Evaluations may focus on the effectiveness of school programs (i.e., program evaluation), the effectiveness of the curriculum (i.e., curriculum evaluation), the effectiveness of instruction (i.e., teacher self-evaluation), and progress in student learning (i.e., student evaluation).
Program evaluation is a systematic process of gathering and analyzing information about some aspect of a school program in order to make a decision or to communicate to others involved in the decision-making process.
Program evaluation can be conducted at two levels: relatively informally at the classroom level or more formally at the classroom, school, or school division levels.
At the classroom level, program evaluation is used to determine whether the program being presented to the students is meeting both their needs and the objectives prescribed by the curriculum. Program evaluation is not necessarily conducted at the end of the program, but is a continuous process. For example, if particular lessons appear to be poorly received by students or if they do not seem to demonstrate the intended learning from a unit of study, the problem should be investigated and changes made.
By evaluating programs at the classroom level, teachers become reflective practitioners. The information gathered through program evaluation assists teachers in program planning and in making decisions for improvement.
Most program evaluations at the classroom level are relatively informal but they should be done systematically. Such evaluations should include identification of the area of concern, collection and analysis of information, and judgement or decision making.
To support formal school-based program evaluation activities, Saskatchewan Education has developed a resource book to be used in conjunction with an inservice package. Further information on these support services is available from Saskatchewan Education.
There is a need to know whether new curricula are being effectively implemented and whether they are meeting the needs of students. At the provincial level, curriculum evaluation involves gathering information and making judgements about the effectiveness of provincially authorized curricula. The principal reason for curriculum evaluation is to plan improvements to the curriculum. Such improvements might involve changes to the curriculum guide and/or the provision of resources or inservice to teachers.
It is intended that curriculum evaluation be a shared, collaborative effort involving all of the major education partners in the province. Teachers are involved in instrument development, validation, field testing, scoring, and data interpretation.
In the assessment phase of curriculum evaluation, information is gathered from students, teachers, and administrators. The information obtained from educators indicates the degree to which the curriculum is being implemented, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. The information from students indicates how well they are achieving the intended learning outcomes and provides indications about students' attitudes toward Health Education.
All provincial curricula are included within the scope of curriculum evaluation. Evaluations are conducted during the implementation phase for new curricula and regularly on a rotating basis thereafter. Curriculum evaluation is described in greater detail in Curriculum Evaluation in Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Education, 1990).
An important aspect of good teaching practice is that of teacher self-evaluation. In the Health Education program, teachers should assess their strengths and identify areas for improvement. They can ask themselves the following questions:
While self-evaluation is crucial, teacher evaluation also includes peer coaching and the supervision of teachers by administrators. To summarize, teacher self-evaluation includes critical reflection upon the Health Education program and upon teaching practice. Both of these should be undertaken in ways that will support teacher growth and enhance student learning.
In planning and discussing observation of a lesson (either for teacher supervision or peer coaching), criteria for assessment of the lesson or series of lessons should focus upon the intended curriculum: its objectives, recommended content, types of activities and methods. Questions to be asked would include:
It should be noted that students will reflect achievement of some objectives in the Health Education curriculum in individual ways.
The main purposes of evaluation are to assist students in their learning and to improve instruction. Teachers make judgements about student progress based on information gathered through a variety of assessment techniques. This information assists teachers in planning or adapting instructional programs which, in turn, helps students learn more effectively. Evaluations are also used for reporting progress to students and their parents, and for making decisions related to such things as student promotion.
Saskatchewan's new Core Curriculum requires that changes be made in the ways adolescents are taught and evaluated. Formerly, evaluation of student learning focused on factual content only and student progress was assessed with traditional techniques such as paper and pencil tests.
However, to evaluate learning in areas such as critical and creative thinking, independent learning, and personal and social values and skills, non-traditional strategies are required. More often than before, teachers will rely on techniques such as observation, conferencing, oral assignments, and process assessment in order to gather information about student performance or progress.
Although the responsibility to establish student evaluation and reporting procedures resides with the school principal and the teaching staff, the classroom teacher has the daily responsibility for student evaluation. The teacher is at the forefront in determining student progress by using sound evaluative practices that include careful planning, appropriate assessment techniques, and most importantly, sound professional judgement.
Teachers refine their skills through reflecting upon elements of their instruction, including student evaluation. The following questions may assist teachers in reflecting on their evaluations of student progress:
Through reflection on questions like those above, teachers are able to improve their strategies for student evaluation.
Clarification of Terms
To enhance understanding of the evaluation process, it is useful to distinguish between the terms assessment and evaluation. These terms are often used interchangeably, thereby causing some confusion over their meanings.
Assessment is a preliminary phase in the evaluation process. In this phase, various techniques are used to gather information about student progress.
Evaluation is the weighing of assessment information against some standard, such as a curriculum learning objective, in order to make a judgement or decision (i.e., an evaluation). This may then lead to other decisions and actions by the teacher, student, or parent.
There are three main types of student evaluation: formative, summative, and diagnostic. Assessment techniques are used to gather information for each type of evaluation.
Formative evaluation is a continuous classroom process that keeps students and educators informed of students' progress toward program learning objectives.
