STANDARD 8 Assessment The competent teacher understands various formal and informal assessment strategies and uses them

m to support the continuous development of all students. Knowledge Indicators - The competent teacher: 8A. understands assessment as a means of evaluating how students learn, what they know and are able to do in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards, and what kinds of experiences will support their further growth and development. 8B. understands the purposes, characteristics, and limitations of different kinds of assessments. 8C. understands measurement theory and assessment-related issues, such as validity, reliability, bias, and scoring. 8D. understands how to use the results of assessment to reflect on and modify teaching. 8E. understands how to select, construct, and use assessment strategies and instruments for diagnosis and evaluation of learning and instruction. 8F. knows legal provisions, regulations, and guidelines regarding assessment (and inclusion in statewide assessments) of individuals with disabilities. 8G. knows methods for monitoring progress of individuals with disabilities. 8H. knows strategies that consider the influence of diversity and disability on assessment, eligibility, programming, and placement of students with disabilities. Performance Indicators - The competent teacher: 8I. uses assessment results to diagnose students learning needs, align and modify instruction, and design teaching strategies. 8J. appropriately uses a variety of formal and informal assessments to evaluate the understanding, progress, and performance of the individual student and the class as a whole. 8K. involves students in self-assessment activities to help them become aware of their strengths and needs and encourages them to establish goals for learning. 8L. maintains useful and accurate records of students work and performance and communicates students progress knowledgeably and responsibly to students, parents and colleagues. 8M. uses appropriate technologies to monitor and assess students progress. 8N. collaborates with families and other professionals involved in the assessment of individuals with disabilities. 8O. uses various types of assessment procedures appropriately, including the adaptation of procedures for individual students in specific contexts.

8P. uses technology appropriately in conducting assessments and interpreting results. 8Q. uses assessment strategies and devices which are nondiscriminatory and take into consideration the impact of disabilities, methods of communication, cultural background, and primary language on measuring knowledge and performance of students.

I believe that the unit six math assessment that I gave to my students addresses many of the indicators in standard eight. This standard focuses on teachers being able to understand assessment and use it to check on students progress,and I believe I did that with this unit test. This artifact assessed the students on what they learned during the unit as well as skills they have learned in previous units. When I grade the assessments, I use a checklist which states the different skills that go with each number. If they got the entire question right, then I mark it down as that they are consistently demonstrating the skill, if they got part of it right, then I mark them as progressing towards the skill, and if they got more than half of the problem wrong, then I mark them as beginning to work towards understanding the skill. The curriculum spirals, so I am able to use the information I receive from these scores when I teach a lesson that builds off of the skill that is assessed. This artifact directly relates to many of the indicators that this standard addresses. The math curriculum that we do is aligned with the Illinois State Standards, so by giving them their unit six assessment, I am showing that I understand assessment as a means of evaluating how students learn, what they know and are able to do in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards. I know that the purpose for this assessment is for me to see which standards they are meeting and what skills we need to work on from grading the tests. I use the results of assessment to reflect on and modify teaching, and can easily access the results by looking at the checklist that I fill out while assessing the students. I can see which skills most of the students are just beginning to understand and modify my plans so that I can reteach this skill. This assessment used a variety of problems to assess the students and to evaluate the understanding, progress, and performance of the individual. For example, there were some problems that had charts for the students to fill out and help them solve problems, while other problems were just word problems, and the students had to figure out how to solve it by drawing pictures. There is one student who is receiving Tier 3 intervention, so I made an accommodation for his needs by having a teacher read it to him. This artifact helped me to grow and develop as a teacher because I now understand the importance of assessment and how it can help guide instruction. After looking over the tests and filling out the checklist, I was able to see what the students still have trouble with and what skills the students really understood. I also

could use this assessment to evaluate my instruction. Because I used a variety of instructional strategies when teaching these different lessons, I could see which ways helped the students to really understand the material and which lessons I should have used a different method. I will be able to use this information that I received from grading these tests to see which skills I should reteach because many of the students did not understand it. If only one or two students had trouble with it, I can take them aside and reteach them individually. I feel much more prepared to use assessment to help me understand both how effective my instruction is and if the students are meeting the Illinois State Standards or the Common Core Standards.