Topic: Assessment

Observation enables teachers to honor the development and range of strengths in students.

Without effective assessment, instruction will be mere guesswork.

Through systematic observations and precise record-keeping, you will have a continuous flow of accurate info on students’ progress.

With assessment, teachers learn what students know. With The Literacy Continuum, teachers know what students need to know next.

Assessment is the key factor in reaching the below-level reader in the upper grades. Teachers must be able to discuss effective and ineffective reading behaviors, as well as how text being read by students may or may not be supportive of new learning.

The ability to observe, analyze, and interpret reading behavior is foundational to effective teaching.

When teachers systematically observe the literacy strengths and needs of all students, it can inform instruction and teaching can be powerful and responsive.

Goal of systematic assessment is to make teaching efficient and responsive.

There are so many factors at play in the reading process. The more teachers know, the more effectively they can support really effective processing.

Reflect on your assessment analysis and observations, and engage in a discussion with colleagues to plan rich and comprehensive literacy experiences that meet learners where they are and bring them forward with intention and precision.

The primary purpose of assessment is to gather data to inform teaching. If assessment does not result in improved teaching then its value in school diminishes greatly.

Rather than reporting levels to parents, use language like: reading at, reading above, or not yet reading at grade-level expectations.

If assessment is seen as separate from instruction, it will always be superfluous, ineffective, even a dreaded interruption.

Teachers cannot teach effectively without gathering information about each learner.

You collect data on your students to inform and prioritize teaching decisions that lead to improvement in students’ literacy abilities.

The interpretation and use of benchmark data are more important than the scores themselves.

Assessment is not teaching; it is gathering information for teaching.

FAQ Friday: How Can I Ensure That I Am Conducting the Benchmark Assessment in a Standardized Manner?