Assessment: Enhanced Teaching and Learning CHAPTER 4 Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math, 9 th Edition, © 2009

Assessment: Enhanced Teaching and Learning

CHAPTER 4

Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math,9th Edition, © 2009

Assessment

Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and provide useful information to teachers and

students.

(NCTM, 2000, p.20)


Focus Questions

1. How are assessments of learning (summative assessment) and assessments for learning (formative assessment) alike and different—in characteristics and in when or how they are used?

2. How do the four phases of classroom assessment help teachers inform their instruction?

3. What different methods can teachers use to gather information about their students’ abilities, dispositions, and interests, and what do each of these methods communicate to students about what is valued in teaching and learning mathematics?


Two Types of Assessment

•1. Summative•2. Formative


Summative Assessment

•Assessment of Learning - Summative assessment provides evidence of student achievement for purposes of public reporting and accountability.

•Ex. tests, end-of year exams, standardized tests.


Formative Assessment

•Assessment for Learning – Formative Assessment documents students’ achievement as well as guides instructional decisions and helps students learn.

•Ex. homework, in-class assignments, performance assessments, teacher observations, classroom tests.


Four Phases of AssessmentPlan

Assessment

GatherEvidence

InterpretEvidence

Use Results

Assessment Standards for School MathematicsNational Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1995


Four Purposes of Assessment

•Making Instructional Decisions•Monitoring Students' Progress•Evaluating Students' Achievement•Evaluating Programs



Assessment Standards for School Mathematics

•Shifts in Making Instructional Decisions toward: ▫integrating assessment with instruction▫using evidence from a variety of assessment formats

and contexts▫using evidence of every student's progress toward long-

range goals in instructional planning




•Shifts in Monitoring Students’ Progress toward:

▫assessing progress toward mathematical power▫communicating with students about performance in a

continuous, comprehensive manner▫using multiple and complex assessment tools▫ students learning to assess their own progress




•Shifts in Assessing to Evaluate Students’ Achievement toward:▫comparing students’ performance with performance criteria▫assessing progress toward mathematical power▫certification based on balanced, multiple sources of

information▫profiles of achievement based on public criteria



Ways to Assess

•Observation•Questioning• Interviewing•Performance Tasks•Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment


•Work Samples•Portfolios•Writings•Teacher-Designed Written Tests•Standardized Achievement Tests

Ways to Assess


Sample Observation Guide


Observations


Figure 4-4 Flip cards for recording classroom observations. Cards can be arranged alphabetically or by classroom seat assignments, whatever will help you find the right card quickly.

Sample Student Self-Assessment


Figure 4-8 Sample student self-assessment “letter to myself” written t the beginning of the year. Students can compare this letter with a letter written at the end of the year to show their growth over the school year.

Self-Assessment Questions


Figure 4-6 Self-assessment questions for problem solving

Sample Scoring Scale


Figure 4-10 A scale for scoring problem solving. (Source: Reprinted with permission from “How to Evaluate Progress in Problem Solving,” copyright 1987 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. All rights reserved. )

Keeping Assessment Records

It is important to keep both informal and formal records of students’ learning and their dispositions toward mathematics.

Examples of Assessment:•Checklists•Student Files•Class Records


Communicating Assessment Information

Teachers have three main audiences to whom assessment will be communicated:

•To Students•To Parents or Guardians•To School Administration


Assessment

•Problem. If a class of 19 children go on a field trip and 5 children can ride in each car, how many cars will be needed?


Assessment (cont’d)Student Problem Solving Sample


Alex: Third Month of Third Grade


Ben: Third Month of Third Grade



Carl: Third Month of Third Grade



Andrea: Fifth Month of Fourth Grade



Amy: Fifth Month of Fourth Grade


Documents

Assessment: Enhanced Teaching and Learning CHAPTER 4 Reys/ Lindquist/ Lamdin/ Smith, Helping Children Learn Math, 9 th Edition, © 2009