Audit your assessment for balance

Through this cooperative activity we (Goretti and me) are going to audit our assessments for balance, both in a Spanish Language course, although Goretti is going to do it in Primary and I am doing it in Secondary. First, Goretti is going to analyze her assessment as follows:

"This picture shows my assessment records of Unit 7 of the area of Spanish language. This Unit was developed over two and a half weeks at the beginning of February. As I usually do in other Language units, I used my grade book to record:

• Dictation: I noted the number of orthographic mistakes.
• Oral questions: I noted if the student’s answers were perfect, good, just fair or wrong.
• Reading: I noted if student’s reading skills were perfect, good, just fair or not good.
• Reading comprehension: I noted if student’s reading comprehension skills were perfect, good, just fair or wrong.
• Final exam marks: grades from 0 to 10.
• Homework: I noted if students did or did not do their homework. 

The results that were used in a summative way were the final exams results as they helped me to determine the level of student achievement at a specific point in time.

                

The records of orthographic mistakes in dictations were used both, in a formative and in a summative way: I used the number of orthographic mistakes to diagnose students’ needs, give them feedback and reinforce some orthographic rules that I realized they hadn’t been understood by some of them. I provided them with some extra activities to improve their orthographic skills. Besides, I used these records in a summative way as at the end of every trimester I have to give every student an orthography grade so that, depending of the number of mistakes and their progress, I take my grade decision.

The reading and reading comprehension records were used formatively and summatively as well. I took notes of their performances during the whole Unit and I used these records to provide them with feedback and support.  As happened with orthography, I must give a grade of reading and reading comprehension at the end of the trimester so that I also used these records to decide the grades I gave them.

Finally, the oral questions and homework records were used formatively. Oral questions about contents of the Unit helped me to adapt my teaching as, through these questions, I saw if students understood or not what we were working about. Homework records helped me to see if students are doing their assignments at home. This information is very useful for my meetings with parents, as if they don’t do their homework (is not the case in this Unit), I tell their parents and I ask them for support at home.”

Now I am going to briefly analyze my assessment:

 “This image shows my assessment records of Unit 4 of the area of Spanish language in 2^nd year ESO (MYP Year 2). This unit was developed over five weeks in March and April. As we can see in the picture, almost every activity was used as formative assessment, such as a debate, reading comprehension, book reading (“El Lazarillo de Tormes”), some oral questions, several exercises, a self-evaluation and a writing composition. On the contrary, the only summative assessment was an exam of the unit”.

Reflection  on the following questions:

What is the ratio of formative to summative use of assessment results for this instructional unit or module of study?

Whereas Goretti used more or less 50% of formative and 50% of summative assessment, I have used mainly formative assessment, around 90%, and 10% of summative assessment.

After having read Chapter 2, what do you think the ideal ratio of formative to summative use for this instructional unit or module of study might be?

After reading Unit 2, we think both ratios of formative to summative assessment were alright. Even though the ratios are pretty different, we consider that we provided them with guidance on how to improve their learning during the learning process. However, we have realized that we should have used some peer assessment and Goretti should have also used students’ self-assessment –I have used it but just once-. We consider that we should have let them participate more actively in the assessment process as almost all the records were taken by the teachers.

What, if any, changes to the ratio would you make? What would you do to make those changes?

On the one hand, Goretti wouldn’t make many changes in her ratio. On the other hand, I consider that I should change my ratio (maybe 70% formative – 30% summative) doing a performance task together with the exam. Moreover, we both would include more peer assessment and student’s self-assessment.