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Dacia Harrison

February 27th, 2017

Measurement and Evaluation

Professor Buggie

Philosophy of Assessment

Assessment is one of the many tasks a teacher takes part in from day to day in a

classroom. It is the process of evaluating students on their skills and knowledge attained through

participating in regular learning in the classroom. I believe that assessment is very important and

needs to be done daily in order for a teacher to know whether their teaching method is effective

and if the students are learning. There are several types of assessment, formative and summative,

that should take place in a classroom in order to have a complete picture of how students are

learning. Each type of assessment has its own place within the classroom and should involve the

students as much as possible by including them in self-assessment, creation of rubrics and

classroom conferences. In addition to the different types of assessments, whether or not

homework is given and standardized testing should be considered too.

Formative assessment is the most important form of assessment that I will use in an

elementary school classroom. I believe that formative assessment is important because it helps

me, as a teacher, decipher whether what I am teaching is getting across to my students. Cauley

and McMillian argue that effective teachers use formative assessment during instruction to

identify specific student misunderstandings, provide feedback to students to help them correct

their errors, and identify and implement instructional correctives and I completely agree with

their argument on effective teaching (Cauley & McMillian 2010). I can use formative assessment

by simply observing my students to see if they understand the activity they are supposed to be
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completing. I can also create a checklist for activities that require more detail and walk around

the classroom checking off the items my students are completing. As an elementary teacher, I

am often using my proximity to make sure students are on task, but it also lets me get a feel for

the emotions that are taking place in the classroom while students work independently. Not only

do I constantly observe the atmosphere of my classroom while my students are working, I also

provide them with descriptive feedback without a letter grade. Each one of my students will

receive detailed feedback by one on one conferences or written notes that will help them move

forward in their learning either. I believe that formative assessment can be used for assessment

for learning and assessment of learning because teachers are always evaluating what students

are learning by checklists, anecdotal notes, and observations in the classroom. The types of

formative assessment that I would use to determine whether my students have learned anything

would be a Think, Pair, Share, jigsaw activity, KWL charts, and self-assessment.

Summative assessment is a form of assessment that needs to be included in the

elementary school classroom in a unique way. Summative assessment is not necessary based on

all assignments or classroom activities, but it is needed to create a students overall rating for the

term. Dixson and Worrell present summative assessments as cumulative assessments that

intend to capture what a student has learned, or the quality of the learning and judge performance

against some standards (Dixson and Worrell 2016). Summative assessment should reinforce

learning that has already been taking place; therefore, it should only be used for certain

assessments. I believe that summative assessment can be used appropriately by outlining my

intentions clearly to my students. Typically, I would only use summative assessment to reinforce

learning that has already taken place with a final project or a short quiz that illustrates what the

students have learned in a unit. When I use summative assessment I am not just supplying my
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students with a letter grade, I am also providing them with detailed feedback so they can review

and see if there is a way they can take their learning a step further. Evidence collected for

summative assessment should come from of combination of observations, conversations and

products in order to provide valid assessments. Anne Davies argues, If your evidence is

triangulated, then you are likely using a range of techniques to gather proof of learning over

time (Davies 2011). Unlike formative assessment, I do not use summative assessment daily

because it is not necessary and it would result in some skewed rates. I tend to use summative

assessment after we have completed a unit or a specific activity to reinforce everything my

students have learned before moving on to a new topic. One thing that teachers need to keep in

mind when using summative assessment in the classroom is that although the marks are

technically for the students, it is the parents who are really interested in what grades their child

receives.

Standardized testing is a form of assessment that needs to take place when mandated by

the school district or government. As a teacher, I believe in students participating in standardized

tests so school districts and schools can sit down and discuss what needs to be worked on and

create different strategies to target the low areas. As a teacher, I do not think we should be

teaching to the test so our students can pass and or improve the schools overall average. Teachers

should be scaffolding their students learning so they have the proper tools to complete the test.

As teachers, we should be teaching so our students can have a deep understanding of the

classroom content so they can avoid regurgitating information on a standardized test.

Providing students with homework is another point that needs to be discussed. I

personally have no problem giving homework to students, but within reason. As a teacher, I

would never overwhelm students and their parents with too much homework. Homework should
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practice what the students have already learned in class. Students should not be struggling with it

and fighting with parents. It should be an easy task that can get done nightly that is beneficial to

their learning. Homework should be done nightly, but I also believe in providing upper

elementary students with different choices of homework throughout the week and as long as they

completed the required number of assignments their homework would be complete.

Overall I truly believe that when a teacher uses several different types of assessment

students receive well-rounded learning. However, these might be my beliefs at this point in my

teaching career, but they are subject to change overtime and even within in the next year. As a

teacher, I am always learning and researching new and improved techniques to use in the

classroom.
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Works Cited

Cauley, Kathleen M, and James H. McMillan. "Formative Assessment Techniques to Support

Student Motivation and Achievement." Clearing House: a Journal of Educational

Strategies, Issues and Ideas. 83.1 (2010): 1-6. Print

Davies, A. (2011). Making Classroom Assessment Work (Third ed.). Courtenay, BC:

Conect2learnig.

Dixson, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (April 02, 2016). Formative and Summative Assessment in the

Classroom. Theory into Practice, 55, 2, 153-159.