About This Appendix

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment is the systematic gathering of information about what students know, are able to do, and are working toward. Assessment methods include: student self-assessments, reviews of performance, portfolio assessments, and conferencing. Assessment tools may include observation, daily practice assignments, quizzes, samples of student work, pencil-and-paper tests, holistic rating scales, projects, and oral and written reports.

Student performance is evaluated from the information collected through assessment activities. Teachers use their insight, knowledge about learning, and experience with students, along with the specific criteria they establish, to make judgments about student performance in relation to prescribed learning outcomes.

Students benefit most when evaluation is provided on a regular, ongoing basis. When evaluation is seen as an opportunity to promote learning rather than as a final judgment, it shows learners their strengths and suggests how they can develop further. Students can use this information to redirect efforts, make plans, and establish future learning goals.
Evaluation may take different forms, depending on the purpose.

• Criterion-referenced evaluation should be used to evaluate student performance in classrooms. It is referenced to criteria based on learning outcomes described in the provincial curriculum. The criteria reflect a student's performance based on specific learning activities. When a student's program is substantially modified, evaluation may be referenced to individual goals. These modifications are recorded in an Individual Education Plan (IEP).
• Norm-referenced evaluation is used for large-scale system assessments; it is not to be used for classroom assessment. A classroom does not provide a large enough reference group for a norm-referenced evaluation system. Norm-referenced evaluation compares student achievement to that of others rather than comparing how well a student meets the criteria of a specified set of learning outcomes.

In criterion-referenced evaluation, a student's performance is compared to established criteria rather than to the performance of other students. Evaluation referenced to prescribed curriculum requires that criteria are established based on the learning outcomes listed under the curriculum organizers for technology education.

Criteria are the basis of evaluating student progress; they identify the critical aspects of a performance or a product that describe in specific terms what is involved in meeting the learning outcomes. Criteria can be used to evaluate student performance in relation to learning outcomes. For example, weight ing criteria, using rating scales, or performance rubrics (reference sets) are three ways that student performance can be evaluated using criteria.

Samples of student performance should reflect learning outcomes and identified criteria. The samples clarify and make explicit the links between evaluation and learning outcomes, criteria, and assessment. Where a student's performance is not a product, and therefore not reproducible, a description of the performance sample should be provided.

Criterion-referenced evaluation may be based on these steps:

1. Identify the expected learning outcomes (as stated in the Integrated Resource Package).
2. Identify the key learning objectives for instruction and learning.
3. Establish and set criteria. Involve students, when appropriate, in establishing criteria.
4. Plan learning activities that will help students gain the knowledge or skills outlined in the criteria.
5. Prior to the learning activity, inform students of the criteria against which their work will be evaluated.
6. Provide examples of the desired levels of performance.
7. Implement the learning activities.
8. Use various assessment methods based on the particular assignment and student.
9. Review the assessment data, and evaluate each student's level of performance or quality of work in relation to criteria.
10. Report the results of the evaluations to students and parents.

Legislation requires that teachers provide parents with three formal reports each year. The following are guidelines and suggestions for assigning letter grades. Letter grades are used to indicate a student's level of performance in relation to expected learning outcomes. They may be assigned for an activity, a unit of study, a term, as a final grade at the end of the year, or at the completion of a course or subject.

The assignment of letter grades may be based on these steps:

1. Identify learning outcomes for the activity and unit to make clear what the student is expected to know and be able to do. The provincial curriculum prescribes broad learning outcomes. From these, the teacher establishes more specific outcomes for the learning activities.
2. Establish specific criteria for the unit and activity. It is helpful for students to be involved in establishing criteria. In this way, they understand what is expected of them.
3. Develop different levels of performance or models. Students are more likely to be successful when they clearly understand the criteria and the level of performance expected.
4. Students participate in learning activities to allow them to practise the skills and acquire the required knowledge. Feedback is provided to help the students continue their learning. Practice exercises help students meet the criteria and achieve the expected level of perfor mance. Results from practice exercises support the student's learning but should not contribute to the term evaluation or final letter grade.
5. Give students opportunities to demonstrate their learning. Teachers may have students represent their learning in a variety of ways. Assessment data may be collected from tests, teacher observations, conferences, student self-assessments, written assignments, portfolios, or performance tasks.
6. Evaluate students' levels of performance in relation to the criteria. Base the evaluation of each student's performance on the assessment data collected and compare the data to the established criteria.
7. The teacher assigns a letter grade for a set of activities. The letter grade indicates how well the criteria were met. Teachers often include written feedback to students along with the letter grade. In this way, students gain information necessary to continue their learning.

Evaluation Samples

There are three key stages to the process:

• planning for assessment and evaluation
• defining criteria
• assessing and evaluating student performance

This section outlines:

• background information to explain the classroom context
• instructional tasks
• opportunities that students were given to practise learning
• feedback and support that was offered students by the teacher
• ways in which the teacher prepared students for the assessment

This section illustrates the specific criteria, which are based on:

• learning outcomes
• the assessment task
• various reference sets

This section includes:

• assessment tasks or activities
• support that the teacher offered students
• tools and methods used to gather the assessment information
• the way the criteria were used to evaluate student performance

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
MOE Curriculum Branch

© 1996 Copyright

Maintained by: Technology Education Coordinator

Revised: February 27, 1996

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