Foundations Use Quality

Guiding Principles for

Classroom Assessment

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Assessment and Accountability
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777

Content Contact: Dr. Diana Zaleski

http://www.isbe.net/assessment/htmls/balanced-asmt.htm

July 2015

This document is intended to provide non-regulatory guidance and is subject to revision.

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 Table of Contents

Introduction 4
Foundations 9
F1 Assessment Purpose 10
F2 Learning Expectations 12
F3 Assessment Design 13
F4 Student Engagement 15
F5 Assessment Preparation 16
F6 Informed Stakeholders 17
Use 18
U1 Analysis of Student Performance 19
U2 Effective Feedback 21
U3 Instructional Planning 23
U4 Reporting 25
Quality 27
Q1 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity of Students 28
Q2 Differentiation 29
Q3 Fairness 30
Q4 Validity 32
Q5 Reliability 34
Q6 Reflection 36
Resources 38

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 Introduction

This document has been developed to guide Illinois educators as they create balanced
assessment systems at the classroom, school, and district levels. Balanced assessment systems
produce useful data that guide school improvement. In addition, this document provides
guidance concerning the measurement of student growth as part of a valid and reliable
performance evaluation plan.

What is Assessment?
Assessment is defined as a systematic process of collecting and interpreting information used
to inform educators, students, and stakeholders. Engaging students in an ongoing system of
interrelated assessments, that reveal changes in student learning over time, not only informs
instructional practice but motivates and empowers students to take charge of their learning.
This is the foundation for creating a balanced assessment system.

What is a Balanced Assessment System?

A balanced assessment system is the strategic use of assessment that informs decisions at the
classroom, school, district, and state levels. A balanced assessment system is composed of
formative, interim, and summative assessments:

 Formative Assessment is an assessment process used by educators and students

during instruction for the purposes of informing teaching and improving learning.

 Interim Assessments are used by educators periodically throughout the school year
for the purposes of predicting student success, evaluating ongoing programs, and
informing teaching and improving learning.

 Summative Assessments are used for the purpose of evaluating student, program,
or school success at an end point in time.

The Guiding Principles for Classroom Assessment has adapted the Field Trial Draft of the
Classroom Assessment Standards: Sound Assessment Practices for PK-12, copyrighted to the
Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) Classroom Assessment
Standards Development Task Force1 (www.jcsee.org). The JCSEE has also published a final

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The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (JCSEE) consists of the following sponsoring and
cooperating organizations: American Counseling Association, American Educational Research Association,
American Evaluation Association, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, American Psychological
Association, Canadian Evaluation Society, Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Consortium for Research on
Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation, Council of Chief State School Officers, National Association of
Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of School
Psychologists, National Education Association, National Rural Education Association, National Council on
Measurement in Education, National Legislative Program Evaluation Society, and National School Board
Association.

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document titled Classroom Assessment Standards for PreK-12 Teachers: Joint Committee on
Standards for Educational Evaluation.

Overview
Classroom assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning. Without sound
assessment practices, we may not know if students are progressing as planned. Further, we
may not be able to effectively plan for students’ future learning opportunities. The Classroom
Assessment Standards contains a set of standards and related guidelines accepted by
professional organizations as indicative of consistent and accurate classroom assessment
practices. The standards and related guidelines identify the issues to consider when exercising
the professional judgment required for fair and equitable classroom assessment for all
students. The results from classroom assessments that adhere to these standards and
guidelines can then be used with confidence by teachers, students, and, where appropriate,
parents/guardians, to better foster student learning.

Prior to undertaking any form of assessment, it is essential that we develop a clear

understanding of the following:

• Purpose of the assessment, including users, intent, and decisions to be influenced by the
results.

• What is to be assessed, in terms of learning targets or expectations.

• The best method for conducting the assessment we have selected or developed, given
the purpose and learning targets.

• How to best communicate the assessment results and to whom.

• How to involve students in the assessment process.

These five basic considerations must guide educators from the very start of planning the
assessment and the instruction occurring alongside or leading up to it. The consideration of
assessment purpose, learning expectations, assessment method, communication, and student
involvement can positively benefit students’ continuous learning.

Purposes and Nature of Classroom Assessment

Classroom assessments cover a range of purposes. The assessment of student learning might be
used formatively to inform small adjustments or enhancements to ongoing instruction or used
summatively to help measure overall curriculum and program effectiveness. The size and scope
of the classroom assessment itself can vary, as can the degree of formality of the assessment.
Three examples of classroom assessment practices that differ in their formality and
consequences are:

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 • Formative assessment to inform teachers and students about progress on learning
intentions and to inform and direct subsequent learning and teaching.
• Larger projects, such as an essay, a performance assessment, or a research project that
may be used as interim or summative assessments may have significant formative
components to support student learning along the way, such as regular self-assessment
of progress, feedback from peers or teachers, and drafts before a final version or
product is submitted.

• Summative assessments used to hold students accountable for demonstrating acquired

knowledge or skills at the completion of a course can also be used in future planning.

When conducting an assessment, consideration should be given to the consequences of the

decisions to be made. The outcomes of some assessments may be more critical than others. For
example, misinterpretation of the level of performance on an end-of-unit test may result in
incorrectly holding a student from proceeding to the next instructional unit in a continuous
progress situation. In such "high-stakes" situations, every effort should be made to ensure that
the assessment method will yield consistent and accurate results. Low-stakes assessments such
as question/answer during class or homework designed to determine current understanding of
an ongoing unit of study may be less stringent.

Regardless of the purpose of the classroom assessment, adherence to the standards and
guidelines presented in the Classroom Assessment Standards will help ensure that the
information obtained from the classroom assessment and the interpretation of the information
are accurate, allowing for follow-up activities designed to support continuous evidence-based
learning.

