This document discusses the nature and meaning of assessment in education. It defines assessment as the various methods educators use to evaluate, measure, and document student learning and academic progress. There are three main reasons for conducting assessments: 1) to help improve educational programs by identifying areas for improvement, 2) for recruitment purposes to show prospective students the value of a program, and 3) for accountability to meet reporting requirements. The process of assessment involves setting program objectives, designing assessments, collecting and analyzing data, reporting results, and using the results to improve programs.

1. Nature And Meaning
Nature And Meaning
Of Assessment
Of Assessment
Jeffrey D. Bermudez

2. Meaning of Assessment
In education, the term assessment refers
to the wide variety of methods that
educators use to evaluate, measure, and
document the academic readiness, learning
progress, and skill acquisition of students
from preschool through college and
adulthood.
http://edglossary.org/assessment/

3. Meaning of Assessment
It identify academic weaknesses and
strengths so that educators can provide
specialized Academic Support, educational
programming, or social services.
A process about collecting information
conducted to improve educational
programs.
http://edglossary.org/assessment/

4. Program Improvement
Recruitment
Accountability
Nature of Assessment
Three major reasons why conduct assessment

5. Program Improvement
•Helps program developers
identify areas of improvement
for the program.
•Shows program developers
the actual impact the program
has on student.
Nature of Assessment

6. Recruitment
•Provides parents with
evidence of the value a
program has for their child.
•Gives prospective students
evidence of why they should
participate.
Nature of Assessment

7. Accountability
•Meets University and schools
annual program reporting and
program review requirements.
•Addresses accrediting agency
program evaluation requirements.
•May apply to other funding or
regulatory agencies requirements.
Nature of Assessment

8. Nature of Assessment
The process of assessment
Program
Objective
Assessment
Design
Collect
Data
Analyzed
Data
Report
Result
Use
Result

9. Nature of Assessment
Program Objectives
At this stage, program leaders clearly state
the impact the program is expected to have on
participants. These goals are broken down into
more specific statements in the form of
learning objectives, statements that specify
an observable behavior and expected level of
the behavior after completing the program.

10. Nature of Assessment
Assessment Design
Plan how the observable behavior
stated in the objective will be measured
and when. The first challenge in this step
is identifying an assessment instrument
to measure the observable behavior.

11. Nature of Assessment
Data Collection
Make the assessment happen! Administer the
assessment instrument at the planned times
and collect trustworthy data. Things to consider
in this step include whether the instrument will
be administered online or on paper, who will
administer the instrument, and under what
conditions. The conditions for administration
should be standardized as much as possible.

12. Nature of Assessment
Analyze Data
Information gathered through the assessment process
can be either qualitative (textual) or quantitative
(numbers). There are general guidelines for
appropriate analysis of either type of data. In order to
ensure that the valuable data is analyzed in a way that
maximizes the trustworthiness of the conclusions
drawn from the analysis, a person skilled in data
analysis methodologies should guide this phase of
assessment.

13. Nature of Assessment
Report Result
Reports of assessment results can be verbal or written
and can take many different forms. When reporting
results to different stakeholders, customize the format
and presentation to the specific needs and interests of
that audience. When reporting results the goal should
always be to maximize the utility and applicability of
the results for that audience. Also, make sure to use
language appropriate for the audience.

14. Nature of Assessment
Use Results
Assessment is only useless if the results
are not used! When done well,
assessment provides valuable
information that can inform decisions
about a program, there should be some
action that can be made to improve the
program for the next cycle.

15. “If students have not been told
where they are going, it is
unlikely that they will arrive.”
– Shirley Clark