Jennifer Stanley

11/17/15
SCED 499
Dr. Edgar
InTASC Standard 6: Assessment to Prove and Improve Student Learning
In order to best promote student learning, I must develop assessments (informal,
formative, and summative) that are accessible for all of my students and are valid effectively
evaluating my students knowledge of the content learned as well as their progress in developing
and applying certain skills. Additionally, by using multiple means of assessment, I can engage
my students and monitor their growth; ultimately, guiding the instructional practices I will
implement to meet the diverse needs of my students. Specifically, I must be able to balance my
use of summative and formative assessments. I cannot simply implement a Due Friday model
and expect my students to write essays on different topics every week, with little to no
preparation. Instead, utilizing smaller formative assessments, like exit tickets or novel quizzes,
prior to summative essay comparisons can better help my students to prepare for the summative
assessments and understand the material. For example, rather than asking my students to write an
essay about the heroic archetype in Beowulf and then, after reading Le Morte DArthur, write
another essay analyzing King Arthur as a hero, I would provide a better opportunity for my
students by combining the two essay assignments into one and scaffolding smaller formative
assessments in order to prime their analytical and comparative writing abilities. For example, I
might ask students to complete exit tickets which would ask them to compare Beowulf to King
Arthur and/or to create a graphic organizer comparing the two, with textual evidence to support
claims. Another important component that I would need to implement is using assessment to
inspire curriculum adjustment and differentiation. The more I come to learn about my students,
especially through their testing scores, the more I can alter my instruction to suit their needs.

Specifically, in the English field, if my students are lacking in critical reading abilities, I can
teach them to use particular strategies (such as annotation practice or theme tracker charts) in
order to carefully read a particular text (whether narrative or informational) in an attempt to
improve their critical reading abilities. The same can be done for vocabulary acquisition or
writing all I need to do is spend more time on developing these skills in the classroom and
trying my best to differentiate instruction accordingly to help all of my students learn in the way
that is best for them, with the ultimate goal of helping them to develop their ideas in order to
perform well on assessments (especially high-stakes testing). Lastly, I believe that another
element that is imperative for student development is self-assessment. Students must be able to
communicate their own progress and identify areas that they need additional assistance in in an
attempt to improve their self-confidence as well as their abilities. This standard is imperative in
developing my students learning, as assessment is a vital component of instruction. I must
ensure that my assessments are aligned with my objectives and standards so that my plans are
coherent and that my students will have an opportunity to accurately prove their knowledge.