Culture of Assessment

(3) students who require some reteaching of the content. When students enter the classroom the next day, they see their learning groups up on the board (predetermined by the teacher based on the formative results), and their warm-up tasks (designed to meet their groups’ needs) are ready to go. The teacher knows he will stop by the group that needs reteaching first. He allows enough time during this warm-up to stop by each group, listen to its interactions, and respond accordingly.

In this scenario, the teacher chooses to use the assessment formatively. The data inform him of next steps and provide students with practice targeted to their needs. Notice that the teacher communicates the purpose of the assessment and then uses the data in a formative and targeted manner.

Scenario 2: Using the Assessment Tool Summatively

As the class is finishing its in-class work, the teacher makes an announcement that the students will wrap up five minutes early to take a formative assessment so that he can see how they are doing with the new content. That night, the teacher sits down with the students’ exit tickets and grades them. He knows that the students are still in the process of learning and does not want to penalize them for early mistakes, so he keeps the assignment’s point value low. He enters those scores into the online gradebook.

At the beginning of the next class period, the teacher returns the assessment results. He announces that he is making himself available to any students who have questions on their work after class and during their advisory period. That class period, the students start working with adding and subtracting mixed numbers. Notice that although the teacher calls the exit ticket a formative assessment, he does not use the data in a formative sense. Instead of responding to student needs in the moment, the primary purpose is judging proficiency and reporting. Student improvement cannot be expected without an instructional response.

Being clear about the assessment purpose allows students to view themselves as part of the assessment journey. This partnership provides a focus on growth and builds a positive, learner-centered classroom culture.

Culture of Assessment

Defining assessment, having a shared understanding of assessment’s purposes, and communicating those purposes to students from the outset of a school year or course are critical elements to ensure students understand how to engage with assessment. Students must know that the teacher will use assessment as a stepping-stone to move them forward by gathering information about how they learn and what they learn.

This understanding opens the door to increased vulnerability and willingness to engage in the new content and skills. Defining assessment invites learners into the conversation and lets them know assessment is a tool that is there to support them as they move through learning. When students positively view assessment, it cultivates a positive culture.

Changing the way teachers and students communicate about assessment has the potential to help teachers evolve the classroom culture to focus on learning and growth. Consider the following language that teachers can use in the classroom when speaking about assessment to ease anxiety and allow students to be vulnerable throughout the learning process.

• At the end of a class period: “Before you leave, I need you to show me what you know. Please complete the problem on the board—wrong answers welcome—so that I can form groups to help you address any errors tomorrow.”

• Before administering a formal assessment: “Since I am going to be providing you feedback on this assessment, I am going to ask you to provide me some feedback on this unit. How did it align with your learning style? Is there anything I could have done differently that would have helped you learn?”

• Before administrating a formative assessment early in the learning process: “Please remember that the purpose of assessment is for me to get information to best help you. If you get stuck, please ask questions.

Write to me about where you get stuck and what you need so I can plan accordingly tomorrow and in future lessons.”

• After a student hands in work and communicates frustration: “That’s completely fine. We are still in the process of learning. I ask you to complete these assessments so that I get a look at what you don’t know.

I’ll take a look at your work, and then I’d like to spend some one-onone time with you tomorrow so we can go over what I see should come next for you.”

Through each of these statements, teachers are communicating the purpose of the assessment and how the assessment is designed to support the learner. Assessment builds relationships, develops trust, teaches learners about learning styles, and allows for differentiation based on learners’ needs. It elicits the information teachers need to learn more about their classroom and learners. The more that teachers encourage vulnerability and model it to students, the more that they will reduce the fear