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Philosophy of Assessment
EDUC5913E
Maggie Estabrooks
February 14, 2017
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As a teacher, it is important to recognize the importance of assessing students in a variety

of ways. I believe the primary purpose of assessing students is so teachers can see how students
have understood concepts. Therefore, having a plan to incorporate different methods of
assessment will benefit students with more opportunities to show teachers what they know. I
approach assessment with a combination of formative assessment, summative assessment, and
standardized testing. I will also explain my opinions on homework, a widely-accepted form of
assessment.

Formative Assessment

I personally believe that formative assessment is one of the best ways to assess students
across all subjects. Methods of formative assessment such as anecdotal notes, are a simple way
for teachers to keep track of their observations of students. It allows me to keep track of how
students complete a task, and what they can do better so I can find the best way to help in the
future. I also use other means of assessment like journals, checklists, and conferences with
students. These types of assessment give students valuable descriptive feedback which will help
them improve. Descriptive feedback can also come from other students, with methods such as
two stars and a wish. I believe that if students are capable, forms of peer assessment like two
stars and a wish are a great idea to bring into the classroom. Not only does this method show kids
how to give good feedback to others but it also shows them what to look for in their own work.

Summative Assessment

Even though I appreciate the informal nature of formative assessment, to counter that,
summative assessment is also necessary to understand students comprehension. In my
experience, summative assessments are a good way to evaluate student progress during a unit.
Summative assessment is a useful tool to show parents how their child is doing in a subject,
preparing them for what they could see during the reporting period. One of my goals with
summative assessment is to take away the anxiety and stress with which it is associated. One of
the ways I do this is to not call them tests; instead it is explained to students this is so the teacher
to see what theyve learned. Tests should be familiar to students, they should look like work
sheets they have previously completed and there should be no surprises. Other ways I use
summative assessment are with creative projects and presentations. When possible I like giving
students choice with these assignments to pique interest and reduce stress. When assessing
students learning with projects, it is important to make expectations clear (with rubrics or
checklists) so that students understand how they should represent their learning. An important
factor in summative assessments is that it should be given when the students are ready, this will
give them the best opportunity to succeed. I do not believe summative assessment should be the
only factor to a students final grade. Instead, summative, and formative assessment work
together to evaluate student learning.

Standardize Testing

Standardized tests are a necessity for many schools and I recognize that they will be a
part of my classroom procedures. Although I see some issues with standardized testing, I feel as
the teacher it is my responsibility to make these evaluations as straightforward as possible for my
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students. It is known that standardize tests come with a set of strict rules. These rules limit
student accommodations, but I do not believe that is fair. The reality of this assessment is that
some students are not able to meet the outcomes measured by these tests. I believe students who
need it should have help during standardized testing. If a student cannot understand the question
(for whatever reason), of course they are going to get it wrong, which is not fair. If left to
complete these tests without some sort of assistance students will struggle, possibly not be able
to complete it and become embarrassed. Student with learning disabilities, ELL students and
struggling students should be able to have a reader with them when taking these tests. Depending
on the standardized test, I believe students should be allowed manipulative or helpful tools of
some kind. Even if it must be noted that students used manipulatives, I believe it is better for the
student self-esteem. I think it is also important to describe standardized tests to students in a
positive way.
Homework
A lot of teachers use homework to assess students as a form of independent work. In my
experience, homework should be used as extra practice. While working in a grade two class, they
did not even call it homework, but referred to it as extra practice. We decided it was important
for students to work on their reading as much as possible, but to not assign any other work.
Students do a lot of work at school and giving a lot of homework causes unnecessary stress to
students and their families. Taking the time each night to work on literacy is enough work for
most students. If students are struggling they need extra help or tutoring, homework will only
frustrate the students further. Although this plan is mainly from experience with lower
elementary I believe it can apply to most grades.

Conclusion
My philosophy of assessment is based on the experience I currently have in the
classroom. From what I have seen, a balance of formative and summative assessment works well
to evaluate students learning. Homework can be effective when it is used as a method of practice
when developing literacy skills. I am sure as I gain more experiences in a variety of grades, my
philosophy will evolve.