Aligning Assessment with Common Core Thinking

When is the last time that you sat down and really examined the point or purpose behind giving that last assessment? An important aspect to the teaching profession is continuous self-examination of the teaching practice. With the rollout of Common Core, many teachers will be asked to re-examine the type of assessment that they implement as well as the reasoning associated with it. In order to do that more efficiently, it is imperative to understand the types of assessments, the often neglected component of administering assessments, and which assessments will assist in aligning with Common Core standards.  

 

Formative Assessment (Assessment for Learning)

The purpose of a formative assessment is to improve both learning and achievement. These types of assessment help both teachers and students to gauge what is being learned and what is being missed. Formative assessments should be thought of as a process that coincides with learning. With proper implementation of formative assessments, teachers have daily, weekly, even bi-weekly ways to check for understanding. In addition, students have a way to understand if they are on track and comprehending the main ideas or objectives behind the lessons.

Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning)

The purpose of a summative assessment is to measure what has been attained by the student. These assessments focus on the learning outcome as opposed to the learning process. Often used to assign grades or scores after the completion of a learning section, this type of assessment can take many forms but the intention is always to gauge what has been attained by the student.

Both formative and summative assessments are critical to the learning process. The questions that we need to ask are: Are formative assessments being used to guide both teacher and student through learning? And, are the summative assessments appropriately and adequately gauging the outcome of the unit or set of lessons?

Feedback: The Neglected Component of the Assessment

An area of assessment that often gets neglected, but has been proven by research to have the largest effect on success, is feedback. Feedback can take place in many forms. Whether you are sitting down with each student one-on-one, or going over the assessment as a class, the most essential component to include as a part of your assessment is the feedback element. Unfortunately, this aspect is often left out, especially for secondary teachers who can have up to 190 students.

Three Steps to Better Align to Common Core Assessment

1. Use multiple-choice assessments sparingly. Multiple choice tests still have their place in the classroom. These are a great ways to check for understanding or do a quick quiz. These assessments should be moved more to the formative side of the scale where an instructor could get a quick glance on whether or not the information is being retained. Consistent multiple choice tests used for summative assessments lead to a culture of “cramming.” For the summative assessment, try fewer questions but require proof/evidence of deeper understanding of the content. This could be short answer, essay, or some variation that works for your classroom.
2. Make the student responsible for proving content mastery. Provide a rubric and/or basic outline for what the expectations are. The student is then responsible for creating a final product within your parameters that show examples of content mastery and application. It is important to note that it is more important for students to understand how to compile and research information than for them to memorize something solely for the purpose of passing a single exam. The process is more important than the content itself.
3. Project-based assessments. Project-based assessments allow for learning to take place and coincide with the assessment. An example of this could be teaching how to conduct research by doing a research project. Along the way, teaching which sources are acceptable and how to compile information in an academic manner. The summative assessment is their their final product or it could even be a presentation to the class.

Real-World Application

Regardless of the subject being taught, it is going to be very important for students to get practice explaining themselves and their reasoning. Besides, at its most basic level, isn’t the goal of Common Core implementation to better equip our students with real life skills? This includes taking into account what type of challenges or “assessments" might take place in the student’s future.  

What assessment strategies do you implement to better align your classroom to the Common Core Standards? Share your thoughts and ideas with the Lesson Planet Community.

Related Resources:

Get Students Involved in the Learning Process, Working Together is a Life-Long Skill, Contemplate the Purpose behind that Grade