Assessment

When reading Chapter 15, I came to a realization that my current practice of assessment, mainly portfolios, were done so not to improve learning but as a mandate put upon me by my administration. I know that the purpose of assessment is used to drive instruction however the pressures and rigor of school work causes this to become no more than extra paperwork. This past year (my first year of teaching) I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of work that I had to complete. I always felt behind and always felt like I was playing catch up. So when my administration came to me about the evidence in student work, I threw something together without ever knowing the real meaning behind it. I had portfolios of my students that I never looked once it was placed inside. It became something extra that I had to do for the school and not something done for my benefit. I think many teachers are in the same boat. With the overwhelming work that is thrown at you, things become no more than a simple chore and the meaning behind doing them gets lost. Another example of this is using rubrics. I personally love the use of rubrics because it shows the students your expectations and gives them something to strive for. The past year though, I was told to use rubrics for EVERYTHING. During one grade level meeting, it was suggested that a rubrics be used for each class, each day. Since I was a special ed teacher who taught all subjects, that meant that I had to create 5 rubrics each day to assess the student learning for the day. This might seem like a great idea if there was infinite time in the world to do so. This again became a chore that was done just to satisfy the school. There were times that the rubrics were created after the assignment which defeats the entire purpose of them.

When it comes to assessment it is crucial for it to be meaningful and have impact on learning. However with the realities of school, this is sometimes lost. One of the major issues with assessment that this chapter talks about is standardized testing. Now, I know that all of us have a huge issue with testing. My first year, I have seen the effects to the administrators, teachers and students of this test. Students think that their entire success for the year depends on how well they do which is only supported by the school. Teachers teach to the test and schools use the test to determine success in the classroom. This assessment is used for accountability which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it has become the only measure of success or failure.

Ok, enough of the school basing, lets focus more on what can be done. While standardized testing is part of school, I think there are many forms of assessment that can be used to drive instruction. For next year, I will be sure to use rubrics and portfolios to drive instruction. If I don’t meet the amount that is mandated by the school, then oh well. A small amount that works is better than a large amount that doesn’t. It is about quality not quantity. The use of portfolios, especially if it is given to and used by the next teacher, is extremely important. Most of the start of school is to see the level and skill that the students are at. If we have a head start on that, we can start effectively teaching. Assessment is used to drive instruction. That is the main reason why it is done. We need to remember this so that it doesn’t get lost when times get tough.