1.5 Design assessments

Strategies for Formative Asssessm1.5
Design assessments to ensure student mastery
This standard steers the teacher to develop multiple and varied forms of assessment.  The assessments should be sequenced in such a way that the teacher always has knowledge of what students know or do not know before moving on to the next step in the lesson.  Students should also be given opportunities to self-monitor their work.

A.      Selection of assessments
Considerations for Practice at Level III
The teacher uses more than one assessment throughout the lesson and at the end of the lesson.
The teacher uses varied forms of assessment, such as selected response (multiple-choice, true-false, matching, short-answer, fill in); constructed response (short-answer, open response, extended response, essay tests, paragraphs, quick-writes); and performance assessments (process assignments, group work, construct a response, create a product, perform a demonstration.)
Considerations for Practice at Level IV
Students are assessed by their learning modalities
Students are assessed according to their special needs.
Students are given time to reflect on their own performance, based on the teacher’s assessment.

B.       Progression of assessments
Considerations for Practice at Level III
There should be multiple formative assessments leading to a summative assessment.  Each of the formatives should be built on the results of the previous one.  The teacher should adjust instruction based on the results of the formatives.
The summative assessment should hold no surprises for the students.
Considerations for Practice at Level IV
Students should have a choice in the way they demonstrate their learning.  They should be given a choice of several assessments offered to them OR they should be able to assist in the design of the assessments.

C.      Self-Monitoring by Students
Considerations for Practice at Level III
With the teacher’s assistance, students should have time and opportunity to monitor their own progression.  They might chart their own progress in their notebook, or compare their own work to a rubric. On an Exit Slip, they might write a statement about the progress they’ve made set a goal for the remainder of the chapter/unit.
Considerations for Practice at Level IV
Students should be given time and opportunity to reflect on what they need to do next to improve their own learning.  Students could be grouped according to their progress, misconceptions, or learning styles, and each group could plan a strategy to assist each other in their learning.

Resources
Checking for Understanding Powerpoint
Checking for Understanding Powerpoint no answers
Checking for Understanding Planning Sheet
Formative Assessment-A Process
Asking Students to Self Assess
Students in Formative Assessment
Strategies for Formative Asssessments
Student Self Monitoring
Scenarios on the Use of Formative Classroom Assessment

Formative Assessment Ideas
This chart created by the Wake County Public Middle School District includes strategies for formative assessments as well as strategies for students’ self-monitoring.  Although it was presented at an algebra readiness conference, the strategies can be applied to any subject.  http://www.trianglehighfive.org/tools-resources/ars-2010/ Scroll down to Additional Resources and click on Formative Assessment Ideas Activity.  You might come across other resources on this sight that interest you.

Popham, James, Test Better, Teach Better: The Instructional Role of Assessment
This book by assessment expert Popham explains the link between assessment and instruction.  Readers will learn the nuts and bolts of effective test design and application and get at crash course in instructionally focused assessment.  The book is available through http://www.ascd.org/.