The term 'ongoing assessment' implies that the assessment process is like the energizer bunny that keeps going and going. It continuously happens. There are basically two types of assessments. Classroom assessments are those designed to help teachers plan instruction and evaluate student learning. High-stakes assessments determine if teachers, students, and schools are meeting standards and penalize them if they are not. Why is there so much emphasis on penalties for failing state tests and so little on rewards for passing them?
There are many types of assessments that measure the same goal in different ways. The goal is to measure student learning. Personal assessments like interviews, conversations, and observation, as well as critical thinking questions/responses allow the administrator to analyze a student's thought process. Content assessments allow teachers to see how well students are understanding information. I especially favor portfolios because they allow students to evaluate themselves as well as collect and exhibit their work. There are also mandated assessments which include state and standardized tests. I particulary do not favor these because they place more pressure on top of the pressure that is already there on teachers, students, and school districts alike.
An assessment is not useful if a teacher does not understand how to interpret it. Through conversation and observation, teachers can determine students viewpoints towards subjects and make the necessary adjustments to make them more appealing to students. Teachers can determine which skills have been mastered and which skills need work through students' reading and writing. They can also help students to share what they know through communication. When teachers can interpret assessments, they know when to move on or reteach a skill. This is good in that they want to make sure all of their students are learning, but if a teacher constantly has to reteach subjects and skills, how is it possible to cover all of the materials necessary to pass state tests?
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To me teachers teach only state test questions and materials because they fear losing jobs and being fired. There is not enough time in the day to do other things because your principal is always going to be pressuring you about these state tests. My question is always time, time, time. I honestly don't know where the time is going to come in. Our previous teachers always try to give ways in which we can utilize our time, but come on are they really being logical? Of course not, they are only teaching from what the book says, not from what they have done:(
ReplyDeleteI love your analogy of ongoing assessment to the engergizer bunny. It's very true. It's a very good thing that some of these assessments are quick and easy to administer. If they weren't, teachers may never know what their students are learning. Some assessments are very time consuming, and we all know that time in a classroom is crucial. These mandated tests do add so much pressure to students. When they have these tests they are stuck in a classroom for hours and hours with no break. This does not seem like a logical way to get good results from students. They are bored out of their minds, why would they perform well?
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