Unit 2: Assessment Strategies

2.1 Danielson Domain Connection

Pre-Assessment

• 1f: Designing student assessments
• 3d: Using assessment in instruction
• 4a: Reflection on teaching
• 4b: Maintaining Accurate records

2.2 Objective

The learner will be able to create a pre-assessment that identifies students current knowledge of a topic by utilizing one of the strategies found in the table under the Topic Information section.

2.3 Guiding Questions

1. Are pre-assessments given to determine readiness?
2. Is there enough time to explore, understand, and transfer the learning to long-term memory?
3. Is there time to accomplish mastery?
4. What happens once the teacher has given pre-assessment? How does teacher use information?
5. Do students have opportunities for creating products as evidence of learning?
6. Do students use logs and journals for reflection and goal-setting?

2.4 Topic Information

Pre-assessments are essentially the initial stage of effective instruction. Once a teacher has identified the current level of a students knowledge, they then can begin to tier activities for specific student needs. In this lesson we will focus solely on pre-assessment since far too often we utilize tests to determine what a student "knows" about a skill or topic. Pre-assessments can be not only formal but informal as well. Many are often based on quick conversations and/or observations with students.

Header text	Examples of Tools	Examples of Verbal Responses
Preassessment Tools	Stand up, sit down, Thumbs-up/down, Response Cards, Test, Journal, KWL Chart	I know..., I want to learn..., I don't know..., I need..., I look forward to..., I hope I get to learn..., I wonder... (Chapman & King, 2008, p 181)

2.5 Activity

Read the article Differentiation: It Starts with Pre-Assessment http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec13/vol71/num04/Differentiation@_It_Starts_with_Pre-Assessment.aspx

Answer the following questions based on the reading.

1. Based on the student's scores from their pre-assessments, how did Lily create the groups for that lesson?
2. How did she accomodate all of the students in class based upon their scores? What different activities did her student's complete?
3. How often should teachers use a pre-assessment?
4. In your opinion, what was the major benefit in Lily's lesson by using her pre-assessment quiz?

2.6 Reflection

• Design a pre-assessment that you can use for an upcoming unit. Identify how you will utilize the information obtained from your student's current understanding of the material. Remeber to save the results which can offer great support for your professional decisions and upcoming curriculum.

Extra Resources

50 Pre-assessment Strategies pdf http://gssd.ca/docs/student%20srvcs/Module2PreassessmentStrategies.pdf

What is differentiated assessment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzRcArujOU

Unit 3: Tiering and Groups Or go back to main page Jennifer Legzdin