TOPIC 8:

ASSESSMENT IN
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

1
 INTRODUCTION

• Education for the 21st century requires classrooms that can

personalize how we assess and teach all learners.
• We need educators who are equipped with classroom
practices that include both the differentiated assessment and
instruction to know more about each learner’s abilities and
capitalize on his or her strengths as a catalyst to learning.

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 WHAT IS ASSESSMENT?

The word “assess” comes from Latin verb “assidere”

meaning “to sit with”.

In assessment, one is supposed to sit with the learner.

This implies it is something we do “with” and “for”
students and not “to” students.

- Green, 1999 -

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 WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT?

Differentiated
assessment
is
a learning process that
will offer a way to see
the assets in learners
and find ways to use
their potential.

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WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT?

The process of “ensuring that what a student

learns, how he or she learns it, and how the
student demonstrates what he or she has
learned is a match for that student’s readiness
level, interests and preferred mode of
learning”.

(Tomlinson, 2004, p.188)

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 WHAT IS DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT?

• Is also the way by which teachers modify and match assessment with
the varied characteristics/profiles of students in order to meet the
students’ individual needs, thereby enhancing their learning and
boosting their ability to show what they have learned.

• Students differ in their previous learning experiences, readiness, learning

styles, preferences, academic standing, abilities, strengths and
weaknesses, culture, race, and backgrounds.

• Teachers use differentiated assessment to match and respond to the

varying learning needs of diverse students in a classroom.

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 WHY DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT?

• By differentiating assessments, teachers help diverse students to

successfully demonstrate their competencies in particular ways that are
fitting and effective for them.

• By providing various assessment methods/activities appropriate for

particular types of students, the teachers are able to meet the students’
individual needs, thereby helping them to be successful in their learning.

• Designing various assessments for specific groups of learners provides

more opportunities for students to effectively demonstrate what they
have learned.

• Differentiated assessments also guide teachers on how they can

differentiate, modify and improve instruction.

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 PRINCIPLES OF DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT
• Differentiated assessment can
lead to enhanced student
learning as they use their current
understanding to discover,
construct and incorporate new
knowledge, understanding and
skills. It involves teachers
considering a range of
assessment opportunities to suit
the needs, interests and abilities
of individual students.
• Differentiated assessment
involves:
1. collecting data before, during and after teaching and
learning experiences
2. using the evidence to identify a student’s needs and
strengths
3. using assessment information to guide differentiated
teaching and learning
4. providing alternative methods and choices for students
to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and
skills
5. considering what resources and stimulus materials will
assist students
6. providing opportunities to challenge students within their
level of understanding and beyond
7. providing individualised feedback to students to help
identify strengths and areas for improvement
8. accommodating a range of student needs through
flexible assessment planning and adjustments.
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 THE PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT
Improving Student
Learning
• Making learning visible too
students
• Fostering reflective learning
and self-regulating
• Acknowledging and
celebrating learning
• Communicating learning to
families and the community
Improving
Teaching
• Adjusting instruction
• Fostering reflective teaching
to inform practice
• Acknowledging and
celebrating teaching
• Improving the capacity of
schools to reach for high
standards for student
achievement
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VALUES & ATTITUDE ABOUT ASSESSMENT

Teachers value Sharing learning

Involving students
and believe in goals with the
in self-assessment
students students

Providing
feedback that Being confident Providing students
helps students that every student with examples of
recognize their can improve what we expect
next steps from them

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 DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

• For any teacher to effectively use differentiated instruction, they must begin
with differentiated assessment for learning.
• This means creating assessments that not only diagnose students’ knowledge
base, but also account for their strengths/ weaknesses in the assessment form
itself.
• The assessment form must cater to multiple learning styles and intelligences.
• For example:

Using a pencil and paper method to see what students already know will not
give you a valid or indication of what visual and kinesthetic learners know, as
you are forcing them to communicate in a form that is not natural to them,
it does not natural to them, it does not cater to students are interpersonal,
musical or naturalist.

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 WAYS OF DIFFERENTIATING ASSESSMENT

Asking students to do:

• Designing tiered activities • Role playing
• Scaffolding struggling learners • Unit collage
• Challenging advanced learners • Individual projects
with more mid-stimulating activities • Visual presentations
• Adjusting questions • Oral presentations
• Compacting • Written presentations
• Flexible grouping • Summaries and
• Flexible assignments and tasks reflections
based on students’ learning styles • Lists, charts and graphic
• Learning contracts organizers
• Group/collaborative
activities
• Comic books
• Raps/songs/dances/oth
er performances

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EXAMPLE OF DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT

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 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

• A process of accumulating information about a student’s progress to help

make instructional decisions that will improve his/ her understandings and
achievement levels.

Alerts the teacher

Used to make about student
Depicts student’s life
instructional misconceptions
as a learner
adjustments “early warning
signal”

Allows students to
Aligns with
build on previous
Provide evidence of instructional/
experiences
progress curriculum
provides regular
outcomes
feedback

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 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

PURPOSE
• Help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target
areas that need work.
• Help faculty recognize where students are struggling and address
problems immediately

Assignment Quizzes Class activity Presentation

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 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

• A means to determine a student’s mastery and understanding of information,

skills, concepts or processes.

Should reflect Alerts the teacher

formative Should match May determine
assessments that material thought students
precede it achievement

Provide evidence of
May be tied to a Should align with May be a form of
final decision, grade instructional/ alternative
or report curriculum assessment
outcomes

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 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

PURPOSE
• To evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by
comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

Midterm Final Final

exam exam project

Tomlinson & Carol Ann, 2001

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 EFFECTIVE DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT

1. Clearly identify learning goals.

2. Identify prerequisite skills.
3. Pre-assess students’ existing knowledge base,
understanding, and skills.
4. Identify students’ interests.
5. Identify students’ preferred ways of learning.
6. Use ongoing/formative assessment.

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 Thank You
Xie Xie
Nandri
Kotoluadan /Pounsikou
u n i t a r. m y
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