This week I used Google Scholar to find an article about
inclusive classroom assessment. After searching through recent journal articles
that were fully available online, I found one that stood out to me: “Formative
Assessment Made Easy: Templates for Collecting Daily Data in Inclusive
Classroomrs” by Kyena E. Cornelius (doctoral
candidate, Department of Special Education, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, MD.), published in
October 13, 2014. I accessed it on SAGE
Journals, on April 19, 2017.
As I work towards my teaching certification, one aspect I
have been considering is exactly how I am going to take data for each student
everyday in a meaningful way, without making extra work for myself. I don’t want to cut corners, but I also want
to make sure I am making the best use of my time. I can see how this is just as important in an
inclusive classroom, for helping students make progress towards their IEP
goals.
The argument could be made that formative assessment should
drive instruction. Research cited in the
article I read mentioned that formative assessment increases outcomes for
various sub groups of students, including those with learning differences. The research also mentions that formative
assessment “enriches learning and promotes deeper understanding of core
content.”
Teachers should be focused on gearing instruction towards
students needs, which is what formative assessment should be measuring.
The research also mentions that this formative assessment
should be taking place daily in the classroom, but without reliable and valid
assessments, a lot of effort could be wasted.
The article provides three formats for collecting student
data:
1.
Anecdotal Seating Chart
2.
Daily Scorecard
3.
Objectives Grid
It’s suggested that each tool should be created by the
teacher and kept on a clipboard.
I really like this idea.
Last week I presented one of my first lessons in another class, and
although the lesson went really well, I felt like I didn’t have a lot to do
while the “students” were working. Of
course, the students were adults so they didn’t need much help. That aside, it made me realize that I had
planned the lesson well enough that it allowed me to do some observing as a
teacher, and that would have been a great time to be taking data and notes while
the students worked. The article also brings up the point of how to manage collecting
data with a co-teacher, which is a great point.
While one teacher is asking a question to the class, the other can
quickly jot down some notes.
The anecdotal seating chart (figure 1) is my favorite
because it seems to be the easiest, fastest and most flexible option. I can definitely see myself using this method
of formative assessment in the future. I
think it would also be useful for recording other important information that
might be important, like attendance or if a student leaves early. Notes can also be taken about grouping
configurations, how students converse and the ways they work together. This way the information is also easily
accessed and referenced.
Figure 1:
The second format, daily scorecard (figure 2), appears more
structured but also very helpful. Having
the columns labeled in such a way is a great way to take more specific notes
and also record what a student may have missed or needs more help with. This
format is also conducive for recording more objective data.
Figure 2:
The third format, the objectives grid (figure 3) is even
more detailed, specific and data driven.
I can see how when used all together, these three formats are relatively
easy and very effective. This seems best for recording progress on students’
specific goals.
Figure 3:
I would be curious to see actual data on how using these
templates to inform instruction impact students performance in an inclusive classroom.
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