Article Review: Assessments & Assignments

Here is the link to the article reviewed: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=pare

Summary

The article addresses the lack of emphasis on assessments. Many teachers feel inadequately prepared to create assessments. Although research and suggestions exist, as pointed out in the opening of the article, little is taught to teachers in training or emphasized to experienced teachers (McMillan, 2000, p. 1).

All forms of assessment are technically professional judgments. Even creating the tool with which to assess an assignment, like a rubric for a paper, is still guilty of teacher bias because the teacher is determining what quality looks like (McMillan, 2000, p. 1). Because all assessments and tools to assess are unable to truly be objective, teachers and administrators need to remain diligent in their own learning to preserve their own professional judgment (McMillan, 2000, p. 1). Assessments can be fair and ethical, however (McMillan, 2000, p. 3).

In education, there are tensions that impact assessment. National testing requires some schools to alter their specific footprint or processes in order to better prepare students for the tests. Conflicts in philosophies directly impact teaching strategies, which in turn impacts the assessment (McMillan, 2000, p. 2). Educators cannot ignore these tensions; instead, they should be well informed and prioritize which to focus on and embrace the most (McMillan, 2000, p. 2). Being well informed helps teachers decide which methods to use primarily and which are simply good to use for exposure or remediation (McMillan, 2000, p. 3). Incorporating multiple methods and technology ensure the assessments are fair, efficient, feasible, and valid (McMillan, 2000, p. 2-3).

Analysis

I would agree that as a teacher in training during undergrad, I did not feel like I was adequately prepared to create my own assessments or tools. Most of my training focused on instruction strategies, which was honestly odd for me considering the push to meet state standards. I only had one professor who taught me backwards planning, and it was only then that I truly began to understand the value of assessments. That was my senior year; so now that I am in my third year of teaching, I believe this weak area has grown stronger. I am, however, still looking to improve this area of my curriculum. The assertion that all forms of assessment are technically professional judgments surprised me because I pride myself in being one of the teachers at my school that is firm about criterion-based assessments. As I began to read and consider, though, I must confess that a lot of assessments—especially in English—are more subjective than they are objective. I believe teachers should consider the multiple methods and tensions that do exist when creating assessments in order to balance the various viewpoints and demands while still helping students reach success.

Reflection

Based on what I have learned from this article, I believe that I should seek to backwards plan every unit and ensure the assessments support the anchor standards. Then within each lesson, I can choose strategies that I believe best meet my students needs and interests while still helping them learn the skills necessary to succeed on their assessments. Being aware of my personal bias in the assessments I create, as well as the tools I create to assess, encourages me to remain updated on research-based best practices.

References

McMillan, J. (2000). Fundamental assessment principles for teachers and school administrators. Practical

Assessment, Research, and Evaluation 7, 7.