A Closer Look at Assessments

        Assessments will forever be a part of the education field because they are a key component of the learning process. When teachers and students can see how they are doing, they can determine whether or not they understand the course material. Assessment is an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the goals of education are being met. Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in some cases, funding. Assessments inspire us to ask these hard questions: "Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?" "Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning?" "Is there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning?" (Edutopia, 2008). Only when the school systems and educators stop to reflect on these hard questions can meaningful experiences come from assessments.

         Assessment can also help motivate students, but after this week's readings, it is ever so apparent that assessments can sadly unmotivate many students as well. Like most things in life, there are often polar opposites to many people and situations. This is true for students who are on completely opposite spectrums in their learning journeys. There are students who genuinely enjoy the educational process and are ready to take on the challenge of any assessment they confront. These students were known as high achievers, and in turn, this gave them the motivation to continue to strive (Stiggins, 2005). Then on the opposite end of this spectrum are students who have an array of difficulties in their learning journeys. Assessments are usually the last thing these types of students look forward to or focus on. There are also students who do not understand concepts, struggle, and do not perform well on assessments, which causes their self-esteem to plummet and creates a lack of motivation to learn (Stiggins, 2005). Either end of this spectrum deeply impacts the way a student will be motivated or unmotivated throughout different assessment experiences. Creating a positive and meaningful experience is a bar that needs to be set high for all students to achieve success that is tailored to their abilities. My opinion as an educator is that what can be one student's failure can be another student's success and vice versa, what is one student's success can be another student's failure.

        Naturally when one thinks of assessments, one thinks about grades and scores. One begins to question how we will grade this assessment, what will the score reflect, and what do we do with these results.  Most schools and educators use a combination of standards-based grading, competency- grading or traditional grading systems to decipher students' assessments, results, and outcomes. Standard-based grading focuses on students' mastery of specific learning objectives or standards, which provides a more accurate representation of their understanding and proficiency in the subject matter. It shifts the emphasis from just receiving a letter grade to understanding what students have learned and can do. In the state of Texas, the public implements the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)  as a set of standards from which to stem instruction and assessment. The TEKS covers a wide range of subjects that serve as the foundation for curriculum and instruction in Texas schools overseen by the Texas Education Department (TEA). On the other hand, competency-based education has an emphasis on student's ability to demonstrate specific competencies or skills. It offers a more personalized learning experience, allowing students to progress at their own pace based on their individual learning abilities and needs. SBG (Standard- based grading) is a way of thinking about grading and assessment that more clearly communicates with parents and students how well learners currently understand the course objectives/standards/competencies. CBE (competency-based grading) is a system in which students move from one level of learning to the next based on their understanding of pre-determined competencies without regard to seat time, days, or hours. A competency-based system may utilize a standards-based report card to communicate student learning; however, the two educational terms are not, by definition, the same (Townsley, 2014).

        Lastly, I think that there has to be a deeper understanding of assessments by schools and educators. I think oftentimes we just think of them as tests and refer to them as such. Instead of heavily focusing on truly assessing our students as individuals. We should not only be worried about test scores but which methods of assessments are best for our students learning journeys. As well as which grading methods are most conducive to the form of assessment administered and how to best analyze results. If your grading system doesn't guide students toward excellence, it's time for something completely different (Scriffiny,2008). I feel I need to learn more about how assessments are changing and how grading systems are evolving in order to create a more meaningful learning climate for my students. I do agree that in this era, it is definitely time for something completely different.

Food for thought...

References

Edutopia. (2008, July 15). Why Is Assessment Important? Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/assessment-guide-importance 

Scriffiny, P. L. (2008). Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading. Educational Leadership, 66(2), 70-74.

Stiggins, R. (2005). From Formative Assessment to Assessment for Learning: A Path to Success in Standards-Based Schools [Review of From Formative Assessment to Assessment for Learning: A Path to Success in Standards-Based Schools]. The Phi Delta Kappan, 87(4), 324–328.

Townsley, M. (2014, November 14). What is the Difference between Standards-Based Grading (or Reporting) and Competency-Based Education? [Review of What is the Difference between Standards-Based Grading (or Reporting) and Competency-Based Education?]. CompetencyWorks.https://aurora-institute.org/cw_post/what-is-the-difference-between-standards-based-grading/