Assessment Literacy Standards

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Assessment Literacy is essential for teachers

Assessment literate teachers understand how student assessment can empower them to better carry out their role in education, believe that assessment can improve teaching and learning, and put activities and behaviors in place to act on these beliefs.

Assessment Literacy Standards

Download the full set of standards and the companion glossary.

Dispositions
Teachers who are assessment literate believe:
  1. All educators must be capable in their understanding and use of classroom assessment.
  2. An effective Balanced Assessment system must meet the information needs of all users and use different, appropriate methods of assessment to address those needs.Balanced AssessmentBalanced Assessment is the act of meeting the needs of all assessment users equally well.
  3. Sound educational decisions require accurate and appropriate assessment information.
  4. Multiple Measures can provide a more balanced picture of achievement by a student or group of students.Multiple MeasuresThe use of different types of measures to assess students or programs from somewhat different perspectives in order to obtain a broader picture of students or a program.
  5. Accurate assessments are a critical attribute of effective teaching and learning for every student.
  6. Each student learns at a different pace and must be given sufficient time and assistance to achieve ambitious learner outcomes.
  7. The Formative Assessment process can be used by teachers to assist all students in achieving ambitious learner outcomes.Formative AssessmentInformation collected and used by teachers and students during instruction to improve teaching and learning as it is occurring.
  8. Assessment information can be used in making Instructional Decisions that positively impact learning.Instructional DecisionsThe choices made by educators as they teach.
  9. Clear Learning Targets, understood and used by teachers and understood by students, are necessary for learning and assessment.Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards.
  10. Effective formative Feedback is critical to support learning for all students.FeedbackInformation about performance provided by another person or an instrument.
  11. Students should be active partners in the learning process by using assessment to improve their learning.
  12. Users of assessments require time to learn to select, develop, and administer assessments, as well as use the assessment results appropriately; resources are needed to carry out these activities.
  13. Grading should reflect the current levels of student learning and achievement as they change.GradingRating an individual or program on the basis of external standards.
  14. Assessments used should align with the curricula, instruction, and Learning Targets being used, as well as support professional learning activities related to each of these. Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards.
Knowledge
Teachers who are assessment literate know:
  1. A Balanced Assessment system supports:
    1. Different users who have different assessment purposes.
    2. Different assessment purposes that may require different assessment methods.
    Balanced AssessmentBalanced Assessment is the act of meeting the needs of all assessment users equally well.
  2. Student assessment can be used for a variety of purposes:
    1. Promote student achievement of ambitious outcomes, through formative information gathered throughout learning for use by teachers and all students.
    2. Monitor individual student and group progress toward grade-level outcomes.
    3. Review and improve instructional offerings.
    4. Hold students, teachers, or school/district accountable.
    5. Predict future student performance/achievement.
    6. Select students for an instructional course or program (placement).
  3. The definitions of and uses for different Types of Assessments:
    1. The Formative Assessment process (i.e., assessment for learning).
    2. Interim/benchmark assessments (i.e., assessment of learning).
    3. Summative Assessment (i.e., assessment of learning).
    4. Criterion vs. norm-referenced assessment score interpretations.Formative AssessmentInformation collected and used by teachers and students during instruction to improve teaching and learning as it is occurring.InterimAn assessment program that is administered periodically to students, such as at the conclusion of each marking period.Summative AssessmentAs assessment of performance, conducted at the conclusion of a course or program completion. Types Of AssessmentDifferent ways of assessing students or programs.
  4. The differences between the types of formal assessment tools:
    1. Achievement
    2. Aptitude
    3. Diagnostic
    4. Screening
    5. Progress MonitoringAptitudeA term to describe the ability of an individual to carry out a task or activity. Also indicates the extent to which an individual will be successful in a future activity.
  5. The different Types of Assessment methods best matched to Learning Targets:
    1. Selected response: Multiple-choice, true-false, matching.
    2. Constructed response: Short or extended written or oral response.
    3. Performance: Written responses, presentations, or products.
    4. Personal Communication: interview.
    5. Observation.
    Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards. Personal CommunicationAn assessment conducted one-on-one between an adult and a student—sometimes an observation or interview.Types Of AssessmentDifferent ways of assessing students or programs.
  6. Non-technical explanations of statistical concepts associated with assessment:
    1. Measures of central tendency (i.e., Mean, Mode, and Median).
    2. Measures of variability (i.e., range, variance, and Standard deviation).
    3. Reliability (i.e., the consistency of assessment information).
    4. Validity (i.e., based on evidence supporting the intended uses of the assessment, not the assessment itself).
    5. Bias (i.e., nothing about an assessment Item disadvantages/advantages any student).
