3 Guidelines to Eliminating Assessment Fog

1. 3 Guidelines to Eliminating Assessment Fog

2. 1. Identify and Communicate Clear Learning Targets • The heart of quality learning is having clear learning targets. This probably sounds obvious, yet there are an abundance of assessment tools that give students only a vague understanding of the outcomes. Academic criteria lists are created from unpacking the unit standards or curriculum outcomes for specific skills and concepts.

3. 2. Separate Logistical Guidelines from Academic Learning Targets • Points should not be taken off because a student didn't follow directions regarding where to place an answer or how to format a paper, or because of his or her level of contribution to classroom activities. These may be important non-academic skills -- work ethic, following directions, being responsible -- and can be coached. But when these logistical requirements are factored into formative and summative assessments, they obscure the truth.

4. 3. Provide Students with Different Options to Demonstrate Their Learning • Assessment construction is as important as the assessment itself. One assessment format can include obstacles that are irrelevant to the learning targets. Such obstacles create skewed data pictures, and lead to misdiagnosis of needs and supports for students. Consider offering alternative options that students can choose for the assessment, or as a follow-up for an unsatisfactory result. Students need options that are respectful to how they process information effectively. The options must be cleanly targeted to the skills that students will demonstrate.