This current revision of the standards is the product of a comprehensive effort to reach
consensus on what constitutes sound principles that guide the fair assessment of students and
foster learning in PK–12 classrooms. The standards should be considered neither exhaustive nor
mandatory. However, educational organizations, institutions, and individual professionals who
support them and/or endorse their use are committing themselves to fair and equitable
classroom assessment for all students.

Organization of the Classroom Assessment Standards

The Classroom Assessment Standards statements are organized into three broad domains:

• Foundations
The standards begin with the foundations domain. The six foundation standards
encompass the basis for developing and implementing sound and fair classroom
assessment practices that are focused on the students to be assessed. Within any
particular classroom assessment context, the teacher needs to begin the assessment
process with a clear understanding of the purpose and objectives to be targeted. Based
on this, the teacher selects the appropriate types and methods of classroom assessment

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 to meet that purpose. In addition, the teacher should determine who will use the
assessment results and how they will use them.

• Use
The four use standards align with the assessment process and follow a logical
progression from the selection and development of classroom assessments to the
communication of the assessment results. It is important to understand what learning
targets will be assessed and how achievement will be assessed given the purpose of the
assessment; how the students’ responses will be analyzed; and how the results will be
communicated and used. Additionally, it is important to have student involvement
through all phases since students are also important decision makers in the classroom.

• Quality
Teachers can use classroom assessment results with increased confidence when their
classroom assessment practices meet the six quality standards. Quality assessments
yield results that are accurate and reliable, are free of bias, and include all students.
Additionally, it is important that teachers review their assessment practices and revise
them so that they reflect current and best assessment practice.

Scope of the Classroom Assessment Standards

For the purposes of the Classroom Assessment Standards, the term “assessment” is used to
encompass all of the strategies and techniques that a classroom teacher might use to collect
information from students about their progress.

Uses of the Classroom Assessment Standards

The focus of the standards at the classroom level stems from the belief that strong and
continuous learning requires consistent daily attention to gather, analyze, and effectively use
accurate assessment information to guide instruction leading to student learning. The primary
intended users are the PK-12 classroom teachers. Other users of these standards may include
building-level and district-level administrators; staff developers; faculty in colleges of education
and other pre-service programs for teachers; researchers in the field of assessment; and
program evaluators; parents and guardians, while users of assessment information, will likely
not use the standards themselves. Likewise, students may benefit from being involved in a self-
or peer-assessment in their classroom, but they are unlikely to become independent users of
the standards.

The standard statements alone are helpful but not sufficient. Regardless of the purpose or
intent of the user, the supporting explanations and guidelines offer clarity and definition to the
standard statements. Reliance on individual interpretation of standard statements without the
support of the research-based explanations and guidelines may result in well intended but
misguided applications of the standards. The explanations and guidelines are specific to each
standard statement and provide the opportunity for educators to engage in rich discussions
within the context of their school setting.

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Examples of ways in which the standard statements, supported by their guidelines, can be used
include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Individual teachers may use the Classroom Assessment Standards to select, develop,
administer, evaluate, and interpret classroom assessments that will yield more accurate
interpretations of their students’ performances. This, in turn, can be used to foster their
students’ further learning and, where needed, make adjustments to instruction.

• Teacher groups, such as professional learning communities or learning teams, may use
the Classroom Assessment Standards to evaluate their practices, shape plans for
improvement, and share ideas for classroom assessment. The standards can provide a
background for developing a common understanding among teachers as to appropriate
strategies for the selection, development, use, and interpretation of classroom
assessments.

• Teachers, curriculum facilitators, and administrators may use the standards to develop,
strengthen, and reflect on teacher levels of expertise and performance in conducting
classroom assessments. This may inform continued professional development efforts.

• Building- and district-level administrators may work with teacher leaders to use the
standards to develop written classroom assessment policies and guidelines for assessing
students in their schools.

• Colleges of education may use the standards to inform the development of courses for
pre-service educators in the area of assessment.

• Instructors of in-service programs may use the standards to identify and teach the
important aspects of effective classroom assessment practices.

• Staff developers and consultants may use the standards to align their professional
training programs with sound methods of classroom assessment.

• Educational researchers and program evaluators may find the standards helpful in
developing assessments to be used within their work.

How and by whom the Classroom Assessment Standards are used should be determined within
the specific educational context by the professionals involved. Educational settings vary widely
across student populations and regions. Professional judgment should be used to identify which
standards are most appropriate for each classroom assessment situation. The JCSEE cautions
that the individual standards are not equally applicable in all classroom assessment situations.
Professional judgment should be used to identify which standards are most appropriate for
each classroom assessment situation.

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 Foundations

Classroom assessment practices must be aligned with learning targets grounded in curriculum
and expectations for individual student growth to provide accurate information about students’
strengths and areas of need, while also fostering continued learning. Since the support of
student learning is a key purpose of classroom assessment, it is necessary to use assessment
results to inform instruction. The more students, teachers, and when appropriate,
parents/guardians and others with a legitimate need to know, understand the intent of
classroom assessment, the more likely they will be to support the assessment process and use
the results.

F 1 Assessment Purpose: Classroom assessment practices should have a clear purpose that
supports teaching and learning.

F 2 Learning Expectations: Classroom assessment practices should align with the appropriate
learning expectations and instruction intended for each student.

F 3 Assessment Design: The types and methods of classroom assessment used should clearly
allow students to demonstrate their learning.

F 4 Student Engagement: Students should be meaningfully engaged in the assessment process

and use of the assessment evidence to enhance their learning.

F 5 Assessment Preparation: Adequate teacher and student preparation in terms of resources,

time, and learning opportunities should be part of classroom assessment practices.

