Assessment and Evaluation
Introduction
Assessment and evaluation are integral components of the teaching-learning cycle. The main purposes are to guide and improve instruction and student learning. Effectively planned assessment and evaluation can promote learning, build confidence and develop students’ understanding of themselves as active learners.
Assessment is the act of gathering information on a daily basis in order to understand an individual student's learning and needs. Assessment data assists teachers in planning and adapting for further instruction. Teachers can enhance students’ understanding of their own progress and needs by involving them in self-assessment, where they gather data about their own learning strategies and understanding. Such participation makes it possible and more likely that students will set accurate and realistic personal learning goals. It is also important for teachers to discuss the data that they have collected regarding each student’s abilities and needs.
Evaluation is the culminating act of interpreting the information gathered during daily assessment for the purpose of making decisions or judgements about students’ learning and progress. Evaluation often occurs at the end of an activity, a unit or a reporting period, and provides information to students, teachers, parents and others about students’ progress to date.
Assessment and evaluation procedures should correspond with curriculum objectives and instructional practices. In addition, they should be sensitive to the developmental characteristics of early adolescents. |
Continuous assessment is crucial, and programs that include a variety of techniques provide the most accurate portrait of each student’s progress. Observation, conferencing, oral and written product assessment, portfolios and process (or performance) assessment are effective means of gathering and accumulating data on a continuous basis.
Guiding Principles
The following principles describe the rationale for continuous assessment and evaluation:
- Assessment and evaluation are essential components of the teaching-learning process. They should be continuous activities that determine if curriculum objectives have been achieved, and they must be planned in conjunction with instruction and demonstrate awareness of student needs.
- It is most effective to use a variety of assessment and evaluation techniques. The techniques selected will depend upon students’ learning styles, the curriculum objectives and the intended purpose of the assessment. Students must be given opportunities to demonstrate the extent of their knowledge, abilities and attitudes in a variety of ways.
- It is important for teachers to communicate assessment and evaluation plans and criteria to students in advance, informing the students of the objectives to be assessed and assessment procedures to be used. Whenever possible and appropriate, students should have opportunities for input into developing the assessment criteria.
- Assessment and evaluation should be fair and equitable, demonstrating sensitivity to student, family, school and community situations. Techniques and tools should be sensitive to cultural and gender requirements, and be free of bias.
- Assessment and evaluation should help students. They should provide positive feedback and encourage students to participate actively in their own assessment in order to foster lifelong learning and enable students to transfer knowledge and abilities to their life experiences.
- Assessment and evaluation data should be communicated to students and parents/ guardians regularly, in a variety of meaningful ways (e.g., descriptive written comments, portfolio samples, parent-teacher interviews).
- Using a variety of techniques and tools, teachers collect assessment information about students’ development as learners. The data gathered during assessment becomes the basis for an evaluation. Comparing assessment and evaluation information to curriculum objectives allows teachers to make decisions about further instructional requirements.
Types of Assessment and Evaluation
There are three types of assessment and evaluation that occur regularly throughout the school year: diagnostic, formative and summative.
Diagnostic assessment provides teachers with instructional starting points. It identifies students’ learning abilities and needs, as well as their motivational and interest levels regarding specific topics and activities. Diagnostic assessments often occur at the beginning of the school year and prior to each unit of study. However, assessment and evaluation data collected at any time during the school year can provide useful diagnostic information that guides teachers in selecting relevant learning objectives and designing instructional situations appropriate for all students, individually and as group members. Recording diagnostic data for comparison and further reference enables teachers and students to determine progress and future direction.
Formative assessment focuses on the processes and products of learning. It is continuous and is planned to inform the student, the parent/guardian and the teacher of the student’s progress toward the curriculum objectives. This type of assessment provides teachers with information for continuous feedback to students, and guides their daily instructional decisions and adaptations.
Summative assessment occurs most often at the end of a unit of instruction and at term or year end when students are required to demonstrate their achievement of the curriculum objectives for reporting purposes. The main purposes of summative evaluation are to determine knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that have developed over a period of time, to summarize student progress and to report this progress to students, parents/guardians and teachers.
