In a Primary School What Is Assessment and Why Is It Important - Article Example

In a primary school what is assessment and why is it important? In order to understand the importance of assessment for primary school we should primarily explain the characteristics of assessment and its role in the evaluation of the performance of learners of any age. Assessment can have different types in accordance with the methodology chosen by the educator for the evaluation of the performance of learners. Most commonly assessment has a written format being consisted from a series of questions referring to the curriculum – specifically the part of the curriculum delivered by the tutor. However, assessment can be developed through different methods in accordance with the tutor’s plans on curriculum delivery. When other scientific sectors are involved in the educational framework, like in the case of psychology, assessment is based on the findings of clinical research – conducted in this case through an interview with the learners related with the specific research; in any case the use of additional practices like the observation or the evaluation of written tests is possible within the context of a psychological assessment project in education. In most cases, assessment in education is related with the identification and the evaluation of the cognitive capabilities of learners as well as with their response to the methods used by teachers/ professors for the delivery of the curriculum. In other words, assessment can also work as a tool for the evaluation of the performance of teachers/ professors within a specific educational context. The value of the assessment for the identification of the failures related with the delivery of curriculum or its understanding by learners is significant. The specific issue has been examined by Bowen et al. (2005). The above researchers used a series of data collected ‘using the Elementary School Success Profile’ (Bower et al., 2005, 491) and came to the conclusion that ‘preassessment knowledge was not highly correlated with obtained data; preassessment expectations matched obtained data only about 41% of the time, and knowledge varied by domain, source, and grade level’ (Bower et al., 2005, 491). In accordance with the above study, teachers in elementary schools should be given appropriate training in order to improve their knowledge on the learners’ perceptions and conditions of life; this knowledge would help them at a next level to understand and evaluate more effectively the response of learners to the methods used by teachers for the delivery of curriculum. It should be noticed that the importance of assessment for the success of any educational program is high. The above assumption can be based on the findings of the study of Qian (2008) who tried to identify the value of tests on English language within a foreign state (China); in the above study it was revealed that ‘English-language tests are considered to be having a significant impact on Hong Kong society and its education system’ (Qian, 2008, 85). The conditions in which these tests have to be developed as well as their structure and content are issues that need to be carefully addressed by planners of the relevant projects. Moreover, the ability of the learners to respond to the needs of a particular assessment should be also taken into consideration when any assessment plan is being developed. In most cases, the assessment can lead to valid assumptions regarding the support of learners throughout their school attendance (referring to the additional educational support that is possibly provided to learners in order to improve their performance in school). However, this rule is not strict. There can be children that are given limited educational support (mostly because of the financial status of their family) but they manage to achieve a significant performance in school. The above issue is identified in the study of Rothermel (2004) where it is revealed that ‘a flexible approach to education, and a high level of parental attention and commitment, regardless of their socioeconomic group and level of education, seemed the most important factors in the children’s development and progress’ (Rothermel, 2004, 273). In other words, the support of the family can replace any other support provided to the children regarding specifically their educational needs. Assessment could assist teachers in order to identify the weaknesses of children in a primary school; at a next level, teachers could try to contact the families of the children and highlight any need for support; the evaluation of the children’s family conditions should have been conducted in advance; appropriate support should be offered by the school in case that the family conditions are found to be inappropriate or no supportive to the educational efforts of children in a primary school. In order for the above initiative to be led to success it is necessary that the evaluation of teachers is appropriate, reflecting the actual educational needs of children. In this context, the skills/ abilities of teachers should have been tested in advance ensuring that they can perform within a specific educational environment; the objectivity of their judgment would be also tested and evaluated. Meisels et al. (2001) suggested the implementation of WSS (work sampling system) in order to examine ‘if teacher judgments about student learning in kindergarten to third grade are trustworthy if they are informed by a curriculum-embedded performance assessment’ (Meisels et al., 2001, 73). The results of the above study indicated that teacher judgments on learners’ cognitive abilities and performance represent the actual skills/ potentials of children – however the use of a specific system for the development of this task (like in this case of the WSS) would be necessary. On the other hand, assessment tests within primary schools should be developed within a specific framework being in accordance with the ethics held in