Student Performance, Assessment and Instruction
Student Performance, Assessment and Instruction
[Student’s Name]
[Institution Affiliation]
Student Performance, Assessment and Instruction
Formative Assessment
This type of assessment occurs only in the short-term. In addition, this assessment works in the short term because the learners or the students are in the process of using new content and assimilating it into what that they have learned before. One of the advantages of this assessment is that the feedback is instant. It allows the learner to change his behavior on the spot. In addition, the strategy allows the instructor or the teacher to rethink on what instructional strategies, content-based and activities to employ to the student or a particular student. On the other hand, the strategy exemplifies that the teacher should take the role of a coach when administering instructions (Cauley & McMillan, 2010). Formative assessment is in two forms informal and formal. When administering formal form of this assessment, the instructor at the school uses observation to supervisor or evaluate student’s work or formal by using written tests such as continuous assessment tests. This is the most powerful assessment for improving students’ performance and understanding.
Example of formative assessment is class discussions, exit slip, a quiz, and warm-ups. One of the significance of this type of assessment is that it offers both the student and the instructor a chance to evaluate the data produced to determine the instructional methods to employ. There are various ways that the data collected from this assessment can be used for instructional purposes. First, the data will offer a student a chance to be able to know that he/she is not fit for a certain test. This allows the student to determine the best possible evaluation. Secondly, this gives the student a chance to understand that he/she needs more effective instructions for success. It is ideal as it helps the student to determine the most fixable instructional method. With respect to the instructors, it helps them in various ways. First, its helps the instructors to know the weaker students in the class. Secondly, it helps the instructor to determine the most possible instructional methods or techniques to use. Thirdly, it helps the teacher to develop a curriculum that incorporates the best instructions in order to change the perception of the students both positively and negatively. For example, it has been noted at our school that students have positive and negative perceptions towards learning. Therefore, formative assessment has been used in the past to infer instructional methods that reduced this perception amid students. Thus, I consider that formative instruction not only informs the development of instructions but also helps in establishing the best manner to administer instructions to students.
Interim Assessment
This assessment takes place from time to time over a larger period. However, the feedback to the student is not immediate, but it can be considered to be a little bit fast. This type of assessment seems to be more formal as compared to formative assessment. The School District of Palm Beach County is one of the institutions of learning in the United States that uses the type of assessment (Cauley & McMillan, 2010). In case the a student uses this assessment, he is given the chance to re-demonstrate his/her understanding of the instructions previous administered once the feedback has been received, accepted, digested and acted over. This form of assessment can help teachers at the School District of Palm Beach County to identify gaps instruction and understanding. Preferably teachers at the institution use these form of assessment moving on to use other instructional strategies or by meddling remedies into future instructional remedies.
The data from interim assessment is used in various ways to drive instructions in all setting that District of Palm Beach County considered as a learning setting. This include:
The data is used to evaluate to capacity that a student has towards instruction absorption. In this case, student at the instruction is assessed based on their ability to implement the instructions of their learning. This improves their learning potentials hence better results. Some examples of interim assessment include chapter test, a project scored with a rubric and an extended essay.
Summative Assessment
This form of assessment takes place where there is a large chunk of learning. The data from this test is mainly for school and teachers use. It is noted that results from such form of assessment take time before it is returned to the parent or student. In addition, the feedback to the student is limited. Moreover, this form of assessment does not give room to build redress opportunities. Therefore, it is clear that Summative Assessment has the least effect on individual student understanding of instructions. However, student can use the data from Summative Assessment to see where their performance based on the instructions lies as compared to other standard assessments such as MME and MEAP (Darling-Hammond, 2010). This can also be compared to a group of students. Usually, this can be possible to the School District of Palm Beach County students since the school needs such data to make their analysis of their students. In addition, teachers can use this form of assessment to identify weaknesses and strengths of instruction. The improvements can affect the coming year students’ results.
Therefore, it is worth to note that such data is vital not only to students understanding of instructions, but also to learning. For example, students learning skills are improved in cases when effective implementation of the summative assessment is undertaken. Examples of the summative assessment included final exams, cumulative projects, and performance and standardized testing (ACT, MME and Terra Nova).
Section 2
Standards-based Teaching and Learning
It is noted that the District of Palm Beach County is one of the districts that supports Standards-based Teaching and Learning. This is because the district has for some time now depended on this form of learning to gunner instructions to students as well as to develop their curriculum. The reason I consider that the district supports this form of learning are:
The district believes that the students have to have a clear overview of what they are supposed to be learning. This does not depend on the time it takes to learn but on the mode of delivery of instructions to the time of acceptance of learning instructions or its assimilation. I consider that the district supports this mode of teaching and learning because it offers a credible understanding of the uniqueness of using the curriculum as a tool that drives easily learning and instruction assimilation.
Using Student Performance Data
The District of Palm Beach County also uses student data performance to determine how curricula work integrates with school performance process. The district is using data of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement. Over the years, the district has worked in accordance with “student performance data” to develop instructional programs that could steer performance amid schools and students. It is also an evaluator of how results can drive can engulf instructional delivery.
In addition, the district has been implementing this learning mode to ensure that students can scrutinize their data and set learning goals. However, it is also worth to assume that District of Palm Beach County has been using student performance data to have a clear vision of school-wide data use. Therefore, both components offer learning and curriculum understanding at grade 10 and below. However, the same is being implemented to High School Level.
Section 3
Describing the Relationship
The relationship that exist between the assessment, data, and instruction is brief but very instrumental towards learning. Assessment is the establishment and evaluation of information from students and teachers in order to gain useful information that can steer the learning process. Data is the results obtained from the assessment. Therefore, it can be determined that data is the result of an evaluation, and it is the one that drives an instruction formulation.
The relationship that exist between these three components of learning is that the first is a process of obtaining the second (data) while the third (instruction) is the output of analyzed data put into practice. Therefore, without one of the components then the others will not exist. However, it depends on the assessment method that reliable data will be generated. Data Analyst is responsible for evaluating or analyzing data to obtain important information that could be used in instruction formulation (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
As a Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (CIA) leader there are three strategies that I will deploy to ensure that the relationship exists. First, I will ensure that the assessment method is done in an open and reliable manner; the assessment will be undertaken by experts who will be responsible for data collection from all learning stakeholders. The assessment method will also have to be the best in order to ascertain the most credible information.
Secondly, I will ensure that data handling is undertaken in the most professional manner. This is because, if the data is mishandled it may lead to biased results. In addition, a proper analysis must be employed for easy flow of information that will ultimately lead to effective and reliable relationship.
Finally, I will ensure that the development of instructions, as well as its implementation, are done open-mindedly. If all the above is done hand-in-hand, then the relationship that exists between the components will be stronger, reliable and stable.
References
Cauley, K. M., & McMillan, J. H. (2010). Formative assessment techniques to support student motivation and achievement. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 83(1), 1-6.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Evaluating teacher effectiveness: How teacher performance assessments can measure and improve teaching. Center for American Progress.
