Philosophy of Assessment 1

Philosophy of Assessment

Dylan McGee

North Carolina State University

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Philosophy of Assessment

Introduction

Assessment is one of the most important aspects of education and extends far beyond

tests and quizzes. Assessment is used to see how well a student understands material in a class,

how well they retain information learned, and how well they can apply more complex

information. When used effectively and responsibly, assessment can be a great tool. One of the

most important pieces of good assessment, formative and summative, is how well it aligns with

the course objectives and what has been taught in class. If a test on a certain novel is well-

written, contains a good balance of questions, and encourages complex thought, but tests

students on material that was not covered in class, then it is not a good assessment. This extends

to formative assessments as well. The purpose of assessment is to make sure students both

understand what is being taught and are applying that information correctly. The purpose of

assessment is not to assess students for the sake of it. Another important piece of assessment is

that it prepares students for further learning. Summative assessment is not the end of learning for

students but should rather serve as but a piece of the pedagogical puzzle. Along with this,

assessment should benefit all students and leave none behind. Teaching high schoolers in an

English classroom can be a difficult task for many teachers and having effective assessment

techniques can make their jobs much easier. Philosophies of assessment vary from teacher to

teacher, but they all undoubtedly include some sort of belief statements. These beliefs, even if

not explicitly stated, are essential in forming a strong backbone of assessment.

Belief 1: Assessment Should be Both Of and For Learning

Assessment does not begin and end with tests and quizzes. It should be present in every

lesson, in some capacity. This can show itself in even the smallest of assignments. A writing
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assignment that has students include two instances of imagery would be an example of

assessment for learning. Students learn, through the process of writing, what imagery is and how

it is used. This, in conjunction with other similar assignments, gives them a greater knowledge

base about literary terms. A unit test on various elements of literature, including imagery, would

be assessment of learning. With the test, students prove their prior knowledge that they have

built through smaller assessments. If assessment for or assessment of learning is missing from a

classroom, then students will be likely to be misguided and will do poorly in the class, which

would be a fault of the teacher, not the students.

Belief 2: Assessments Should Mean Different Things to Different Classes

As many teachers know, not all classes are the same. Some classes are stellar performers

in all academic areas, while others lack in a few spots. This does not mean that lower-performing

students should not get the chances they deserve. Although summative assessment is important

in many ways, in lower-performing classes, it should be a lower percentage of the grade. This

lets these students focus more on their classwork and class activities, which they will often do

well on, given that they participate. It will also give more chances to use formative assessments,

such as writing exercises and small quizzes, which can help build both a student’s knowledge of

material and their methods of learning. Making assessments less of a worry for more academic-

level students encourages them to participate more, as they do not have a unit test looming over

their heads. This can even allow for these students who previously performed relatively poorly to

excel in classes beyond the one the teacher teaches. This is especially true for ninth and tenth

grade.
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Belief 3: Assessment Should be Relevant

One of the best ways to get students engaged in the classroom is to make the curriculum

relevant to their lives, and assessment is no different. Doing so takes little effort but makes a

world of difference, and it works especially well with formative assessment. Making assessment

relevant not only has the benefit of engaging students more, but it also makes students view the

teacher in a more positive light, which is important when it comes to behavior. One example of

making assessment relevant in quizzes and tests would be to link events in a book the class is

reading to current world events. Teachers can also have students do research about topics that

have significance with them, and link this to whatever is being learned in the class. A classroom

with assessment that is relevant is a classroom that also encourages healthy discussion and has a

great teacher-student relationship.

Belief 4: Assessment Should be Constant and Continuous

A teacher should include some type of assessment in every lesson they make. There are

many ways this can take form, all with their own significance. Before learning even begins,

assessment can be used. For example, giving students a pre-test asking them what they know

about poetry before a poetry unit gives the teacher an excellent look into what they may need to

change before teaching the unit. Assessment during learning is equally important. This takes its

form in quizzes and smaller assignments done throughout the unit. These help teachers judge

how well their students are learning the material, and whether they are teaching it effectively. A

quiz on a novel the students are reading can reveal not just what students have learned, but also

areas on which the teachers may not have instructed well. Assessment after learning is especially

important, as it contains end-of-year assessments, such as the NCFE. Preparing students for these
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exams is a necessity, whether a teacher likes it or not, and their instruction must adequately

reflect this if they wish for their students to pass on to the next grade.

