Since assessments are an ongoing process, it can be used to guide instruction that is current to what is being taught at the time, and allows teachers to provide accommodations for learners on a more immediate basis. Teacher made assessments are also an effective way to gather data because it can be integrated into daily tasks during a unit. When teachers are planning a unit, it is important for them to reflect on ways they can assess students throughout the process in meaningful ways. This authentic way of assessment allows students to work productively without interruption. Teachers can monitor student comprehension and learning through observation and gain an understanding of each students’ diverse needs through multiple approaches. Lastly, all students interpret information and content in different ways. It is important to differentiate instruction so the needs of all students are met. This can be easily done through teacher made assessments. “When engaged in collaborative assessments, students learn new strategies and adjust their approach to literacy tasks, especially when assessments are used for providing feedback and guidance” (Risko & Walker-Dalhouse, 2010, p. 421). It helps both teacher and student gain accountability in the learning process.
In some ways, teacher- made assessments can pose some disadvantages. One disadvantage is the time it takes to plan appropriately. Teachers must carefully plan and intentionally act on these actions throughout the unit. In order assessments to be effective, teachers need to determine what is measured, how it will be measured, how frequently is should be measured, and what adjustments need to be made before, during and after instruction. They need to ensure that all test items are valid and reliable, lacking bias. Because of lack of training and professional development opportunities on assessment literacy, many educators may not know how to accurately create a teacher assessment that will provide precise information on student mastery. Teachers must fully understand and can dissect the standards, systematically and frequently gather data and make modifications to instruction. This requires extensive knowledge of research based practices in instruction, effective tools for gathering data and how to analysis this data to improve instruction, and a deep understanding of the standards and how to apply them to content. In addition, teacher made assessments often cater to student needs and revolve around what the teacher’s comfort level. This may prevent students have being prepared for a standardized test that is generalized to the public. There is always subconscious bias in the classroom because teachers develop a rapport and understanding of their students. We know our kids very well and this may prevent us from grading them objectively, if table of test specifications are not in place.
At my grade level, many of the assessments I create are informal and center around interviews, observations and checklists because students are not yet capable to read and/or write. I take the time to make sure that I am objective when creating my assessments because I want to make sure they are well prepared for when they enter Kindergarten. I often collaborate with the K team to identify key objectives and align them with my goals and standards so that I set my students up for future success. These assessments are extremely powerful because it not only motivates students and provides them with clear expectations of what is meant to be mastered, but it also drives my instruction.
I have attached my observational checklist that I created. I realized that it was very hard to take notes on student learning and keep it organized. One summer, I collaborated with a group of other teachers experiencing the same problem, and we decided to create this checklist to make the job easier. We aligned it to my standards and usually have it with me in the classroom at all times. I use a star method of mastery. Each time a see a student mastering a standard, I add a line and 3 lines (on separate occasions) show mastery. The standards and test specifications are the same across the district. In addition, we decided to use different colors per quarter so that we can clearly identify during which quarter the student mastered the standard. This was not something I could create during the school year because it took a lot of work to create, but now that we have created this template, I can use it every year and gather information/data about my students on a daily basis. I often take pictures and/or snapshots of learning to accompany my data collection. I use this checklist to identify the standards that I need to target, and then plan my learning centers around these items.
References
Risko, V. J., & Walker-Dalhouse, D. (2010). Making the most of assessments to inform instruction. The Reading Teacher, 63(5), 420-422
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