This document discusses assessment in content area literacy. It defines assessment and differentiates it from evaluation. Assessment should be an ongoing process that informs instruction, not a one-time event. Assessments are shifting from traditional methods like tests to more performance-based approaches. Effective assessments are standards-based, authentic, reflective, dynamic, and use multiple response formats to address students' varied strengths. Formative assessments like observations, retellings, self-evaluations and think-alouds inform instruction. Summative assessments include projects evaluated with rubrics and traditional tests. Authentic assessments in an elementary classroom include readers' theatre, reading groups, and writing workshops where teachers observe and provide individual feedback.

1. ASSESSMENT
IN CONTENT AREA
LITERACY
EDLL 4380

2. Definition
• What comes to your mind when you hear the term
‘assessment’?
• What types of assessments have you seen or used with
children?
• What is the difference between ASSESSMENT and
EVALUATION?
• In addition to your notes from the reading, it is important
to remember that assessment must not be a one-time
activity but an ongoing process, that informs instruction.
(Pike & Mumper, 2004)

3. As our world and the children we teach change so does our teaching. Education
is evolving and changing daily. Because of this, so is assessment. McLaughlin
(p. 232) states,
As 21st century content area teachers, we are striving to
move away from the teacher/text dominated classroom and
to transition to a time of student-generated ideas, self
selection, critical thinking, creativity, interaction and
personal construction of meaning.
As a result of this changing paradigm, assessment has
been undergoing a major reformation. Practices have
been shifting from the traditional “read the book and
answer the question” method to a more performance-
based “show what you can do with what you have
learned” approach.

4. Think about what you know from the TAP
rubric and how this relates to assessment.
Standards and objectives!
PIC: clear and concise

5. What are some important
characteristics of assessment?

6. Clear Purpose and Specific Learning Targets
Assessment must have a clear purpose
and is specific.

7. Assessment is standards-based.
Frey and Fisher (p. 250) state, “Students will be tested;
teachers and schools will be evaluated according to
student performance on these tests.”
There is much controversy about this topic, but this will not be
changing any time soon.
“We must be careful not to allow the test practice
to become the curriculum. Rather, we believe in
teaching to the standards that are tested. When
students are well versed in standards-based
content, they are more likely to do well on the test.
School is still about creating citizens who can
participate in democracy.” (Frey and Fisher, p.
251)

8. Assessment is authentic.
Because we know that the assessment should guide the
teachers instruction, assessment is grounded in real world, real
classroom experiences. Rather than using only a standardized
or traditional test, teachers are looking at what children do
daily and using that as assessment.
For example, teachers are looking at writing samples, projects,
reading samples (running records); their students day to day
work versus only using a culminating project or test.

9. Assessment is reflective.
Reflection encourages students and teachers to take ownership over their learning. It also
helps affirm the learner and let the student know that their learning is valued and their
thoughts heard.
Teachers are also reflective after teaching because they consistently ask themselves questions
like: What worked today?
What can I do tomorrow?
What does this group of children or child need now?
McLaughlin (pg 235) shares, “Reflective activities in the classroom help make
thinking more visible, enabling students to learn from one another and to
gain greater insights into their own thinking and learning process.”

10. Assessment is dynamic
“No longer is it a valid notion that assessment is a one-time
activity; rather, assessment is an integral part of instruction
that helps guide teacher’ planning and delivery of
instruction.”
McLaughlin (pg. 234) shares, “Because assessment has a dynamic
nature, it is viewed not as an event but rather a natural,
ongoing, purposeful component of teaching and learning.”

11. Assessment has multiple response
formats.
In classrooms that integrate authentic assessment,
teachers are aware that his/her students have many
strengths. Therefore, this teacher offers a variety of
assessment to check on what has been learned. This
variety includes assessments that involve speaking,
writing, dramatizing, technology, film, music and art.