F 6 Informed Stakeholders: The purposes and uses of classroom assessment should be

communicated to students and, when appropriate, parents/guardians.

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 Assessment Purpose: Classroom assessment practices should have a
F1 clear purpose that supports teaching and learning.

EXPLANATIONPLANATION
The focus of classroom assessment practices whether summative, interim, or formative in
nature is to support student learning. As a result, a clear purpose related to student learning
enhances the effectiveness of an assessment process. Purposes for classroom assessment
practices may range from obtaining diagnostic information at the start of instruction to
determining student growth to be reported at the end of an instructional period. For example,
purposes may include the following:

• Providing evidence of learning to inform instructional decisions and practice.

• Providing immediate feedback on current learning targets to students.

• Engaging students in self-assessment to develop an understanding of their own learning.

• Engaging students in peer assessment to support peers’ learning and to deepen the
learning of the students actively engaged in the peer assessment process.

• Informing students and parents/guardians about the level of achievement of the

learning expectations for a defined period.

• Making diagnostic and assignment decisions to place students into appropriate

instructional groups or to receive individualized instruction.

GUIDELINES
Consider the following questions to help identify the purpose(s) of a specific classroom
assessment practice:

• Why is the assessment to be conducted?

o For example, how will the assessment results be used to further students’
learning and inform teaching?

• Who will be assessed?

o For example, is the classroom assessment intended for all students in the
classroom or for subgroups of students (e.g., students with special assessment
needs or those with limited English language proficiency skills)?

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o What will be assessed, including learning expectations and state content
curriculum expectations and interims, process skills (e.g., thinking and problem-
solving skills), and performance skills?

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 Learning Expectations: Classroom assessment practices should align
F2 with the appropriate learning expectations and instruction intended for
each student.

EXPLANATION
Learning expectations refer to evidence related to the content standards that may be measured
through assessment. Learning expectations may include clear statements of what students are
to learn, lesson-by-lesson, or for overall units, and provide direction for both instruction and
assessment. Learning expectations may be derived from national, state, or local content
standards (e.g., New Illinois Learning Standards). Classroom assessment practices aligned with
learning expectations, coupled with appropriate instructional approaches, will provide accurate
information about students’ strengths and areas of need to foster continuous learning.

GUIDELINES
• Align learning expectations with the full range of knowledge, skills, and abilities
individual students are expected to demonstrate.

• Provide clear learning expectations in language students can understand.

• Provide a method to share the clear learning expectations with students for each lesson.

• Recognize that all learning expectations are not equally important and do not require
similar assessments.

• Connect the evaluation criteria to learning expectations in a way that is easily

understood by students.

• Share exemplars with students to illustrate what achievement of the learning

expectations looks like.

• Use informal checks of students’ progress toward the expectations at the end of a
lesson or classroom assessment.

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 Assessment Design: The types and methods of classroom assessment
F3 used should clearly allow students to demonstrate their learning.

EXPLANATION
Classroom assessment practices are more effective when careful attention is given to the
structure and format of the assessment. For example, the instructions provided should
maximize student performance. Sufficient time, space to enter answers, and when needed,
technology, materials, and supplies should also be available to allow students to complete the
classroom assessment tasks. Failure to attend to issues such as these will lead to incorrect
interpretations of students’ performance on the classroom assessment. It is of vital importance
to select the right approach on the classroom assessment design as well as to know that all
assessment designs have strengths and limitations. A variety of classroom assessment designs
will provide a much better picture of students’ learning.

GUIDELINES
• When selecting or developing classroom assessments delivered in a paper/pencil or
computer-based format, consider:

o Age-appropriateness of the classroom assessment

o Text complexity
o Amount of space for answers
o Formatting of the questions or activities
o Clarity of diagrams and illustrations
o Method of delivery (e.g., paper/pencil, computer-administered)
o Clarity of the verbal or written instructions

• When presenting classroom assessments in an oral form (e.g., class questioning),

consider:

o Complexity of word choice

o Volume level of voice
o Complexity of questions and directions (e.g., multi-step tasks)

• Provide opportunities for students to practice with new assessment formats and new
assessment item types.

• Recognize that different classroom assessments may more effectively serve the
intended purpose and that the effectiveness may vary across individual students or
groups of students.

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• Develop or select classroom assessments that are as engaging as possible to students,
thus motivating students to show their best learning.

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 Student Engagement: Students should be meaningfully engaged in the
F4 assessment process and use of the assessment evidence to enhance
their learning.

EXPLANATION
Students benefit from opportunities to be involved in their assessments. For example, being
able to assess their own learning is an important skill for students as they develop into life-long
continuous learners. Several ways in which students can become engaged in the classroom
assessment process include student involvement in setting assessment purposes, developing
evaluation tools, student-led conferences (in which students lead their teachers and
parents/guardians through work samples or portfolios), self-assessment, and peer-assessment.
Self- and peer-assessments, in particular, provide students with opportunities for heightened
levels of student engagement. For example, appropriate peer-assessment is valuable to both
students receiving the feedback, as well as those students providing feedback. Additionally,
students providing feedback may benefit since it enables them to deepen their own
understanding of the success criteria and what they have done. When students gain experience
in self- and peer-assessment, they will be better able to use their classroom assessment results
to foster their own continued learning.

GUIDELINES
• Establish success criteria with students where appropriate by guiding students through
a process to consider what a quality product of learning would look like.

• Engage students in the development of rubrics when appropriate.

• Provide students with age-appropriate, scaffolded learning experiences to help them

develop self-assessment and self-regulation skills.

• Model for students how to give appropriate peer feedback while monitoring and
supporting students as they give feedback to peers.

• Provide students with opportunities to evaluate their learning progress and check on
the accuracy of their own self-evaluation.

