ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

The District currently uses a variety of summative and formal assessment in all core content areas- Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

The source(s) of the assessments are:

1. Summative assessments are usually Teacher made and may be given at the end of a teaching unit or at the end of a marking period.
2. Diagnostic assessments are given three times a year, beginning, middle, and end of year
3. State Standardized assessments (STAAR, STAAR Alternative 2, and TELPAS) are given according to the state calendar of assessments, Spring for grades 3-8.

The district feels assessment is a key part of today’s educational system. Assessment serves as an individual evaluation system, and to compare performance across a spectrum and across populations. The purpose of assessment is to gather relevant information about student performance or progress, or to determine student interests to make judgments about their learning process. After receiving this information, teachers can reflect on each student’s level of achievement, as well as on specific inclinations of the group, to customize their teaching plans.  Continuous assessment provides day-to-day feedback about the learning and teaching process. Assessment is used to reinforce the efficacy of teaching and learning. It also encourages the understanding of teaching as a formative process that evolves over time with feedback and input from students. This creates good classroom rapport. Student assessments are necessary for the following reasons:

• To check for understanding by using a formative assessment.
• Students who are experiencing difficulties in learning may benefit from the administration of a diagnostic test, which will be able to detect learning issues such as reading comprehension problems, an inability to remember written or spoken words, hearing or speech difficulties, and problems with hand–eye coordination.
• The teacher can determine their level of achievement and provide them with feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.
• For students who didn’t master the topic or skill, teachers can use data from the assessment to create a plan for remediation.
• Using self-assessment, students express what they think about their learning process and what they should work on. Using peer assessment, students get information from their classmates about what areas they should revise and what areas they are good at.