A Case for Formative Assessment

Teacher Professional Development and Student Achievement Gains The achievement of students results from the work of knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled teachers. Therefore, there is a need to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers to ensure that the achievement of students is possible. Investment in education must include allocation of funds and time for professional development of teachers in elementary education. There are many options in developing the skills and knowledge of teachers. The most appropriate approaches to professional development aim at gaining high student performance.

Schools are now using data to guide instruction. How does a school effectively assess students to increases student achievement? How does a school use this data to guide curriculum development? This paper will look at the importance of assessment in P-12 schools to improve student achievement. In this paper a critical analysis of backward design and its effect on student achievement.

‘Assessment is one of the most powerful educational tools for promoting effective learning. But it must be used in the right way’ (Assessment Reform Group 1999:2). Critically evaluating effective practices of assessment through its principles and approaches will enable us to explore what impacts it has on children’s learning. Beginning by exploring what assessment for learning is and what are the aims to achieve. Before continuing to explore different forms of assessment for learning evaluating the effectiveness and assessing the impact they have on children’s learning within the classroom.

The concept of motivation has been the subject of many studies and is considered a crucial determinant of successful achievement in the field of language learning. A motivating learning environment has to support the education process. It generates learning initially and later will guide the process of acquiring a target language (Cheng & Dornyei, 2007). Teachers have long recognized that motivation is centered to problem-solving in education. Motivation is the key factor in getting students involved in the learning process and in keeping them engaged at their level of academic performance (Oliver, 1995).

Our classroom textbook makes note of alternative implementation approaches to support their call to action. Formative assessment is not a single entity, it states, but rather a levels approach. Where school wide implementation is necessary, along with classroom climate shift, student-learning tactic adjustment, and teacher instructional adjustment. The authors state that teachers need tremendous support, school wide implementation and training, along with adapting formative assessment to the needs of their students. Works Cited On the Impact of Formative Assessment on Student Motivation, Achievement, and Conceptual Change Yue Yin ab ; Richard J. Shavelson c ; Carlos C. Ayala d ; Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo e ; Paul R. Brandon 1 f ; Erin Marie Furtak g ; Miki K. Tomita ch ; Donald B.

It is important to note that the use of technology in the classroom can foster learning and improve student’s critical and reflective thinking skills. Teachers and administrators should select materials and technology that are developmentally appropriate and designed to engage the interest in learning. An effective leader has a vision of learning and allows students to set individual goals and plans to reach these goals; the use of technology can increase students’ success. Since the educational reform of No Child Left Behind, educators have struggled to meet the learning standards set by their state and federal government. High academic standards in all core curriculum areas and accountability through assessment are an important aspect in the educational arena.

One of the most beneficial aspects of feedback is the information the teacher acquires. Through effective feedback, teachers can determine the learning preference of individual students, the strengths and weaknesses in a given area, and information to help guide instruction. Students will experience more achievement as teachers use feedback to help direct their instructional practice. II. Forms of Effective Feedback 1.

If the ultimate goal is student learning, then there is a place for both standardized testing and authentic assessment using the MI theory in today's classroom. Works Cited Meisels, S., Atkins-Burnett, S., Xue, Y. (2003, February 28). Creating a System of Accountability: The Impact of Instructional Assessment on Elementary Children’s Achievement Test Scores. Educational Policy Analysis Archives, Vol 11 (9).

Continuity and progression, in the context of education, refer to the ways in which pupils' understanding builds and develops during their time in School. Cohen et al. (2010, pag 134) defines continuity as "an important educational principle, arguing that the curriculum that is planned must build on prior curricular experiences that the students have had." This requires the teacher to assess where the student is in intellectual development, knowledge, skills, organisation and so, in order that subsequent plan can stretch the pupil instead of rendering the learning boring or impossible. Planning for continuity requires to know previously what students have already done, thus during teaching practice one, planning for continuity was achieved after some time getting information about the students and, some meetings with the mentor, in which pupils' previous knowledge and abilities were discussed.

In today’s ever changing world of education, students need to be taught how to take ownership of their learning. Goal-setting is a tool which can be used to increase student’s responsibilities in creating intrinsic ownership in their own learning (Madden 1997). Dale Schunk, an education specialist (2009), found that when successful people had been interviewed about their successes, they attributed goal-setting and self-discipline as two of their major keys to success. The ideas of setting goals and attaining them as a form of success on a personal level are tangible. A psychological study conducted in 2007 (Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M.) demonstrated how intrinsic and personal setting and achieving goals are to the “self” which effects self-efficacy, self-image, and personal success.