    6. Sensitivity (i.e., the assessment Item contains nothing that will upset students).
    7. Correlation vs. Causation (i.e., the Correlation between two variables does not Mean one causes the other).
    8. Measurement error (the level of uncertainty around test scores).BiasThe manner in which a test question is posed that disadvantages some students (due to factors other than their knowledge of the topic being assessed.)CausationThis is a demonstration that one variable has a direct and predictable impact on another variable.CorrelationThis is a demonstration that two variables move in the same or opposite manner, although there is no proof that one causes the other.ItemAn assessment question, problem, or exercise. The individual measures used in a test.MeanThe arithmetic average of a set of data, calculated by adding up all the scores and dividing by the number of scores.MedianThe score at the middle point in a set of scoresModeThe most frequently occurring score in a set of scores.ReliabilityA determination of the internal consistency, comparability or stability of an assessment. A necessary but not sufficient condition for an assessment to be useful.SensitivityThe use of a topic in an assessment item that some students may find troubling or offensive.StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level. ValidityThe collection of evidence to support the intended uses of an assessment. Note: The test itself is not “valid” or “not valid.” It is the uses of the assessment that are or are not valid.
  7. A test should only be used for purposes for which there is Validity evidence supporting those uses.ValidityThe collection of evidence to support the intended uses of an assessment. Note: The test itself is not “valid” or “not valid.” It is the uses of the assessment that are or are not valid.
  8. Assessments can be purchased or developed locally; each approach has advantages and challenges.
  9. How to develop high-quality classroom tests of learning:
    1. Determine the purpose(s) for assessing as part of an overall test plan.
    2. Determine the Standards or Learning Targets to be assessed.
    3. Select the assessment methods appropriate to Learning Targets and assessment purpose(s).
    4. Design a Blueprint that will permit confident conclusions about achievement.
    5. Select or develop the necessary assessment Items and Scoring tools where needed.
    6. Review the Item data before Reporting the results.
    7. Use assessment results to improve the test if you intend to use it again in the future.
    BlueprintA document that describes the key attributes of a new assessment, such as standards to be assessed, the types and numbers of items to be written, and how the results of the assessment will be reported to different audiences. ItemAn assessment question, problem, or exercise. The individual measures used in a test.Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards. ReportingDescribing the performance of a student on an assessment in written or verbal terms.ScoringThe process of determining how well a student did on an assessment.StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  10. How to develop or select high-quality common assessments of learning:
    1. Determine the purpose(s) for assessing.
    2. Determine the Standards or Learning Targets to be assessed.
    3. Select the assessment methods appropriate to Learning Targets and assessment purpose(s).
    Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards. StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  11. The steps in designing an assessment:
    1. Design a test plan or Blueprint that will permit confident conclusions about achievement.
    2. Construct or select the necessary assessment Items and Scoring tools needed.
    3. Review the assessment Items for content Alignment, fairness, and Sensitivity.
    4. Try the Items out in advance, or review initial Item data before Reporting the results.
    5. Improve the test through review and analysis of the assessment tryout information.
    AlignmentRefers to whether an assessment item measures any part (ideally, the most important part) of a content standard. Also refers to how much of a set of content standards that an assessment instrument measures.BlueprintA document that describes the key attributes of a new assessment, such as standards to be assessed, the types and numbers of items to be written, and how the results of the assessment will be reported to different audiences. ItemAn assessment question, problem, or exercise. The individual measures used in a test.ReportingDescribing the performance of a student on an assessment in written or verbal terms.ScoringThe process of determining how well a student did on an assessment.SensitivityThe use of a topic in an assessment item that some students may find troubling or offensive.
  12. The process for selecting an assessment:
    1. Select assessment Items and Scoring tools needed.
    2. Review the assessment Items for content Alignment, fairness, and Sensitivity.
    3. After initial use, review Item data before Reporting the results.
    4. Improve the test through review and analysis of the initial assessment information.
    5. Verify that the assessment will permit confident conclusions about achievement based on the assessment.
    AlignmentRefers to whether an assessment item measures any part (ideally, the most important part) of a content standard. Also refers to how much of a set of content standards that an assessment instrument measures.ItemAn assessment question, problem, or exercise. The individual measures used in a test.ReportingDescribing the performance of a student on an assessment in written or verbal terms.ScoringThe process of determining how well a student did on an assessment.SensitivityThe use of a topic in an assessment item that some students may find troubling or offensive.
  13. There are different ways to report results of assessments of learning, and specific circumstances when each is useful:
    1. Normative interpretations.
    2. Criterion-referenced interpretations.
  14. There are multiple sources of assessment information that can validly reflect a teacher’s effectiveness.
