1. Assessment Literacy: A Librarian’s Sixth Sense
Vandy Pacetti-Donelson

2. Let Go of the Myths!
Assessment is not my job –it’s the teacher’s job.
Assessment is done for a grade.
Assessment is separate and distinct from learning.

3. According to Zmuda (2006)
Without demonstrating the
assessment of learning in
the library, the work of
library media specialists is
relegated to “nice but not
necessary.”
“If you don’t have the data,
you’re just another person
with an opinion.”

4. Why!
• Assessment “deepens quality of learning.”
(Harada, 2006)
• Assessment informs purposeful teaching.
• Assessment also allows for more
differentiated instruction and
personalized feedback.
• Demonstrating results is advocacy!

5. Assessment Literacy
A deep understanding of
why assess, when to
assess, and how to assess
in ways that positively
impact student learning.
Viewed through a lens of
inquiry, using varying
assessments to learn from
and with their students in
order to adjust classroom
practices.
From Assessmentliteracy.org

6. Where do we start?
Start small, grab opportunities
and establish priorities. You
are not helpless; stop building
roadblocks.
Develop strategically.

7. Make new friends
because you are
dependent on your
ability to
collaborate.
Create a welcoming environment.
Offer your help.
Leave the library.
Let stakeholders have a say in what you do.
Ask questions.
Be supportive.
Offer your help.
Relate to the needs of your coworkers.
Attitude of participation.
Team player does the dirty work.
Eliminate obstacles.

8. Look at the tools for strategies
Standards
Curriculum &
Instruction
Assessments
Data Driven
Decisions
What school/district
assessment tools can
be reviewed for
connections to what
you are doing within
library instruction?
Your State Standards
AASL
CCSS
Where are the
intersections that
you can capitalize
on?
Do you partner to
create
instructional
opportunities? Do
you know what is
happening in the
classroom?
An essential skill of librarians is to recognize when an opportunity for instruction is available, needed, and then
work to collaborate with teachers to be a part of the learning and its assessment.
How are you using
the data?
Where are your new
instructional design
models?
From South Dakota State Library

9. 3 class periods to introduce
students to banned books for a
classroom unit on argumentative
writing.
30 minutes to demonstrate
difference between a Google
search and a database search for
student research assignment.
How much time do you have?
A Little…. A Lot.

10. Now that you have a
class and a lesson, think
about the assessment.

11. What type of assessment?
Teacher Big Data
• Interim Assessment – may be administered at specified intervals between periods of instruction,
measure student learning growth, and help teachers look for patterns or trends and identify
needs for additional resources.
• Benchmark Assessment – used to predict performance on summative exams with the intent of
adjusting instruction during the year to focus on areas of need for students.
• Diagnostic Assessment – information about students prior learning, used to determine if a
student would benefit from remedial or accelerated learning programs.
• Summative Assessment -- “the measurement of knowledge and skills at the end of a process of
learning in order to determine the amount and quality of learning” (Stripling, 2006).

12. Librarians
typically
provide
instruction
that teaches a
skill that is a
step in the
process to
learning.
Examples
• Using the DDS to find a book for a book report.
• Determining validity of a website so that accurate information
for a science project may be collected.
• Guiding practice in the development of a presentation
employing a new technology tool.
• Research instruction on locating information on government
websites for life skill applications.

13. Formative Assessment-is a step along
the way of learning and informs and
defines the next steps.
Formative assessment is the lived, daily
embodiment of a teacher’s desire to
refine practice based on a keener
understanding of current levels of
student performance, undergirded by
the teacher’s knowledge of possible
paths of student development within the
discipline and of pedagogies that support
such development. (NCTE, 2013).

14. Types of
Formative
Assessment:
• on the fly (happen during the lesson)
• planned interaction (decided before
instruction)
• curriculum embedded (data gathering at
significant points during the learning process)

15. On the Fly (Keep a record.)
Raise your hand if you
have given a formative
assessment in the
course of teaching.

16. Observations
Start with the foundation of assessment: observation.
• Field notes: descriptions of classroom interactions, avoiding judgment and
interpretation.
• Running records and miscue analysis.
• Checklists and observation guides: gather information about pre-selected
learning behaviors or interactions by marking tallies on a chart or keeping
a record of examples of specific student actions.
• Demonstrations
Conversations
General assessment information or a targeted look at specific aspects of
learning.
• Surveys: may show general trends , allow for focused follow-up
• Interviews: challenge what you know about the student’s learning
• Conferences
• Progress checks
Artifacts of Learning
• Work samples
• KWLs
• Concept maps
• Journals
• Learning logs (blog)
Student Self evaluations
• Exit slips, or sentence
summaries
• Rubrics and Checklists
• Process Reflections
• Student led conferences
• Peer evaluations
Planned for Interaction and Curriculum Embedded

17. What do I need to know?
Understand the
purpose of
assessment.
1
Clearly identify the
learning targets.
2
Communicate
Practical
Information.
3
Choose an
appropriate
method of
assessment.
4
Design a quality
assessment.
Sample, items,
tasks, validity
5

18. References
Assessmentliteracy.org. (2018). Assessment Literacy: Making Sense of K-12 Assessment for Learning.
DuPre, C. (2008, February). Assessing student learning in the school library media center. ECU Librarian to
Librarian Networking Summit.
Harada, V. , Zmuda, A., and B. Stripling (2007). AASL Fall Forum. North Carolina School Library Media Association.
Accessed from http://www.ncslma.org/2007Conference/NCS LMAConferenceSessions.htm
Mallon, M. (2014, December 11). Formative assessment strategies for library instruction. EasyBib Professional
Development Series. Accessed from https://www.slideshare.net/MelissaMallon/formative-assessment-strategies-
for-library-instruction
NCTE. (2013, October 13). NCTE Position Statement: Formative Assessment that Truly Informs Instruction.
Accessed from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Positions/formative-assessment_single.pdf
South Dakota State Library. (2017). Student Assessment in the School Library Framework. Accessed from
http://library.sd.gov/LIB/SLC/SDSL-StudentAssessment-Framework-2017.pdf