Differentiating Assessment

Differentiated assessment is closely related to differentiated instruction, and is in fact to beginning of it, because in order to define how to differentiate instruction for students the teacher must first know how well the students perform.  It is assessing the students in different ways depending on their different needs.  It most often includes formative assessment, and can be used easily in an IPP as means of assessing a student's progress of their goals.

There are two purposes to differentiated assessment, including assessment for learning, and the facilitation of metacognition.  Assessment for learning, or formative assessment, includes giving the students immediate feedback on their learning and work so both the students and the teacher have an idea of how the student is progressing.  The grades given in formative assessment are not taken in as part of the student’s grade in that class, but provide an idea on where and how the student can improve.  The facilitation of metacognition includes the teacher giving the students the skills to be aware of their own thinking.  Metacognition is the highest level of thinking, as it is being aware of thinking.  It involves reflection of one's self and how you learn, or assessment as learning.  This is important in differentiating assessment because it helps student know how they learn best and what their strengths are so they can capitalize on them.

In planning for differentiated assessment there are 5 steps: (1) determine the purpose; (2) establish a focus; (3) select and use a strategy; (4) record the results; and (5) interpret the results and take action.

1)      Determine the purpose: determine what the point of the assessment is, and why.  Also ask yourself if the students are mastering the content you are teaching them

2)      Establish a focus: the teacher needs to narrow down the curriculum to a narrow focus, and make it more meaningful. 

3)      Select and use a strategy: the teacher should use some kind of formative assessment to assess the student’s learning pertaining to the subject they are learning about.

4)      Record the results: record the student’s progress and either use the results for feedback immediately or keep it long term.

5)      Interpret the results and take action: take the results you have obtained and consider if students have mastered the content you have been teaching them.  If they are move onto the next subject, or if they are not you may need to spend more time on that subject.

Differentiated assessment should be used in many areas of the classroom as it is very useful for the students in being able to master subject matter and discover how they learn best.  It is very beneficial for the teacher as well as it helps them to understand how well students are understanding the lessons and if they need to re-teach anything so the students understand it.  In the future I hope to use differentiated assessment in my classroom as I am a strong believer in formative assessment.