Assessing Students Needs

Asssessing Students Needs

Andrew Lopez
National University
In partial fulfillment for the requirements for TED 635
Cathy Lauer
March 7, 2015

Assessing Students Needs

2
Abstract

This paper describes the various ways in which you can formally
and informally assess students in an educational setting. It also
provides the purpose for using each specific assessment technique. It
informs which assessments are appropriate for the class as a whole;
special needs students, and English Language Learners as well. It
offers examples of each assessment technique being used, as well as
describes how it can be used within a classroom. The paper includes
definitions of each assessment as to inform the reader of what the
educational jargon means. Each assessment type has been discussed
in length in the textbook entitled Teaching in K-12 Schools: A Reflective
Action Approach, Fifth Edition by Eby, Herrell, and Jordan. Some of the
assessments have been quoted as to denote the importance of the
authors words when discussing each assessment technique.
Assessment is an important and ongoing process throughout education
and can be effective if used properly to meet every students diverse
learning needs.

Assessing Students Needs

Assessment
Purpose

Example

Techniques
Informal

This assessment would be a

I currently do this with my

progress monitoring

students. I watch their

Teachers observe their

assessment. It requires

behavior while they are

students behavior to

teachers to observe their

working in groups in order

check for

students throughout lessons

to see which students I can

understanding and to

to see if they comprehend the partner up with each other. I

see how they can

concepts being taught.

also do when student are

provide their student

Teachers who observe their

working independently. I

with a better learning

students while teaching a

walk around the room and

experience. Teachers

lesson are able to evaluate

watch the way students are

use informal

their understanding. Spotting

answering questions.

observation intuitively

a blank look, a nervous pencil

from the first moment

tapping, or a grimace of

the students enter the

discomfort on a students

classroom at the

face, the teacher can stop the

beginning of the term.

lesson, check for

They watch groups to

understanding, and reteach

see how students

the material to meet the

relate to one another;

needs of the students who did

they watch individuals

not understand. (Eby,

to spot patterns of

Herrell, & Jordan, 2011, Pg

Observations-

Assessing Students Needs

behavior that are

210)

either unusually
disruptive or
extremely productive.
To manage a
classroom effectively,
with it teachers are
alert to the overt and
covert actions of their
students at all times.
(Eby, Herrell, & Jordan,
2011 pg 210)
Performance Tasks - This technique is a

In our program we have to

Students prove that

summative assessment.

take TPAs in order to prove

they have mastered

Students show they have

that we have mastered the

an objective through a

mastered an objective by

skills needed to teach

quiz, worksheet, or

completing a task.

students. The TPA are

other assessment.

assessing whether we have

To plan an assessment
system based on students
showing mastery of certain
specified outcomes or
objectives, the teacher must
begin before teaching the

mastered the objectives.

Assessing Students Needs

lesson. By preplanning a unit
with specific outcomes or a
lesson with very concrete
behavioral objectives, the
teacher specifies the skills
that students should be able
to demonstrate at the
conclusion of the lesson and
the criterion for success.
Teachers then plan learning
experiences that are linked
with the outcomes. After each
objective has been taught
and students have had an
opportunity to practice the
new skill, a quiz, worksheet,
or other assessment product
asks students to demonstrate
that they have mastered the
new skill and can perform it
with few errors. (Eby, Herrell,
& Jordan, 2011 Pg 211)

Assessing Students Needs

This type of assessment is

appropriate for whole class,
special needs, and ELL
students because they can be
easily modified.

Criterion-

This technique is summative

I observed a 5th grade

Referenced Quizzes

because students take the

teachers math lesson and

and Tests-

quiz or test after they have

she gave her student a

Students take short

had the opportunity to learn

small quiz at the end of her

quizzes or test that

the objectives.

lesson to see if students

have matching, true

understood the concept.

or false, and multiple-

The term criterion-

She called the quiz an exit

choice questions in

referenced refers directly to

slip. Her students had to

order for teacher to

the criterion established for

answer the question before

check for

each behavioral objective.

they could leave to recess.

understanding. They

Each item on a criterion-

are performed on a

referenced test should match

day-by-day basis or

a pre-established criterion.

after completing a

Criterion referencing provides

unit. They are known

objective data about material

as formative

that all students in the class

assessments.

