Assessments
During the school year, students are assessed in a variety of ways and subject areas. The purpose of assessments is not just for grading purposes, but rather, to "drive" teacher instruction. Upon scoring and reviewing assessments, teachers identify areas where additional instruction may be needed or areas where students would benefit from extension activities.
In math, students are assessed as they work to complete math activities and when they complete GO Math chapter tests.
In reading, students are generally assessed using a 3 point rubric. Rubrics change based on the skill we are learning during the week. An example of this rubric is below:
|
Points |
Criteria |
|
1 point |
Start with the name of your story
|
|
1 point |
What is the setting of the story?
|
|
1 point |
Tell how you know
|
In writing, students are assessed using a variety of rubrics. Below is one example:
|
Writing Assessment |
Inadequate Command |
Limited Command |
Partial Command |
Adequate Command |
Strong Command |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Content and Organization |
Sentences do not relate to topic |
Sentences may not relate to topic |
Sentences may relate to topic |
Sentences relate to topic |
Sentences strongly relate to topic |
|
Capitalization and Punctuation (Mechanics) |
No attempt to use capitalization rules |
Attempts to use some capitalization rules
|
Applies some capitalization rules
|
Applies most capitalization rules correctly |
Applies all capitalization rules correctly |
|
No attempt to use punctuation rules |
Attempts to use some punctuation rules |
Applies some punctuation rules |
Applies most punctuation correctly |
Uses punctuation correctly |
|
|
Sentence Structure |
One sentenceattempted |
One to two sentences attempted |
Attempts to write two-three sentences |
Four or more sentences |
Four or more well structured sentences
|
|
Not phonetically written
|
Sentences are difficult to follow and understand |
Lacks structure and details |
Lacks some details |
Good use of details |
|
|
Word Study |
No long vowel patterns correctly
|
No long vowel patterns correctly
|
Attempts to spell long vowel patterns correctly
|
Some long vowel patterns spelled correctly
|
Most long vowel patterns spelled correctly
|
|
No CVC words, blends, or digraphs spelled correctly |
Few CVC words, blends, and digraphs, spelled correctly
|
Some CVC words, blends, and digraphs, spelled correctly
|
Most CVC words, blends, and digraphs, spelled correctly |
All CVC words, blends, and digraphs, spelled correctly
|
|
|
No Word Wall Vocabulary spelled correctly
|
Few Word Wall Vocabulary spelled correctly |
Some Word Wall Vocabulary spelled correctly |
Most Word Wall vocabulary spelled correctly |
All Word Wall vocabulary spelled correctly |
Another assessment used in our class is the BEAR Spelling Inventory Assessment. This assessment is administered three times per year in September, January and April. Students are read a list of 20 words which they need to write. The purpose of this assessment is to identify students' needs for word study instruction. After scoring this assessment, students are grouped according to needs in specific areas of word study. For example, students may need instruction in short vowel words, blends, digraphs or long vowels.
Another formative assessment students complete in the first grade is a computer-based testing system compiled by the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association). Students complete this assessment three times per year in September, January and April. The data compiled by this test proves invaluable to teachers. Not only are students given a score, but detailed information about students' skills in language arts and math is available for review. For additional information about the NWEA testing, please visit their website at www.NWEA.org.
If you have any questions about assessments given in our class, please do not hesitate to contact me.