Often assessment and evaluation results and data provide diagnostic, formative and summative information. For example, summative evaluation can be used formatively to make decisions and choices about adapting instruction, topics of study or learning environments. Similarly, diagnostic and formative assessments assist teachers in making summative judgements about student progress and determining further instruction necessary for individuals or groups. The suggested assessment techniques and tools included in various sections of this curriculum guide may be used or adapted to gather information regarding students’ progress.
The Evaluation Process
Teachers as decision makers strive to make a close match between curriculum objectives, students’ needs and abilities, instructional methods and assessment techniques. The evaluation process carried out parallel to instruction is a cyclical one that involves four phases: preparation, assessment, evaluation and reflection.
In the preparation phase, teachers decide what is to be assessed (objectives), determine the type of evaluation required (diagnostic, formative or summative), determine the criteria upon which student learning will be judged and select the most appropriate techniques for gathering the necessary information. Teachers often collaborate with students to make their decisions.
During the assessment phase, teachers use the selected techniques and tools to collect and collate information about students’ learning and progress. Students should be consulted and/or informed about the criteria for these assessments so that they can set goals that enable them to achieve the course objectives as successfully as possible.
Teachers interpret the assessment information and make judgements about students’ progress during the evaluation phase. These judgements (or evaluations) provide information upon which teachers base decisions about student progress toward achieving the course objectives, and to inform students and parents/guardians at reporting time.
The reflection phase allows teachers to consider the extent to which the previous phases have been successful. Specifically, teachers evaluate the utility, equity and appropriateness of the assessment techniques used. Such reflection assists teachers in making decisions concerning improvements or adaptations to subsequent instruction and evaluation.
Student Assessment and Evaluation
When implementing assessment and evaluation procedures, it is valuable to consider the characteristics of early adolescents, and the implication that those characteristics have for assessment and evaluation decisions.
| Middle Level students are at various cognitive, emotional, social and physical stages of development; therefore, assessment and evaluation techniques must be sensitive to this range of abilities and address individual progress. It is unrealistic to expect students who are at various stages of development to perform at the same level of competence and ability. |
It is necessary to clarify for Middle Level students the individual nature of instruction and assessment. Students should be reassured that they are not being compared to their peers, but that their learning goals are set based upon their individual needs and the curriculum objectives, and that they are striving to improve their performance or increase their understanding or skill beyond what they last achieved. Insensitive evaluation techniques can result in early adolescents feeling low self-worth and a lack of confidence in their abilities to succeed, which often causes them to give up trying rather than risk failure.
Regular feedback, presented in positive terms, encourages students to identify the degree to which they have achieved personal learning goals and curriculum objectives. Middle Level students usually will respond positively to a regular system of continuous assessment and evaluation because they find it more realistic and satisfying to strive for immediately achievable goals, rather then long-term goals.
Effective educators of Middle Level students are astute observers who use a variety of assessment techniques and tools to monitor all areas of student development including knowledge, skills, attitudes, thinking and research processes, and concept attainment. Well organized, concise and accessible records accommodate the large quantities of data likely to be collected, and assist teachers’ decision-making processes and reporting procedures.
Some suggestions for effectively monitoring student learning on a continuous basis include the following:
- Make video and audio recordings of a variety of formal and informal student activities, projects and experiences. Assess, or have students self-assess, these recordings according to predetermined criteria.
- Use checklists as concise methods of collecting information, and rating scales or rubrics to make more qualitative judgements.
- Record anecdotal comments based upon observation of students’ oral presentations and activities. These comments will support subsequent evaluation and reporting to students and parents/guardians.
- Interview students to determine how they believe they are progressing as learners.
- Have students (or teachers) gather work samples and store them in portfolios as evidence of their best work, or of their progress and achievements. Portfolios are useful during reporting period to provide parents with examples of their children’s abilities and needs.
- Encourage students to reflect about their learning experiences by writing in learning logs or content journals.
