PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT

Philosophy of Assessment
Jodie Winchester
North Carolina State University

PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT

Introduction
Over the course of the semester, the ideas surrounding assessments, policies, and
practices have changed greatly due to class readings, field observations, and in class discussions.
Personally, education is in constant motion and teachers should be will to change their beliefs for
the benefit of their students. When designing five belief statements, the central focus was to
provide the best level of education for each student and instill confidence when needed. As a
future high school math teacher, the beliefs I construct today may positively or negatively affect
my future students so its important to develop solid belief statements.
Five Belief Statements About Assessments
I.

I believe teachers should be aware of the bias they may have and instill practices
avoiding bias when grading assessments. When researching bias during the semester,
an article described the importance of keeping students anonymous during grading
(Malouff, Emmerton, & Schutte, 2013). In the classroom setting, I will abstain from
looking at the students name of their assessment during the grading process.
Additionally, I will instill strategies such as grading all of the assessments at once and
grading each page for all assessment before moving to the next page. By using these

II.

strategies, I hope to create a fair grading process for all students in the classroom.
I believe teachers should provide alternative assessments and differentiated
instruction for students that are struggling to instill confidence in those students. As
the class progresses, teachers should make some conclusions on which practices help
maximize students learning (Wormeli 2006). However, differentiated learning does not
mean teachers make learning easier for students. Additionally, the teacher should provide
alternative assessments for students with learning disabilities according to their IEPs or
504 plans. In my future classroom, individuals will see differentiated learning through the

PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT

lesson plans constructed and alternative assessments will be given to students based on
their individual learning needs. By implementing this belief, I hope to create an
III.

environment where students can learn to their best potential.

I believe teachers should use some form of the cycle of assessment to modify
learning goals, learning opportunities, and assessments based on the results given by
assessments. Through the cycle of assessment, an educator can make decisions based on
data collected through assessments and observations (Importance of Assessment). In my
future classroom, I hope to use data from assessments and observations in the class to
enhance future lesson plans to maximize student learning. Additionally, the cycle of
assessment may help teachers created an individualized plan for students to reach their

IV.

learning potential and instill confidence in their abilities.

I believe teachers should create lesson plans that assess students learning before,
during, and after instructional time. Through assessing students, the teacher is able to
modify lesson plans, activities, and future assessments to improve the students
knowledge on certain material. By giving students pre-assessments, the teacher is able to
see students prior knowledge on a subject and create lesson plans to improve their
knowledge (Wormeli 2006). By assessing throughout the instructional time, the teacher is
able to make decisions to present the material in a different way and allow time for

V.

students to ask questions on topics that are more difficult for them.
I believe teachers should instill multiple types of assessments throughout the course.
Through multiple types of assessments, the students benefit from seeing the material
presented in different ways and the teacher is able to gain the students attention by
providing assessments that interest the students. In the process of designing the
summative, formative, and pre-assessments, the instructor may want to construct a
summative assessment first because we want to start with where were going. Following

PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT

the summative assessment, teachers may want to design the pre-assessments and end with
formative assessments (Wormeli 2006). With these assessments, teachers may be able to
construct a lesson plan guiding the students through the material in an effective manner.
Sample Syllabus
High School: East Gaston High School (http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/Page/7079)
Teacher: Ms. Jodie Winchester
E-mail: jlwinch2@ncsu.edu
Class: Insert Math Course in High School
Grading Policy: All work will be handed in on time unless previously discussed with the
teacher. During the grading process, I will grade fairly for all students through grading practices
developed for experience and journal readings. The students will receive partial credit on tests if
the student shows their work. For project grade, the teacher will provide a rubric for the students
to prevent any confusion. Overall, I will use grading practices to provide a fair grading system
for the students.
Late Work: All work will be submitted on time unless the student has given an explanation to
the teacher before the assignment is due. Additionally, the students will be penalized ten percent
for everyday the work is late but this policy only applies to project grades. All homework will be
given in on time or it will result in a zero. If the student isnt present on a quiz or test day, the
student will be given a different day to take the assessment.
Grade Calculations: 20% homework, 20% projects, 10% quizzes, & 50% tests
Grading Scale: A (90-100), B (89 80), C (79 70), D (69 60), F (Below 60)
Conclusion
Throughout the philosophy of assessment paper, the beliefs written are designed to create
fair assessments for all students and develop a grading system that aims to eliminate bias. In the
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards, standard five is designed for teachers to reflect
on their practices that relates to my third belief to instill a cycle of assessment. Overall, my goal
is to create and instill the best practices for my students because all students deserve the best
education and to be treated fairly.

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5
References

Malouff, J. M., Emmerton, A. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2013). The Risk of a Halo Bias as a Reason to
Keep Students Anonymous during Grading. Teaching Of Psychology, 40(3), 233-237.
The Importance of Assessment Cycle in The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 3, 2016, from http://teachingstrategies.com/content/pageDocs/Theory-PaperAssessment-Creative-Curriculum-Preschool-10-2012.pdf
Wormeli, R. (2006). Creating Good Test Questions. In Fair Isnt Always Equal: Assessing &
Grading in the Differentiated Classroom. Stenhouse Publishers.