Assessments
Overview
Assessment is a tool used to measure, track, and monitor student progress or mastery of particular learning objectives and expectations over time. Assessment may be ongoing and informal like those used by teachers during daily instruction or formal like those given at a specific time such as at the end of a unit, semester, or year.
Assessment gives stakeholders a picture of how students are performing. Charting a student’s progress can also
allow teachers and school leaders to make informed decisions.
Students
Students, in discussions with their teachers, get an idea of how they are progressing, where they need to spend extra time, and areas where they might benefit from
enrichment work.
Families
Families use data to understand how their student is progressing. It can be a good discussion point in a teacher-family conference. Data from assessments can show families how they may support work being done in the classroom.
Teachers
Teachers can use assessment data to drive their planning and instruction. For example, data can help a teacher decide when students are ready to move to the next
topic, or when more time and instruction is needed. Also, students who have shown they understand a topic can
be offered acceleration activities.
Schools
School and district leaders can use data to gauge how classrooms and schools are performing. This data can be used to identify resources or professional development that would help teachers help students; it can also help administrators make personnel decisions to improve quality of learning and evaluation of how state academic standards are being implemented through local curriculum.
Types of Assessments
Frequently Asked Assessment Questions
- What are the required state tests?
- How are students' summative assessment scores shared with families?
- How does NC ensure assessment are fair and accessible for students?
- What questions can you ask educators to learn about your student's progress?