- Encourage students to be reflective learners by involving them in the assessment of their own learning experiences and activities. Self-assessment promotes students’ abilities to assume more responsibility for their own learning by encouraging them to think about what it is they are trying to achieve, whether they have achieved, and if not, why not.
- Students learn from observing, discussing and reflecting upon the learning experiences of their peers. It is crucial to instruct Middle Level students about the need for sensitivity and tact during peer assessment. Using predetermined criteria that have been discussed with students prior to assessment can help to clarify expectations, and encourage positive comments and interaction.
- Ideally, the instruments for peer and self-assessment should be collaboratively constructed by teachers and students. Students should understand that assessment criteria are based on learning objectives. It is best to limit the number of criteria in order to make students’ observations more focused. It may be useful to have several groups of peers observing for different criteria.
Assessment and Evaluation Strategies and Sample Templates
Assessment data should be collected and recorded by both students and teachers using a variety of techniques and instruments. Through observation, and in interviews and conferences, teachers can discover much about their students’ knowledge, skills, abilities, thinking and research processes, values, attitudes, interests and needs. As well, teachers can collect samples of student work in portfolios and conduct performance assessments within the context of classroom activities. Richer and more in-depth information results when a number of assessment tools are used conjunctively to gather data about a variety of aspects of students’ learning experiences
Whatever instrument is constructed for data collection, teachers should:
- design data collection instruments that state criteria reflecting both curriculum objectives and student needs
- meet with students regularly to discuss their progress and needs
- adjust assessment criteria as students’ learning needs change.
Observation
Observation should occur on a continuous basis during students’ daily learning activities and experiences. When teachers attach data collection sheets to a hand-held clipboard, comments can be recorded immediately and unobtrusively. Alternatively, adhesive note papers can be used to record data quickly and later these can be attached to the student’s file. Some procedures for recording observation data include anecdotal notes, checklists, rating scales and rubrics.
Anecdotal Notes
Teachers record anecdotal notes or comments concerning various aspects of student learning (e.g., concept development, reading abilities, group interaction or summarizing skills). The comments document and describe significant daily events, and relevant aspects of student activity, progress and need. These notes can be taken during student activity or summarized at the end of the activity. Formats for collection of data should be flexible and easy to use immediately and later for assessment purposes. Some guidelines for making and using anecdotal notes follow:
- Record the observation and the circumstance in which it occurred. Take time to reflect upon and analyze the notes at a later time, perhaps at the end of each day, or after accumulating several observations about one student.
- Manage the task of daily note taking by focusing on clearly defined objectives, purposes, or criteria, and by selecting only a few students to observe during a designated period of time. However, as learning and progress cannot be scheduled, it is valuable to record other significant observations as they occur.
- Record data on loose-leaf sheets in a three-ring binder with a page designated for each student, and organize it alphabetically by students’ last names or by class. This format allows the teacher to add pages as necessary.
- Record notes on recipe cards and organize them alphabetically in a file box. Attach additional cards to the first one as the amount of information increases.
- Design structured forms for collection of specific data (e.g., criteria for an oral presentation).
Teachers may choose to keep running written observations for each student, or they may use a more structured approach, constructing charts that focus each observation on the collection of specific criteria. A combination of the open-ended notes and structured forms may also be used. It is important to analyze and summarize the data at intervals so that it is relatively easy to share with students and parents/guardians. As well, it is crucial to date each set of observations so that progress can be identified.
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Anecdotal Record Form for Small Group Learning
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Identify two or three criteria for assessment of each small group. Observe and comment about the extent to which the group or individual members achieve the criteria. Also note support needed or provided by the teacher or peers.
Criteria:
1.
2.
3.
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Group Members
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Date
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Criteria #
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Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Checklists
Observation checklists, usually completed while students are engaged in activities or processes, are lists of specific criteria that pertain to aspects of a learning experience. Checklists are used to record whether students have acquired certain knowledge, skills, thinking and research processes, abilities and attitudes with respect to the identified activity. They provide information about where instruction has been successful, and where students require further instruction. Formats for checklists should be varied and easy to use. Some guidelines for constructing and using checklists follow:
- Determine the observation criteria from curriculum objectives and student needs.
