INSPIRE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
BALLROOM FG, 2:30 – 3:30
Assess More, But Grade Less
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
One of the most misused, misunderstood, and
mistrusted issues in public schooling is how we have
communicated student achievement and progress to
our students and parents. Grades must communicate to
parents, students, and teachers exactly what students
know and are able to do. However, in many cases, grades
do not reflect relative mastery of what a student has
learned. Students need to be assessed frequently, even
daily, to determine their level of understanding. These
frequent and ongoing assessments are considered as
“checkpoints” on students’ progress and the foundation
for feedback given. Often, these assessments should
not be counted as part of a student’s “grade,” as they
are simply a form of checking for understanding.
Summative assessments are used by the teacher at the
end of instruction to evaluate a student’s learning and
assign grades. Participants will distinguish formative
assessment from summative assessment and discuss
how grading fits into assessments.
DR. ALAN VEACH
alan.veach@sreb.org
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