Deck 17: Assessment and Reporting

Question 1

Why is it important for teachers to keep records of assessment information?

Answer 1

See dot points in the middle of page 327.

Question 2

The most common pattern for school communication in Australia is:

A) one formal written report each year.
B) two or more written reports each year.
C) written reports as well as one or more parent-teacher interviews.
D) ongoing communication including written reports, interviews, parent information nights, newsletters.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A major factor driving assessment in many countries is:

A) information communication technology.
B) the need to be internationally competitive.
C) the emphasis on standards and accountability.
D) the need to respond to students' diverse needs and abilities.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When teachers assess processes as well as products they need to:

A) do so against specific criteria.
B) be able to make judgments.
C) use a range of assessment techniques.
D) involve students in the process.

Question 5

A generally agreed principle for reporting to parents is:

A) the relative weight attached to categories to make up the final grade should be varied based on the students' abilities.
B) the basis for comparing students' performance should be known only to the teacher.
C) any summary judgments made in the report must be supported by data.
D) clarity is less important than accuracy.

Question 6

The use of information communication technology in assessment is now widespread in schools but one problem identified by Baker (2003) is that:

A) it is ineffective for testing skills such as communication and critical evaluation.
B) teachers do not have the skills to use it.
C) it can disadvantage some students.
D) competing strategies may not be rigorously tested.

Question 7

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a widely respected example of:

A) summative assessment.
B) norm-referenced assessment.
C) criterion-referenced assessment.
D) performance-based assessment.

Question 8

An advantage of using portfolios as an assessment tool is that:

A) teachers can assess them quickly.
B) it is easy to establish rubrics for them.
C) students have to justify their choices of what to include.
D) parents respond well to them.

Question 9

The main audience for assessment should be:

A) learners.
B) teachers.
C) parents.
D) employers.

Question 10

Is the following statement True or False? 'Mathematics is a subject which is particularly suited to criterion-referenced assessment.'

Question 11

What are three reservations that have been identified about large scale testing?

Question 12

Assessment that is used to check students' skills and understandings before beginning a unit of work so that the teacher can start the instruction at the level the students have reached is referred to as:

A) informal testing.
B) diagnostic assessment.
C) formative assessment.
D) summative assessment.

Question 13

In their characteristics of performance assessment, Wiggins and McTighe (2005) did not include that it:

A) can be assessed though a single summative feedback task.
B) sometimes involves students working with others.
C) makes public the scoring criteria.
D) encourages self-evaluations and revision.

Question 14

Is the following statement True or False? 'In Australia, each state government can make the decision about whether schools have to use an A to E grading system for reporting student achievement in all key learning areas.'

Question 15

What is meant by the term 'assessment'?

Question 16

Which of the following would not normally be seen as one of the reasons for undertaking assessment?

A) Predicting future achievements.
B) Diagnosis of learning and monitoring progress.
C) Demonstrating the link between ability and success.
D) Diagnosis of teaching effectiveness.

Question 17

According to Gardner (2012), wherever possible teachers should use forms of assessment that will raise students':

A) self-esteem.
B) motivation.
C) achievement.
D) ability to learn.

Question 18

A difficulty for teachers in recording students' progress against national outcome statements is:

A) lack of effective commercial computer software programs to support the process.
B) the extra time and workload involved in assessing several levels.
C) confusion about what to assess.
D) not having had appropriate training in how to record against outcomes.

Question 19

Direct observation would not be an effective assessment tool for gathering information about students':

A) reasons for not staying on task.
B) enthusiasm for creative writing.
C) ball-handling skills.
D) participation in a group task.

Question 20

Hargreaves' six categories of 'assessment for learning' do not include:

A) turning assessment into a learning event.
B) learning about students' learning.
C) teachers controlling learning and assessment.
D) using assessment to inform the next steps in teaching and learning.

Question 21

Staff at your school have decided to include performance assessment as one of the main assessment techniques to be used by all teachers. You have been selected to give a talk to members of the School Council in which you explain:
-The meaning of performance assessment.
-The perceived benefits and challenges of this technique.
-What considerations need to be addressed in developing assessment tasks.
What will you say?

Question 22

Explain your understanding of the different purposes of assessment and the implications of these for teachers. How would the following practices fit with some of the different purposes you have identified?
-Diagnostic/formative assessment.
-Summative assessment.
-Norm-referenced assessment.
-Criterion-referenced assessment.
-Learner judged.