- Review criteria with students prior to the observation.
- Involve students in developing some or all of the criteria whenever possible and appropriate.
- Choose criteria that are easily observable to avoid vagueness and increase objectivity.
- Use jargon-free language to describe criteria so that data can be used effectively to inform students or parents/guardians.
- In most cases, limit the number of criteria to eight and the number of students observed to three or four at one time in order to keep the assessment task manageable.
- Have students construct and use checklists for peer and self-assessments.
- Analyze and summarize checklist data regularly.
- Use or adapt existing checklists from other sources.
- Use yes-no checklists to identify whether a specific action has been completed or if a particular quality is present.
- Use tally checklists to note the frequency of the action observed.
- Construct all checklists with space for recording anecdotal comments and summaries
Rating Scales
Rating scales record the extent to which certain criteria have been achieved by the student, the extent to which certain characteristics are present in the student’s work. Rating scales also record the quality of the student’s performance at a given time or within a given process. Teachers can often convert checklists into rating scales by assigning number values to the various criteria listed. Rating scales can be designed as number lines or holistic scales or rubrics. All formats for rating student progress should be clear and concise. Some guidelines for developing and using rating scales include:
- Determine specific assessment criteria from curriculum objectives, components of a particular activity, and student needs.
- Discuss or develop the criteria with students prior to beginning the assessment.
- Choose criteria that are readily observable in order to increase objectivity and avoid vagueness.
- Select criteria that students have had the opportunity to practise. These criteria may differ from student to student, depending upon their strengths and needs.
- Use jargon-free language to describe criteria so that data can be used effectively in interviews with students and parents/guardians.
- Make the assessment manageable by keeping the number of criteria to eight or less and by limiting the number of students observed to a few at one time.
- Use or adapt rating scales from other sources.
- Use numbered continuums to measure the degree to which students are successful at accomplishing a skill or process.
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Classifying: Checklist for Assessment
To classify is to create a system that organizes and sorts information, ideas or concepts into meaningful patterns or categories.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: ______________
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Key Skills in Classifying
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Ineffective
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Somewhat
Effective
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Effective
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Very
Effective
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Excellent
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Sets a clear purpose for grouping information, ideas or concepts.
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Identifies similarities and differences among items to be sorted.
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Defines a cluster of common similarities for grouping into categories.
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States the critical attributes or criteria for grouping the items into particular categories.
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Creates a classification system that allows for the placement of all items into one category or another.
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Anecdotal Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Generalizing: Student Self-assessment Checklist
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A generalization states a relationship between two or more concepts.
Student: ____________________________________ Date: ______________
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Key Skills in Generalizing
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Ineffective
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Somewhat
Effective
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Effective
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Very
Effective
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Excellent
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I have gathered the essential evidence and key concepts in the data.
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I have identified the common elements and categorized the concepts accordingly.
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I have developed a general statement that links the concepts together, but does not go beyond the data gathered.
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I have identified relationships between the concepts.
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I have identified facts that support the generalization.
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I have checked the generalization against a different set of data.
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Some things that I do well are:
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Some things I can improve are:
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Summarizing: Checklist for Assessment
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A summary reduces text to its main point and is stated in the words of the summarizer.
Student: _____________________________________________ Date: _________________
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Key Skills in Summarizing
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Ineffective
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Somewhat
Effective
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Effective
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Very
Effective
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Excellent
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Skims the selection first to get a general sense of the ideas or information.
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Reads the selection carefully, attending in particular to signal words and key phrases.
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Selects the main ideas and condenses information by combining or by substituting a general term for a list or group of specific terms.
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Writes a summary of the major ideas or information in own words.
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Reviews the summary to ensure accuracy and conciseness.
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Anecdotal Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Class Checklist for Summarizing
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Class List
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Date
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Criterion #1
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Criterion #2
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Criterion #3
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Criterion #4
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Criterion #5
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Criteria for Summarizing
1. Skims the selection first to get a general sense of the ideas or information
2. Reads the selection carefully, attending in particular to signal words and key phrases.
3. Selects the main ideas and condenses the information by combining or substituting a general term for a list or group of specific terms.