have had an equal

Assessing Students Needs

opportunity to learn. (Eby,

Herrell, & Jordan, 2011 Pg
212)

This type of assessment is

appropriate for whole class,
special needs, and ELL
students with appropriate
modifications to meet their
needs. Whether it extra time,
reading assistance, or the use
of anchor charts. If no
modifications are made this
type of assessment can be
difficult for ELL and special
Mastery Learning

needs students.
This technique is normally

When I was in middle school

Assessment-

used as a summative

my science teacher used

Individual students

assessment but can also be

this type of assessment by

work through several

used as progress-monitoring

having us draw out the

learning experiences

assessment if the teacher is

water cycle on a blank piece

at their own time and

trying to see if a student has

of paper.

pace and prove

mastered a smaller objective.

mastery as they

Assessing Students Needs

complete each task.

In mastery learning,
individual students work
through a series of learning
experiences at their own pace
and demonstrate mastery as
they complete each objective.
The teacher uses the
information gained on the
tests to provide helpful
feedback for re-teaching
rather than as a record of
achievement.(Eby, Herrell, &
Jordan, 2011 Pg 213)

Essays-

This technique is normally

In the class I am currently

Students demonstrate

used as a summative

teaching, one-way my grade

their understanding

assessment where students

level assesses our student

by writing out what

prove their understanding of

writing is by having an on

they know and how to

concepts by writing about it.

demand test. Students are

do certain things.

It can also be a progress

given an hour to write about

monitoring assessment if they a certain topic they learned

are made shorter and are

for several weeks. My

used to check for

students learned how to

Assessing Students Needs

understanding.

9
properly write letters and
took an on demand test

Appropriate for whole

where they had to write a

class and some special

letter to someone.

needs such as gifted. This

would be difficult for ELL
students but can be turned
into an oral presentation to
Oral Reports and

try and aid them.

This type of assessment

In my science class, I had to

Examinations-

would typically be a

give a presentation on an

Students demonstrate

summative and progress-

animal habitat that I had

their knowledge of a

monitoring assessment. It

done research on. I had to

certain concept by

can also be an Entry-level

present what I learned by

orally presenting what

assessment. Teachers can

orally presenting the

they know.

conduct this for a summative

information.

assessment by having
students present what they
have learned orally. It can
used to monitor progress by
having discussions to see
what the student still needs
to learn. It can be used as
entry-level assessment by

Assessing Students Needs

10

finding out what the student

knows.

This type of assessment

would be appropriate for
whole class, most special
needs students except for
any with linguistic needs and
speech impediments. This
may be difficult for ELL
Learning Contracts-

students.
This technique is an entry-

I have seen this technique

Students make a

level assessment because

used with special needs

contract that they

you are making up the goal

students and students how

have to abide by. Just

before they learn anything.

have behavioral

as in adult life,

management issues.

students are held

Teachers using this strategy

Teacher and students create

accountable for

meet with individual students

a plan that the student had

meeting the terms of

to agree on a suitable number to follow in order to earn a

their contracts. If they

and type of optional

reward. Students had to

succeed, they can

activities. The activities on

meet an objective and were

expect a positive

the contract then provide the

reward with an incentive of

evaluation. If they

structure for daily learning

their choosing.

have not met the

experiences. When the unit is

Assessing Students Needs

terms of their

complete, the contract is

contract, they can

used as the basis for

expect to have to

assessing what each student

explain why and

has accomplished. (Eby,

describe what they

Herrell, & Jordan, 2011 Pg

will do to honor their

220)

11

contract. (Eby,
Herrell, & Jordan, 2011 This type of assessment
Pg 220)

would be appropriate for

whole class, special needs,
and ELL students because
you are meeting with the
students and coming up with

Portfolios-

goal that meet their needs.

This is a summative, progress

At the school I currently

Teachers store a

monitoring, and can be an

teach at we keep a portfolio

collection of students

entry-level assessment. Its

for our students to store

work in order to

summative because teacher

their work during our ELD

assess a students

can use it to see what they

program. Every student put

progress. Portfolios

students learned throughout

in their best work and we

are collections of work

a period of time. It can be a

use them to assess whether

samples designed to

progress monitoring

or not they are learning.

illustrate a persons

assessment because teacher

accomplishments in a

can use the portfolios to see

Assessing Students Needs

talent area. (Eby,

12

where the students progress

Herrell, & Jordan, 2011 is. It can also be an entrypg 220)

level assessment if the

student comes to a new
teacher with work from their
previous class. The new
teacher can decide what the
student needs to learn.