The main purpose of formative evaluation is to improve instruction and student learning. It provides teachers with valuable information upon which instructional decisions can be made. This type of evaluation helps teachers understand the degree to which students are achieving the curriculum objectives and the extent to which their knowledge, understanding, skills, and attitudes are developing. Students are provided direction for future learning and are encouraged to take responsibility for their own progress.
Summative evaluation occurs most often at the end of a unit. The teacher uses summative evaluation to determine what has been learned over a period of time, to summarize student progress, and to report to students, parents, and other educators on progress relative to curriculum objectives.
Seldom are evaluations strictly formative or strictly summative. For example, summative evaluation can be used to assist teachers in making decisions about changes to instructional strategies or other aspects of students' learning programs. Similarly, formative evaluation may be used to assist teachers in making summative judgements about student progress. It is important that teachers make clear to students the purpose of assessments and whether they will later be used summatively.
Diagnostic evaluation usually occurs at the beginning of the school year or before a unit. It tells the teacher where each student is at in terms of previous knowledge and learning readiness. It identifies students who lack prerequisite knowledge, understanding, or skills, so that remedial help can be arranged. It also serves to identify learners who need additional challenges. Diagnostic testing also identifies student interests. Diagnostic evaluation provides information essential to teachers in designing appropriate programs for all students.
Teachers conduct all three types of evaluation during the course of the school year/semester.
Phases of the Evaluation Process
Although evaluation is not strictly sequential, it can be viewed as a cyclical process made up of four phases: preparation, assessment, evaluation, and reflection. This process involves the teacher as a decision maker throughout all four phases.
During the preparation phase, decisions are made that identify what is to be evaluated, the type of evaluation to be used (i.e., formative, summative, or diagnostic), the criteria against which student learning outcomes will be judged, and the most appropriate assessment techniques with which to gather information on student progress. The teacher's decisions in this phase form the basis for the remaining phases. In Health Education, the teacher determines how and what to evaluate within each of Level A, Level B, and Level C of the Decision-making Process.
During the assessment phase, the teacher identifies information gathering strategies, constructs or selects instruments, administers them to the students, and collects the information on student learning progress. The teacher continues to make decisions in this phase. Important decisions include identifying and eliminating bias (e.g., gender and cultural bias) from the assessment techniques and instruments, and determining where, when, and how assessments will be conducted.
During the evaluation phase, teachers interpret the assessment information and make judgements about student progress. Based on the judgements or evaluation, teachers make decisions about student learning programs and report on progress to students, parents, and appropriate school personnel.
The reflection phase allows the teacher to consider the extent to which the previous phases in the evaluation process have been successful. Specifically, the teacher evaluates the utility and appropriateness of the instructional methods and assessment techniques used. Such reflection assists the teacher in making decisions concerning improvements or adaptations to subsequent teaching and evaluation.
Guiding Principles
The following five guiding principles provide a framework to assist teachers in planning for student evaluation in Health Education:
Assessment Techniques
Specific assessment techniques should be selected or devised to gather information related to how well students are achieving the learning objectives of the curriculum. The assessment techniques used at any given time will depend on several factors, including the type of learning outcomes (i.e., knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, or processes), the subject area content, the instructional strategies used, the student's level of development, and the specific purpose of the evaluation.
Various assessment techniques are listed on following page as a reference for teachers. Selected techniques are also listed throughout the Decision-making Process (Levels A, B, and C) of this curriculum guide.
The assessment techniques are not prescribed. Rather, they are intended to serve as suggestions, because the teacher must exercise professional judgement in determining which techniques suit the specific purpose of the evaluation.
It would be inappropriate for curriculum guides to give teachers specific formulas for assessing students. Planning for assessment and evaluation must take into account unique circumstances and purposes, which will vary from class to class.
Student assessment suggestions appear throughout the units in this curriculum guide. For further information on the various assessment techniques and types of instruments that can be used to collect and record information about student learning, refer to Student evaluation: A teacher handbook (Saskatchewan Education, 1991).
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Assessment Techniques Methods of Organization
Methods of Data Recording
Student Activities
Quizzes and Tests
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There are three areas of importance in this curriculum on which teachers will collect data regarding student progress. The three areas are knowledge (Level A - Extend Knowledge Base), process (Level B - Make an Informed Decision), and application (Level C - Carry Out Action Plan).
The following is a list of a few ways to collect data regarding student progress at each level of the Decision-making Process.
Knowledge: Level A - Extend Knowledge Base
Process: Level B - Make an Informed Decision
Application: Level C - Carry Out Action Plan
One suggested framework for the evaluation of student progress based on the three identified areas is presented in the following table.
For printing and copying this template Require Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)
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Source of Mark |
% |
Decision-making Process Unit |
% |
Unit 2 |
% |
Unit 3 |
% |
Unit 4 |
% |
Unit 5 |
% |
Unit 6 or Optional unit |
% |
Optional unit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Knowledge (Level A)
| Process (Level B)
| Application (Level C)
| Total = 100% |
For printing and copying this template Require Acrobat Reader (click on the table title)
Key:
A = Level A
B = Level B
C = Level C
T = Total for the Unit
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Unit 1 |
Unit 2 |
Unit 3 |
Unit 4 |
Unit 5 |
Unit 6 or Optional Unit |
Optional Unit | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Student Name |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |
A |
B |
C |
T |