Classroom Assessment

Reflection on Educational Experiences
When I think of assessments, I remember the tension that made me have. I used to have
sleepless nights as I prepared for assessments. Some of the subjects were easy, and I did not
require much preparation, but some proved very hard for me and sometimes even after a lot of
memorizing, I still got low grades. Assessments used to make me feel stressed and inadequate.
Especially when I would be scolded at home by my teachers for not scoring good grades like
some of my classmates. I would have very bad days during assessments and after the grading
was done. I feel that sometimes I was not given a chance to show what I had learned. For
instance, there are times when most of the questions would be based on the tough topics that I
had not understood, and very few on what I had understood. In such cases, I would register low
grades, and be accused of not knowing, yet what I knew had not been tested.
Purpose of Assessments
The main purpose of assessments is to enhance student performance. Assessments are not
meant to be mere audits of students’ performance. Their purpose is to help students succeed, and
thus should be used to push the learning of students forward as opposed to being used to
categorize students based on their performance. they are aimed at helping students prepare to
succeed by making it clear what quality looks like. The purpose of assessments is also to
enhance learners’ ownership of the learning process as well as their independence while at it
(Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). Assessments take different forms, and their purpose differs as well.
Diagnostic/pre-assessment determines the entry point of a student and is used to assess and

understand the learning profiles and interests of a student (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). These
assessments inform the teacher’s decision on instructional adjustments based on the learning
profiles of students. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is assessment for learning and is
used to provide the teacher with information about the progress being made by a student (Sousa
& Tomlinson, 2011). Based on the outcome, a teacher then decides on how to adapt the
instructional plans to close any gaps identified between the understanding level of a student and
the designated outcomes at the end of a unit. Lastly, summative assessment is known as
assessment of learning and it determines student success. Its main purpose is to grade students.
The three types of assessments work together to help in the implementation of a quality
curriculum. They are part of a process that is part of the instruction — the preassessment guides
the teacher to work smarter and better. The formative assessments are part of the instruction and
are meant to help students’ practice, while summative assessments are used to grade students
(Brookhart, 2001). I would use pre-assessments to create student profiles, that would then be
useful in coming up with instructional methods that will help meet the learning needs of the
students. After instruction begins, I would use formative assessments to gauge the level of
student’s understanding and decide on whether to make any adjustments to the instruction
process. Lastly, I would use summative assessments at the end of a study unit to grade students
as per specifically stated goals, which students will be aware of from the beginning of the unit.
Assessment is different from grading, as it is a process that begins when a unit of study
starts. It is a continuous part of instruction that takes place throughout a unit of study and is
mainly used to guide the teacher and the students to work smarter and better to achieve a
designated outcome. Grading on the other hand, is the last step in a long process that provides a
statement summarizing the progress of a student (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011). Grading is a

process that reflects the teaching/ learning process and provides a snapshot of a student’s
learning process. Thus, it is appropriate for assessments to be graded at the end of a unit of study,
while it is inappropriate to grade assessments occurring as a unit of study is still being covered.
for instance, an exam at the end of a semester should be graded, while one at the beginning of a
semester should not be graded. It would be inappropriate to grade an assessment at the beginning
of a unit of study because grading is usually the concluding step of a long process of instruction.
Grading at this time would be like concluding a unit of study even before it begins. Thus,
grading is most appropriate when conducted at the last step of an instructional process. Besides,
it is reflective of what has been achieved hence best when done at the end.

References

Brookhart, S. M. (2001). Successful students’ formative and summative uses of assessment
information. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 8(2), 153-169.
Sousa, D. A. & Tomlinson, C. A. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience
supports the learner-friendly classroom. Retrieved from https://www.vitalsource.com/