• Provide students with opportunities to react to and use data/observations from either
self- or peer-assessment so that learning continues beyond the assessment with an
appropriate use of the information generated.

 Use student-led conferences as a way to engage students in self-reflection about their

work and progress over a period of time by providing them with an audience (usually
parents/guardians and teacher) to talk with about their learning.

 Allow self- and peer-assessments to guide instructional decisions when appropriate.

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 Assessment Preparation: Adequate teacher and student preparation in
F5 terms of resources, time, and learning opportunities should be part of
classroom assessment practices.

EXPLANATION
Classroom assessment practices require adequate preparation to obtain accurate information
about student learning. This preparation includes sufficient time and opportunities for students
to learn and prepare for classroom assessment and sufficient time and resources for teachers
to develop/select and administer assessments. Consideration should also be given to the time
and resources teachers need in order to complete such activities as evaluating student
responses, recording results, developing feedback comments, preparing reports, reviewing
student work collaboratively with colleagues, and using the results to inform instruction.
Regardless of the activity, the preparation required should reflect the complexity, type, or
method of the classroom assessment. For example, the preparation required for the evaluation
of a portfolio assessment or a collection of student work may be extensive, while the
preparation for a start-of-lesson or oral discussion to determine the base-line knowledge of a
class before beginning a new topic may require less extensive preparation. In summary, the
resources necessary for effective classroom assessments may include, but are not limited to,
the following: time, assessment materials, software, computer access, administration
instructions, and evaluation materials (e.g., rubrics, guides, keys).

GUIDELINES
• Consider the complexity of the learning the students will be required to demonstrate
and the time and resources required for the learning to occur.

• Provide sufficient notice to students of upcoming classroom assessments.

• Prepare students for upcoming assessments.

• Obtain sufficient materials and resources (e.g., print and electronic resources, lab
equipment and materials, art supplies) to complete assessment activities.

• Allow adequate time to develop or adapt assessments, prepare evaluation guides (keys,
rubrics), complete evaluation, provide timely feedback to students, record results
and/or prepare report cards in electronic or hard-copy format.

• Schedule time in the school for collaboration with colleagues on assessment practices
(e.g., common planning time, learning communities).

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 Informed Stakeholders: The purposes and uses of classroom
F6 assessment should be communicated to students and, when
appropriate, parents/guardians.

EXPLANATION
Clear communication of the purposes and uses of classroom assessments helps clarify the
rationale for the ways in which these assessments can support teaching and learning. The more
students and, when appropriate, parents/guardians and others with a legitimate need to know
fully understand the purpose(s) and process(es) of classroom assessment, the more likely they
will be to support the assessment process and understand and use the results. The level of
information provided to students may need to be of greater detail and immediacy to actively
engage them in the assessment process; whereas, parents/guardians and others may need
broader information to understand and support the classroom assessment processes and
results.

GUIDELINES
• Provide students, their parents/guardians and others who need to know with
information about the reporting policies and practices that will be used during the
instructional period (e.g., newsletters, websites, student/parent/teacher meetings,
announcements).

• Describe the purpose of each classroom assessment to students, parents/guardians, and

others with a need to know and provide opportunities for them to ask questions and to
clarify their understanding of the purpose(s) and how the evidence will be used.

• Inform students about the classroom assessment practices to be used to support their
learning and the expectations for them to engage in and use the evidence from these
classroom assessments.

• Inform students about any classroom assessment that will be used for grading or
preparing a summary comment. Provide them with information about how their
performance will be evaluated along with the criteria that will be used.

• Provide clear evaluative expectations to students and their parents/guardians.

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 Use

Classroom assessment practices meet the standards of use when teachers can be confident the
assessment results have supported students’ learning. Careful analysis of student performance
yields meaningful information and provides feedback and direction that influences subsequent
teaching and learning. Further, the results of classroom assessments should be used to
summarize students’ learning and communicate this information to students, their parents/
guardians, and subsequent teachers.

U 1 Analysis of Student Performance: The methods for analyzing evidence of student learning
should be appropriate for the assessment purpose.

U 2 Effective Feedback: Classroom assessment practices should provide timely and targeted
feedback to improve student learning.

U 3 Instructional Planning: Analysis of student performance should inform instructional

planning and provide next steps to support ongoing student learning.

U 4 Reporting: Student assessment reports should be based on a sufficient body of evidence and
provide a summary of student learning in a clear, timely, accurate, and useful manner.

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 Analysis of Student Performance: The methods for analyzing evidence
U1 of student learning should be appropriate for the assessment purpose
and practice.
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EXPLANATION
During the process of assessment, there is a need to evaluate (measure) the quality of students’
responses. When consistent, fair, and accurate measurement of students’ performances are
aligned with the purposes of the assessment and the intended learning expectations, these
measurements provide a sound indication of what students know and can do. Such
measurements will support subsequent teaching and learning. The nature of the methods used
to analyze student responses will vary depending on the nature of the assessment items and
tasks. Some assessment practices only require a verbal or short descriptive comment to support
student learning (e.g., in-class questions, peer- and self-assessment). Other assessments benefit
from more formal methods of evaluation. For open ended, constructed-response formats,
clearly developed evaluation tools such as rubrics are beneficial. For forced-choice, selected-
response formats, a definitive set of correct answers (answer key) are necessary. The level of
analysis may vary based on the purpose of the assessment. For example, the scope of analysis
for formative assessments will likely be more narrowly focused and less formal. However, the
standard or expectations of performance must be clear on all assessments.

GUIDELINES
• Align the methods of analysis of student performance with the purposes of assessment
(e.g., quickly checking for understanding during instruction; carefully evaluating
students’ essays when the essays contribute to final grades).