Belief 5: Assessment Should be Accessible to Everyone

America’s schools are becoming increasingly diverse places, and it is the teacher’s

responsibility to make sure their assessments accounts for this. Many teachers come from

backgrounds where they may not have learned about many cultural differences, be they related to

race, class, or religion. Because of this, teachers must educate themselves on what students may

or may not know due to the way they’ve lived their lives. Forgetting to do this is a disservice to

students and can make them feel left-out or silenced. Teachers must take a step back and reflect

on their own lives to realize how their students may be different, and create assessments, both

formative and summative, that reflect this. Creating diverse assessments that meet every

students’ needs leads to a classroom that is full of engagement and validation of students’

cultures.
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Honors English III Syllabus – Grading Policies

As a parent (or student), you are likely concerned with how I will handle grading procedures in

my classroom. My classroom is a place of active learning through doing, and as you may have

discerned from previous parts of the syllabus, puts a heavy focus on learning as a constant

process. My grading philosophy falls in line with this. Please read below for more information

on my policies.

Due Dates: All classwork assignments are due that day, unless we do not finish before class

ends. If this is the case, these assignments are due the next time class meets. Physical

assignments that are assigned ahead of time are due on their due date in class. Assignments

submitted digitally are due at 11:59 P.M. on the day they are due.

Late/Make-Up Work: Given that this is an honors-level class, assignments are expected to be

submitted when they are due. However, I understand that situations arise. Assignments can be

submitted without penalty one day late. After this, five points are taken off per day late.

Anything submitted over five days late can only earn at most a 50 percent. Regardless of the

situation, if I am not notified about the fact that the assignment will be late over one day after it

is due, the assignment will receive a 50 percent. This policy covers all assignments.

If students miss a day of class, they will have the opportunity to make-up that work for one

week, starting from the day they return. For longer absences due to illness, family emergency,

etc., make-up policy will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Please contact me if this becomes

an issue.

My Participation Policy: Participation plays an important role in the classroom, as discussion

and debate can help students learn more about each other and the world around them.

Participation is graded based on if a student answers or asks questions and if they speak during
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discussions. If your student has any extenuating circumstances that may limit their participation

abilities, please contact me and we will work something out.

My Homework Philosophy: It is my belief that homework’s purpose is to form a better

knowledge of material within a student, not assess them on material learned in class. Therefore,

no homework will be graded for accuracy. However, homework will be graded based on

completion, and for writing homework assignments, I will add comments as necessary.

Grading Scale

Homework – 10%

Classwork – 20%

Tests – 25%

Final Paper – 20%

Quizzes – 10%

Small Writing Assignments – 10%

Participation – 5%

Wake County Grading Scale (link)

90-100 = A

80-89 = B

70-79 = C

60-69 = D

0-59 = F
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Conclusion

Overall, assessment should serve to improve students’ knowledge and make them more

effective learners. It should not serve to test them for the sake of sorting them into predefined

categories. The North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards are a list of standards that

teachers should follow, and many of them align with assessment. One such standard is that

“teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world” (2). This is an important

quality that must be taken into consideration when creating assessments, as every student

deserves validation and recognition. Another standard that is essential in assessment is that

“teachers make instruction relevant to students” (3). Assessments that relate to students’ lives

and cultures lead to better grades and foster a better teacher-student relationship. Having a strong

assessment philosophy that encompasses these beliefs is important for any teacher new to the

profession. It will help them build relationships with students, educate them more effectively,

and lead their students to make their own insights and think more critically. Being a new teacher

can be notably difficult but having a strong assessment philosophy can make it significantly

easier and, most importantly, and incredibly rewarding experience.

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References

Ten-Point Grading Scale Will Apply to All Beginning with 2015-2016 School Year. (2015,

January 9). Retrieved from http://www.wakeed.org/ten-point-grading-scale-will-apply-to-

all-beginning-with-2015-2016-school-year/

North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission. North Carolina Professional

Teaching Standards. [PDF File]. Retrieved from

https://soe.unc.edu/academics/requirements/standards2010/NCDPI_2007_Professional_T

eaching_Standards.pdf.