The Role of Assessment in Teaching and Learning

Successful student learning is most effective with an aligned system of standards, curriculum,
instruction, and assessment. When assessment is aligned with instruction, both students and
teachers benefit. Students are more likely to learn because instruction is focused and because
they are assessed on what they are taught. Teachers are also able to focus, making the best use
of their time.

Rhode Island's learning standards describe educational objectives - what students should know
and be able to do by the end of a course or grade level - but they do not describe any particular
teaching practice, curriculum, or assessment.
Without standards, districts and schools don’t
have goals to shoot for. By matching what is
Standards
taught in the classroom to the standards in each
subject area, students (and their parents and
teachers) will know what teachers should be
teaching, what students should be learning and
what they will be tested on. Student
Assessment Curriculum
Learning
Curriculum provides a "map" for how students
will master the standards. Decisions about
what that map looks like are made by districts,
schools, and teachers. This map includes the Instruction
materials (e.g. lesson plans, assignments, tests,
resources) that will make learning possible.

Teachers are responsible for providing instruction by identifying teaching practices that are
effective for all students, since not every student learns or retains information in the same way.
This is where teachers get to be creative in how they engage students in learning.

Assessments are the tools and methods educators use to what students know and are able to
do. Assessments range from teacher questioning techniques to statewide assessments like
PARCC. Assessments are only useful if they provide information that is used to improve
student learning. Assessment inspires us to ask these hard questions: "Are we teaching what
we think we are teaching?" "Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning?" "Is
there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning?"
Why do we have so many different assessments?

One assessment cannot answer every question about student learning. For example, if a
teacher wants to know if students learned the material she just taught and where they may be
struggling to adjust the next day’s instruction he/she may give a short quiz of a few questions
on a specific skill. If he/she wants to know if the students mastered the material taught in the
first semester and is ready to learn more challenging content he/she may give a longer test that
measures several skills. A comprehensive assessment system includes both state and local
assessment of student learning.

State assessments which are given annually provide a valuable “snapshot” to educators and
families and help us see how we’re doing compared with other districts, compared with the
state as a whole, and compared against several other high-performing states. State
assessments only account for about 1% of most students’ instruction time. Results from state
assessments which are part of a comprehensive assessment system keep families and public at
large informed about school, district, and state achievement and progress.

Local assessments measure student progress and achievement in numerous ways, including
classroom tests, which our teachers develop, administer, and grade. The methods and
assessments that define a districts’ assessment system are determined by schools and districts.
Formative assessments, such as classroom assignments, homework, and quizzes and tests,
occur while the content is still being taught. These assessments inform teachers of what
students know or do not know and provide feedback, so teachers can adjust accordingly. This is
the type of assessment that occurs most often. School-wide or district-wide assessments help
guide instruction and curriculum development and help schools and districts identify additional
programs or resources that might be needed support student learning or professional
development teachers may need to improve instruction. District or school wide assessments
are administered periodically throughout the year and are common across the school or district
in which they are administered. These assessments often measure instructional units or groups
of standards, but typically not the depth and breadth of the standards at one time.