Reflections on Assessment

A Reflection on Assessment Practices in Ontario Classrooms

The assessment, evaluation and reporting policy in Ontario outlined in Growing Success, Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools, 2010 on the importance of both teacher professional judgement and student responsibility.   The intention of these foundational principles along with the change to criterion-based assessment was to increase the reliability, validity and fairness of student assessment data. However the implementation of Growing Success, in my opinion, has fallen short of its “intended outcome”.

Consider the definition below of professional judgement, as described in Growing Success.

Professional judgement is judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning. In professional practice, judgement involves a purposeful and systematic thinking process that evolves in terms of accuracy and insight with ongoing reflection and self-correction. (Growing Success, 2013 pg. 152)

When you hear the term “professional judgement” used, does it’s use reflect the definition above?

So.... I've been thinking > Have assessment practices significantly changed in Ontario classrooms? If yes, are the resulting changes transforming student learning?  

In my experience, assessment is still mostly comprised of evaluation (assessment of) that occurs at the end of a cycle of learning, especially in secondary school classrooms. Evidence of assessment practices that: 

• reflects an intentional and thoughtful process of ongoing assessment throughout the cycle of learning; 
• is based on multiple and varied pieces of evidence; and, 
• actively involves students in the process continues to be limited. 

There seems to be an ongoing focus on what a student knows (content) rather than how a student learns and accomplishes (skill). Assessment is meant to: 

• inform both student and teacher ‘next steps’; 
• observe student learning along-the-way and over time; and,
• help teachers respond to student learning during the actual learning time itself. 

But as I work with teachers and school administrators and when I critically reflect on my observations, there is overwhelming evidence that evaluation (the interpretation of assessment data to assign a grade; a practice I would prefer not to see used if I had my way) continues to be a reflection of what a student produces at a particular moment in time. Rarely do I see evidence that “what the student said” (conversations) or “what the student did” (observations of process) throughout the cycle of learning are considered as relevant sources of data that should impact the evaluation of student's achievement. 

If we are using assessment (for, as, and of learning) as an iterative cycle in which students, teachers and parents are equal partners who are highly engaged in learning and therefore ongoing improvement, then all students should be seeing sustained improvement in their achievement overtime (see below).

Yet, I still hear conversations between staff members in schools that talk about students in this way, " [student name] is a level 2 student". This type of statement indicates to me that there is a belief that the student's achievement is static and doesn't change over time. It is hard to change belief systems and it takes a long time and sustained efforts. Maybe this is why our assessment, evaluation and reporting policy (which I believe could be very effective at improving the learning experience of students in our classrooms) has not realized its intended outcomes (in my opinion) -- YET (a la C.Dweck). I have and will continue to maintain a growth mindset.

So, what do you think we need to do to ensure that student assessment data is valid, reliable and fair? 
What do you think about assessment practices 
in Ontario classrooms?

Follow this blog series (a new post coming soon). 
I will be considering ways to "disrupt" assessment practices.
Help me by providing comments below.