Implementing the old-fashioned rule, ‘Thou shall not use formative assessments as part of a summative evaluation’ prevents students and teachers from considering all of the evidence of learning. It also limits the opportunities students must have if they are to add a greater range of evidence into the collection than might otherwise be considered by the teacher. Limiting the evidence of learning does a disservice to all those students who show their learning in multiple ways. It also increases the chance that teachers’ professional judgments will be based on insufficient evidence. Remember, everything a student says, does or creates is potentially evidence of learning. Teachers need to work WITH students to ensure the best collection of evidence is considered for summative assessment purposes.

The foundation for evaluating and reporting is put in place when the teacher develops the descriptions of learning, describes what success looks like for students, and thinks through the evidence that will be needed. When it is time to evaluate, teachers revisit those same descriptions of what was to be learned, and review the evidence students have organized and that teachers have collected, and then use their professional judgment to make their evaluation. They review their judgment and evidence with students and their parents, and report using the required format. Evaluating and reporting are straightforward last steps in an assessment process that begins much earlier.

This figure from MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORK shows a sample outline of evidence compiled by a Grade 9 English teacher and can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/PDF/18C_MCAW_102.pdf.


____________________________________________________

“The process of assessing children’s learning – by looking closely at it and striving to understand it – is the only certain safeguard against children’s failure, the only certain guarantee of children’s progress and development.”
~ Mary Jane Drummond

MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORK (2nd Edition) is a teacher’s guide to successful implementation of assessment FOR learning into everyday practice. Check it out at: connect2learning.com/store/publications/making-classroom-assessment-work-2nd-edition