• Determine the most effective and efficient methods to express students’ responses
given the purpose of the assessment. This may include written comments, ratings,
categorizations, letters, or numbers, alone or in combination.

• Inform students about the criteria to be used to judge and evaluate their responses
prior to the learning activity.

• Involve students, where appropriate, in establishing criteria to be used to evaluate

students’ responses.

• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and apply procedures for judging and evaluating
student responses to constructed-response items, projects, and products.

• Develop clear evaluation tools (e.g., rubrics) to consistently and accurately evaluate
students’ responses to constructed-response items:

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o Focus on key aspects of learning. Provide clear descriptions that serve to clarify
and differentiate the points for an analytical scale and performance levels for a
rubric.

o Weight, if needed, different components of performance according to importance

as set out in the learning expectations for the assessment.

o Modify evaluation methods and criteria in response to demonstrated problems

with initial evaluation procedures (e.g., an unanticipated appropriate response;
student lack of understanding of the instruction or writing prompt).

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 Effective Feedback: Classroom assessment practices should provide
U2 timely and useful feedback to improve learning.
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EXPLANATION
Students benefit from assessment feedback that describes features of their performance in
relation to the specific learning expectations being measured. The feedback might be from
formative, interim, and/or summative assessments. To be most effective, feedback should be
timely to allow students and, where appropriate, parents/guardians to see what students know
and can do currently, where they should be, and how they can improve their learning. When
targeted feedback is effectively provided, students are more likely to use the information to
build upon their strengths and address their areas of need. The student may obtain this
feedback from personal self-assessment, other students during a peer-assessment or the
teacher during and after instruction.

GUIDELINES
• Provide descriptive feedback that is specific and directly related to student performance
on the assessment task or learning activity.

o Feedback should target the key components of the assessment task or learning
activity.

• Provide verbal or written descriptive comments rather than general positive or negative
statements to clarify, support, and direct students’ learning.

• Provide feedback that identifies a student’s strengths, misconceptions, and areas of

need and directs learning by providing strategies to address misconceptions and the
areas of need while building on strengths.

o Feedback should also address how students are progressing towards mastery of
the content or task (i.e., learning progressions).

• Separate descriptive feedback from grading in order to encourage students to focus on

the feedback to better support their learning (e.g., give feedback either without or prior
to grades).

• Help students develop both self- and peer-assessment skills to provide feedback to
support their learning through the use of modeling, scaffolding, appropriate structures,
and monitoring.

• Provide students with opportunities for self-reflection, and help them use feedback to
support and guide their own future learning.

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• Provide students with opportunities, whenever possible, to use the feedback to revise
their work accordingly.

• Share, when needed, specific feedback provided to a student during instruction with
the student’s parents/guardians in a timely manner so that they can also support their
child’s ongoing learning.

• Include regular discussions and conferences with students and, where appropriate,
their parents/guardians so that the feedback is clearly understood and next steps are
identified.

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 Instructional Planning: Analysis of student performance should inform
U3 instructional planning and next steps to support ongoing student
learning.
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EXPLANATION
One of the most important benefits of assessment is a teacher’s use of assessment results to
help review and revise her/his instructional practices. Efforts to monitor students’ developing
knowledge and skills before, during, and after instruction should be used to inform ongoing
instruction and revise future instructional plans. The revisions should be directed toward
supporting students’ efforts to build upon their strengths and address their areas of need. At
the same time, students need to develop the skills to monitor their own learning and to set
learning goals. Both types of activities help to close the gap between what students are
expected to learn and what they have learned.

GUIDELINES
• Use assessment information to guide instruction and provide support for all students:

o For some students, the evidence might suggest that they should be supported to
move more quickly through material or to deepen their understanding beyond
what is generally expected.

o For other students, the evidence might suggest that they have not yet mastered
the concept and may need support in the form of re-teaching or presenting a
previous concept in a new way, the provision of an instructional activity to
further support understanding, or engagement with peers to help develop
understanding.

• Create future lessons based on assessment results to provide effective learning

opportunities for current and future students (e.g., curriculum and instructional
improvement).

• Involve students in planning follow-up activities and begin by clearly identifying the
purpose and then setting out a plan of action to support further learning.

• Establish a plan to monitor the results of follow-up activities – check for possible
negative impacts (e.g., a student concentrates on one activity to the detriment of other
ongoing learning) and that students are working to build and improve upon their
performance.

• Develop a formal support and/or intervention strategy for students who are promoted
to the next grade but have not yet achieved the learning expectations in one or more
areas by the end of the school instructional period. Where possible, the support and

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intervention plan should involve the current teacher and the teacher for the next
instructional period.

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 Reporting: Student assessment reports should be based on a sufficient
U4 body of evidence and provide a summary of student learning in a clear,
timely, accurate, and useful manner.
1
EXPLANATION
Students, their parents/guardians, and others with legitimate permission should be provided
with assessment reports that accurately summarize what the students have learned in the
classroom. Further, these reports should be communicated in a timely manner such that they
can be used to support students’ learning or inform important learning decisions. For example,
students should be provided assessment information about how they are doing as they learn.
These reports are often oral. More formal written reports or report cards should communicate
clearly the level of student performance in relation to the attainment of the learning
expectations for a reporting period. These reports have several important educational
purposes, including the identification of student strengths and areas of need and informing
decisions concerning future class placement, retention/promotion, and admission to specific
programs. Report cards also provide a basis for reporting student achievement to other schools
and post-secondary institutions a student may subsequently attend, or to prospective
employers a student hopes to work for.

