All teachers approach the teaching profession with their own vision about the purpose of measurement and evaluation and how it should be used in the classroom to promote student learning. While some teachers claim that diagnostic evaluation is most significant, others claim that formative or summative assessment are most important; regardless of the teacher you are talking to, there is a widespread acceptance students learning should be regularly monitored and evaluated by the classroom teacher. I believe that at the elementary level, daily formative assessment, whether it be in the form of a checklist or running record, is extremely important to illustrate students understanding and progress. While frequent assessment allows teachers, to identify which students are struggling with a particular topic, and those who are not being challenged enough, it is tool that aids the teaching identifying their most effective teaching strategies. The purpose of the following paper is to articulate my personal assessment philosophy, and how diagnostic, formative and summative assessment can be used to enhance student learning in the classroom.
Diagnostic assessment is an incredibly valuable tool to use in September when you are trying to get a general idea about where the students stand in terms of their reading level, their writing, their understanding of numbers etc. I see significant value in doing this, and not relying on students’ previous teachers to relay this important information- it is important that you take the time to develop your own conclusions about your students academic strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, diagnostic assessment should be applied when introducing new units to gauge what students already know to ensure that you are expanding their knowledge of a particular topic.
The application of formative assessment at the elementary level is essential. As teachers move towards adopting a student-centered and inquiry-based approach to teaching, it is important they we continuously be making notes, and completing checklist about what specific areas a student may be having challenges with. As a teacher, formative assessment will be a integral part of my day in effort to reflect my learning philosophy which is centered upon meeting the learning needs of all the students in the class. Students must be assessed in creative ways that allow all students whether they be tactile, kinaesthetic, or verbal learners to illustrate what they understand about a concept. Using formative assessment in the classroom allows you to track students progress more accurately, and if ever parents have questions about students learning than you have a collection of formative assessments to back you up.
Traditionally, summative assessments have been understood as being a test that brought a unit to a close; to me, summative assessment is a way of ensuring all students have received the essential learnings from a unit. If I have effectively used formative assessment in my class, and was able to identify the gaps in students learning, then by the time the class does their summative assessment all students should be successful. If at this point there are still students struggling that I was unaware of, then I have not effectively used the feedback gained through my formative assessments. Summative assessment is best used as a way of confirming that all students have grasped a topic before moving on; it helps avoid any significant learning gaps.
The final point that I would like to make about assessment is that assessment can be used three ways: assessment for student learning, of student learning and for students learning. While it is important to use a balanced approach of all three strategies, at the elementary level I believe it is particularly important to focus on assessment for students learning. Teachers should provide learning opportunities that allow students to be challenged and successful at the same time; differentiated assessment is key in ensuring that all students stay motivated and engaged in their learning. Each student should be assessed on his or her academic level, in conjunction with the curriculum outcome being evaluated.
In conclusion, measurement and evaluation plays an important role in the elementary classroom. Assessment is a valuable tool that allows the teacher to identify students learning and reflect upon the effectiveness of their own teaching strategies. I do not believe that students should ever feel anxious or defeated about being assessed, rather excited to see their own progress. What grade two students would not be excited to find out that their reading has improved so significantly that they can move up a reading level? It is extremely important at the elementary level that teachers celebrate students’ successes and use assessment as a means of ensure that all students are getting the essential learnings.