Frequently Asked Questions About Assessment

Q: How can assessment be used to improve student performance?

The value of assessment lies in its ability to improve student performance. The scoring of products that are written, oral, or of various media can provide insights into what students know and what they misunderstand. Derived numerical or letter scores provide some insights into performance over time. If averaged, however, they can mask improvement.

Q: What are the roles of assessment in achieving science literacy for all Texas children?

Assessments provide

learning experiences that encourage students to become actively involved in their own education.
an understanding of where the student is and how the student is progressing during learning experiences. This type of formative assessment takes place prior to and during student learning. It allows the teacher to form impressions of student understandings and skills.
information on the extent of learning at the end of a set of learning activities. This type of summative assessment sums up a variety of learning experiences.

Q: What are the goals of assessment for standards-based science education?

The major goals of assessment are to ensure that

the picture of student learning is a complete dynamic view rather than a one time snap shot that may or may not show the actual amount of student learning.
all stakeholders, especially students, understand how to interpret multiple assessments in order to understand where students are, how far they have come, and how they are advancing.

Q: What is the role of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in assessment?

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills provide a clear picture of what students should know and be able to do, thus providing a map of what should be assessed at each grade level. Alignment of the assessments with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills provides information about the attainment of the knowledge and skills of our students.

Q: What are the roles of stakeholders in assessment?

If assessment is to support instruction and student learning, stakeholders should:

understand the role of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in providing students with the knowledge and skills required for life-long learning in a society of constant change
understand the necessity of a strong link between assessment and the knowledge and skills students should acquire
become informed consumers of assessment information
actively contribute to the process of assessment
view actual student work in addition to test scores

Q: Why should assessment be linked to the TEKS?

The links among TEKS, local curriculums, assessment instruments, scoring, and reporting are vital to a solid assessment system. The first step in assessment is to study and thoroughly understand how the TEKS and the assessment match. As new assessments are developed, the question should be asked, "How does this assessment prove that the student has met the standard?" If this question cannot be answered the assessment should be revised or deleted. The data collected during assessment must be evaluated in terms of TEKS. This shifts the emphasis from, "How did the student do compared to others?" to "Is the student meeting the standards set forth in the TEKS?"

All assessment methods can and should be used in both formal (standardized) and informal (non-standardized) situations. Most may be administered by computer, orally, hands-on, or in written format. In addition to the methods presented in this guide, creative teachers will find endless ways to assess student performance.

Q: How should assessment methods be chosen?

When choosing assessment methods, many questions need to be answered. The following list is not exhaustive, but can act as a starting point for evaluation of assessment systems.

What is the purpose of the assessment?
Will the results help students?
What TEKS are to be assessed and how much emphasis is to be placed on each?
How will the assessment show that students have acquired the knowledge and skills they are learning?
How will the assessment show the amount of progress students have made?
Is the purpose of the assessment clear to students, teachers, and other stakeholders?
Are multiple forms of assessment used in the assessment system?
Are the assessment tasks engaging?
Is the information collected worth the effort?
Can the results be reported in understandable terms?
Can reliable scoring be completed in a timely fashion?
Can the assessment instrument be administered to the number of students in the program in the time allotted?