Principles of Assessment
There are nine principles for assessment:
- An Integral Part of Instruction and Learning
- Continual and Ongoing
- Authentic and Meaningful Mathematics Learning and Contexts
- Collaborative and Reflective Process
- Multi-dimensional— Incorporating a Variety of Tasks
- Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate
- Focused on Students’ Strengths
- Based on How Students Learn
- Offer Clear Performance Targets
- An Integral Part of Instruction and Learning
Assessment…
- is meaningful to students
- leads to goal setting
- fosters transfer/integration with other curricular areas and application to daily life
- reflects instructional strategies used
- uses a wide variety of strategies and tools
- reflects a definite purpose
- Continual and Ongoing
Assessment…
- occurs through all instructional activities
- occurs systematically over a period of time
- demonstrates progress toward achievement of learning outcomes
- Authentic and Meaningful Mathematics Learning and Contexts
Assessment…
- focuses on connecting prior knowledge and new knowledge (integration of information)
- focuses on authentic problem- solving contexts and tasks
- focuses on application of strategies for constructing meaning in new contexts
- Collaborative and Reflective Process
Assessment…
- encourages meaningful student involvement and reflection
- involves parents as partners
- reaches out to the community
- focuses on collaborative review of products and processes to draw conclusions
- involves a team approach
- Multi-dimensional— Incorporating a Variety of Tasks
Assessment…
- uses a variety of authentic strategies, tasks, and tools
- serves a variety of purposes and audiences
- reflects instructional tasks
- Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate
Assessment…
- is suited to students’ developmental levels
- is sensitive to diverse social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds
- is unbiased
- Focused on Students’ Strengths
Assessment…
- identifies what students can do and are learning to do
- identifies competencies in the development of knowledge, skills and strategies, and attitudes
- considers preferred learning styles
- focuses on celebrations of progress and success
- provides for differentiation
- provides information to compare a student’s performance with his or her other performances
- Based on How Students Learn
Assessment…
- uses sound educational practice based on current learning theory and brain research
- fosters development of metacognition
- considers multiple intelligences and learning styles
- uses collaborative and cooperative strategies
- considers research on the role of memory in learning
- reflects current models of mathematics learning
- Offer Clear Performance Targets
Assessment…
- encourages student involvement (setting criteria, measuring progress, working toward outcomes and standards)
- encourages application beyond the classroom
- provides a basis for goal setting
- provides students with a sense of achievement
- provides information that compares a student’s performance to predetermined criteria or standards