This book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 LicenseAdjusting instruction based on assessment.................................................................................................
Using assessment information to adjust instruction is fundamental to the concept of assessment for learning.
Teachers make these adjustments “in the moment” during classroom instruction as well as during reflection and
planning periods. Teachers use the information they gain from questioning and observation to adjust their teaching
during classroom instruction. If students cannot answer a question, the teacher may need to rephrase the question,
probe understanding of prior knowledge, or change the way the current idea is being considered. It is important for
teachers to learn to identify when only one or two students need individual help because they are struggling with
the concept, and when a large proportion of the class is struggling so whole group intervention is needed.
After the class is over, effective teachers spend time analyzing how well the lessons went, what students did and
did not seem to understand, and what needs to be done the next day. Evaluation of student work also provides
important information for teachers. If many students are confused about a similar concept the teacher needs to re-
teach it and consider new ways of helping students understand the topic. If the majority of students complete the
tasks very quickly and well, the teacher might decide that the assessment was not challenging enough. Sometimes
teachers become dissatisfied with the kinds of assessments they have assigned when they are grading—perhaps
because they realize there was too much emphasis on lower level learning, that the directions were not clear
enough, or the scoring rubric needed modification. Teachers who believe that assessment data provides
information about their own teaching and that they can find ways to influence student learning have high teacher
efficacy or beliefs that they can make a difference in students’ lives. In contrast, teachers who think that student
performance is mostly due to fixed student characteristics or the homes they come from (e.g. “no wonder she did so
poorly considering what her home life is like”) have low teacher efficacy (Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, & Hoy,
1998).
Communication with parents and guardians...............................................................................................
Clear communication with parents about classroom assessment is important—but often difficult for beginning
teachers. The same skills that are needed to communicate effectively with students are also needed when
communicating with parents and guardians. Teachers need to be able to explain to parents the purpose of the
assessment, why they selected this assessment technique, and what the criteria for success are. Some teachers send
home newsletters monthly or at the beginning of a major assessment task explaining the purpose and nature of the
task, any additional support that is needed (e.g. materials, library visits), and due dates. Some parents will not be
familiar with performance assessments or the use of self and peer assessment so teachers need to take time to
explain these approaches carefully.
Many school districts now communicate though websites that have mixtures of public information available to
all parents in the class (e.g. curriculum and assessment details) as well information restricted to the parents or
guardians of specific students (e.g. the attendance and grades). Teachers report this is helpful as parents have
access to their child’s performance immediately and when necessary, can talk to their child and teacher quickly.
The recommendations we provided above on the type of feedback that should be given to students also apply
when talking to parents. That is, the focus should be on students’ performance on the task, what was done well and
what needs work, rather than general comments about how “smart” or “weak” the child is. If possible, comments
should focus on strategies that the child uses well or needs to improve (e.g. reading test questions carefully,
Educational Psychology 270 A Global Text