HomepageISTEEdSurge
Skip to content
ascd logo

Log in to Witsby: ASCD’s Next-Generation Professional Learning and Credentialing Platform
Join ASCD
May 19, 2014
ASCD Blog

Personalizing Assessments with Time In Mind

author avatar
    Assessment
    Personalizing Assessments with Time In Mind - thumbnail
      We already know about best practices in assessment. We know that we should use formative assessment to look for patterns in errors and adjust instruction. We also know that we need to have clear learning targets to assess, and that these assessments can be common. We know a lot. One area we don’t yet know as much about is how time factors into assessment.
      Time is always an issue for educators. We never have enough, and we often feel we must rush through the material. Great educators try not to let time get in the way of good instruction. But even then, time can get in the way of better use of assessment. We use some sort of formative assessment exercise to check for understanding at the end of the day’s lesson; we give end-of-unit assessments; and our districts and states often take a specific week to give an end-of-course exam or grade-level assessment. What’s interesting here is that time is still the inflexible piece.
      Why do we always assess students at the same time and let that be the governing factor for student achievement? We know that students each learn at their own pace. Some take longer; some take a shorter amount of time. We have the same high expectations for our students, but we also know students take different amounts of time to get to those high expectations. One critical element of personalization is that time is no longer the driving factor. Instead of relying on the Carnegie unit, students show mastery and are assessed when they are ready. Granted, so many outside forces are demanding our time, but how might we move past them to meet students were they are in the assessment process?
      Create Rigorous Competencies
      To start being more flexible with when to give assessments, you need to begin with the end in mind. Many schools that have become more flexible with when they give critical summative assessments create rigorous competencies from standards, including the Common Core. Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey also advocate for this:
      “Grade-level teams or departments usually specify course competencies and corresponding assignments. Competencies should reflect the state standards while offering students an array of ways to demonstrate mastery, not just paper-and-pencil tasks. The competency assessments should be numerous enough that students can adequately gauge their own progress at attaining competencies; generally 7 to 10 per academic year is best”  (2009, p. 24).
      Competencies are built from standards and include measurable and transferable learning objectives. When designing a competency, you keep both academic and 21st century skills in mind so that the competency moves toward applied learning of multiple learning objectives. When you cluster standards and objectives like this, you can be more comfortable designing flexible assessments to meet these synthesized objectives.
      Be Flexible When You Summatively Assess
      It is perfectly appropriate to formatively assess the whole class after giving a lesson, and often educators formatively assess students individually. Through the formative assessment process, we can differentiate, give feedback, and meet the needs of students. When we formatively assess, we know when students are ready or not ready for the next steps. This is where time often gets in the way of good intention. If students are not ready for the summative assessment, why should we make them do it? It may be appropriate to allow some students to take the summative assessment after other students have taken it. Again, this should be a rigorous performance assessment that demands construction and application of knowledge. Summative assessments should only been given when students are ready, and, therefore, we must personalize when we give them.
      Allow for Late Work
      This is probably one of the most challenging shifts for veteran teachers. On the one hand, we want to foster good work ethic, which means adhering to deadlines; on the other hand, we want to be flexible to meet the needs of all students. The key here is to know what are you are assessing. Are you assessing work ethic or content? Students should never be punished for not learning content in a specific amount of time, hence allowing work to be late. Some educators find it appropriate to assess the 21st century skill of work ethic, but they in turn do not let that affect their content learning grade. Once you allow for late work, you can have students complete assessments, mostly summative, at various times.
      The movement toward flexible time for assessment is obviously challenging, but these steps can make the shift more manageable—even in the face of immovable educational demands on our time. If we begin with the end in mind when designing assessments, we can use personalization to keep time as a malleable component to meet the needs of all students. This is a move toward true personalization of assessment.
      Reference
      Fisher, D. & Frey, N.  (2009, November). Feed up, back, forward. Educational Leadership, 67(3), 20–25.
      Learn more about formative assessment through the Common Core Institute Using Formative Assessment to Meet the Demands of the Common Core.

      Andrew Miller's career in education spans many years and a variety of roles, from classroom teacher and instructional coach, to administrator and consultant. With ASCD, he supports the school with strategic planning and professional development on a variety of topics, and engages teachers in ongoing reflection to improve instructional practice and increase student learning. He is also a member of ASCD's FIT Teaching® Cadre.

      Miller is currently a Curriculum Coordinator at Ruamrudee International School in Thailand. Miller has worked in a range of contexts as a teacher and instructional coach, including a comprehensive high school and a STEM project-based learning (PBL) school, serving students of diverse needs and cultural backgrounds through culturally responsive practices.

      As an education consultant and expert facilitator of professional learning, Miller has worked with teachers in the United States and abroad. He has supported schools and districts in both short and long-term implementation of programs focused on PBL, FIT Teaching, assessment, and student engagement.

      Miller holds a master's degree in teaching and a bachelor's degree in classics from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. He also earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Southern California.

       

      Learn More

      ASCD is dedicated to professional growth and well-being.

      Let's put your vision into action.
      Related Blogs
      View all
      undefined
      Assessment
      The True Cost of Standardized Testing
      Harry Xiao
      4 weeks ago

      undefined
      Resist the Urge to Grade Students During the Coronavirus Closures
      Joe Feldman
      5 years ago

      undefined
      Beyond a Highlight Reel: Portfolios as Dynamic Workspaces
      Starr Sackstein
      10 months ago

      undefined
      3 Strategies for Student Self-Assessment
      Susan M. Brookhart
      10 months ago

      undefined
      How to Create Assessments that Drive Learning
      Karin Hess
      2 years ago
      Related Blogs
      The True Cost of Standardized Testing
      Harry Xiao
      4 weeks ago

      Resist the Urge to Grade Students During the Coronavirus Closures
      Joe Feldman
      5 years ago

      Beyond a Highlight Reel: Portfolios as Dynamic Workspaces
      Starr Sackstein
      10 months ago

      3 Strategies for Student Self-Assessment
      Susan M. Brookhart
      10 months ago

      How to Create Assessments that Drive Learning
      Karin Hess
      2 years ago