Assessment

Rothstein, R., Jacobsen, R. and Wilder, T. (2009). Grading education. American Educator, 24-33.

The author starts off this research by discussing No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This was an endeavor from the federal government that on paper seemed to be wonderful. Actually, I agree with the idea behind NCLB; all students will be literate at grade level by 2013-2014. However, the people behind the scenes did not take many variables into consideration when passing this law. Testing is such a hard way to measure a school’s improvement. NCLB just makes teachers feel stressed and accountable for things that are beyond their control. There are so many variables that go into a student testing well, and one test usually does not show the growth of that student. Not to mention the text anxiety teachers and students both face. Some students may make great strides in their academics, but on test day show complete failure and the teacher is held accountable. It doesn't quite seem right. Teachers feel as if they are teaching to tests, not to what will prepare a student for life and encourage life-long learning skills.

Barton, P.E., and Coley, R.J. (2009). Measuring the achievement elephant. Educational Leadership, 30-34.

This article discussed the achievement gap and the high stakes of standardized testing. Basically, the tests do not show what students have learned or gained and do not give enough insight to parents regarding what their child needs to improve upon. The tests do not really even test skills, they test “test taking skills.” I find it hard to agree with high stakes testing, especially because NCLB will never happen and then what?  Where will we stand at that point and what did we accomplish by requiring high stakes testing for all these years? Nothing. We will have only learned that this type of assessment does not drive student achievement or teaching. We will have learned that students all learn differently and that it takes a community to teach students, not one teacher on any given day. It takes parent involvement, assistance, and peers to make education worthwhile. Even reading literature on NCLB aggravates me!

In the article, The Many Meanings of “Multiple Measures,” author Susan M. Brookhart discusses the ways schools and districts assess and move students through grade levels. One important idea I read in this article is the reminder that student assessment should not be completed on just one assessment, but by a variety of assessments. Teachers should assess students in a few different ways because just as they learn differently, they are also assessed differently. I never really took this into consideration as a teacher. I graded their writing based on the state rubric; I feel this is sufficient because students all have different writing skills in various traits and they could let their personality show here. However, there were other standards I was required to assess that I did so though multiple choice testing. That was not my best option; I understand that now.  I should have given a few options of assessment and allowed students to choose how they’d like to be assessed-in a way that was best for them. In my classes now, Dr. Lumadue gives us two options for overall assessment: 1.) MERLOT web page or 2.) Research Paper. One would think that I would choose the research paper over a web page creation due to my love of writing. However, I have not once chosen that option. Why? Well, the web page gives me an outlet for creativity and I actually learn more as I create the website because I have to research a variety of topics. It is important to remember that multiple measures are the best way to assess students of all ages.

In the article, Assessment-Driven Improvements in Middle School Students’ Writing, the authors discuss the difference between summative and formative assessment. We are reminded that summative assessment takes place at the end of the unit and usually determines if a student learned the required information for that unit. Formative assessment, however, takes place during the unit to determine what more needs to be taught to individual students. This can be done through teacher, self, or peer assessment. It made me think about how often I did peer assessment in class and usually it worked really well. Kids are typically harder on each other and can often explain concepts to one another in a way that is easy for them to understand. From the research, I felt good about the information I was reading and about the assessment I tried to accomplish while teaching.

Further, I always had my students write with a rubric. This research study expressed the great increase students have when given a rubric to assess their writing. A rubric sets standards and creates a way for them to rise to the occasion. Many students have a desire to rise to that occasion. As long as we set our expectations high and share that motivation, they will rise and desire improvement.

Corbett, D. and Wilson, B. (2009). Students’ reactions to a “no failure” grading system and how they informed teacher practice. Theory Into Practice, 191-197.

This article is based off information that students want a teacher that cares about them. By caring, the students mean a teacher that is going to make them do their work, but assist them as necessary. The teacher is not living by the motto “I told you what to do; now you figure it out.”  I see how students like this type of teacher, but I also see how this type of teacher can be taken advantage of in certain situations. For example, I had a student that never came to school. She missed school at least once a week and sometimes for the entire week. Upon return, her parents just expected me to sit down with her that second and explain all the work she had missed and make sure she was up to par by the next day. It just doesn’t work like that!  Teachers are determined caring if they don’t accept “I didn’t do it” as an answer. I tried that too. Honestly, I think it worked better when I said, “That’s not acceptable, “but with 43 kids in a class, I felt I had to teach them to be responsible for their own work. I did, however, offer them extra help in the morning, but they had to make the effort. That seems a little contradicting, doesn’t it?  If they didn’t make the effort to try an assignment, why would they make the effort to come in for extra help? I just thought they would care more about their grades. Most of them did not and their parents did not either…so what’s the point there?

I also like the idea that schools need to be on-board and not just individual teachers. This article addresses the idea that schools need to have a “no failure” grading policy. At the school I worked at, students were (in my mind) rewarded for not doing work. If they didn’t do an assignment, they didn’t get a “0” in the grade book, they got a 50%. Now that doesn’t seem right either. How can a student who does NO work get half credit? That’s like if I decided not to go to work and got 50% of my pay. Sign me up!  The theory behind it is that students who get a few too many zeroes can’t “bail” themselves out and fix their grades. My theory is, good; if I didn’t go to work a few too many days, I’d lose it. What are we teaching our youth by letting them “get by” with nothing? Now, if we’d like to address the idea of having student recomplete work, that’s another story. I am ALL FOR students redoing assignments. This article addresses the concept of students recompleting assignments if they get a “C” grade or lower. Absolutely, give them a second chance. They tried, and maybe failed, but they tried. Often students do not understand the content the first time and after assessment and reinstruction, it clicks with them. At least they were willing to reconsider the material and try again.

Overall, students WANT responsibility. They want teachers to give them breathing room, but they want to be held accountable and praised when they do succeed.  Not only do they need to see that responsibility for their work is important, but quality is important. Some students, especially in writing, think quantity is better.  However, a well written paper with direct and concise ideas is much more interesting and understood than one with lots of “fluff.”  I think it’s important that we not only teach our students to try, but to try with quality. When the quality we are seeking (and it must be expected) is not met, let them try again. They will see the expectations, live up to them, and reach for them in the future.