4. Writes a summary of the major ideas or information in own words.
5. Reviews the summary to ensure accuracy and conciseness.
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Group Skills: Checklist for Assessment
The skills for group work can be divided into two categories: those that help get the job done, and those that help students work together harmoniously.
Student: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________
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Getting the Job Done
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All of
the time
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Most of
the time
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Some of the time
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Not at all
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Initiating Discussion
· tried to arouse interest of other group members, suggested courses of action to follow, suggested new courses of action when the group got bogged down
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Giving Information
· provided factual information and/or sources of information
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Giving Opinion
· gave personal opinion(s) on the topic
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Evaluating Ideas/Suggestions
· evaluated suggestions of group members to determine whether ideas would work
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Decision Making
· encouraged the group to make a decision using the decision-making process
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Staying on Track
· kept the group focussed on the job at hand, deflecting irrelevant ideas, maintaining standards, setting an agenda and seeing that it was followed
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Working Together Harmoniously
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Encouraging
· encouraged other members of the group to share their ideas or opinions
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Supporting
· supported other group members by acknowledging their ideas and suggestions
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Harmonizing
· helped group members accept or solve problems that might otherwise create conflict
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Mediating
· tried to get people with different points of view to compromise or agree to an alternate solution
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Cooperative Group Learning: Rating Scale for Assessment
Group _________________________________________ Date ____________________________
Task ______________________________________________________________________________
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5
High
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4
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3
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2
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1
Low
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Names of Group Members
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Negotiates roles and responsibilities of each group member
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Contributes ideas and suggestions
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Encourages the involvement of all group members
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Is receptive to peer questions and criticism
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Listens to the suggestions of others
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Modifies personal thinking to incorporate the ideas of others or new information
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Respects and accepts the contributions of each group member
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Completes individual commitment to the group
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Anecdotal Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Inferring: Rating Scale for Assessment
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The skill of inferring requires that students create and use generalizations to reach and express conclusions that go beyond what the data explicitly suggests.
Rate students on the ability to apply the key skills of making inferences.
1___________________________________5
Needs Improvement Superior
Student: _____________________________________ Date: ______________________
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Key Skills in Inferring
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1
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4
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5
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The facts and the situation are identified and described.
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A relevant generalization is identified.
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The extension of what is given is reasonable and makes sense.
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The extension is based on a sound generalization that fits the situation.
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The inference is related to what is given.
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Reasons that support the inference are stated.
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Anecdotal Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Rubrics
Rubrics are a form of holistic rating scale. They describe expectations at each level of the rating scale and are used to determine student progress in comparison to the stated expectations. Rubrics are expressed numerically and certain criteria can be given greater weight than others, depending upon the objectives to be measured.
Rubrics enable students to develop critical thinking skills in areas such as self-reflection and self-assessment. Through the use of such tools students develop metacognitive ability, or the ability to reflect on their own thinking. Ideally, teachers and students develop rubrics together, so that students are aware of expectations prior to engaging in an activity.
Guidelines for developing rubrics include:
- brainstorm a list of criteria related to the objectives to be achieved
- generate a list of indicators that specify the types of performances on a graduated scale for each criterion
- create a scale that lists indicators of expectations for each criterion
- ensure that the expected performance is correlated with the appropriate learning objective
- explain to students the value of the task and the intended objectives
- monitor and assess students’ efforts throughout the process
- use the rubrics for teacher evaluation and/or teacher self-assessment to identify strengths and instructional needs for subsequent tasks
- record a list of students’ goals for continuing learning.
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Rubric to Assess Group Work Skills
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Performance Factors
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Superior
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Making an Effort
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Needs Improvement
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Formation
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Moves into groups quietly and quickly; stays with the group; accepts everyone as part of the group; is considerate of other groups.
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Moves into groups quietly and quickly; usually stays with the group; makes some effort to accept everyone as part of the group; usually is considerate of other groups.