In addition, summative comments should accurately capture a student’s mastery of specific

curricular learning expectations. Grades alone cannot adequately summarize all aspects of
learning. To more adequately and fairly summarize the different aspects of student
performance, letter grades for achievement should be complemented or replaced with
alternate summary forms (e.g., checklists, written comments) suitable for summarizing results
related to other aspects of learning. Finally, reports, grades and summative comments should
align to appropriate standards and learning expectations.

GUIDELINES
• Follow the formal student reporting plan for the school, and/or district.

• Recognize the need for different types of informal or formal reporting depending on the
intent of the report.

• Report in a timely manner (quickly in case of formative assessment, at regular intervals

for more formal reports such as report cards).

• Report both strengths and weaknesses of students so that strengths can be built upon
and problem areas addressed.

• Report achievement, effort, attitude, and other behaviors separately.

• Use direct, easy-to-understand, jargon-free language.

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• Take into account the needs of the different audiences that are to receive formal
reports (e.g., students, parents, and, as appropriate, others such as school psychologists,
post-secondary institutions, or employers).

• Modify reporting procedures for students with special needs based on their individual
education plans and for students whose language of instruction is not English. Work
with school or district administrators to address the needs of parents/guardians who
may have limited-English language proficiency skills and/or literacy skills in order to
facilitate these parents’ understanding of their child’s progress.

• Follow school or district policy to transfer assessment information and reports from the
current school to the school the student will subsequently attend.

• Formulate comments in relation to the learned expectations and describe what the
student knows and is able to do, areas of learning that require further attention, the
ways the teacher is supporting the student’s learning needs and, where appropriate,
ways the student and the parents/guardians might support the student’s learning.

• Do not publicly display students’ work with visible grades or comments.

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 Quality

Classroom assessment practices meet the standards of quality when teachers can be confident
that their assessment practices provide accurate and dependable information about students’
learning. These practices are free of bias and are inclusive in nature. Reflection on and revision
of assessment practices can support the ongoing improvement of these practices.

Q 1 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Classroom assessment practices should be responsive to

and respectful of the cultural and linguistic diversity of students and their communities.

Q 2 Differentiation: Classroom assessment practices should be appropriately differentiated to

meet the specific educational needs of all students.

Q 3 Fairness: Classroom assessment practices and subsequent decisions should not be

influenced by factors unrelated to the intended purposes of the assessment.

Q 4 Validity: Classroom assessment practices should provide adequate and appropriate

information that supports sound decisions about each student’s knowledge and skills.

Q 5 Reliability: Classroom assessment practices should provide consistent, dependable

information that supports sound decisions about each student’s knowledge and skills.

Q 6 Reflection: Classroom assessment practices should be monitored and revised to improve

their overall quality.

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 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Classroom assessment practices
Q1 should be responsive to and respectful of the cultural and linguistic
diversity of students and their communities.

EXPLANATION
Assessment practices should be appropriate for students who represent the diverse cultural
and linguistic backgrounds present in schools. For example, a student’s success in responding to
a teacher’s oral question, or answering questions on a test should not be unfairly hampered by
her/his cultural background, knowledge, or tradition. If cultural and linguistic backgrounds are
ignored, students may become alienated or disengaged from learning and the assessment
process. Teachers need to be aware of how such backgrounds may impact students’ learning
and performance. Teachers should be ready to adjust their assessment practices where needed
to ensure students have adequate opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do
(e.g., extra time, dictionaries).

GUIDELINES
• Be sensitive to those aspects of an assessment practice that may hamper students with
different cultures or whose language is not sufficient to respond to demonstrate their
knowledge and what they can do.

• Acknowledge students’ cultural backgrounds and differing linguistic abilities and

develop procedures to prevent these backgrounds and abilities from unduly impacting
their demonstration of learning.

• Adjust or scaffold assessment practices if necessary (e.g., use text-to-speech software

on math prompts with complex text).

• Avoid content and language that would generally be viewed as culturally sensitive or
offensive.

• Use assessment practices that allow students to accurately demonstrate their

understanding by responding in ways that accommodate their linguistic abilities. For
assessments not intended to measure linguistic abilities, consider:

o Simplified instructions.
o Modeling of instructions.
o Simplified language in the assessment.
o Provision of extra time.
o Oral rather than written responses.
o Use of an appropriate type of assessment.
o Use of visual representations.

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 Differentiation: Classroom assessment practices should be
Q2 appropriately differentiated to meet the specific educational needs of
all students.

EXPLANATION
Students with disabilities receive special educational services to meet their learning needs.
These students include those who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or have a
Section 504 Plan. Assessment practices may need to be adjusted or differentiated to allow
these students to best demonstrate their learning. Options include accommodations,
modifications, and alternate assessments. Accommodations refer to changes in the way a
student accesses the assessment. Modifications refer to changes to the instrument or
evaluation procedure. An alternate assessment is used when students cannot participate in the
regular assessment process. Typically, alternate assessments are appropriate for students
whose instruction is adapted from grade-level content and reduced in depth, breadth, and
complexity.

Differentiating the assessment process should also address those students who are gifted and
talented. These students may require assessments that are intended to measure learning
outcomes that are different from their grade-level peers in order to sufficiently challenge them
and meet their learning needs.

GUIDELINES
• Use assessment accommodations, modifications, or alternate assessments that comply
with local, state, and federal policies.

• Provide accommodations, modifications, or alternate assessments that are most

appropriate for the student with special needs on a regular basis for all types of
classroom assessments.

• Provide appropriate accommodations, modifications, and support for English learners

(e.g., word banks, access to a dictionary, modeling instructions).

• Use formative, interim, and summative assessment practices that target the appropriate
learning expectations for students with special needs.

• Work with support staff to provide appropriate assessments for students who have a
need for differentiation of assessments.

• Modify grading procedures as needed for students with special needs so that it
accurately reflects these students’ individual education plans.

