Assessment Page

Post 1 

Hi everyone,

My elementary and secondary school experience has influenced my current and past beliefs regarding assessment. When comparing the two, it is seems as though high-school assessment was more structured in the sense that standardized tests was something of the norm. Students obtained the information from the teacher and after receiving the information, they are tested with a pen and paper. Whereas, elementary school focuses on the children's development in all aspects: i.e. social, intellectual, emotional, mental, etc.I find this extremely important for the younger grades, as they are still developing in all areas and need to learn through differentiated instruction, which I believe is through their own passions.

I believe teachers should be assessing at all times when they are in the classroom. This does not necessarily mean that they are using a pen and paper, but they must be constantly observing their students in order to help them to become successful. This is important for children who are not at the same grade level as their peers. Teachers need to observe their students in order to understand the questions: why are they behind? Do they not enjoy the work? Why are they not focused in a math class but more engaged in music class? How can you modify or accommodate this student in a subject area in order for them to be successful? Overall, I think of assessment as more than just having the student meet the curriculum requirements of a rubric. Rather, it is how they are developing, and how the teachers can efficiently implement differentiated instruction in order for all of their students to achieve a growth mindset. 

Thank you for reading!

Julia


Post 2: 
November  24th 2016

When thinking about the policies and practices described in Growing success (2010) and in Growing Success – The Kindergarten Addendum (2016), I think there is great emphasis on the 7 fundamental principles in order to ensure that educators are fulfilling the proper assessment, evaluation and reporting strategies that lead to improvement of all students. I believe that growing success with allow children to reach their fullest potential in order to succeed. This document will provide educators with the proper knowledge to challenge students in a unique way based on their own needs. It’s extremely important to teach students in a way that they will learn best, and both documents provide the basic fundamentals in order to do so.

This template has affected my beliefs regarding assessment on an entirely new spectrum. Before this course took launch, I was unaware of the many evaluation methods that teachers use to assess their students on many different levels. According to the document, it is clear that assessment, evaluation and reporting policy is based on a view of the young child as “competent, capable of complex thinking, curious and rich in potential.” Furthermore, the kindergarten document discusses the idea that children enter school at different stages in development and with diverse backgrounds and experiences. I am very passionate towards teaching children to understand, not to learn. Meaning modifications and accommodations are extremely important to apply to students learning in order for them to succeed.  I’m currently in a grade 2 classroom and I am able to see modifications and accommodations in children’s assessment each day. These small tweaks in student’s assessments are essential to their success. For example, a student who is on an IEP is strong in her oral communication skills, but lacks ability in her writing skills. For each writing assignment, the teacher or a peer must scribe for her in order to complete the task. What would be the case if this modification was not applied to her assessment? This example reinforces the importance towards changes in children’s evaluation in order for their skills to shine as oppose to allowing them to struggle in something they are not strong in.

Lastly, although only discussed in one of the achievement charts, I found the achievement chart to be a very useful tool that I was unaware of before this course took launch. I’m very excited to start working with these unfamiliar assessment tools and applying them to my own teaching block. The document highlights the importance of being reliable and valid, as teachers and students both need to understand what successful achievement looks like. Whether it is a rubric, checklist, check brick, etc, students must be able to understand comprehensive descriptors through child friendly language.

Overall, the growing success document is a very valuable tool that educators must be aware of. It’s an excellent framework that all boards across Ontario use and will be essential to my success as a teacher to apply to my own classroom.

