Sharing Assessment Data with Students

Hello colleagues, How do you talk with your students about their assessment results -- whether the assessment is a formal, standardized test or an informal assessment? Do you involve the student in setting goals related to the results of their assessments? With regard to sharing assessment results with students, what practices have you found to be motivating for students?

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Assessment CoP

Comments

I post tested a student in TABE reading this morning, and shared the results with him. It showed him how his hard work has paid off; he was a NRS Level 4, 6.6 grade equivalent when he started in August 2015. He is now at a NRS level 5, 10.5 grade level equivalent. He needed to know this immediately because he had already stated that he does not do well on tests. We then discussed the next step. Because he wants to go to college, we need to continue to increase his level of reading abilities. He now sees what hard work can do, and is willing to put in additonal effort in this area. He told me that this made it  worth coming to class today. Yeah, a feather in both our caps!!!!

Hello Ginger, Thanks for sharing this success story! It's great to hear how the hard work the two of you are doing is paying off. The student is clearly seeing the connection between his effort and these results. When students show this kind of progress it's a joy to share assessment results with them.

At the same time, we know that a standardized test given on any one day is only one measure of a student's learning, and we don't always see these kinds of gains. Fortunately, there are many other ways for students to demonstrate what they are learning. Structuring opportunities for students to see --and even track their own progress-- is important and is a powerful motivator.

What can other members contribute to this conversation about sharing assessment results with students?

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Assessment

 

Hello colleagues, Some of you may be interested in checking out this Educational Leadership article, "Are We Motivating Students with Data?" by Caitlin C. Farrell, Julie A. Marsh and Melanie Bertrand which highlights a study focused on how K12 teachers shared assessment data with students. Perhaps not surprisingly, the way we share assessment data with students has an impact on students' motivation.

It would be interesting to have a discussion about what the study found about this critical aspect of teaching and learning and about the implications for our own practice.

Let us know what you think!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Assessment CoP