12. Purposes of Assessment
Assessment
Informs
instruction
Utilizes
multiple
measures
Determines
students’
strengths &
knowledge
Discovers
what students’
abilities, with
and without
teacher’s
guidance
Documents
students’
progress
Summarizes
achievement
& learning
over time
(Pike & Mumper, 2004,
pp. 180-181)

13. What are formative assessments?
Ongoing
Means of improving learning
Suggests future steps for teaching
Classroom based
Informal
There are two types of assessments that we can use to
understand what our children have learned and need next.
These are:
A. Formative Assessments
B. Summative Assessments
What are summative assessments?
Occur at end of unit or lesson
Measure skills related to unit
Is a final product
Usually involves grading
V
E
R
S
U
S

14. “We can monitor all students progress
through formative assessments, but this type
of assessment is especially valuable in the
case of the English learner. We often provide
these students with additional support and
observing their progress through formative
assessments provides us with ongoing insight
into their thinking and abilities. The resulting
information informs our future lesson
planning.” McLaughlin, pg 239

15. A. Formative Measures of Assessment
In literacy, the effective formative measures of assessment
are:
• Observation/ kidwatching
• Retellings
• Interviews, surveys, and inventories
• Student self-evaluation
• Think alouds
• Analysis of student products and projects (performance
assessment) and analysis of student performance on
state exams (grade level)
(Pike & Mumper, 2004, p. 181)

16. Observation/ Kidwatching
• the process of observing children as they engage in
authentic daily activities, or of looking at the results or
products of these activities (Pike & Mumper, 2004, p. 182)
• the process of students retell or talk about what they have read using
their own words, assessing the extent that students are able to
summarize, remember details, sequence events, and make meaning
of the text in general (Pike & Mumper, 2004, p.185)
Retellings

17. Interviews, Surveys, and Inventories
• Interviews give students opportunities to talk about their
learning (the what and how of learning). For example, you
could interview a student and let him/ her talk about her
learning and the process after completing a KWDL chart. (see
next slide)
• When students look at themselves as learners and evaluate
their own progress and development… aimed at making them
reflective learners (Pike & Mumper, 2004, pp. 187-188)
Student Self Evaluation

18. McLaughlin ( pg 296)

19. Student Products, projects, and other
work samples
• These artifacts show evidence of students’ work in class
and, if authentic, provide evidence of their performance
and learning.
Other examples: informal writing pieces (e.g. journal entries, exits
slips, quickwrites, etc.
• When students verbalize their thoughts as they read,
write, or make sense of text (Pike & Mumper, 2004, p.
188)
Think Alouds

20. • Think-Pair-Share
• Clear as Mud
• Ringed Index Cards
• The __#__ -Minute Paper
• Picture or Non-linguistic representation
• Thumbs Up
or Down
• Fist-to-Five
• Assessment Response Cards
• Mini-White Boards
• Who, What, Where, When, Why
• Concept Map
Other Formative Assessments

21. B. Summative Measures of Assessment
The most effective way to grade summative projects, either group or individual is through the use
of rubrics. McLaughlin (Pg 245) defines these as, “scoring guides that provide criteria for
evaluating performance assessments.
Rubrics clearly define expectations so students know exactly what is expected. They should be
developed by the teacher although great conversation can come out of explaining what is on
the rubric and why. Therefore, rubrics should be shared with children before using them. A
great example of an oral presentation rubric used in a 4th grade classroom is seen below:
Traditional summative assessments are also often used. These might be teacher made or
textbook created tests.
Frey and Fisher, pg 213

22. Whatcanauthenticassessmentlooklikeintheelementaryclassroom?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mrs. Nash’s second grade class starts the day by getting into their Readers Theatre groups. They
practice their scripts with their groups for about 10 minutes and then Mrs. Nash asks them to
prepare to present to the class. Groups are chosen to begin reading their scripts with the focus
being on fluency and expression. Once the group completes their task, their classmates share
“glows and grows” telling what they think their peers did well and need to work on. Meanwhile,
Mrs. Nash is using a rubric to grade each group. Later that day, as the children work independently
at Reading Workshop, Mrs.Nash calls reading groups to her back table. She spends time introducing a
new chapter to the group, listens to them read, jots notes about what strategies she sees children using
as they read. As she dismisses the reading group, she asks one child to stay behind and asks this
particular child to read a page or two of the text. The teacher marks the reading (running record) and
takes notes on fluency and strategy use. After reading, the class moves to writing workshop. At this
point, the teacher grabs her clipboard and moves around the classroom. She stops at particular children
and asks them to share what they have worked on so far. She encourages, guides and teaches individual
children as they work on their independent stories. As she works with children, she takes notes on
her clipboard, which she will use later to guide her planning of minilessons. At math, Mrs. Nash reinforces
what has been learned previously about fractions. After playing games and completing problems together,
Mrs. Nash asks her students to take out their Learning Logs. Before closing the lesson, she asks the
second graders to write a story problem (using fractions) for their classmates to solve. The students turn
in their learning logs and the teacher guides children to solve some of the chosen word problems.