Q.3 How can students and parents be a part of the assessment and evaluation process?

Explain with examples?

Definition of Assessment
Assessment is a process that helps focus attention towards what matters most in education,
beyond just access and participation: the actual learning outcomes of each student. Gathering
information on where students stand in their learning and the progress that they have made is
key to designing strategies for the further improvement of teaching and learning. Sharing such
information with stakeholders across the education system is essential to meet information
needs and support decision making at the classroom, school and education system level.

Assessment plays a major role in how students learn, their motivation to learn, and how
teachers teach.
Assessment is used for various purposes.
 Assessment for learning: where assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students
understand in order to plan and guide instruction, and provide helpful feedback to students.
 Assessment as learning: where students develop an awareness of how they learn and use
that awareness to adjust and advance their learning, taking an increased responsibility for their
learning.
 Assessment of learning: where assessment informs students, teachers and parents, as well as
the broader educational community, of achievement at a certain point in time in order to
celebrate success, plan interventions and support continued progress.
Assessment must be planned with its purpose in mind. Assessment for, as and of learning all
have a role to play in supporting and improving student learning, and must be appropriately
balanced. The most important part of assessment is the interpretation and use of the
information that is gleaned for its intended purpose.
Assessment is embedded in the learning process. It is tightly interconnected with curriculum and
instruction. As teachers and students work towards the achievement of curriculum outcomes,
assessment plays a constant role in informing instruction, guiding the student’s next steps, and
checking progress and achievement. Teachers use many different processes and strategies for
classroom assessment, and adapt them to suit the assessment purpose and needs of individual
students.
Research and experience show that student learning is best supported when
 Instruction and assessment are based on clear learning goals
 Instruction and assessment are differentiated according to student learning needs
 Students are involved in the learning process (they understand the learning goal and the
criteria for quality work, receive and use descriptive feedback, and take steps to adjust their
performance)
 Assessment information is used to make decisions that support further learning
 Parents are well informed about their child’s learning, and work with the school to help plan
and provide support
 Students, families, and the general public have confidence in the system

Involving Parents and students in Assessment

Modern-day formative assessment practices are vastly different to the assessment methods
experienced by the parents of today’s school students. Involving parents in formative
assessment is a useful way of engaging with parents on a meaningful level. It also
has numerous benefits for students.

It’s entirely understandable that parents educated decades ago will not be familiar with the
notion of how they can play an active role in their child’s assessment for learning. After
all, their parents probably only learnt of an issue in the classroom once they received a report
card, by which time any opportunity to help had long passed. Disappointing results were
punished, or sighed over, positive results were met with reward or relief, and that was the extent
of parental involvement.
How times have changed.
We cannot underestimate the influence of parents (and guardians) upon their children’s learning
success. Consequently, it is important for teachers to communicate their assessment strategies,
and the reasons they are used, right from the outset.  Once parents understand the role they
can play in helping their children achieve success, they usually delight in being able to be part
of the process. In fact, research shows that one of the most significant factors in the success of
assessment for learning is regular and open communication with caregivers.

Take time to explain the process

Parents new to AfL need to how it helps their child progress. Call a meeting at the start of the
year, invite parents and students to come find out about how assessment for learning works in
your classroom. Explain how making mistakes assists learning, that it’s beneficial to take risks
with your safe learning environment. Agree that giving and receiving feedback, taking time to
self-assess, and developing student autonomy, are essential elements of effective learning.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

As a teacher, you are usually unaware of the educational experiences of your students’ parents.
Yet past experiences can make parents very wary of their children’s teachers, or bring out an
unpleasantly pushy side.  The more you communicate with parents, they more they will trust
that you’re looking after the best interests of their kids. And thus, the more they will support your
efforts.

Email additional ‘homework’ questions to parents

Parents love to know what their kids are learning about. Email them at the start of each topic
with some suggested questions to ask. Send regular communications updating parents on their
child’s progress. This is an easy way of involving parents in the learning journey. It helps
parents feel they can contribute to the classroom. You may find parents decide to support this
learning through their own excursions and conversations, a fantastic and beneficial outcome!

Share work samples regularly

Parents often don’t have much idea about what standard of work their child should be
producing. Simply comparing their child’s work to others they see around the classroom doesn’t
tell the whole story. Regularly sharing work samples with parents enables them to get a
better appreciation of their child’s progress. They will therefore be better placed to understand
and support any additional scaffolding or extension work you utilise. Using portfolios can be an
ideal way to share work samples and encourage student autonomy.

Provide written feedback where appropriate

When students communicate it back to parents the essence is often lost. In
providing meaningful written feedback to both students and parents, you can better ensure your
feedback isn’t lost in translation.

Hold student-led parent teacher conferences

A growing trend is the use of student-led parent-teacher conferences to communicate student’s
progress. The idea behind this is that students are able to explain why they are progressing in a
certain way. This helps children become more self-aware in their learning habits.

Widespread Benefits
As well as providing opportunities for parents to understand and appreciate their children’s
efforts, progresses and achievement over time, involving parents in assessment can provide
teachers with useful information to assist with each child’s learning. It also helps parents better
support student motivation and learning. Parents welcome this opportunity to be involved in
assisting and improving their children’s outcomes. As teachers, we need all the support we can
get. So open those doors of communication!