Task 1 Diagnostic Assessment Interview

1-3: What diagnostic assessments have taken place this semester? When did this occur? What type
assessments were conducted?
● Recount -Week 1- written
● Information report- Week 6- written
● PM reading benchmarking- Week 6-10- Reading, oral
● Spelling review test - Week 7- Written
● Basic facts- End of each month
Later this term with be:
● Procedure report - Week 9- written
● Math diagnostic- TBC- written

4: Who developed these assessments?

The writing assessments are either set up as a grade level is: the recount and the others are set up by the
English teacher as English classes are streamed and therefore need to suit the class cohort.
PM benchmarking is a system used in Australia and New Zealand. With set readers and assessment sheets
to match the book level. The Math Diagnostic comes from the math Plus program, used in New Zealand. It
is also what we follow as a guideline for our teaching and homework sent home.

5: Who conducted these assessments?

Classroom teacher conducts all assessments.

6: Were the assessments completed by the students individually?

Yes, students complete diagnostic testing independently. Instructions are read to the students and then
they complete independently, however, they can ask for questions to be repeated throughout the testing.
However, the PM benchmarking- Students reads from a leveled reader and the teacher marks on a
recording sheet. Students are then asked questions about the story which hey answer orally and the
teacher records.

7: What information did you hope to get from the assessment

Writing assessments tell us where they are at in their writing skills and helps identify where more emphasis
needs to be placed. PM benchmarking determines a student's instructional level for reading. Math
diagnostic indicates areas/ concepts that each individual student has mastered and or needs more
assistance in.

8: What decisions did you make based on the assessments?

The writing helps me determine if students have mastered the genre of writing identify where i need to
place more emphasis when teaching writing. The PM benchmarking helps me determine what level books
the students should be reading at and I can place students into appropriate reading groups, where
students of the same level are grouped together. The math diagnostics helps me identify areas that I may
need to go over again with the students or need more time on. Therefore, all assessments help me plan
accordingly.
9-10: How did you group your students?
In my ‘home class’-Math, science, health, humanities) students are placed in their ability groups based on
their math diagnostic test. So, students move throughout the year depending on their progress. In my
‘English class’- students are placed according to their PM benchmark levels, thus grouping students that
are reading the same books each day. Groups change as students’ progress develops or falls behind,
however, the work I do with each group depends on the group they in as differentiation does take place.