  15. How to translate Standards into clear Learning Targets used by teachers and understood by students.Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards. StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  16. When and how to give students appropriate access to accessibility features that are available to all students, as well as accommodations appropriate for some students (e.g., students with disabilities, Section 504 students, and English learners).
  17. Know how to provide effective Feedback from assessments suitable for different audiences: descriptive versus evaluative.FeedbackInformation about performance provided by another person or an instrument.
  18. How to use and create Scoring tools (Guides, Rubrics, checklists, Scoring rules, Standards).GuidesA scoring guide is composed of a rationale for the correct or preferred responses to the assessment. A guide includes one or more scoring rubrics, examples of student responses for each score level of each rubric, and sets of pre-scored student papers used to train, certify, and monitor the scorer. RubricsA rubric identifies a coherent set of criteria for student work that includes expectations for performance at varying levels of quality. ScoringThe process of determining how well a student did on an assessment.StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  19. Sound assessment Reporting practices from assessments used for different purposes. ReportingDescribing the performance of a student on an assessment in written or verbal terms.
  20. Grading practices that reflect students’ current levels of learning and achievement as student learning and achievement changes.GradingRating an individual or program on the basis of external standards.
  21. How to help students to reflect on their own learning.
Performance
Teachers who are assessment literate can:
  1. Self-assess their work and Model this for students.ModeThe most frequently occurring score in a set of scores.
  2. Select and use various assessment methods appropriate to assessment purposes and Learning Targets.Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards.
  3. Use Learning Targets, understood by students and that are aligned with the Standards, to guide instruction.Learning TargetsThe knowledge and skills students must acquire to master the standards. StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  4. Use Learning Progressions to guide instruction and assessment. Learning ProgressionsA continuum or trajectory of continuous, coherent development that connects knowledge, concepts and skills within a domain.
  5. Implement assessment development processes:
    1. Plan the assessment.
    2. Develop/select assessment Items.
    3. Review and critique assessment Items.
    4. Try out the Items to see if they work.
    5. Review and revise Items.
    ItemAn assessment question, problem, or exercise. The individual measures used in a test.
  6. Model and support good assessment practices for students in their classrooms.ModeThe most frequently occurring score in a set of scores.
  7. Use assessment information within appropriate, ethical, and legal guidelines.
  8. Use a variety of Protocols as appropriate for looking at and Scoring student work.ProtocolsProtocols are an agreed upon set of guidelines for conversation; a code of behavior for groups to use when exploring ideas.ScoringThe process of determining how well a student did on an assessment.
  9. Understand and determine levels of student achievement accurately and communicate it effectively.
  10. Use assessment information to make appropriate Instructional Decisions to improve learning for individual students and groups of students.Instructional DecisionsThe choices made by educators as they teach.
  11. Provide timely, actionable formative Feedback to students based on assessment results.FeedbackInformation about performance provided by another person or an instrument.
  12. Support student use of assessment Feedback to improve mindsets, learning, and achievement.FeedbackInformation about performance provided by another person or an instrument.
  13. Use appropriate Grading practices (e.g., Standards-based) that are equitably applied across students so that grades are a Meaningful, accurate reflection of current learning and supportive of future learning.GradingRating an individual or program on the basis of external standards.MeanThe arithmetic average of a set of data, calculated by adding up all the scores and dividing by the number of scores.StandardWhat a student must know and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level.
  14. Use appropriate techniques (e.g., learning Protocols) to collaboratively analyze, understand, and use evidence to improve instruction.ProtocolsProtocols are an agreed upon set of guidelines for conversation; a code of behavior for groups to use when exploring ideas.
  15. Use multiple sources of evidence over time to identify trends in learning by individual students and groups of students.
  16. Use Data Management Systems to access and analyze evidence of student performance.Data Management SystemA computer software system that is used to store educational data and to permit these data to be retrieved and analyzed.
  17. Communicate effectively about student learning and achievement with students, families, other teachers, and administrators.
  18. Seek to increase their knowledge and skills in assessment.
Teachers who are assessment literate promote the use of assessment data by supporting others to improve student learning through the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment by:
  1. Implementing district-developed Learning Progressions.Learning ProgressionsA continuum or trajectory of continuous, coherent development that connects knowledge, concepts and skills within a domain.
  2. Explaining how to analyze and use assessment results.
  3. Using assessment information, including student group performance, to improve teaching and learning.
  4. Using multiple sources of data over time to identify and monitor trends in learning.
  5. Using assessment information to reflect on their effectiveness and to plan changes in instructional practices.

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