Classroom Assessment Planning: Key Questions

Content Standards Purpose(s) for Assessment Audience(s) for Assessment

What do we want students to know, Why are we assessing and how will the For whom are the assessment results
understand, and be able to do? assessment information be used? intended ?

■ ❏ diagnose student strengths and ❏ teacher/instructor

needs
❏ students
❏ provide feedback on student
learning ❏ parents

■ ❏ provide a basis for instructional ❏ grade-level/department team

placement
❏ other faculty
❏ inform and guide instruction
❏ school administrators
❏ communicate learning expectations
❏ curriculum supervisors
■ ❏ motivate; focus student attention
and effort ❏ business community/employers

❏ provide practice applying ❏ college admissions officers

knowledge and skills
❏ higher education
■ ❏ provide a basis for evaluation
__ grading ❏ general public
__ promotion/graduation
__ program selection/admission ❏ other: ___________________
❏ provide accountability data

❏ gauge program effectiveness

 Framework of Assessment Approaches and Methods
How might we assess student learning in the classroom?

SELECTED PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENTS

RESPONSE CONSTRUCTED PROCESS-
ITEMS PRODUCTS PERFORMANCES
RESPONSES FOCUSED

❏ multiple-choice ❏ fill in the blank ❏ essay ❏ oral presentation ❏ oral questioning

• word(s)
❏ research paper
❏ true-false • phrase(s) ❏ dance/movement ❏ observation
❏ log/journal (“kid watching”)
❏ matching ❏ short answer ❏ science lab
• sentence(s) ❏ lab report demonstration ❏ interview
• paragraphs
❏ story/play ❏ athletic skills ❏ conference

examples
❏ label a diagram
❏ poem
performance
❏ process
❏ “show your work” ❏ portfolio ❏ dramatic reading description

❏ representation(s) ❏ art exhibit ❏ enactment ❏ “think aloud”

• web ❏ science project
• concept map ❏ debate ❏ learning log
• flow chart ❏ model
• graph/table ❏ musical recital
❏ video/audiotape
• matrix
• illustration ❏ keyboarding
❏ spreadsheet
 Evaluation and Communication Methods
Evaluation Methods
How will we evaluate student
knowledge and proficiency?
Selected-Response Items:
❏ answer key
❏ scoring template
❏ machine scoring
Performance-Based
Assessments:
❏ generic rubric
❏ task-specific guide
❏ rating scale
• bi-polar
• hierarchical
❏ checklist
from McTighe and Ferrara (1997). Assessing Learning in the Classroom. Washington, DC: National Education Association
❏ written/oral comments
Communication/
Evaluation Roles
Feedback Methods
Who will be involved in evaluating student How will we communicate
responses, products or performances? assessment results?
Judgment-Based Evaluation by: ❏ numerical score
• percentage scores
• point totals
❏ teacher(s)/instructor(s)
❏ peers/co-workers
❏ letter grade
❏ expert judges (external raters)
❏ developmental/proficiency
❏ student (self-evaluation) scale
• generic rubric
❏ parents/community members
• task-specific guide
❏ employers • rating scale
❏ narrative report (written)
❏ checklist
❏ written comments
❏ verbal report/conference