• Involve each student and their parents/guardians, whenever possible, in decisions about
what accommodations/modifications work best for the student.

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 Fairness: Classroom assessment practices and subsequent decisions
Q3 should not be influenced by factors unrelated to the intended purposes
of the assessment.

EXPLANATION
Bias has a negative impact on classroom assessment because it results in the unfair treatment
of individual or groups of students. Bias can result from systematic preconceptions, conscious
or unconscious, that are unrelated to the purposes and uses of the assessment. For example,
sometimes preconceptions regarding what a student can or cannot do may influence the
evaluation of student work rather than relying only on the available assessment evidence.
Preconceptions may stem from cultural and language differences, physical, mental, and
developmental disabilities, previous experiences with other siblings or family members, gender,
race, or socioeconomic status.

Bias can also occur due to a lack of alignment among the assessment, the instruction, and the
learning expectations or to the presence of irrelevant factors in the assessment process (e.g.,
reading difficulty where reading is not the focus of the assessment). Recognize that differences
in assessment may reflect real variations in student performance; however, these differences
still need to be examined for the potential presence of bias. While it may not be possible to
totally eliminate all forms of bias from classroom assessment, teachers should work to minimize
these biases when assessing students.

GUIDELINES
• Revise or remove assessment items and tasks that promote stereotypes.

• Revise or remove assessments that may unfairly impact the performance of individuals
or groups of students.

• Avoid language that is overly confusing or complex thus assessing unintended skills.

• Avoid assessment topics that may disturb or be too sensitive for students unless there is
a prescribed requirement to assess these topics.

• Minimize all irrelevant factors that may affect the evaluation of student performance:

o Stylistic factors such as handwriting, vocabulary, or sentence structure when the

intent of a written assessment is to assess content and thinking alone.

o Teacher bias that may result in a general tendency to be too generous or too
severe.

o The halo effect, where a general impression or previous rating influences the
present rating.

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• Counteract bias through collaboration, well-described evaluation tools, and thorough
training.

• Avoid tendencies to be overly severe or generous due to personal values or opinions

regarding individual or subgroups of students when evaluating student work or
formulating summary comments.

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 Validity: Classroom assessment practices should provide accurate
Q4 information that supports sound decisions about each student’s
knowledge and skills.

EXPLANATION
Formative, interim, or summative, classroom assessment practices need to be accurate. These
practices should lead to decisions that reflect students’ knowledge and skills in relation to the
intended learning expectations. Assessment practices should yield evidence so that students’
strengths can be built upon and areas of need addressed. The evidence should be at the
appropriate level of detail so that it can be used to further student learning and to inform
instruction.

One way to think of validity is through the interplay among the following ideas:

• Learning expectations, curriculum, and instruction

• Assessment design
• Analysis of responses
• Decisions

When the connections between these ideas are weakened, the overall accuracy of the
assessment results is lessened. Other issues that affect validity are described throughout the
Foundation, Use, and Quality Standards.

GUIDELINES
• Choose assessment practices (types and methods) that are developmentally appropriate
and aligned with learning expectations, curriculum, and instruction.

• Take into account the impact of unexpected events (e.g., fire alarm, tornado drills,
student illness, unexpected personal event) that may have influenced student
performance.

• Use multiple sources of evidence to obtain a more complete picture about each
student’s strengths and areas of need so that strengths can be built upon and areas of
need addressed. Avoid over interpreting results from a single assessment.

• Do not include results from an assessment if the students’ responses suggest flaws in
the assessment itself that might jeopardize a fair and accurate judgment. The
assessment should be revised before it is used again.

• Choose methods of evaluation (analytic or holistic evaluation, qualitative review) that

are appropriate for the purpose of the assessment and the assessment design.

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• Appropriately modified assessments are valid assessments. Assessment instruments
translated into a second language, transferred from another context or location, or
administered in a different mode (e.g., paper-based versus computer-based) should
include evidence these modified instruments work as intended.

• Account for the backgrounds and learning experiences of each student, and note any
problems that may arise when collecting and evaluating the student’s responses and
interpreting assessment results.

• Address the Foundation, Use and Quality Standards during each phase of assessment.

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 Reliability: Classroom assessment practices should provide consistent,
Q5 dependable information that supports sound decisions about each
student’s knowledge and skills.

EXPLANATION
Reliability refers to the consistency of assessment evidence. Consider two summative
assessments intended to measure the same concepts. If these assessments have high reliability,
the students should receive similar, albeit not identical, evaluations regardless of version. In
contrast, if these assessments have low reliability, student evaluations on each version will
likely differ to a great degree. Assessments that have low reliability result in different
interpretations of students’ knowledge depending on which assessment is used. However, one
does not have to calculate reliability to understand its implications. For example, during a
classroom discussion, asking one student a question and generalizing from a correct or
incorrect answer to the entire class would likely not be very reliable since the teacher does not
have sufficient evidence for the entire class’ understanding. Similarly, asking only three
questions on a test that covers content for a full semester is not likely to produce reliable
results. As the consequences of assessments increase, the need for high reliability increases.
Greater reliability is required for information sources such as final examination evaluations that
contribute heavily to final course grades. Teachers may determine reliability by considering two
important principles: the consistency and sufficiency of evidence.

GUIDELINES
• Use formative assessment practices (e.g., observations, individual whiteboards,
electronic clickers, entrance/exit slips, hand signals) to gather sufficient information
from all students for an immediate sense of class knowledge and understanding.

• Provide clear instructions and, when necessary, provide practice, sample questions,
activities, or tasks to support students’ understanding of what will be required during
the assessment.