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Reluctantly moves into groups; must be reminded to stay with the group; often challenges in which group he/she is placed; is inconsiderate of other individuals or groups.
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Participation
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Speaks and listens in a courteous manner; encourages every member to contribute; listens actively to others’ views; displays sensitivity to others’ points of view; helps others to understand; expresses support.
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Usually speaks and listens in a courteous manner; makes attempts to encourage others to contribute; attempts to listen actively to others’ views, but tends to wander; usually displays sensitivity to others' points of view; sometimes helps others to understand.
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Seldom speaks and listens in a courteous manner; objects or interferes when others contribute; struggles to listen to others’ views; ignores or refuses to consider other points of view.
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Leadership
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Takes leadership roles; decides what needs to be done; keeps self and group on task; asks questions and seeks clarification; contributes to discussion; shares information, ideas and material; praises or criticizes ideas rather than people; demonstrates confidence in speaking.
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Sometimes takes leadership roles; attempts to decide what needs to be done; usually keeps self and group on task; usually contributes to discussion and shares information, ideas, and material; usually praises or criticizes ideas rather than people; often demonstrates confidence in speaking.
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Refuses to take leadership roles; has difficulty staying on task; often criticizes others; lacks confidence in speaking.
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Reflection and Self-assessment
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Acknowledges successes of self and others; identifies areas in need of improvement for self and group; completes self- and/or peer assessment as instructed; sets goals for improvement.
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Sometimes acknowledges successes of self and others; attempts to identify areas in need of improvement for self and group; usually completes self- and/or peer assessment as instructed.
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Seldom acknowledges successes of self and others; unable to identify areas in need of improvement for self or group; provides sketchy self- and/or peer assessments.
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Portfolios
Portfolios are collections of relevant work that reflects students’ individual efforts, development and progress over a designated period of time. Portfolios provide students, teachers, parents and administrators with a broad picture of each student’s growth over time, including abilities, knowledge, skills, processes and attitudes. Students should be involved in selecting the items to be included, setting goals for further personal learning, and self-assessment and reflection.
Teachers can encourage critical and reflective thinking by having students decide which of their works to include in their portfolios and explain why they have chosen those particular items.
Instruction and assessment are integrated as students and teachers collaborate to compile relevant and individual portfolios representing each student’s progress. Some guidelines for developing and using portfolio assessment include:
- Brainstorm with students to discover what they already know about portfolios (e.g., designers and architects use them to collect samples of their best work to show prospective employers).
- Explain the purposes of portfolio assessment and share samples of portfolios with students. Teachers may need to create examples if student samples are not available; however, samples should be as authentic as possible.
- Collaborate with students to develop guidelines for the contents of their portfolios, and to establish evaluation criteria for their portfolio collections. Consider the following for discussion with students:
- What is the purpose of the portfolio? (Is it the primary focus of their assessment or is it supplemental? Will it be used to determine a mark for the unit, or will it simply be used to inform students, teachers and parents about student progress?)
- Who will be the audience(s) for the portfolio?
- What will be included in the portfolio (e.g., projects, checklists, research assignments)?
- What are the criteria for selecting items for inclusion? When, or at what intervals in the unit, should those selections be made?
- Who will determine what items are included in the portfolio (e.g., the student, the teacher, student and teacher in collaboration)?
- When should items be added or removed?
- How should the contents be organized and documented in the portfolio (e.g., similar assignments grouped, chronologically by date, representative range of work)?
- Where will the portfolios be stored? Will students be allowed to take their portfolios home to share with their parents, or to do further work on them?
- What will be the criteria for evaluating each portfolio collection? Are students aware of these criteria prior to beginning to collect their portfolio items?
- What form will feedback to the students take (e.g., written summaries, oral interviews or conferences)? Will the portfolios be assigned a number value?
- Assemble examples of work that represent a wide range of students’ developing abilities, skills, knowledge, thinking and research processes, and attitudes. Select items that demonstrate their oral and written abilities.
- Date all items for effective organization and easy access.
