Chapter 4: Three Important Types of Assessment

When assessing students learning, there are three very helpful methods that FIAE recommends. First, portfolios. "Portfolios are an excellent way to determine accurate grades for students in differentiated classes"(FIAE page 43). This is helpful for teachers, because they do not need to make any guesses as to how the student is mastering a subject. Many student samples of work give a teacher a broad range of work and gives the teacher a better idea of how learning is progressing. Portfolios are helpful to students because they help to set goals for the next thing a teacher will grade. It can be a good reflection period for both the teacher and the student. Rubrics are another popular tool used by teachers. They help focus learning and give a clear report of student comprehension. Student self assessment "is an important aspect of successful differentiation"(FIAE page 51). It give invaluable results and helps to set goals for both teacher and student. A recommendation is to make the first and last assessment of a unit the same. That will really give the teacher an understanding of how the students have grown.