Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

When looking at assessment and evaluations within the classroom, there are three main types: diagnostic, formative, and summative. Diagnostic assessments determine where a student’s current educational status is about strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills before any instruction. Formative assessments are either formal or informal measure performance throughout the lesson. Teachers use that data to adjust the curriculum to meet the student’s academic level. Using informal assessments allows for the student to complete without the pressure of it labeled an assessment. Summative assessments are completed at the end of the lesson and are used to compare against a predetermined standard. Many students struggle over summative assessments because they have such a high value within a student’s grade. After reviewing these three assessments, authors Millard, Small, and Menzies (LKMco) (2017) researched the topic of assessment in schools and published a subsequent report, Testing the Water. This report showed that 5th-grade teachers in the UK do not know where to find the information on assessing their students. They also felt no support from administrators regarding training for the assessment, so they wonder what the purpose is. So, without knowing this, how can the assessment meet the intended purpose?