- Inform parents/guardians about the use and purposes of portfolios (e.g., send home letters describing portfolio assessment, display samples on meet-the-teacher nights).
- Consider the following for organization and inclusion:
- criteria for content selection
- table of contents or captioned labels that briefly outline the contents
- samples of a variety of student work (e.g., both oral and written products, evidence of effort and/or achievement of a process or skill, self-assessment checklists)
- evidence of student self-assessment
- audio and video tapes of student performances and presentations
- photographs
- computer disks
- collaborative projects.
Formats for portfolio assembly should provide for easy organization, storage and accessibility. Some possibilities include:
- Keep file folders or accordion folders in a classroom filing cabinet or cupboard, or in boxes.
- Use three-ring binders for ease of adding and removing items as students' progress.
- Store scrapbooks in boxes or crates.
Evaluating Student Portfolios
At the end of the unit, term, semester or year, when portfolios are submitted for summative evaluation, it is useful to review the contents as a whole. Data can be recorded using previously established criteria
outlined on a rating scale or rubric. Some examples of portfolio assessment and record-keeping forms follow. Teachers may use these as they appear, or adapt them to meet the specific needs of their students.
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Portfolio Assessment: Rating Scale
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Student
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Term/Semester/Year
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Date
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Criteria to be Assessed/Evaluated
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Excellent
5
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Very Good
4
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Good
3
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Adequate
2
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Needs Much Improvement
1
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Table of contents is sequentially organized and contains adequate detail.
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Representative of achievements or progress this reporting period.
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Includes a variety of activities, projects and assignments that reveal a range of abilities, processes and skills.
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Includes evidence of student reflection (e.g., self-assessment forms or notes).
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Includes evidence of goal setting and readjustment of goals.
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Anecdotal Notes
This student can:
This student needs:
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Portfolio Assessment: Selection of Portfolio Items
Student Date
Portfolio Focus ________________________________________
The following criteria have been used to determine whether the student
is developing the ability to make relevant selections for his/her portfolio.
Teacher Comments (check appropriate boxes)
 The items selected meet the defined focus for the portfolio.
The items selected demonstrate the student’s best effort/work.
The items are dated and inserted in chronological order.
Other…
You do a good job of __________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
You can improve ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Student Comments
I plan to improve by ________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Student Self-Assessment of Portfolio Item
Student Date ____________________
The attached portfolio item is a ________________________.
(e.g., map, summary, graphic organizer)
This piece of work demonstrates that I can:
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Please notice: _______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Now I am planning to: _______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature__________________________________________________________
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
R>
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Portfolio Item Assessment Form
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Student Name
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Date
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Project
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Student Comments
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Two reasons that I chose this item
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I want you to notice
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Next time I might
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Other comments
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Teacher Comments
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Two positive things that I noticed are
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One specific area to work on is
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Other Comments
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
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Portfolio Table of Contents Form
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Student Name
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Term/Semester/Year
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Item
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Date
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Entered by
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Reasons for Inclusion
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Interviews/Conferences
Teacher-student interviews or conferences are productive means of assessing individual achievements and needs. During these discussions, teachers can discover students’ perceptions of their own learning experiences. Conferences can focus on a specific skill, process, activity or product, or they can be general in nature. Brief conferences can take place while students are engaged in their activity or assignment, and extended interviews with each student can be scheduled at convenient times.
When teachers ask questions that promote student reflection about their understanding, and how they work and learn, the rich data collected will support instructional and assessment decisions. Interview questions can be developed to meet the specific needs of each student, and to fit the curriculum objectives. Examples of general questions that help students reflect upon their learning experiences include the following:
- What types of learning experiences did you participate in this week (e.g., group presentation, research report, debate)?
- Which did you enjoy the most? Why?
- Which did you find most difficult or uninteresting? Why?
- What do you find most difficult about oral presentations (e.g., preparing the presentation, delivering it orally)?
- When you work in a group situation, what are your strengths/weaknesses?
- Do you prefer working individually or as part of a group? Why?
