Domain B

Domain B:  Assessing Student Learning

TPE 2:  Monitoring Student Learning During Instruction

Candidates for a Teaching Credential use progress monitoring at key points during instruction to determine whether students are progressing adequately toward achieving the frameworks and state adopted academic content standards for students. They pace instruction and re-teach content based on evidence gathered using assessment strategies such as questioning students and examining student work and products. Candidates anticipate, check for, and address common student misconceptions and misunderstandings.

TPE 3:  Interpretation and Use of Assessments

Candidates for a Teaching Credential understand and use a variety of informal and formal, as well as formative and summative assessments, to determine students' progress and plan instruction.  They know about and can appropriately implement the state-adopted student assessment program.  Candidates understand the purposes and uses of different types of diagnostic instruments, including entry level, progress-monitoring and summative assessments.  They use multiple measures, including information from families, to assess student knowledge, skills and behaviors.  they now when and how to use specialized assessments based on students' needs.  Candidates know about and can appropriately use informal classroom assessments and analyze student work.  They teach students how to use self-assessment strategies.  Candidates provide guidance and time for students to practice these strategies.  

Candidates understand how to familiarize students with the format of standardized tests. They know how to appropriately administer standardized tests, including when to make accommodations for students with special needs.  THey know how to accurately interpret assessment results of individuals and groups in order to develop and modify instruction.  
Candidates interpret assessment data to identify the level of proficiency of English language learners in English as well as in the students' primary language.  They give students specific, timely feedback of their learning, and maintain accurate records summarizing student achievement.  They are able to explain, to students and to their families, student academic and behavioral strength, areas for academic growth, promotion and retention policies, and how a grade or progress report is derived.  Candidates can clearly explain to families how to help students achieve the curriculum.  

Artifacts

1.   Reflection on a Lesson Plan Using Adaptations to Assess Students

This artifact is a reflection essay about a lesson plan that I created during my student teaching at Starlight Elementary in Watsonville, CA.  It was for a 4^th grade geography lesson.  I created assessments for a gifted student, a special needs student and an English language learner.  Adaptations were described for each student. Reflections were based on the results of the assessments and how the results of these assessments will help guide and improve my teaching for future lessons.  This process was very beneficial to my development as a teacher because I was able to gain experience about different ways to assess students and monitor their learning.  The comments on this reflection were made by my instructor and were very helpful.  My instructor gave me good advice on different ways to assess students as well as feedback on the adaptations that I made to the assessments.  Please take a look.  

Please Click Here To See My Reflection On A Lesson Plan Using Adaptations To Assess Students

2.  Interactive Journal Artifact As a Tool of Performance-Based Assessments

This artifact is a direct link to my classroom blog that was created last year while teaching in a SEI Kindergarten classroom.  This blog post that I created gives a look into the assessments that were used in my classroom.  My blog shows many student examples of work from their interactive journals.  I used these journals to assess how students were progressing throughout the year.  Interactive journals are a performance-based assessment, which differentiates based on student readiness, interest and learning.  My ELL’s were able to use their native language while using their alphabet letter sounds to express in writing about the picture they chose to draw.  This assessment integrated many different skills into one task and help me understand each individual students needs, weaknesses and strengths.  

Please Click Here to See A Look At Assessments Used in My Kindergarten Classroom

3.  Literature Review

This artifact is a scholarly journal review on assessment accommodations for English Language Learners.  I have chosen to teach in school districts which are primarily composed of 95% ELLs.  I am very interested in the topic of how Limited English Proficient students are not given fair adequate access to the state mandated standardized tests.  I am always looking for new ideas of how I can accommodate my ELLs and specifically for state mandated standardized tests.  This particular study was performed at the University of Texas at Austin.  I was pleased to find out that standardized testing is not fairly given to English Language learners.  It was very interesting to read about the different types of accommodations that could be used to ease the stress of taking this test for students in California and specifically in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District where I teach.  

Click Here To View My Literature Review About Assessments For ELLs and LEP Students

Reflection

I have shared the above three artifacts to demonstrate my competency of assessment.  These artifacts are important because they show how I have experience and knowledge of designing and constructing assessments.  Learning is a process.  Teachers need to know how to ask their students demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter.  I believe that assessments are essential to evaluate whether the educational goals and standards of the lessons are being met.  Assessments inspire us to ask these important questions:  "Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?"  "Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning?"  Is there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning?"  As I reflect upon my experience in assessment thus far, I feel that teachers need to take an active role in making decisions about the purpose of assessment and the content that is being assessed.  

Future Implementation

Assessments will need to be re-formatted due to the new Common Core standards.  These assessments will need to allow more students to analyze content.  The new Common Core Standards will be implemented during the 2013-2014 school year.  Assessments and rubrics will need to be redesigned to resemble new Common Core Standards.  The Common Core Standards have an emphasis on critical thinking process of students.