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THE PRACTICE: Assessment That Informs Practice in Middle School Mathematics
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Content Presented By:
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Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
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What is it?
The Assessment Principle from the Principles and Standards from School Mathematics (PSSM) states that "Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students" (NCTM, 2000, p. 22). Assessment should be ongoing, integral to mathematics instruction, and instrumental in shaping teacher practice.
The resources that ENC has identified for making meaningful, reflective assessment an integral part of mathematics instruction support the following two ideas as stated in the Principles and Standards from School Mathematics:
- Assessment should enhance mathematics learning.
The kinds of tasks that teachers use in assessments demonstrate to students the sort of mathematical knowledge and performance they value, so it's important that the assessment tasks reflect significant mathematical ideas. Worthwhile tasks appeal to students and deal with problems that seem relevant to them. Also, when alternative assessments such as journaling and student interviews are used, students learn through the process of articulating their ideas.
- Assessment can be valuable in making instructional decisions.
When teachers are continually engaged in the process of measuring student progress, they can better support their students learning of specific mathematical goals. Solid knowledge of where students are mathematically informs instructional decisions such as when to review, when to spend more time on a difficult concept, and how to adapt tasks for both struggling and advanced students.
Questions to Think About:
Effective assessment is much more than quizzes and tests, although such formal assessments do have their place in good classroom instruction. Ideally, assessment is ongoing, reflective, and responsive to individual student needs and abilities. Tools such as self-assessments, informal assessments, and standardized testing can all factor into the total learning environment. Such a proliferation of assessment opportunities and styles, however, can also lead to confusion for educators, parents, and students alike as they seek to understand the role of assessment and how it can be implemented in the mathematics classroom.
- What does good assessment look like?
- How can teachers know which type of assessment (i.e., formal quizzes vs. portfolio assessment) is most appropriate for a given student and/or mathematics topic?
- How can standardized assessments such as state-mandated proficiency tests be used as tools for enhanced student learning?
- How can teachers incorporate the use of informal assessments such as journals and educational technology tools?
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