Assessment Practice in Classroom

Assessment practice in classroom Students’ assessment is one of the essential principles of any pedagogical program; it plays a crucial part in the educational process. According to McMillan (2011), attaining a perfect classroom assessment requires meaningful learning goals and standards that should be set before commencing classroom assessment procedures. Monitoring students’ progress will help teachers to adjust their instructions effectively to take students to the next level of learning.

Diagnostic assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment are major types of classroom assessment, and together they form the assessment cycle. McMillan (2011) points out that teachers must use achievement information derived from summative assessment to provide instructions, to attain the purpose of the assessment, and to give performance feedback to students and parents.

Pre assessment or diagnostic assessment is the first step in classroom assessment that teachers do before commencing a new learning activity, to provide them with information about students’ pre knowledge, tendencies, and motivations. It is a crucial procedure needed to proceed to the next step, which is formative assessment. This type of classroom assessment is given during a learning activity to detect the student’s progress and adjust teaching according to possible new requirements.

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After completing the learning activity, summative assessment takes part in the process. This assessment is intended to determine whether long-term learning goals have been met, in addition to providing feedback and measuring the level of success that has been obtained; students can use outcomes of a summative assessment formatively to guide their learning. In order to make this process effective, teachers should perform consistent assessments that provide reliable results because “unreliable assessments cannot be valid” (Eggen, 2009, p. 36). Unclear directions can give inconsistent information that lead to unintended negative consequences. Recurrent failure in students with learning disabilities can lead to a further failure; teachers can support those students by encouraging them, and trying to rebuild their self-confidence (Robinson, 2008). Those students need special materials and learning strategies to deal with their learning problems. Diagnosing the students first, can help teachers to make right decisions later, considering each student’s individuality.

There are several methods to be used in the classroom to ensure success according to Robinson (2008). For instance, the language experience approach and reading “usually guarantees interest, as it is one in which the student has a personal involvement. It is implemented with them and for them, it belongs to them. It allows the pupil to become involved in the learning process. Confidence and success are usually guaranteed, as developing your own stories based on everyday activities is likely to make the task easier to learn.

Reading one's own story, for example, should be easier as writers should remember what the story was about” (Robinson, 2008, p. 306). This method represents an example of formative assessment in a classroom. The final stage of assessment represents the process of summative assessment. Robinson (2008) suggests that reading the story onto a tape recorder could be beneficial for revision, by revising the students’ work, teachers will provide feedback to students, and may want to set forth new instructional plans to promote students’ learning.

Classroom assessment is a teachers’ powerful educational tool, especially when they use it to diagnose students with learning difficulties, and make modifications to their learning materials and instructions. McMillan (2011) argues that in order to make the assessment procedure successful in case of teaching students with learning difficulties, teachers should observe students precisely to give accurate indications of their performance. Employing the assessment cycle in classroom reinforces learning and improves its quality.

Making modifications that conform to learners’ capabilities can positively influence them educationally. (514) words References: McMillan, James H. (2010) Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective Standards-Based Instruction, 5th Edition. Pearson/Australia, Dec-10 Eggen, P. (2009) Educational Psychology: windows on classrooms, 8th Edition. Pearson/Australia, Jan-09 Robinson, G. (2008b). Understanding literacy and numeracy. In P. Foreman (Ed. ), Inclusion in action (2nd ed. , pp. 303-307). South Melbourne, Victoria: Thompson.

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