Why all the tests?

Assessment is the key to informing student learning. Through assessments, you can evaluate and identify student needs in a specific content area and in reading and writing. As Afflerbatch (2016) states, “I believe the following credo is appropriate: Assessment should produce information that is useful in helping students become better readers, and assessments should do no harm” (Afflerbatch, 2016, p.414). The most common assessment in the classroom is a formative assessment. Through these formative assessments, the teacher can collect data immediately and can provide feedback immediately. The assessments provide information to the teacher as to where to move towards in student learning. Has proper assessment training been provided to teachers? No. So how can teachers truly know how to provide proper assessments to students? According to Stiggins (2007), “In fact, teachers typically have not been given the opportunity to learn these things during preservice preparation or while they are teaching” (Stiggins, 2007, p.28-29). Unfortunately, it is based off of the teachers’ ideologies and pedagogy on how to analyze student assessments. In my experience, I analyze student assessments daily to inform my instruction – I use exit slips to look at what common misconceptions students may be making and address them the next day.

Unfortunately, standardized testing is truly affecting the schooling that students receive. The focus of a once-a-year test gives very little realistic information about student learning. As Afflerbatch (2016) describes, true student learning is analyzed by the teacher through “using assessment to evaluate the broad array of cognitive and affective factors that influence students’ reading development also depends on teachers who are assessment experts (Johnston, 1987)” (Afflerbatch, 2016, p.418). Teachers know what is happening in the classroom and their students inform their instruction. The see if the students are motivated, engaged or have an attitude to achieve – self efficacy. As reported by Stiggins (2007), “The problem is that once-a-year assessments have never been able to meet the information needs of the decisionmakers who contribute the most to determining the effectiveness of schools: students and teachers, who make such decisions every three to four minutes” (Stiggins, 2007, p.28-29). The sad truth – once a year test do not provide accurate and true information like daily assessments from a teacher.

References:

Afflerbach, P. (2016). Reading assessment: Looking ahead. The Reading Teacher, 69, 413-419

Stiggins, R. (2007). Five assessment myths and their consequences. Ed Week Published, 8, 28-29