This is a great way to

assess ELL students if you let
them choose their best work
for the portfolio, but can also
be for special needs,
gifted, and whole class.
Group Assignments- This type of assessment can

I observed this when I

Teachers have

be entry level, progress

observed a 5th grade

students work in

monitoring, and summative.

teacher during her math

partnerships or in

Students work together to

lesson. She had students

bigger group to solve

solve problems.

solve a worksheet in groups

problem and show

and every student had a

they understand

This type of assessment is

responsibility. The students

concepts and are

appropriate for whole class,

work together to show their

meeting the

special need, such as gifted,

understanding of certain

Assessing Students Needs

objectives.

13

as well as ELL students. It

concepts. They were

may be difficult for students

required to use different

with social anxiety.

color pens so that the

teacher could see who did

Role Playing-

This can be used as a

what.
I did this type of assessment

Student act to show

progress monitoring and

when I was in 5th grade. My

their understanding of

summative assessment.

teacher had us act out a

certain topics. It also

Teachers have students act to

character from our fantasy

teacher to make sure

show what they learned and

essay in order to check that

students understand

check for understanding. This

we understood how to write

what they are being

is similar to an oral

a fantasy.

taught.

presentation.

This type of assessment is

appropriate for whole class,
special need, such as gifted,
as well as ELL students
because students might find
freedom when portraying
something or someone other
than themselves. It may be
difficult for students with
social anxiety.

Assessing Students Needs

14

Reflection Journals-

This technique is normally

I did this in my English class

Students reflect on

used as a summative

in high school. My teacher

what they have

assessment. It can be used as

ended the class by making

learned in their

an entry-level assessment as

us write a reflection about

personal journals.

well if a teacher wants to find

what we learned, what we

These journals give

out what the student already

didnt understand, and what

student who arent

knows.

we liked about the lesson.

comfortable voicing
their concern or

This assessment is

knowledge a voice of

appropriate for whole

their own.

class and some special

needs such as gifted. This
would be difficult assessment
for ELL students be they may

Learning Products

struggle to write in English.

This can be used as

I had my current students

summative and progress

create a drawing with all the

monitoring assessment. It can geometric shapes we

also be used as an entry-level
assessment if a teacher
wants to figure out what a
student knows about a topic.

learned about.

Assessing Students Needs

15

Learning Products are

anything a student can create
that demonstrates the
Learning Goal. When you
design a Learning Activity you
are also designing an
Assessing Activity. For
example, writing a rap,
creating a collage, creating a
postcard, drawing a picture,
and creating flash cards.

This is appropriate for whole

class, special needs, and ELL
students.
Reports-

These are summative

My students had to write

Students create a final

assessment because they are

animal reports on a chosen

writing product

done after a student has been animal that they had to

showcasing their

taught something, learned

knowledge of a

something, or researched

specific subject.

something.

This type of assessment

research online and in text.

Assessing Students Needs

16

would be appropriate for

whole class, and some special
needs such as gifted
students. This would be a
difficult for ELL students
because they would have to
research things in English and
present them in English as
Projects-

well.
This is normally a summative

After writing a report, my

Students create an

assessment but it can be

students created a diorama

artistic product

turned into a progress

of their animal in its natural

representing what

monitoring assessment if the

habitat.

they have learned.

project is made smaller and

specific.

This can be appropriate for all

students if the proper
Videos-

modifications are made.

This type of assessment

My students created iMovie

Students use

would be a progress

trailers where they gave a

technology to create a

monitoring, entry-level, and

review of their favorite book

movie where they

summative assessment.

for their peers.

show what they have

Students show their

Assessing Students Needs

learned.

understanding by using
technology to make a video
that shows their
understanding of a certain
topic.

This type of project is

appropriate for Whole class
and special needs such as
gifted students. It can be
good for ELL students if they
work with partners who can
aid them

17

Assessing Students Needs

18

References
Eby, J. W., Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2010). Teaching in K-12 schools:
A reflective action approach. Prentice Hall.