AER Strategy Form

EDBE 8Y01 Digital Portfolio: AER Strategy Form                  Name:
GROWING SUCCESS POLICIES	My Professional Learning Goals 1 goal for each	Strategies For Meeting My Goals 1 strategy for each	Curated Resources minimum of 2 sources for each
POLICY Fundamental Principles	To follow the principles to the best of my ability to ensure that evaluation is reliable as this leads to the improvement of all students	Overview the fundamental principles regularly and reflect on my teaching through the use of these principles.	Fundamental Principles of research integrity Learning Fundamental Principles
POLICY Learning Skills & Work Habits	Successfully help students develop the learning skills and work habits necessary: I.e. Responsibility, Organization, Collaboration, Self regulation etc.	Daily observations and occasional conferencing with students to ensure they are successfully meeting these skills/ habits, and identifying where their areas of improvement are needed.	Assessment and Evaluation and Reporting for Parents and Guardians   Digging Deeper into Learning Skills and Work Habits
POLICY Performance Standards: The Achievement Chart	My goal is to integrate the achievement chart into my assessment in order to guide high quality assessment that students are able to understand and follow	In order to do this I will give students numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of curriculum expectations, as well as being knowledgeable on the achievement chart myself.	The Ontario Curriculum Grade 1-12 Achievement Charts Introduction to the ministry of education achievement chart
POLICY Assessment FOR Learning & AS Learning	My goal is to find resourceful assessment information through a variety of means in order to give children diverse ways of being assessed. I.e. information observations, discussions, learning conversations, etc.	In order to do this I will gather as much information as needed in order to implement this into the classroom	Assessment for, as and of learning document Key Questions – Assessment for learning
POLICY Evaluation	To be able to successfully evaluate, not based on classroom peers work, but based on individual work and doing this with fluency	I will read the guidelines of the evaluation in the growing success document and individualize each assessment based on each students’ abilities and current grade level.	Assessment and Evaluation – EduGains Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Handbook
POLICY Reporting Student Achievement	To be able to successfully articulate student achievement in parent teacher conferences	Focus on the child’s strengths first and transition into what the child needs work on and how I believe he will be able to accomplish this.	Reporting Student Learning – EduGAINS Guide to Reporting Student Achievement
POLICY Students With Special Education Needs	To be able to successfully implement differentiated instruction (i.e. accommodations and modifications based on the child’s needs	Get to know the student by observing their strengths and weaknesses. Based off this, I will be able to identify area of need and successfully implement this modified instruction.	Differentiated Instruction – EduGAINS Understanding Differentiated Instruction
POLICY English Language Learners	Assess children who are English language learners in a way that they will be able to successfully complete it.	This means if the child needs assistance, or if the assessment needs to be modified (i.e. oral rather than written) then to implement this in order for the child to grow.	Supporting English Language Learners – Ontario Canadian born English Language learners Ontario)
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Links: 

Fundamental Principles of research: http://scienceadvice.ca/uploads/eng/assessments%20and%20publications%20and%20news%20releases/research%20integrity/cca.integrity.posterhr.pdf

Learning Fundamental Principles:  

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1363

Assessment and Evaluation and Reporting for Parents and Guardians: 

 http://www.ocdsb.ca/med/pub/Publications%20%20Updated/Parent%20Guide%20to%20Assessment%20Evaluation%20and%20Reporting_FINAL.pdf

Digging Deeper into Learning Skills and Work Habits: 

https://studylib.net/doc/5439835/digging-deeper-into-learning-skills-and-work-habits--powe...

The Ontario Curriculum Grade 1-12 Achievement Charts: 

http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/westdale/files/2010/10/Achievement-Charts2.pdf

Introduction to the ministry of education achievement chart: 

http://bedfordpark.ca/files/INTRODUCTION-TO-THE-THE-MINISTRY-OF-EDUCATION-ACHIEVEMENT-CHART-1379533089.pdf

Assessment for, as and of learning document: 

http://bedfordpark.ca/files/INTRODUCTION-TO-THE-THE-MINISTRY-OF-EDUCATION-ACHIEVEMENT-CHART-1379533089.pdf

Key Questions – Assessment for learning: 

http://www.assessmentforlearning.edu.au/professional_learning/intro_to_afl/introduction_key_questions.html

Assessment and Evaluation – EduGains: 

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer/

Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Handbook: 

https://www.wrdsb.ca/learning/report-cards/about-report-cards-grades-7-12/assessment-evaluation-reporting-handbook/#.WECFbfkrLIU

Reporting Student Learning – EduGAINS: 

http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesAER/PrintandOtherResources/ReportingStudentLearning_Engfinal.pdf

Guide to Reporting Student Achievement:  

http://cloverbar.ca/download/85697

Differentiated Instruction – EduGAINS: 

http://edugains.ca/newsite/di/index.html

Understanding Differentiated Instruction: 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/100216/chapters/Understanding-Differentiated-Instruction@-Building-a-Foundation-for-Leadership.aspx

Supporting English Language Learners – Ontario: 

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/esleldprograms/guide.html

Canadian born English Language learners Ontario: 

http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLNS/Monographs/CapacityBuildingSeries/CBS_CdnBornELL.pdf

Instructional Planner