10 Questions

1. How do you assess your students with special needs?

-One-on-one assistance
-Modified assignments
-Daily anecdotal observations
-IEP Goals rubrics and checklists

4. As a teacher in training, what do I need to know about assessment?

There are many ways to assess student learning. It should not just be about giving the unit tests and final exams or national and district assessments. It is mainly up to you as a teacher what you feel is best for you and what you know is best for measuring your students’ learning. The best way to go is through authentic evaluation such as portfolios and learning or journal logs. However, you do want to give periodic quizzes just to monitor student progress and mastery of concepts and skills. I honestly try to have a balance of all but once I discover that something is not working, it’s time to try something different that will tailor to your needs and your students’ needs.

6. What are several ways you assess your students?

-Portfolios
-Periodic Quizzes
-Unit Tests
-STAR Reading and Math (computer based)
-Anecdotal Observations
-Journals / Learning Logs
-Bell Work

7. What is the purpose of assessing students?

The purpose of assessing students is to monitor students’ progression, regression, and mastery of concepts and skills. Results on assessments could also inform you of what you as a teacher would have to do to improve instruction.

8. What is the difference between Common Core and CNMI Standards and Benchmarks?

Common Core or otherwise known as Common Core State Standards are national based. Some states have shifted towards using CCSS and therefore there will be an alignment of skills and concepts that students will have to learn across the nation. The CNMI Standards and Benchmarks is the CNMI PSS district curriculum mapping and is composed of skills and concepts similar to that of CCSS and is compiled by teachers and curriculum program coordinators from PSS. However, CNMI S&B is not consistently aligned to that of what is stated in CCSS.

9. What do you do with the results of your assessments?

-Results of assessments help me to see whether or not students are making progress or obtaining mastery of concepts being taught. We also share such results with parents to inform them of their child’s growth. Students also get to see their results as they are given the opportunity to grade their own work (each student grades their own work). From this experience they are able to see how well they have done and realize what they must do next time around as far as the effort their put into doing their daily assignments

17. How do we assess without stressing out?

-For one, don’t give too much work. Allow many opportunities for practice but give students the opportunity to assess themselves during these practices (each student grades their own work). Provide a format or procedure (perhaps a rubric for different activities) for students to grade their daily practice work. Not everything has to be graded for a grade but rather to evaluate

19. Does PSS have a certain guideline for assessing?

Beginning last school year we have shifted towards grading students based on a rubric performance scale instead of using percentage based scores or in other words A, B, C, D, and F. The rubric performance scale is as follows: 4-Advanced, 3-Proficient, 2-Developing and 1-Beginning. This is for both grading all types of assignments and grade for each standard and benchmark as stated in the quarterly mid progress report and report card.

27. Do you assess students authentically or on the pencil and paper method?

-I try to use a balance of both. Authentic assessments like learning logs, journals, and portfolios provide the opportunity for giving students immediate feedback and for monitoring student’s understanding and mastery and also for students to monitor their effort put into learning and doing work and to catch areas that may need improvement.

30. What are the diagnostic assessments that your school has/use? Summative?

-Our school uses the STAR Early Literacy for K-1, STAR Reading and Math for 1-6, a diagnostic, formative and summative Reading First Assessment (RFA)  and Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) for K-6, CNMI Standards Based Assessment –SBA (3-6) and SAT 10 (3rd, 5th, and 6th). Teachers also have their own types of assessments used in their classroom.