• Follow the guidelines for sound analysis of student responses (Standard U 1), such as
the following:

o Well described evaluation tools (analytic scales, rubrics)

o Exemplar papers (sample student work representing different performance

levels)

o Teacher moderation (collaborative evaluation of student work in order to

increase consistency across teacher judgments)

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• Recognize that the conditions in which classroom assessments are administered and
evaluated may influence consistency of the results (e.g., time of day, unexpected
events, heating/cooling of classroom, noise, evaluator fatigue).

• Take into account the body of evidence available about students when making
instructional or other decisions: the higher the stakes the more evidence required.

o Use multiple assessments to make decisions about students’ knowledge and

skills.

o Use a variety of assessment types to make instructional decisions.

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 Reflection: Classroom assessment practices should be monitored and
Q6 revised to improve their overall quality.

EXPLANATION
The effectiveness of formative, interim, and summative classroom assessment practices
requires ongoing monitoring and review. Changes in student learning expectations and
curriculum and changes in the nature of the student population over time may lead to the need
for changes in classroom assessment practices. Further, given the evolving nature of
assessment, new developments in classroom assessment practices such as computer-based
assessments should be reviewed and used if found to be appropriate for the context in which
the new assessment will be used. Consequently, sound classroom assessment practices include
opportunities for reflection and changes to the assessment practices, both short-term and long-
term. Flawed classroom assessment practices can lead to incorrect decisions and actions that
impede the progress of students. The overarching question to be addressed is: “Are the
decisions made from the information and data collected reasonable and accurate, and not open
to misinterpretation?”

GUIDELINES
• Examine current classroom assessment practices to be sure they yield valid, reliable,
and useful information to enhance students’ learning and improve instruction. Types of
questions to ask include:

o What worked in the assessment and why?

o Is the assessment practice clearly related to the learning expectations, in

proportion to their importance, and compatible with instruction?

o What evidence do I have that a student learned what was taught in the lesson or
in today’s classroom?

o What are the instructional implications for the short or long term?

o Do any students need additional support before moving on to the next lesson?

o Does the assessment evidence reflect what students know and can do as
opposed to reflecting problems in the assessment practice?

o Do students’ responses indicate that they misunderstood what was being asked
on the assessment, suggesting that the wording of the instructions and/or items
and tasks needs revision?

o Is the assessment practice appropriate for all students?

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 o Are the feedback students receive and the follow-up actions timely and specific?

o Are student reports understandable and useful?

o Is there a more effective way to assess students’ knowledge and skills with
respect to a specific learning expectation?

• Become knowledgeable and proficient in current classroom assessment practices (e.g.,

formative, interim, and summative assessments).

• Revise current classroom assessment practices as needed to meet the assessments’

intended uses.

• Engage colleagues in professional learning communities to help explore ways to improve

assessments and students’ responses to assessments.

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 Resources

Balanced Assessment

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2010). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi
Delta Kappan, 92(1), 81-90.

Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Moore, K. (2005). Designing responsive curriculum: Planning lessons that work.
Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New
York, NY: Routledge.

National Research Council. (2001). Knowing what students know: The science and design of educational
assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Perie, M., Marion, S., & Gong, B. (2009). Moving toward a comprehensive assessment system: A
framework for considering interim assessments. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice,
28(3), 5-13.

Stiggins, R. (2008). Assessment for learning, the achievement gap, and truly effective schools. Portland,
OR: ETS Assessment Training Institute.

Stiggins, R. (2008). Assessment manifesto: A call for the development of balanced assessment systems.
Portland, OR: ETS Assessment Training Institute.

Stiggins, R. (2014). Revolutionizing assessment: Empower students, inspire learning. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin.

Assessment Literacy

CCSSO & ATP. (2013). Operational best practices for statewide large-scale assessment programs.
Washington, D.C.: CCSSO.

Chappuis, J., Stiggins, R., Chappuis, S., & Arter, J. (2012). Classroom assessment for student learning:
Doing it right – using it well (2nd ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

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Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2014). Checking for understanding: Formative assessment techniques for your
classroom (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Klinger, D.A., McDivitt, P.J., Howard, B.B., Munoz, M.A., Roger, W.T., & Wylie, E.C. (2015). Classroom
assessment standards for preK-12 teachers. Joint Committee on Standards for Educational
Evaluation.

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2013). Essential questions: Opening doors to student understanding.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Popham, J.W. (2001). Uses and misuses of standardized tests. NASSP Bulletin, 85, 24-31.

Differentiation

Tomlinson, C.A., Kaplan, S.N., Renzulli, J.S., Purcell, J.H., Leppien, J.H., Burns, D.E., Strickland, C.A., &
Imbeau, M.B. (2009). The parallel curriculum: A design to develop learner potential and
challenge advanced learners (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Videos and Other Resources

Success at the Core (2013a). Common formative assessments: Key concepts and skills. Seattle, WA:
Vulcan Productions. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/success-at-the-core-sac

Success at the Core (2013b). Using data effectively. Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions. Retrieved from
https://www.teachingchannel.org/success-at-the-core-sac

Teachers TV. (2006a). Modern foreign languages—Peer assessment. Retrieved from

http://www.teachfind.com/teachers-tv/ks34-modern-foreign-languages-peer-assessment

Teachers TV. (2006b). Secondary assessment—formative assessment. Retrieved from

http://www.teachfind.com/secondary-assessment-formative-assessment

Teachers TV. (2008). Assessment for learning in KS3/4 science—Anita and biology. Retrieved from
http://www.teachfind.com/teachers-tv/assessment-learning-ks34-science-anita-and-biology

U.S. Department of Education (2013). Tool kit on universal design for learning. Washington, DC: U.S.
Office of Special Education Programs. Retrieved from
https://www.osepideasthatwork.org/UDL/assessment.asp

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