Overview
“Is it on the test?” Assessment drives learning. If you measure it, it matters. But measuring the mind is harder than measuring a table.
Core Idea
Formative vs. Summative:
- Formative: Assessment for learning. (The chef tasting the soup). Low stakes, feedback-oriented.
- Summative: Assessment of learning. (The guest tasting the soup). High stakes, final grade.
Formal Definition (if applicable)
Validity: Does the test measure what it’s supposed to measure? Reliability: Does the test give consistent results?
Intuition
A thermometer is reliable (it always says 98.6) but if you stick it in a roast chicken to see if it’s done, it’s not valid (wrong tool).
Examples
- Standardized Tests: SAT, GRE, PISA.
- Rubric: A scoring guide used to evaluate the quality of students’ constructed responses (e.g., essays).
- Portfolio: A collection of student work over time.
Common Misconceptions
- “Tests are objective.” (They can be culturally biased.)
- “More testing = better schools.” (Campbell’s Law: The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor.)
Related Concepts
- Norm-Referenced: Comparing you to others (Bell curve).
- Criterion-Referenced: Comparing you to a standard (Driver’s license test).
- Psychometrics: The science of measuring mental capacities.
Applications
- Admissions: Who gets into college?
- Accountability: Which schools get funding?
- Diagnosis: Does this child have a learning disability?
Criticism / Limitations
“Teaching to the test” narrows the curriculum. High-stakes testing causes anxiety.
Further Reading
- Popham, Classroom Assessment
- Koretz, Measuring Up