Remember when we were kids?  We’d anxiously wait for the teacher or maybe a classmate to pass back our papers so we could see our score.  If we did well, we’d have that moment of excitement.  If we did poorly, we’d cringe and stuff the paper into our desk or backpack.

And that was about it.

The score didn’t really change our behavior or help us learn better.  It was basically a “gotcha” or a “yay you” that went into the grade book, never to be seen again until report card time when we saw if overall we did well or poorly.  Assessment, then, was the final part of our learning journey.

Assessment was an autopsy, if you will, of what went right and wrong with no implications for the future.

This model, which we could call assessment of learning, is still prevalent in many of our schools and classrooms.  We administer exams and pore over the results, using them to weigh the effectiveness of our programs.  Not only are they a final, summative measure of each unit for teachers, they also become a final measure of our curriculum’s or teachers’ effectiveness at the school level.

More recently, there have been discussions in the educational community of a better way.  This new method uses assessment for learning, often called formative assessment.  In other words, student assessment becomes a tool for learning and a regular part of a teacher’s instruction.  Assessment actually becomes part of the learning.

When assessment is used for learning, feedback is used to bridge the gap between current understandings and the goals of instruction.

This is also true at the school level. School wide assessment data can be used for learning and not just as an evaluation tool of what has happened.

When educators have an understanding of, and perhaps more importantly internalize this new way of using assessment for learning, it is called assessment literacy.

So what does this look like?

At the classroom level, assessment becomes a powerful tool of learning for both the teacher and the student.

• The teacher uses assessment to drive instruction. Assessment results are carefully sorted into skills or standards, and teachers examine these results to look for trends.  Areas of reteaching for the whole class are identified as well as for groups of students and individual students.  For teachers, effective assessment will tell them what to do next.
• This information is then shared with students. Students are taught to own their learning process and use the information gained from assessment results to identify personal strengths and weaknesses.  Students may work with teachers to write goals for their learning, or as they grow in proficiency, develop their own goals.  For students, effective assessment motivates them to keep trying and instills confidence, even if mistakes were made.
• Assessment then becomes a component of a growth mindset, with the goal of students and teachers embracing the process of learning, which inherently must include failures instead of just the result of a “good grade.”

At the school level, assessment becomes part of the fabric of the school as all individuals work to embrace not just the product, but the entire learning process.

• Teams of teachers and administrators can use assessment data to see if there are standards or skills their students are not mastering, which can provide information about potential PD topics for the future.
• This information can be used to evaluate current curriculum to see if changes should be made or supplemental materials found.
• Assessment information can be used to determine the overall effectiveness of the institution.

Why I love it:

By growing the assessment literacy of administrators, teachers, and students, a school can break through existing barriers to learning and maximize its instructional efforts.

Important Considerations:

• Changing the way we think about assessment is a major paradigm shift for some educators, and internalizing this new way of thinking may be even more challenging. Additionally, teachers have varying value systems when it comes to assessment and professional learning, so administrators would be wise to differentiate the learning opportunities they provide and really get to know their educators in regards to assessment.  A survey can be a great way to get to know the teachers’ current beliefs and practices about assessment.  Here’s one you can copy or use for ideas.
• This is probably not a “once and done” topic for professional development, but one that should be an ongoing focus in team or PLC meetings.

Biblical Implications:

There are many verses about the importance of examining ourselves for faults.  Of course, this is discussed in spiritual terms, but I think the principle can be expanded to include the importance of self-reflection and evaluation as we learn new things as well.  Luke 2:52 says that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and indicates this was pleasing to God. Likewise, I think we honor him when we grow in wisdom if we’re striving to do so to his glory.

What the Research Says:

• Feedback should be used in such a way that students can use it to correct misunderstandings and further learning. Hattie, J. & Timperley, H. (2007).  The power of feedback.  Review of Educational Research 77(1), 81-112.
• Assessment for learning or assessment as learning are integral parts of the learning process. Stiggins, R. J. (2008).  Assessment manifesto: A call for the development of balanced assessment systems.  Portland, OR: ETS Training Institute.  Retrieved from http://www.uvstorm.org/Downloads/AssessManifesto-08.pdf
• DeLuca, LaPointe-McEwan, and Luhanga’s (2016) research suggests that not all teachers like the same type of professional trainings, nor do they share the same learning goals in assessment, so school leaders should develop “differentiated and targeted professional learning based on teachers’ identified approaches to assessment, areas of perceived skill, and professional development priorities and preferences” (22). DeLuca, C., LaPointe-McEwan D., & Luhanga, U. (2016).  Approaches to classroom assessment inventory: A new instrument to support teacher assessment literacy.  Educational Assessment 21(4). 248-266.  doi: 10.1080/10627197.2016.1236677

Want to know more?

Stiggins’ “Assessment Manifesto” is an excellent resource that is written in an easy-to-read way and only ten pages long. Download it here.

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