- What would you like to improve about your learning experiences? How do you think that I could help you to do that?
Projects and Presentations
Criteria should be developed and/or discussed with students prior to having students begin activities such as written reports, oral presentations, and group or individual multimedia projects. Depending upon the objectives and the purpose of the presentation or project, teachers will usually set criteria for such aspects of learning as skill development, group interaction, attitude, concept attainment and development, and application of knowledge and skills. Data gathered during student projects and presentations may be recorded using audio or video equipment, checklists or rating scales, or a combination of assessment tools and strategies.
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Rating Scale for Assessment of Oral Reports
A rating scale can provide the basis for assessment and discussion following a report.
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Name of Reporter
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Name of Assessor
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Topic
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Date
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Rate the questions on a 5 point scale
Scale
1 Not at all
2 Somewhat
3 Usually
4 To a considerable extent
5 Consistently
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Content
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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There was a clear and interesting beginning and ending.
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The report stayed on topic.
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The report was well organized and carefully prepared.
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I understood and learned several things from this report, including:
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Presentation
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The student spoke clearly.
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The student spoke enthusiastically.
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The student used a variety of techniques (e.g., overhead projector, blackboard, humour, concrete materials).
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The student used the time frame effectively.
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The student was able to deliver the report using brief notes or an outline.
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This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
This assessment template is a sample only. Teachers may adapt it to serve the specific needs of their students.
Quizzes, Tests and Examinations
Quizzes, tests and examinations are most often used for assessing students’ knowledge of content; however, they may be used to assess higher level thinking skills and learning processes. Tests, whether they are oral or written, must represent students’ achievements as accurately as possible. The questions must be constructed to allow students to demonstrate that they understand the process, or that they can use the skill for which they are being tested. Formats for test items should be varied and reflect the nature of the objective being assessed. Some guidelines for using quizzes, tests and examinations include the following:
- Construct test items to accommodate the different ways that students are able to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Ensure that test items measure curriculum objectives fairly and accurately.
- Use a variety of test formats (e.g., performance items, open-response questions, short-answer, matching), ensuring that they are appropriate to the objectives being measured.
- State test questions and instructions clearly and precisely so students are sure what it is they are being asked to do.
- Construct test items that allow students to demonstrate and apply what they have learned.
- Use oral assessment when written responses are not feasible or when criteria can be best assessed through oral responses.
- Construct open-ended response questions when it is appropriate for students to respond in personal ways (e.g., to present beliefs, to demonstrate powers of persuasion, to give examples that show their understanding).
- Use performance test items when students are required to demonstrate competence directly (e.g., giving an oral presentation, developing a graphic organizer for their ideas).
- Ask students to demonstrate their learning using progressive checks that assess skills or processes in small parts (e.g., assess their ability to write an effective topic or concluding sentence).
- Ask short-answer questions when students are required to supply a specific answer to a specific question, and where details, descriptions or examples are required to support their answer. These types of questions are most often used to assess how well students have internalized the content, but they can also be used to assess students’ abilities to analyze and evaluate, or to assess attitudes and values.
- Provide students with examples of a variety of test questions and instruct them in providing effective responses.
End of Unit/Term/Year Evaluation
Evaluation at the end of a unit, term or year is facilitated by the continuous assessment employed throughout the reporting period. Prior to beginning the unit/term, it is important to make students aware of the final evaluation criteria and/or components, and explain how their mark will be calculated. It may also be advantageous to involve students in determining the way that their mark will be calculated.
Reporting Student Progress and Achievement
In order to communicate student progress to parents/guardians, teachers are usually expected to issue report cards at regular intervals throughout the school year. This curriculum advocates the use of descriptive reports, supported by documented observations and portfolios, to communicate progress and areas in need of improvement. These reports, which describe student achievement of the curriculum objectives, may accompany or replace the traditional reporting procedures that tend to consist of a brief comment and a letter or number grade. Descriptive comments convey richer information about all aspects of students’ learning experiences, and are less likely to be misinterpreted than a single letter or number grade.
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View the PDF file for this record form only by clicking here.