summative assessment tools to identify student growth in content and conventions.

* Self-Assessment and Reflection - Opportunities for self-assessment and reflection are given on a regular basis in classrooms, particularly as a part of the IB planners. Report card addendums go home each nine weeks with the regular report cards and include a student reflection on the learner profile based on a selected question (of the student's choice). Teachers then reflect on the student's reflection, and parents reflect on both of these reflections. Self-assessments are a part of the student's portfolio.

Assessment and the Program of Inquiry

Assessment through the planners revolves around both formative and summative assessment. Common formative assessment tasks are developed by teams to assess student learning related to the lines of inquiry. Common summative assessments are developed by teams to assess student learning and understanding of the central idea. These tasks, particularly the summative itself, are not necessarily complex activities, but simple assessments to answer the question, "does the student understand the concepts within the central idea?" These can include simple question and answer formats, oral responses, graphic organizers, and at times presentations. They also can be modified to address specific student modalities and/or individual needs. Teachers work in teams to decide the criteria needed to determine the student's knowledge of the concept, then devise a task for students to do, as well as a tool for evaluation. This often includes a type of rubric which can be used in advance by students to understand the criteria and can be used to assess and give a type of "grade" or anecdotal summary.

Students in 5th grade participate in Exhibition, the culminating experience of the PYP. Students are expected to demonstrate all aspects of the Learner Profile, participate in an in-depth collaborative inquiry, and take action based on learning.

As a Texas public school, Meridian School is obligated to participate in state assessment in all grade levels. This includes the following:

* The TPRI (Texas Primary Reading Inventory) for grades K-2. This inventory includes a running record and supporting questions to determine a student's readiness in reading through word identification, fluency, and comprehension. Student results of "developed" or "still developing" determine student "at-risk" criteria in the state student data system (PIEMS).

* The TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System) provides information for students who qualify as Limited English Proficient (LEP) learners through an initial screening done upon enrollment. This test determines the student's acquisition of English through an identified level. Students must progress through the levels to the point of "monitored" and then are exited based on their success.

* STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) exams will be given to students in grades 3-12 in subjects dependent upon grade level. At Meridian, students in grades 3-5 take assessments in reading and math. In addition fourth grade students are tested in writing, with a writing prompt and an exam to determine skills in grammar and spelling. Students in fifth grade also take an assessment in science. These exams are approximately four hours in length and results are used to determine not only academic instruction, but also grade level placement, and in some cases student grades.

Assessment Recording and Reporting

At Meridian, the Founders of the school's charter intended to remove some of the focus on testing that is in place in state public schools. Rather than spending weeks on test preparation and benchmarking, Meridian teachers are engaged in regular instructional practices, with test taking strategies taught just prior to the test.

Students in grades K-4 receive anecdotal report cards which classify students as advanced, proficient, developing or below expectations based on grade level criteria. These classifications are used for the core areas of reading, writing (content and conventions), math, science, and social studies. Anecdotal reporting to parents and students provides opportunities to give a clear picture, with detailed information regarding student progress. Students in grade 5 receive standard report cards with numerical grades. Teachers also give comments on these report cards to be as informative as possible regarding individual student progress and areas of need. All students K-5 are also assessed in the Specials areas based on conduct and level of engagement. Students, teachers, and parents reflect every quarter on the development of the Learner Profile using a report card addendum. Progress reports are provided to parents for students who are working below grade level and can be sent to any student at teacher discretion.

Student portfolios are maintained for all students within the Primary Years Program. These portfolios are divided into five sections: Self-assessment and Reflection; Summative Assessment; Teacher Selected; Student Selected; and Formal Assessment. Portfolios follow students through their years at Meridian and are shared with parents during student-led conferences, which are held twice per year (once per semester.) Teachers meet with parents to share beginning of year assessment data during the first quarter and then meet throughout the year as necessary.

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Meridian is a public, tuition-free charter school funded through state and federal dollars like traditional schools. Open to all students who live within Williamson County in Central Texas, Meridian was founded in 2011, the product of several families who banded together to create an education that fosters a love of learning for all students.

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Assessment and Student Agency in the IB PYP

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I recently attended an IB ARMS ( Rocky Mountain Association of IB World Schools) symposium in Denver and found myself in an interesting conversation regarding student agency. I think that the current buzz word student agency must be recognised for its role of bringing greater awareness to our...

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The word assessment is not new to educators. Yet, many practitioners, parents and students are still under the misconception that assessment is about tests, evaluations and grading.

It is much more than that. Assessment is so intertwined with learning that it has become a part of the process of planning, teaching and learning. One can't be separated from the other.

In this blog post, we will be examining the definition of ASSESSMENT and looking at the WHY, or purpose, of assessment. Then, we will focus on WHAT we are assessing and HOW we can assess it. Along the way, we hope to provoke you to develop your own assessment capabilities.

1. Define assessment

We should go back to the etymology of the word "assessment" which comes from the Latin verb "assidere," meaning, "to sit with." This reminds us that assessment is something teachers do with and for students rather than to students. This places the students at the centre of the process. With the teacher's guidance, they should be involved and play active roles throughout the assessment process.

How do we do that? What capabilities should teachers have in order to nurture assessment capable students?

At our Toddle Talks webinar on the subject, we asked the participants to share words and phrases that relate to assessment. This is the outcome of their sharing.

2. Clarify your understanding of assessment

In order to understand the process of assessment, we should go back to the WHY or the reason we assess. It is simply to inform teaching and learning.

Source: Dylan Wiliam - Formative Assessment Strategy

In order to do so, as teachers, we should know where the learning is going. This means we should know our curriculum. Our curriculum is the compass that guides us to plan the learning pathways with our students.

