Running Head: PHILOSOPHY OF ASSESSMENT 1

Philosophy of Assessment

Hannah L. Smith

North Carolina State University

Assessment is a major way to track student growth. In my classroom it will involve a

mixture of formal and informal formative and summative assessments, with the goal of helping

students be successful and testing their mastery of a subject. Students are the main focus of the

assessment focus. Summative assessments should be there to showcase students knowledge, so

there needs to be feedback before the test in order to give them their best shot. There should be

one summative assessment at the end of each unit, but multiple formative assessments whenever

appropriate where I can gauge student understanding. Assessment should be as unbiased as

possible, created through the collaboration of teachers. Teachers need to be equipped in how to

teach for assessments, as well as how to create and administrate them; however, there is a

responsibility for all parties involved to try their hardest throughout the assessment cycle,

including parents. This plan is design with middle school students in mind, particularly for eighth

grade social studies.

Assessments should be skills-based and not content-based. This belief came from

working with my cooperating teacher. She had mentioned a couple of times that her exams were

designed to be cold reads, and then articulated why in my interview with her. I thought this was

important to include as it helps to create students who can critically think and apply their

knowledge of skills versus regurgitating information that they will probably never have to

memorize for any other circumstance. I will implement this in my exam by using images,

primary sources, and secondary sources for students to analyze, compare, and draw conclusions

from. To prepare for this, I will include warm-up exercises and exit tickets that allow students to

practice this skill with a variety of texts and media.

Assessments should showcase student mastery at the end of each unit. Rick Wormeli (2006)

talks about how mastery means that students can explain it, interpret it for others or other

situations, apply it, acknowledge and explore alternative perspectives on the topic, and

accurately identify and reflect on their own self-knowledge regarding the topic (p. 26). All

performance and summative assessments that are graded should be based on the concept of

mastery and the requirements Rick talks about. If students are solely tested on content, they are

only memorizing concepts for the test. They will forget it soon after. When they are being asked

to think critically about concepts, they are more likely to remember the skills for a longer time

and are showing their true knowledge of what they are talking about. I will show my value for

mastery by exposing students to all levels of thinking on Blooms Taxonomy, giving them

assignments that will make them think critically.

Every skill that is tested has been practiced multiple times in class. Some scholars believe

that teachers should work backwards when creating a unit. When you create the exam first, it is

clear what you need to teach the students. Instead of creating an exam based on the unit that you

hope students will understand, create a unit that will cover everything on your exam. Start with

the finish line (Wormeli, 2006, p. 35). This will make sure that teachers are truly testing for

mastery on the subjects they teach, which is setting students up for more success. This is

especially important for when grades are attached to assessments. I want my test to reflect what I

have taught my students, and whether they have mastered it or not. I plan to do this strategy and

create my exam first, and then lesson plan with the test questions in mind.

Formative assessments are to be used frequently in class to informally assess student

learning, with some strategically placed assessments that require more in-depth feedback.

Formative assessments are what help students and teachers prepare for the later assessments.
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They help guide teachers on what to teach, highlighting ways in which they may need to

differentiate for students. They help students know their strengths and weaknesses, creating an

environment that is more conducive for effective learning. In my teacher interview, my

cooperating teacher said that sometimes it is hard to gauge student learning based on discussions

they have in class because students might not always be participating. It is helpful for her to do

formative assessments because she can individually see where students are at and give the

feedback if necessary. I will use discussions, warm-up activities, exit tickets, etc. to gauge what

level learning my students have, and then use that information in constructing my lesson plans

Assessments should be differentiated according to student needs and should contain

inclusive questions for diverse learners. Assessments should allow for students of all

backgrounds and all levels of learning to be successful. They should be fair and

developmentally appropriate (Wormeli, 2006, p. 16). It is not fair to teach all students in the

same manner, with no acknowledgement of their diverse needs. Each student will learn in a

different way, and they will test in a different way. To deny this from students would not be

effective teaching. Assessments that are not appropriate will not showcase mastery, and they will

only serve to stress students and let them slip through the cracks. There are also different cultures

in the classroom, so it is important for assessments to include those cultures. Students should not

be placed at a disadvantage for not being the same race or having the same cultural background.

Differences should be celebrated, which is why they need to be addressed in exams. I will do so

by making sure that I know my students well and build a strong relationship with them. Only

then will I be able to implement fair and appropriate questions on an exam.

Sample Syllabus
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My goal in teaching is to help all my students be successful. With this in mind, I need you all to

meet me half way. I would like to see your work reflect the effort you have put in it, and for it to

be quality work. I understand that you have busy lives, and that there are circumstances that you

wont be able to control. I will be flexible and work with you, but I will still hold you to the

expectation that all work will be completed.

Late Work

Late work on major assignments will be accepted, with no points deducted from your grade. My

goal is for you to complete it, even if it is two months late. I will still set deadlines that I hope

you will adhere to for your own time management, but I will accept all work until the end of

each semester. If you choose to not complete major assignments at all by the end of the semester,

that will result in a 0.

Participation and Homework

I expect full participation in class, but again understand that you will have hard days. Your grade

will not be based on participation, but it will help you get the most out of this class. Same goes

for homework. To me, homework is an opportunity to practice your work. Because of this,

homework will never be graded; however, it too will help you get the most out of this class. It is

designed to help you practice for our exams and major assessments.

Grades

Grades are not as important to me as your improvement throughout the class. I want you to

succeed, which is why I do not see the need to grade all homework and participation. I expect

that you will try hard in this class, as you will learn valuable skills that are useful for high school

and life after school. Your grades will reflect how much knowledge you have walked away from

the class with, which is why homework and participation will help you. You will be graded
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based on major assessments, such as exams and projects. They are weighed more heavily

because of homework and participation not being graded. While that may seem scary, it is

designed for you to be successful and showcase your knowledge!

Grading Scale

A: 90-100 = 4.0
B: 80-89 = 3.0
C: 70-79 = 2.0
D: 60-69 = 1.0
F: < 59 = 0.0

My philosophy is based on a desire for students of all backgrounds and learning needs to

be successful in gaining skills that are useful to them long after they leave the classroom.

Formative assessments will have more weight in how I see each student and address their needs,

but summative assessments will be graded for mastery. My philosophy relates to the North

Carolina Professional Teaching Standards because it requires teachers to demonstrate high

ethical standards (Standard 1) in ensuring equity in the classroom. It also helps facilitate the

critical thinking and skills development that the NCPTS values in the school system (Standard

4). When I articulate how I feel about assessments and their place in my classroom, I am having

a tangible set of expectations for myself. I want to get to my future classroom being as prepared

as I possibly can be. This will come by thinking through the different aspects of what I want

students to get out of my classroom, including how assessments should be geared. It is also

important for administrators to understand my philosophy of assessment to see if I would be a

good fit for their school. Conceptualizing my Philosophy of Assessment is assuring that I am on

my way to becoming the prepared professional that I desire to be.

References

Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair Isn't Always Equal. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse.

Journal 3 Interview [Interview by B. Nay]. (n.d.).

(n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2017, from https://www.wcpss.net/gradepointscale