Measuring Student Learning: How Educators Assess
Formative and summative assessments improve student learning through clear targets, feedback, collaboration, and the use of technology and metacognition.
The Assessment Journey
We understand that relevant professional learning focuses on measuring student learning because student outcomes are impacted by what teachers do in their classrooms [i]. Professional learning becomes more impactful when teachers are actively involved, are ongoing, and support subject matter content, pedagogical practices, and the links between [ii]. The proximity to practice focus, and strategies for effective assessment need to be evidence-based and grounded in student data and research (Berry, 2022; Campbell, DeLuca, LaPointe-McEwan, Ceau & Rickey, 2024; Dewitt, 2022). These same studies indicate that teachers need time to collaborate and practice their pedagogical skills and learning.
To assist students in their learning journey, as educators, we need to know where students are in terms of the intended learning targets and then support students in achieving these targets [iii]. To do that, educators measure learning, both formatively and summatively [iv]. Research indicates that formative assessment with timely, useful feedback can positively affect student learning outcomes. Clarifying feedback should address progress on the task and process, referencing the learning target/intentions, as well as the success criteria achieved, and the ones still in progress. This is where augmenting generative AI including ChatGPT can be useful in providing personalized feedback [v].
Measuring Learning
Lyn Sharratt (2023) reminds us ‘we need to put faces on the student data’; behind each piece of data are real students who matter. We monitor by assessing for learning to improve during the learning process. Assessment of learning happens after the learning has taken place. Most learning should be assessed as students are consolidating their learning including skills, concepts and knowledge. For formative assessment, students need:
· Clear visible learning intentions/targets and success criteria, preferably co-created
· Thoughtful questions to elicit prior knowledge, leading to meaningful discussions to deepen student learning
· Both interdependent (peer-to-peer) and self-assessment activities
· Feedback on their progress towards achievement of the learning targets so they can close gaps from where they are and where they need to be
· Differentiation for diversability (Barry, 2022; Campbell et al., 2024)
Using a variety of assessment strategies, such as collaborative problem-solving tasks, individual conversations, interviews with students, snapshots of student work, or videos of students explaining their thinking provides students with different opportunities to show what they know and can do and helps teachers to clearly see student thinking and inform next steps (Earl & Temperley, 2014; Suurtamm & Arden, 2017) [vi].
Encourage students to ask/reflect on questions like:
· Where am I going in terms of my learning? (Self-reflection)
· How do I know how I am doing?
· Where am I going? What are the next steps? (Metacognition)
Educators measure to gain an understanding of the progress of individual and collective groups of students. Marks/grades are assigned based on assessments teachers construct, and those assessment instruments constructed by others. In both cases, there must be intentional and age-appropriate preparation so that students know how to approach the assessment to demonstrate their learning. To promote pedagogical conversations, select some questions for your educators to consider collectively. These can occur through collaborative inquiry (Campbell et al., 2024).
· Do students know how to assess and improve the quality of their own work?
· Does the homework allow students to practice the skill, concept, and knowledge to demonstrate their learning? How many examples of the same skill and concept is enough? How do you know? Is there a choice in homework?
· How are homework and summative assessments aligned? There should be no surprises on tests.
· Do the students understand how the assessments demonstrate and reflect their developing understanding of the learning outcomes? Can they see growth over time?
· What are the range of tools and instruments used for measurement/assessment?
· How can technology support and provide feedback from formative assessment practices?
· How is differentiation embedded in the assessments? Does it include choice and accessibility?
· Is the feedback timely and relevant? How is it informing student improvement?
· How are families informed and involved? What is the cycle of communication regarding measuring learning? Is it transparent to the intended families/communities? [vii]
· Who in your school teaches test-taking?
· What is the percentage of and value for reporting for formative assessments to summative assessments?
· What percentage of assessments are independent and what percentage are interdependent based on students collaborating?
· What are the trend data showing? What evidence-based strategies and approaches are effective in terms of your goals, and what ones are you considering implementing? Why?
