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Purposes of Assessment – an Overview
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Why do we gather assessment information? |
Who uses it? |
Tools and processes |
Features of the tools and processes |
| At classroom level (students and teachers) |
- Provide the most appropriate learning opportunities for students.
- Provide feedback to students and identify their next learning steps.
- Develop partnerships with parents.
- Modify teaching programmes.
- Ensure continuity of education for individual students.
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Students, parents, other teachers, the school management team, and the principal. |
Exemplars.
Professional development programmes in assessment and web-based programmes, for example, the New Zealand Mathematics and English Online sites.
Teacher-devised tasks, the Assessment Resource Banks (ARBs), and tasks released by the National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP).
The asTTle literacy and numeracy tools, the Supplementary Test of Achievement in Reading (STAR), the Performance Achievement Tests (PATs), and the Essential Skills tests.
School Entry Assessment/Aro matawai Urunga-ā-Kura (SEA/AKA), the Diagnostic Survey (the six-year net), Running Records, and assessment tools introduced through the numeracy projects. |
Nationally moderated examples of student work that are annotated to illustrate learning achievement and quality in relation to the levels described in the national curriculum.
Programmes that support:
- informal and continuous teacher, peer, and self assessment based on observation, questioning, and feedback;
- the use of information from assessment tools to improve learning.
Rich formative assessment tasks to assess knowledge, skills, strategies, and understandings, which can be applied during or at the end of particular units of work.
Reliable and valid benchmarked assessment tools to assess students' acquisition of foundation literacy, numeracy, and essential skills for individuals and groups.
Diagnostic tools that:
- give detailed information about students' learning needs
- suggest appropriate teaching strategies to meet these
- inform programme planning.
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| At school level |
- Evaluate the success of the school's curriculum and teaching programmes.
- Inform strategic planning and school development.
- Improve the achievement of individual students and subgroups.
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The board of trustees, the staff, and the school community. |
School review processes, ERO reports, aggregated assessment information, and professional development in assessment. |
Professional development support for the gathering, analysis, and use of assessment information to inform strategic planning and school review and development processes. |
| At system level |
- Provide assurance about the quality of education.
- Provide the means of evaluating progress towards raising achievement and reducing disparity.
- Certify the achievement of senior secondary students.
- Provide the foundation for further study and the world of work.
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The Ministry of Education, the New Zealand public, schools, tertiary institutions, and employers. |
The National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP).
The International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). |
A national assessment programme designed to show what students know and can do and to provide information about national achievement trends.
Comparative information about our students' achievement in relation to students in other developed countries.
Meaningful and useful information that meets the needs of students, tertiary education providers, employers, and the public. |
