Philosophy of Assessment Assignment Megan Lambeth

Philosophy of Assessment
Megan Lambeth
North Carolina State University
Philosophy of Assessment Assignment Megan Lambeth

Assessments, tests, quizzes, exams. Tracking a student's progress, based on what they

have learned in a class can result in various names such as those mentioned. No matter what they

are called, it is important for a teacher to use them in order to examine the strengths and

weaknesses of his/her students regarding the subject at hand. Assessments are a normal

occurrence within a high school mathematics class. Whether it be an introductory, academic,

honors, or A.P. class, I can guarantee either a formative, common, or summative assessment will

be present. Therefore, deciding on an assessment philosophy is a good practice as a teacher, to

stay in line with what you are expecting students to learn and retain throughout your course. The

following, are the qualities of my own philosophy of assessment and I will be expanding upon

each one: there should be a cycle of assessment, assessing should occur throughout the school

year and collected, assessments should not be biased, created assessments should align with their

intended unit, and assessments should not dismiss diverse needs or diverse learners.

I believe that there should be a cycle of assessment within the classroom that follows the

following pattern: Plan, Assess, Analyze, and Improve (Missouri). The first process of an

assessment cycle is to plan the learning outcomes and objectives that will be covered during a

unit. The learning objectives and outcomes chosen should follow the Bloom’s Taxonomy

pyramid of remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Secondly, I believe that

the cycle of assessment should assess those planned learning outcomes and objectives created for

the unit. This will be accomplished during the instructional time of the class period and can

either be pursued through direct or indirect teaching methods (formative, common, or summative

assessments). The third step of the assessment cycle is the analysis of student results from the

previous stage. Being thorough in the investigation of students’ work, will insure that the
Philosophy of Assessment Assignment Megan Lambeth

preceding cycle level is carried out to its fullest potential. Last, but not least, improving the

learning objectives and outcomes to better align students’ strengths and weaknesses is crucial for

the assessment cycle to be complete. Without improvements of the unit and lessons the students

will continue to perform poorly on the assessments. (Wormeli, pg. 35-36, 2006)

I believe that by collecting assessments throughout the year, I will have a better

understanding of how my students process and learn information and how to improve my

teaching methods based on this information. By doing so, both current and future students will

benefit. Current students will have a measurement of their skills in units throughout the semester,

which in return can be a guide of their strengths and weaknesses for a final summative

assessment at the closing of the year. Whereas, future students will benefit from improved

teaching methods made from the errors in assessments given throughout the previous school year

(Wormeli, pg. 41-42, 2006). By adjusting my teaching methods and instructional information, I

can provide differentiated learning to my students as a support in areas that I failed to assist in

before. Staying consistent to bad habits will only hinder my students and I, therefore, must be

open to the idea of learning new ways to expand upon my teaching techniques.

I believe that assessments should not be biased towards wrong answers, causing utmost

disappointment in a student’s interpretation of their success. Assessments should show students

how far they have come in a particular area and where constructive feedback of improvements

should be made (Wormeli, pg. 100, 2006). Although a student may miss three out of five

questions on an assessment, they are not at a total loss. Their score still shows that they were

successful on two of the five questions, providing no excuse to a student that their results were

completely inadequate. I can then use this as an opportunity to help the student reach their full
Philosophy of Assessment Assignment Megan Lambeth

potential through the assistance of differentiated learning. Providing the right amount of support,

for that particular student, is crucial for them to lift their chin up and persevere through the

struggling time.

I believe in creating assessments that appropriately align with the material and

information being presented during class instruction. To insure that the material covered within

an assessment aligns with the learning objectives and outcomes discussed in the unit lessons,

common assessments should be the first assignment created. By doing so, I am able to construct

the lesson topics, as well as the formative assessment activities, to fit the goal of the common

unit assessment. This also allows students to be aware of the expectations for a unit and therefore

be more prepared for the common unit assessment in the end (Wormeli, pg. 21, 2006). It is also

crucial that, as a teacher, I do not go above and beyond the level of my students on an

assessment, whether it be formative, common, or summative. Introductory classes will not be at a

regular academic classroom level for assessment questions, regular academic students will not be

at an honors class level for assessment questions, and so on and so forth.

Lastly, I believe that assessments should provide equity among all learners in the

classroom, despite their diverse needs and/or learning method. No matter a child’s learning or

physical disability, the assessments in which they take should always be modified or provide

accommodations as a means of support. I must be fair to all of my students, even if that means

the assessment for a student with a learning or physical disability is different from that of a

regular education student. All in all, an assessment is a measurement of the knowledge a student

has of mathematical concepts and skills and not how the student came to process that knowledge

(Wormeli, pg. 6, 2006).

Philosophy of Assessment Assignment Megan Lambeth

Citations:

Missouri State. (n.d.). The Assessment Process . Retrieved from

​https://www.missouristate.edu/assessment/89380.htm

Wake County Public School System. (n.d.). NEW, 10-POINT GRADING SCALE GOES

INTO EFFECT. Retrieved from ​https://www.wcpss.net/gradepointscale

Wormeli, R. (2006). ​Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differential

Classroom​. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers .