Case
Assessment in a New Content Area

Mrs. Grace started teaching social studies this school year to middle school students. She started year excited and ready to teach, but is now discouraged. Her content leader has required all of the grade level social studies teachers to administer the exact same summative assessments and submit item analysis reports to her after each assessment. Mrs. Grace is frustrated because this severely limits her ability to teach using her personal teaching style. She also feels that she is not covering the content to best of her ability because she is stuck to giving the 'required' assessments. The students are also frustrated with the assessments because they are all Scantron due to the need to submit item analysis information. How should Mrs. Grace handle this situation?

Posted on: 10/18/14 | Views: 816
Solution #1
Mrs. Grace should give the common assessments, as required, but grace every other lesson with her personal teaching style. HOW the students master the skills has no relevance on the scantron tests. The time constraint aspect is terribly frustrating, but it is going to be a challenge no matter what kind of assessment you are expected to give. Yes, the common summative assessment system is lame, but the lessons, themselves, and formative assessments are all up to Mrs. Grace and she should make the best of it.

I agree with your post. Although she is required to give the same summative grade, she is free to assess students however she wishes in her formative assessments. This is when she should utilize her own teaching style and assessments.

Mrs. Grace should continue to give the same assessments as every other teacher is required to do. As stated before, there is little "wiggle room" when it comes to giving student's assessments that have been generated by the school system. However, this should not change her teaching style at all. She should continue to teach the information the way she is comfortable teaching it. If the student's are mastering the standards, they will do fine on the assessments provided. Maybe after the scantron assessment, have students complete a performance task to see how they perform on that given topic.

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Solution #2
Mrs. Grace should continue on giving the summative assessments and trying as best as she can to teach the way that she wants to. Unfortunately, when the powers that be require something of this sort there usually exist little wiggle room. However, Mrs. Grace should be encouraged by talking to other more experienced teachers who would most likely tell her that in time the most frustrating aspects of mandated assessment usually come and go. Carry on and wait for this one to go.
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Solution #3
Summative assessments are only one aspect to grading and teaching. I agree with the others that you should not let what the state tells you to do frustrate you. Teach the lessons with your own teaching style, give the required assessments and the kids will rock it. My advice- Allow students to showcase their learning to you in a way that makes them excited to learn and you excited to teach. If the summative assessments do not measure what your students have actually learned then showcase that data. The projects the students complete can give more compelling evidence than the assessments can. You can use that information to fix the assessments as necessary or change the weight of assignments to accurately depict what the students have learned.

I do agree, give the assessments, but create your lessons in a way that benefits your students. Use projects, and other activities to that help them be successful in their learning.

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