Instructional Playbook

Effective Assessment Practices

Align with Standards. Standards outline the knowledge and skills students must acquire, while learning progressions detail the steps toward mastery. Learning intentions set clear, single-lesson objectives. Aligning assessments with these elements ensures instructors measure the right outcomes to accurately track student progress. Select Assessment Types Aligned with Learning Goals. Use a variety of assessment methods—such as written responses, performance tasks, and technology-based items—that directly align with learning goals. This ensures assessments accurately reflect the taught content and targeted skills. Ensure Clarity and Consistent Expectations. Assessments should include clear instructions and well-defined scoring criteria. This allows students to focus on demonstrating their knowledge and skills rather than interpreting unclear requirements. Promote Fairness, Equity, and Accessibility. Design assessments that offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. Provide necessary accommodations and eliminate bias to reduce barriers, ensuring an accurate reflection of each student’s abilities. Include a Range of Cognitive Levels. Assessments should include tasks that range from basic recall to higher-order thinking. This variety identifies students’ current levels of understanding and supports their progression toward advanced skills and concepts.

Critical Actions for Educators

Key Considerations for Assessment Design:

Align with standards, learning progressions, and clear learning intentions Select assessment types that fit the learning goals Ensure clarity and consistency in design and expectations Provide fairness, equity, and accessibility for all students, avoiding bias Include tasks targeting a range of cognitive levels

Choose Appropriate Assessment Type As part of a high-quality instructional cycle, effective teachers regularly check for understanding throughout the learning process. These routine checks are conducted using various formative assessments, as outlined in the chart below. Formative assessment, also known as assessment for learning, helps educators adjust instruction to address diverse student needs and allows students to monitor their own learning progress. In contrast, summative assessment, or assessment of learning, is typically administered at the end of a unit or course. It provides data and insights into the knowledge and skills students have acquired at a specific point in time.