With the school year in full swing, our students are in the midst of completing a variety of assessments in literacy. This post is meant to shed some light on what these different assessments are for and how the data is utilized differently.
ASSESSMENT TYPES:
Benchmark assessments are an initial gauge of student performance at the outset of the academic year. These evaluations are typically conducted at the commencement of instruction but are also routinely administered throughout the year to gain insights into students' academic strengths and areas requiring improvement.
Universal Screeners are concise assessments designed to pinpoint specific academic needs in areas such as English proficiency, dyslexia, or other learning differences. These assessments provide valuable alerts to parents and teachers, guiding them in determining which students may benefit from additional academic support.
Formative assessments are a fundamental component of the instructional process and are employed regularly, often daily or weekly, within the classroom environment. They serve the critical function of tracking students' progress toward meeting educational standards and academic objectives. The data from these assessments play a pivotal role in shaping various aspects of decision-making, including forming small groups, instructional methods, and curriculum development.
Progress monitoring is integral to a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. MTSS is a preventative, data-driven continuum of evidence-based practices designed to cater to all students' diverse academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. Progress monitoring assessments are designed to evaluate students' advancement toward predefined goals and gauge their responsiveness to instructional interventions.
As you can see, a lot of assessing goes on throughout the school year, particularly at the beginning, as we work to set student goals, adapt the curriculum, and identify students who need additional support. Each focuses on a different area and together work to give a rich view of who our students are as learners.
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