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MEMORANDUM
Professor Karen Thompson
Liz Pierce
12/22/2015
Technical Definition and Description

The following is in response to your request for a technical description and

definition; I have chosen to define and analyze what assessment means to
educators.
Audience
The audience for this assignments is for in-service educators, specifically
those struggling with providing assessment data and use assessments to
impact teaching. The language of this document will be for those who have
been through education training and thus will have an understanding of all
basic terminology, however this document is also appropriate to have
available for parents who are anxious about the word assessment and
unsure of what it means for their students.
Problem/Purpose
The purpose is for educators to better understand how to use assessments
effectively. There are three main types of assessments, each will be
addressed in detail along with ideas for implementation. Assessment is
vital for educators; using the three different types of assessments will
ensure that educators are preparing well for instruction, reflecting on
lessons, and meeting the needs of students.
Placement
Educators are notorious for having more documents laying around than
they know what to do with: I would like to have a book detailing the major
components of teaching that is user-friendly and has quick ways to
implement the components. A book that both rookie teachers and veteran
teachers can go to for refreshers and even to learn some new ideas. This
would be a section in that book specifically on assessments.

Assessment Definition
Summary
Assessment measures if and how
students are learning and if the
teaching methods are effectively
relaying the intended messages.
Educators should aim to develop a
range of assessments that coincide
with their teaching plans. There are
three types of assessments:
Diagnostic, formative, and
summative. Although all three are
generally referred to as simply
assessment, there are important
differences between the three.

Diagnostic

Before
instructio
n

Formative

During
Instructio
n

Summative

Diagnostic________________________________________________________

Diagnostic assessment can help you identify your students current knowledge of a
subject, their skill set and proficiencies, and to shed light on any misconceptions before
teaching occurs. Knowing what your students know already Is important in planning
what to teach and even how to teach it. No teacher wants to spend a week teaching
content that students already knowthat is wasted time!
Examples of Diagnostic Assessments:

Pre-tests
Self-assessments
Discussion board responses
Interviews (whole class, small group, or individual)
KNOW, WANT TO KNOW, LEARNED charts.

Formative________________________________________________________
Formative Assessment provides feedback during the instructional process. Two things
are being measured during formative assessment: student progress and also your own
progress as an instructor. The primary goal of formative assessments is to become
aware of areas that need improvement. Often these assessments are not grades but are
a step along the way to learning for mastery. This is the best way to check student
progress and evaluate your own instructional practices before expecting all students to
have mastered the content.
Examples of Formative Assessments:

Observations during in-class activities

After
Instructio
n

Homework pieces
Exit tickets
Questioning students (either informally or formally)
Student feedback

Summative_______________________________________________________
Summative Assessments happen after instruction has happened and learning is
complete. Teachers can gather information that sums up the teaching and learning
process. High-stakes summative assessments are given to students at the end of a set
point (typically at the end of the semester) to assess what has been learned. Grades
should be an outcome of summative assessments. Summative assessments ask the
question: is the student capable of moving on?
Examples of Summative Assessments:

Final Exam
Projects
Portfolios
Semester Exam
Student Evaluation of Course

Assessment Practices
Summary

Planning and
Preparation

Implementing
(Instruction)

Assessments

Revise/Adjust

Achievement data is a crucial part of

making informed decisions to drive
instruction. How data is used is
critical: assessment value is lost if the
data gathered is not used to revise
instruction, plan and prepare more
effectively, and ultimately teach more
effectively. Assessment is one part of
effective teaching. There are 4 basic
steps to using assessments with
purpose: Planning and Preparation,
Implementing (giving instruction),
Giving Assessments, and finally
revising and adjusting. The actual
assessment is a very small part of the
process! This is a continuous cycle, in
no specific order; a diagnostic
assessment may be given prior to
instruction, or a formative assessment
given during instruction and result in
revising the rest of the lesson to meet
the needs of the students.

Planning and Preparation________________

Good assessment planning is centered on learning outcomes that have been

identified. Create lessons and material that will guide students towards your
learning outcomes (objectives), and provide opportunities for students to
achieve the outcomes. Lessons must be tied to a purpose: there is not
enough time in the day to not be prepared.

Implementing____________________________________________________
This stage begins with the question How do I teach effective to meet my
chosen learning outcomes. Choosing methods of teaching that will engage
your students and stimulate learning, all the while gathering data to
determine if Implementing is effective. When something is not going well, it
is not a sign of a weak teacher if you choose to adjust the lesson and go a

different routeso long as you are still aimed at meeting your learning
outcome.

Assessment______________________________________________________
There are countless ways of giving an assessment: as discussed before the
three main classifications include diagnostic, formative, and summative.
Choose assessments that measure the learning outcomeany other
assessment is unnecessary. Assessments yield datarecord it. Jot down
notes when asking students questions regarding their answers, chart
students understanding of a topic along the way. Looking at any single data
point is not enough to see the big picture.

Revise/Adjust_____________________________________________________
This is where the money is. Answering the question How do I use the
information I have gathered is perhaps the most difficult to answer when
talking about assessments. Effective educators continually modify instruction
according to the results from assessments. When students are not meeting
learning outcomes, then adjustments have to be made. This is a continuous
process and include adding to your instruction, as well as revising what is
being donewhat is working needs to stay, and the things that arent
working need to be changed.