There is also assessment as learning, which is metacognitive [viii]. Assessment as learning includes tasks that engage students in their own learning processes aimed at strengthening self-assessment and self-regulation where students know their strengths and areas requiring further learning [ix]. Kuykendall (2024) reminds teachers and students that shifting to the process of learning has to be intentional to develop critical competencies. Instructors guide and provide opportunities for students to develop their capacities to deal with ambiguity and to self-monitor [x]. These are components of global lifelong skills.
Learning takes place in students’ heads where it may be invisible to others. This means that learning must be assessed through performance: what students can do with their learning. Assessing students’ performance can involve assessments that are formal or informal, high- or low-stakes, anonymous or public, individual or collective [xi].
References
Berry, B. (2022). Grading Principles and Practices. Resource. Simon Fraser University, Centre for Educational Excellence. https://www.sfu.ca/cee/teaching-resources/assessment-of-student-learning/grading-principles-and-practices/
Campbell. C., DeLuca, C., LaPointe-McEwan, D., Ceau, M. & Rickey, N. (2024). Teacher-Led Learning Circles for Formative Assessment: Full Report of International Research Findings. Education International.
https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/29205:teacher-led-learning-circles-for-formative-assessment-full-report-of-international-research-findings
Donohoo, J. (2017). Collective Efficacy: How educators beliefs impact student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Dewitt, P. (2022). Collective leader efficacy: Strengthening instructional leadership teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Earl, L., & Timperley, H. (2014). Challenging Conceptions of Assessment. Springer Nature.
C. Wyatt-Smith, V. Klenowski, & P. Colbert (Eds.), Designing assessment for quality learning (pp. 325–336). Springer Nature.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-32394-7
Kuepper-Tetzel, C. E., & Gardner, P. L. (2021). Effects of Temporary Mark Withholding on Academic Performance. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 20(3), 405-419.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725721999958
Kuykendall, M. (2024) Designing a Course That Develops Students’ Metacognition. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/assessing-cognitive-competencies-high-school/
Sharratt, L. (2019). CLARITY: What Matters MOST in Learning, Teaching, and Leading. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sharratt, L. & Fullan, M. (2023). Putting Faces on the Data :What great leaders and teachers do! (10th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Spangler, D., & Wanko J. (2017.) Enhancing Classroom Practice with Research behind Principles to Actions (pp. 141 -152). NCTM.
Suurtamm, C., & Arden, A. (2017). Using assessment to enhance mathematics teaching and learning. In D. Spangler and J. Wanko (Eds.) Enhancing classroom practice with research behind Principles to Action (pp. 141 -152). NCTM.
Suurtamm, C., Thompson, D.R., Kim, R.Y., Moreno, L.D., Sayac, N., Schukajlow, S., Silver, E., Ufer, S., & Vos, P. (2016). Assessment in Mathematics Education. Springer Nature.
Terada, Y., & Merrill, S. (2024). 10 Studies Every Teacher Should Know About. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-studies-every-teacher-should-know-about/
Wyatt-Smith, C., Klenowski, V., Colbert, P. (2014). Designing Assessment for Quality Learning. Springer Nature.
Endnotes
[i] Teacher-Led Learning Circles for Formative Assessment: Full Report of International Research Findings - Education International
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Supporting High-Quality Math Teaching in Uncertain Times - Signature Leadership by Knowledgehook
[iv] Measuring student learning - Center for Teaching Innovation, Cornell University
[v] Teacher-Led Learning Circles for Formative Assessment: Full Report of International Research Findings - Education International
[vi] Supporting high-quality math teaching in uncertain times -Knowledgehook Return to Learn
[vii] More diverse communities report back using a variety of languages for immigrant families/caregivers
[viii] Assessing Students’ Learning - Simon Fraser University, Centre for Educational Excellence
[ix] Designing a Course That Develops Students’ Metacognition
- Edutopia
[x]Assessing Students’ Learning - Simon Fraser University, Centre for Educational Excellence
[xi] How to Assess Students’ Learning and Performance - Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University
