Proof of Student Achievement

           Chapter ten discusses the types of assessment data, assessments related to course content and standards-based assessment as sources to verify student achievement, guides for the use of assessment data as proof of student achievement and ways to recognize and celebrate student accomplishments.

            Assessment data are used to validate course content, student knowledge and skills, and other expected learning outcomes.  Assessment objectives must be matched to curriculum and course objectives and the objectives are used as guides for various assessment tools developed and used by classroom teachers.  Performance standards must be translated into assessment and reporting methods that students, teachers, and other stakeholder understand and interpret appropriately to measure student performance meaningfully.  Rubrics can be used to describe and scale the levels of student achievement on tasks.  There are three types of rubrics which include task-specific rubric, developmental rubric, and relative rubric.  The most common type of assessment is teacher-made assessments.  These assessments are used to determine grades, group students, diagnose student strengths and weaknesses, motivate students to learn more, plan instructional content and pedagogy, communicate expectations to students, and evaluate instruction.

            The results of assessment should be considered as information, not just data.  Student achievement can be reported in different forms which can be pretest/posttest, on-demand, and over-time assessments.  Pretests can be given to see what the students might know about the subject before it is taught.  Posttests are given after the subject material is taught to see if the students learned and understand the material.  On-demand assessments can be formative or summative and is given over a short period of time, like a quiz.  Over-time assessment is a summary of student achievement and performance, like a final grade.

            Assessments are very important for teachers and students.  They measure student achievement or failure.  Assessments let the teacher know if they are being effective in the classroom and if they need to change how they are teaching the material.  There must be evidence that students are achieving in the classroom and that curriculum standards are being met.  Stakeholders, who include students, parents, administrators, general public, and local, state, and federal education agencies, must also know how students and teachers are doing in the classroom.  If students are achieving, they should also be rewarded for their accomplishments.  Teachers should acknowledge these outstanding students because it will only boost their confidence.  Also, if students who are not doing so well are see the benefits of being a good student, and then maybe they will try to improve also.  Assessments are critical in education.  It is important that teachers take them seriously and for students to understand how significant they are.

Brown, B. J. & Mundrak, G. A. (2007). Proof of Student Achievement. In M.L. Bush (Ed.), Assessment for an Evolving Business Education Curriculum (pp. 130-145). Reston, VA: National Business Education Association