Next, we should know where the learner is now. Try to visualize the learning pit that's created by James Nottingham. Where is the learner now? Using different assessment strategies and tools, we can gather data that informs our planning and supports students to set their own goals. This will help us and the students think of strategies that can be used to get where they should be.

3. Know how assessment practices have changed over time

Over the years, the practice of assessment has shifted from a more traditional way of assessing where the teacher essentially "does" the assessment to the student called, "Assessment OF Learning". The student has no input in this type of assessment.

The shift to a more "enhanced" learning approach is when the student takes ownership of their learning in what is called, "Assessment FOR Learning". The student self-assesses by reflecting on their learning and adjusting their thinking, thereby developing new understandings. The teacher is merely the 'knowledge guide' rather than the 'knowledge holder.'

Source: http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Assessment_as_Learning Western and Northern Canadian Protocol (WNCP). (2006).

4. Understand the assessment process

Assessment is like an ongoing conversation where the teacher 'walks beside' the learner in a continuous conversation. The teacher adjusts their teaching and the student adjusts their learning as a result of the ongoing conversation. This results in what could be described as a 'continuum of the stages of growth,' as the learner develops their new understandings, skills and knowledge. Only the individual teacher will change over time as the student/learner moves along this learning journey.

When looking at assessment from the teacher's view, engaging in the assessment is similar to the Visible Thinking Routine of, "See-Think-Wonder".

Through learning experiences, we see how the students interact and show their understanding. We listen to their discussions. What do we notice as we observe this action? How do we record this data? How do we capture their thinking that is shown daily?

Within this modification of the 'See-Think-Wonder' routine, we simultaneously keep the 3 main questions: Where is the learning going? Where is the learner now? How do we get there? All of these ongoing questions lead to the 'what's next?' point which supports our planning for teaching and supporting learning.

5. Put on the 'noticing cap' whilst assessing

Going back to our initial question, if we are an assessment capable practitioner, we should reflect on our own assessment practice. As we have shared earlier, the assessment process is an ongoing conversation that promotes the continuum of growth. It requires us, as teachers, to continuously and simultaneously reflect and ask questions about how we assess and what we assess.

Back in December, we had a chance to have a chat with Edna Sackson. It was a productive and inspiring conversation which she followed up by writing a blog post on what it means to be 'assessment capable'. She shared provoking and reflective questions that assessment capable teachers (and learners) might ask themselves

Attributed to Yuni Santosa & Mary Kay Polly
Source: 'What does it mean to be assessment capable? '

6. Explore assessment strategies and tools

So, what does assessment look like in practice? What kind of assessment strategies do teachers use to demonstrate that they are assessment capable teachers?

As Co-founder, Global Educator Collective, Kirsten Durward said, 'Assessment is learning. Learning is assessment.' They are not done separately. Let's take a look at a few examples below that show how assessment and learning are intertwined.

In this example shared by Levi Allison, students explore different stations and self assess which stations and activities they found easy, just right, and challenging. The teacher observes and gathers data to decide next steps.

In this example of a Grade 3 Math assessment, the parent is a partner in the assessment to check for understanding about various multiplication strategies.

In this example from Toddle, the teacher assesses the learner on the co-created rubric, after the students' self-assessment. Co-creating rubrics with students allows them to become assessment capable and to develop their agency.

A few examples below show the connection between planning, teaching, learning and the assessment process in an inquiry-based approach. As Kath Murdoch in her book The Power of Inquiry mentioned, ' Teachers who use an inquiry-based approach know that assessment is very much built into the way they plan and teach. '

Using open-ended strategies provide teachers with clear information not only about what students know (knowledge) but also see how they apply the Approaches To Learning skills.

Applying Visible Thinking Routine strategies from Project Zero will help effectively guide students to think and reflect on their learning.

During our valuable chat with Edna Sackson, she mentioned, ''Everything is assessment!' If teachers put on their 'noticing' cap and keep learning, teaching and assessing side-by-side, then everything is assessment. A few examples below show the connection between planning, teaching, learning and assessing, in an inquiry-based approach.

In the example below on assessment language and the unit of inquiry by Cindy Kaardal, via Twitter, teachers assess students' understanding of features of myths. Teachers encourage students to be creative and construct features in different ways rather than simply highlight/ point out the features.

In the example below from Cindy Kardaal, via Twitter, the learning goals are shared with students, to help them understand where they are going. At the start of the year, she shares a few learning intentions which students relate to their goals and they learn identifying strategies to achieve the goal. As they get familiar with this process, they can come up with strategies/steps by themselves.

In this example from a student's Toddle journal, students upload evidence of their learning and write a reflection. The teacher is able to write individual remarks underneath the co-created rubric. This allows students to 'share their story of learning' with their parents. This is also an example of documenting and reporting where the student is given feedback to feed forward.

The example below shows how monitoring can be done on Toddle. Monitoring and analysing assessment is crucial for an assessment capable teacher so that they can evaluate and adjust their teaching to meet the needs of their students.

Now what?

Assessment should not be something that sends negative feelings and thoughts. If we, teachers, focus on the "why" of assessment, the process will become all about growth and not about failing and judgement.

So, are you an assessment capable practitioner? Let's keep the thinking going! Always keep in mind that assessment is a process, rather than a product. This will place the students at the centre of not only the teaching and learning process but also the assessment process.
' ... Learning benefits from ongoing constructive feedback and opportunities for growth,
not from continuous testing and judgement ... '
Dr. Helen Street - Contextual Wellbeing

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6 Strategies to Become an Assessment Capable Practitioner

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Get handy tips and strategies to create meaningful ongoing assessments in your classroom!