the particular field. The risk of using inappropriate techniques for the evaluation of the cognitive abilities/ skills of children can be involved in any assessment project. In this context, it is supported by Ballard (1980, 17) that ‘the use of intelligence tests to predict an individual childs future achievement and to diagnose learning difficulties are assessment activities lacking empirical support’ (Ballard, 1980, 17). IQ tests that are used in some cases for the identification of the skills/ abilities of children can be rejected though as inappropriate – at least referring to the learners of the particular age. The protection of children from any similar practices is considered as necessary taking into consideration the effects that these practices could have on children’s psychology, a fact that could lead to the needs of school psychologist. The specific issue is developed further in the next paragraph where the role of psychology in the assessment of failures related with the children’s behaviour within a specific environment (school, family) is highlighted. Under its normal context, assessment in education is related with the identification and the evaluation of the learner’s work on the curriculum delivered, i.e. of his/ her performance on specific educational task. However, assessment in education can be also related with the identification of the cognitive/ behavioural problems of children under the influence of negative conditions/ events either in family or in school (as these two influence one another). In this context, it is noticed that ‘the traditional roles of school psychologists have included the tasks of assessment, consultation, intervention, and program planning and evaluation’ (Flanagan et al., 1994, 192). Through developing the above activities, school psychologists can support the improvement of cooperation and understanding within the families of learners who are found to under-perform in school with no clear sign of cognitive difficulties. On the other hand, it is noticed by Smith (2007) that assessment in school is differentiated from the one developed within the clinical environment. The major point of difference between the two is that there is a significant difference ‘between tests and techniques’ (Smith, 2007, 248). However, assessment projects can be developed by psychologists within a primary school environment in order to identify the reasons of under – performance of children in school but also to provide the appropriate solutions for the effective handling of the specific issue. Despite the potential problems related with the development of assessment projects/ tests in primary schools, still these tests remain the most effective method for the evaluation of the problems faced by children regarding their adaptation to the school environment or their understanding of the curriculum delivered. However, when the structure of these projects is not appropriate it is quite possible that severe problems will appear. For this reason, the assessment methodologies developed in primary schools worldwide have been strongly criticized as of their appropriateness for the particular educational environment. Indeed, the study of Brindley (2001) led to the conclusion that ‘the implementation of outcomes-based assessment and reporting systems in educational programs has been accompanied by a range of political and technical problems’ (Brindley, 2001, 393). These problems, in accordance with the above researcher, can refer to both the rules used for the design of the assessment as well as to the rules used for the interpretation of the results. In any case between teachers are the ones that have to handle all stages of an assessment task, their role in the identification of any potential failure of the specific educational technique is crucial. For this reason, it is supported by Reid (2007) that ‘the engagement of teachers in collaborative discussions about assessment can provide a fruitful context for valuable professional learning’ (Reid, 2007, 132). In order for this involvement to be proactive for the childrens’ educational needs, it is necessary that the skills/ abilities of teachers involved in a particular educational environment is being tested in advance ensuring (as possible) the validity and the accuracy of this judgments on the childrens’ skills and performance. Bibliography Ballard, K. (1980) The School Psychologist and the Use of IQ Scores in the Assessment of Children: Problems and Alternatives. School Psychology International, 1(4): 17-19 Bowen, N., Powers, J. (2005) Knowledge Gaps Among School Staff and the Role of High Quality Ecological Assessments in Schools. Research on Social Work Practice, 15(6): 491-500 Brindley, G. (2001) Outcomes-based assessment in practice: some examples and emerging insights. Language Testing, 18(4): 393-407 Flanagan, D., Sainato, D., Genshaft, D. (1994) Enierging Issues in the Assessment of Young Children With Disabilities: The Expanding Role of School Psychologists. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 9(2): 192-203 Law, J., Sivyer, S. (2003) Promoting the communication skills of primary school children excluded from school or at risk of exclusion: An intervention study. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 19(1): 1-25 Meisels, S., Bickel, D., Nicholson, J. (2001) Section on Teaching, Learning, and Human Development. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1): 73-95 Qian, D. (2008) English language assessment in Hong Kong: A survey of practices, developments and issues. Language Testing, 25(1): 85-110 Reid, L. (2007) Teachers talking about writing assessment: valuable professional learning? Improving Schools, 10(2): 132-149 Rothermel, P. (2004) Comparison of home-and school-educated children on PIPS baseline assessments. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2(3): 273-299 Smith, S. (2007) Performance-Based Assessment in Schools. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 25(3): 248-256 Read More