Assessment Clarification

I wanted to clarify any questions you may have about assessments.

Spelling: Each Wednesday, we take a test on the previous week's words and a pretest on the next week's words (which I call List A). If students demonstrate proficiency on the List A words, I give them a more challenging list (List B). Both lists emphasize learning the spelling patten, so that a understanding of spelling can be applied to more challenging words. Each week, there will be an opportunity to get the List A or List B, which depends how they do on the pretest. Spelling tests, pretests, and new lists will come home in Thursday folders.

Math: This past week, the Unit 1 Math Assessment went home in Thursday Folders. An “A” means adequate progress and “N” means “Not Adequate Progress.” The expectation is that students are proficient in Part A (they have been exposed to these math concepts before). For Part B (these are concepts that are still new or not mastered), this informs me of their familiarity in these areas and what they already know. 

I review the assessment with every student individually so that students understand their mistakes before the test goes home.  

For future reference, the Open Response section allows practice in problem-solving and using strategies to solve word problems that require higher level thinking. We will do this as a whole group, small groups, or partners, until students feel comfortable with these, before they are to be tried independently. This exercise help students draw pictures and use words to explain their thinking. (This time, we did this whole-group to model the process; therefore, I did not send it home).

Reading: Also, this last week I sent home a reading "Theme" test in Thursday folders. This theme test is connected to the reading program that we use during our reading block and part of language workshop. It integrates comprehension strategies, vocabulary development, and word study into a thematic unit that will change every two weeks. This assessment holds students accountable for this learning and application of comprehension strategies. 

*For each test, it seems I throw some questions out that do not adequately measure what I am looking for, so I wrote if students were proficient or developing next to the number correct.

Hope this is helpful. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions, concerns, or would like to set up a time to talk about goals/progress. Thanks!!!