TESTING 101

MRS.FRANKE'S 5TH GRADE CLASS

MATHEMATICS

This weeks
focus...TESTS!
It is that time of year, the time to talk about tests and testing to make
sure we are all on the same page! In this weeks newsletter I will go over
the three kinds of assessments we do in our classroom, diagnostic,
summative, and formative. How I as the teacher will be including
formative assessments daily in the classroom. I will address the
difference between grading and scoring. What a rubric is and how it can
be helpful for your child when completing an assignment.
Lastly I will address my own personal philosophy when it comes to test
and grading.

As always feel free to email me with any questions!

lfran010@odu.edu

Different Kinds Of Test

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Diagnostic Testing

What is diagnostic testing?

It is a test given to students to inform
teacher of what the students already
know (their prior knowledge).
Essentially a pre-test!
These kinds of assessments help
teachers understand what their
students know so that they can build
the proper lesson plans for their class
(cde.ca.edu, 2022).
Shows teachers the specific
instructional needs of their students
(iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu,2022).
It is a starting point!
Formative Assessments

What is a formative
assessment?
A formative assessment
looks at where the
Types of formative
student is at a given assessments:
point during instruction. KWL Charts
A teacher can use a A quiz at the end of
class/end of the
formative assessment week
many times throughout a 1 minute reflection
lesson. writing
(poorvucenter.yale.
Tells the teacher where edu, 2022)
they may want to spend Homework
more time/go back to, assignments (do
not worry I will not
and where students give too many of
have mastered items. these!)
These assessments will Surveys done in
class
usually have a very low Kahoot
grade point or no grade Jeopardy in class
at all! Other games we
may play in class
Summative Assessment
What is a summative
assessment?
It is a test at the end of
a lesson.
A post test.
It assess the students
knowledge, proficiency
and students learning Examples of
at the end of the summative
instructional period/unit assessments:
Multiple choice
(https://poorvucenter.y
test
ale.edu, 2022). Essay/short
Shows what they response exam
learned from the overall Formal essay
lesson. Projects such as
poster boards,
This will come with a oral
grade and is normally presentations,
worth 50 points or videos and so on
more. Standardized test
like the SOLs
Formative Assessments In Our
Classroom
What will they look like?

I will be incorporating formative assessments into our daily

lessons. This will let me know where the students are, what
they are understanding and what they are not. This will also
give the students and idea of what they have down and
what needs more work. It helps all of us!
The types of formative assessments I plan on using will be
weekly quiz's, these will be given at the end of the week and
have 5 to 7 questions on them (meaning they will only be
worth 5 to 7 points). I will implement 1 minute quick write
into our class, in these students will write down what they
have learned during class that day and if there is anything
they are confused about. This will not be worth any points it
will just inform me where my students are. I will use KWL
Charts (what students know, what they want to know, and
what they have learned) this will not be worth points, it will
simply let me know where students are. We will play games
in class like Kahoot and Jeopardy (worth no points), this is
just a fun way for me to see where everyone is at. On a
VERY rare occasion I will assign homework to inform me
where students are at (will be worth no more than 5 points).
Grading Vs. Scoring

Grading: Scoring:
The overall grade Scoring is done using a
that you get on rubric.
something. It gives the student and
Getting an overall the teacher specific
grade. feedback on how well
This is most common the student did on this
with summative assignment (what they
assessments. know and do not
This is where you know).
would see your letter The scores help set
grades (A,B,C,D,F). goals.
A grade will effect Scores combine points.
the overall course Breaks the
points/requirements
grade
into their own
(uncw.edu,2022).
categories.
Generally aligns with
Uses points.
the standards.
 What Is A Rubric?

A rubric is a scoring tool. It is used to evaluate a project, test,

performance (facultyinnovate.utexas.edu,2017) and so on. It
uses a rating scale and point system. Generally on the left
side are the key points, what the teachers are looking for out
of the assessment. On the top column there are the point
values and a description of what gets you a certain amount
of points.

How Are Rubrics helpful?

Rubrics can be helpful to students so they can see what is
expected of them. A rubric clearly outlines what the
teacher is looking for out of an assignment so if students
read the rubric before starting an assignment and
reference it while working on the assignment it will help
ensure that they are including everything the teacher is
looking for in the assignment. It helps guide the students.
The scoring of the rubric then shows students where they
may not be doing as well and what they can work on.
Likewise it also tells them what they did great on!
 Mrs. Franke's Philosophy
On Tests?
I believe that test/assessments are an important part of the
learning process. Without assessments we do not know where
our students are, where they need help and what they have
mastered. Do I have a preferred type of assessment? Of course!
I believe that while summative assessments are important
because they tell us after a longer period of time what a student
has learned that formative assessments are more important.
According to the American Intercontinental University formative
assessments emphasize feed back (www.aiuniv.edu, 2022). As
a teacher I am always looking for ways to ensure that my
students have opportunity to grow and improve, formative
assessments give them that chance. It gives me as the educator
to look at where my students are and adjust to meet their
personal learning needs to ensure they improve. When using
formative assessments we are able to give constant feedback
(www.naiku.net, 2022) which promotes on going learning.
I believe that there is room for all assessments. Diagnostic
assessments tell use where our students started, formative
assessments give our students a chance to grow (what I believe
is the most important phase), and summative a chance to see
where our students are after thorough instruction.
 References
“College of Arts & Sciences.” University of North Carolina Wilmington,
https://uncw.edu/cas/assessment/rubrics/scorestogrades.html.

Derrell, Tracy. “Formative vs. Summative Assessment: What's the Difference?” American
Intercontinental University - A Member of the American InterContinental University System,
American InterContinental University, 3 Jan. 2022,
https://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/2015/june/formative-vs-summative.

“Formative and Summative Assessments: Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning.” Formative
and Summative Assessments | Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning,
https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/Formative-Summative-Assessments.

“Guidance on Diagnostic and Formative Assessments.” Guidance on Diagnostic and Formative

Assessments - Health Services & School Nursing (CA Dept of Education),
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/guidanceonassessments.asp.

“How Can School Personnel Use Data to Make Instructional Decisions?” IRIS Center,
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/dbi2/cresource/q2/p05/.

“Patrick Davis.” Faculty Innovation Center, 21 Dec. 2021,

https://facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/patrick-davis.

Walle, V. J., Karp, K., & Bay-Williams, J. (2019). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics:
Teaching Developmentally (10th ed.). Pearson