2.7 Assessment
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to measure student learning and technology literacy, including the use of digital assessment tools and resources. (PSC 2.7/ISTE 2g)
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to measure student learning and technology literacy, including the use of digital assessment tools and resources. (PSC 2.7/ISTE 2g)
For this artifact, the Data Inventory, I worked with the testing coordinator and clerk at my school in order to make a comprehensive list of available assessments. Along with the data source, I also include the content area, dates of collection, the group of students assessed, and accessibility in order to have a full picture of the testing landscape at my school. Most importantly, I describe the current use of each assessment as well as suggest a more effective use for this data. The purpose of this inventory was to take stock of all the possible data sources in order to see the many different ways to assess student learning in order to set and measure school goals.
The artifact shows my mastery of Standard 2.7: Assessment. As one part in a series of assignments, the Data Inventory illustrates my ability to use effectively diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments to measure student learning. The document charts various national, state, county, and classroom assessments, some are summative, like AP exams and the Georgia Milestone; however, I also include formative classroom assessments and diagnostic tests, like the district pre-test and the PSAT, in order to take into account the many different types of student data. Also on the chart, I state the current uses of these various types of assessments at my school. For example, The Georgia Milestones assessments is summative for one grade level but diagnostic for the next grade level, and helps teachers and administrators compare their performance to other schools and set curriculum-based, data-driven goals for the following year. This assessment also helps teachers and administrators determine the extent to which teacher strategies or instructional initiatives have been effective. Because I can effectively put school assessment data to good use to improve student learning, I have mastered this standard.
Additionally, I can use assessment to measure technology literacy, including the use of digital assessment tools and resources. Many of the assessment tools listed, like the PSAT, include digital score reports with linsk to further digital resources that might help students study and improve on their scores on the SAT. While our school does not offer a standardized technology literacy test, individual classroom teachers measure digital literacy through student learning inventories—I use Google Forms—and formative classroom assessments to see which resources students are already familiar with and which they need further support with. Additionally, eClass, our learning management software, offers assessment tool features, such as rubrics, audio and video notes, and quizzes, to assess students’ use of content and technology. Furthermore, teachers use digital systems, like Schoolnet, to track and monitor student progress and in order to make differentiation decisions about student learning. Our district offers teachers continuous support for managing student assessment data on this system.
Completing this artifact, and seeing, in a single document, all the assessments offered at the school, I came to the realization that some of our assessments could be put to better use in order to improve student learning. For example, data from the PSAT predicts student performance with AP coursework. Currently, our AP department does not use the AP Potential tracking data that the College Board provides. If I were to do something differently, I would have considered more types of formative assessment as well as how they could be used to measure student literacy in a uniform way at our school.
The work that went into creating this artifact has benefitted school improvement since I shared it with an Assistant Principal and plan to share it with a future data team. Such a document could improve student learning by helping the goal setting and data-based decision making process of school leadership. The impact of this research on school improvement can be measured by comparing school goals from year to year to see if different types of data are considered when problem-solving areas of weakness.