Purposes & Principles of Quality Assessment
Students all over the country know what it means to take a test. Seniors in high school, third graders, and college students have had experience filling in bubbles with number two pencils and agonizing over how to write essay questions without putting in too much effort. Tests, of course, are one example of assessment in a classroom, but the concept of assessment is much broader than many students understand. According to James Popham, “assessment” is a “formal attempt to determine a student’s status with respect to an educationally relevant variable” (2003, p. 2). In other words, assessment is simply a way to see what students have learned about a certain topic. This assessment can take many different forms, and, if used effectively, can be used to not only measure but also enhance student learning (Wiggins, 1993).
Based on Popham’s definition, it is clear one major purpose of assessment is to measure student learning. Although some teachers consider this to be the purpose of assessment, Stiggins, Chappuis, and many other prominent researchers insist that a second important purpose of assessment is to increase student learning (Stiggins and Chappuis, 2006). The differences between these two purposes of assessment represent the differences among the three major types of assessment: summative, interim, and formative. In simplest form, summative assessment, often referred to as assessment “of” learning is that which measures student learning at the end of a unit or school year. Formative assessment, or assessment “for” learning, occurs constantly throughout lessons as the teacher gauges student understanding and uses the information to help students learn more. And interim assessment falls somewhere in between the other two, measuring student learning while also making predictions and providing information for future decisions beyond the classroom level (Perie, Marion, & Gong, 2009). The following diagram provides a good representation of what these three types of assessment are and how often they are used in the classroom.
Based on Popham’s definition, it is clear one major purpose of assessment is to measure student learning. Although some teachers consider this to be the purpose of assessment, Stiggins, Chappuis, and many other prominent researchers insist that a second important purpose of assessment is to increase student learning (Stiggins and Chappuis, 2006). The differences between these two purposes of assessment represent the differences among the three major types of assessment: summative, interim, and formative. In simplest form, summative assessment, often referred to as assessment “of” learning is that which measures student learning at the end of a unit or school year. Formative assessment, or assessment “for” learning, occurs constantly throughout lessons as the teacher gauges student understanding and uses the information to help students learn more. And interim assessment falls somewhere in between the other two, measuring student learning while also making predictions and providing information for future decisions beyond the classroom level (Perie, Marion, & Gong, 2009). The following diagram provides a good representation of what these three types of assessment are and how often they are used in the classroom.
Unsurprisingly, however, much more is involved in actually creating effective, quality assessments than simply understanding the purposes of each type of assessment. One necessary step in creating effective assessments is running these “tests” through quality filters. Just like a filter on a kitchen sink, these assessment filters weed out bad questions and make sure all pieces of assessment which end up in the finished product are of highest quality. Six nonnegotiable quality filters include:
1. Establishing a clear content expectation for the assessment component to address
2. Matching the content with the content expectation
3. Matching the performance verb with the performance verb of the content expectation
4. Using clear language
5. Offering only one correct answer
6. Using only useful distracting (incorrect) questions of the assessment (Sheldon, 2008).
Quality assessment also goes beyond administering tests. According to Wiggins, assessment by means of multiple-choice kinds of tests often does not give an accurate picture of student understanding. Instead, these tests are created for ease of the teacher in grading (1993). Rather than simply assigning traditional tests and exams to assess student learning, teachers can employ many creative alternatives to make assessment more meaningful. Stiggins places these assessment possibilities in four main categories: selected response assessment, essay assessment, performance assessment, and personal communication assessment (teacher interacting with students and discovering what they understand) (2004). Alternative assessments beyond traditional tests are especially useful in formative assessment, when teachers should be gathering assessment data “minute by minute” (Perie, Marion, & Gong, 2009).
Assessment, in its most effective form, is so much more than traditional testing. It is, in simplest terms, the measurement of student learning, and can also be used to further student learning if implemented effectively. It is administered most effectively when all three forms – formative, interim, and summative – are used. By using these three types of assessment, compared against quality filters, a teacher can effectively assess student knowledge and adapt instruction to best serve student learning needs. A teacher’s most important goal is to foster student learning and growth. Using it effectively, assessment can become a one of a teacher’s greatest assets in the learning process.
1. Establishing a clear content expectation for the assessment component to address
2. Matching the content with the content expectation
3. Matching the performance verb with the performance verb of the content expectation
4. Using clear language
5. Offering only one correct answer
6. Using only useful distracting (incorrect) questions of the assessment (Sheldon, 2008).
Quality assessment also goes beyond administering tests. According to Wiggins, assessment by means of multiple-choice kinds of tests often does not give an accurate picture of student understanding. Instead, these tests are created for ease of the teacher in grading (1993). Rather than simply assigning traditional tests and exams to assess student learning, teachers can employ many creative alternatives to make assessment more meaningful. Stiggins places these assessment possibilities in four main categories: selected response assessment, essay assessment, performance assessment, and personal communication assessment (teacher interacting with students and discovering what they understand) (2004). Alternative assessments beyond traditional tests are especially useful in formative assessment, when teachers should be gathering assessment data “minute by minute” (Perie, Marion, & Gong, 2009).
Assessment, in its most effective form, is so much more than traditional testing. It is, in simplest terms, the measurement of student learning, and can also be used to further student learning if implemented effectively. It is administered most effectively when all three forms – formative, interim, and summative – are used. By using these three types of assessment, compared against quality filters, a teacher can effectively assess student knowledge and adapt instruction to best serve student learning needs. A teacher’s most important goal is to foster student learning and growth. Using it effectively, assessment can become a one of a teacher’s greatest assets in the learning process.