Principles related to selection of methods for assessment

Assessment is directed toward the development and selection of assessment methods
and their use in the classroom by teachers. Based on the conceptual framework provided in the
Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students (1990), it is
organized around five interrelated themes:
I. Developing and Choosing Methods for Assessment
II. Collecting Assessment Information
III. Judging and Scoring Student Performance
IV. Summarizing and Interpreting Results
V. Reporting Assessment Findings
The Joint Advisory Committee acknowledges that not all of the guidelines are equally
applicable in all circumstances. However, consideration of the full set of principles and
guidelines within Assessment should help to achieve fairness and equity for the students to be
assessed

1. PRINCIPLES
RELATED TO
SELECTION OF
METHODS FOR
ASSESSMENT

2. It is organized
around five
interrelated
themes:
I. Developing and Choosing Methods for
Assessment
II. Collecting Assessment Information
III. Judging and Scoring Student Performance
IV. Summarizing and Interpreting Results
V. Reporting Assessment Findings
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3. Developing and Choosing Methods for
Assessment
1.Itischosensothatinferencesdrawnfromtheknowledge,skills,
attitudes,andbehaviourspossessedbyeachstudentarevalidand
notopentomisunderstanding.
2.Inthismethodsshouldbeclearlyrelatedtothegoalsand
objectivesofinstruction,andbecompatiblewiththeinstructional
approachesused.
3.Whendevelopingorchoosingassessmentmethods,consideration
shouldbegiventotheconsequencesofthedecisionstobemade
inlightoftheobtainedinformation.
4.Morethanoneassessmentmethodshouldbeusedtoensure
comprehensiveandconsistentindicationsofstudent
performance.
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4. 5.It should be suited to the backgrounds and prior
experiences of students.
6. Content and language that would generally be viewed as
sensitive, offensive should be avoided.
7.Assessment instruments translated into a second
language or transferred from another context or location
should be accompanied by evidence that inferences based
on these instruments are valid for the intended purpose.
S.Rajakumar., TCP

5. “
Collecting Assessment Information
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1.Studentsshouldbetoldwhyassessmentinformationisbeingcollected
andhowthisInformationwillbeused.
2.Anassessmentprocedureshouldbeusedunderconditionssuitableto
itspurposeandform.
3.Inassessmentsinvolvingobservations,checklists,orratingscales,the
numberofcharacteristicstobeassessedatonetimeshouldbesmall
enoughandconcretelydescribedsothattheobservationscanbemade
accurately.
4.Thedirectionsprovidedtostudentsshouldbeclear,complete,and
appropriatefortheability,ageandgradelevelofthestudents.
S.Rajakumar., TCP

6. ○5.Inassessmentsinvolvingselectionitems(e.g.,true-false,
multiple-choice),thedirectionsshouldencouragestudentsto
answerallitemswithoutathreatofpenalty.
○6.Whencollectingassessmentinformation,interactionswith
studentsshouldbeappropriateandconsistent.
7. Unanticipatedcircumstancesthatinterferewiththe
collectionofassessmentinformationshouldbenotedand
recorded.
○8.Awrittenpolicyshouldguidedecisionsabouttheuseof
alternateproceduresforcollectingassessmentinformationfrom
studentswithspecialneedsandstudentswhoseproficiencyinthe
languageofinstructionisinadequateforthemtorespondinan
anticipatedmanner.
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7. 1.Beforeanassessmentmethodisused,aprocedurefor
scoringshouldbepreparedtoguidetheprocessofjudging
thequalityofaperformanceorproduct,the
appropriatenessofanattitudeorbehaviour,orthe
correctnessofananswer.
2.Beforeanassessmentmethodisused,studentsshouldbe
toldhowtheirresponsesortheinformationtheyprovide
willbejudgedorscored.
3.Careshouldbetakentoensurethatresultsarenot
influencedbyfactorsthatarenotrelevanttothepurpose
oftheassessment.
Judging and
Scoring Student
Performance
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8. ○Comments formed as part of scoring should be
based on the responses made by the students and
presented in a way that students can understand
and use them.
○5. Any changes made during scoring should be
based upon a demonstrated problem with the initial
scoring procedure. The modified procedure should
then be used to restore all previously scored
responses.
○6. An appeal process should be described to
students at the beginning of each school year or
course of instruction that they may use to appeal a
result.
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9. Summarizing
and
Interpreting
Results
1.Itisforareportingperiod
shouldbeguidedbya
writtenpolicy.
2.Itshouldbeexplainedto
students and their
parents/guardians.
3.individualresultsusedand
theprocessfollowedin
deriving summary
comments andgrades
shouldbedescribedin
sufficientdetailsothatthe
meaningofasummary
commentorgradeisclear
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10. 4.Combiningdisparatekindsofresultsintoasinglesummary
shouldbedonecautiously.Totheextentpossible,
achievement,effort,participation,andotherbehaviours
shouldbegradedseparately.
5.Summarycommentsandgradesshouldbebasedonmore
thanoneassessmentresultsoastoensureadequate
samplingofbroadlydefinedlearningoutcomes
6.Theresultsusedtoproducesummarycommentsandgrades
shouldbecombinedinawaythatensuresthateachresult
receivesitsintendedemphasisorweight.
7.Thebasisforinterpretationshouldbecarefullydescribedand
justified.
8.Interpretationsofassessmentresultsshouldtakeaccountof
thebackgroundsandlearningexperiencesofthestudents.
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11. 9. Assessment results that will be combined into summary
comments and grades should be stored in a way that ensures their
accuracy at the time they are summarized and interpreted.
10.Interpretations of assessment results should be made with due
regard for limitations in the assessment methods used, problems
encountered in collecting the information and judging or scoring
it, and limitations in the basis used for interpretation.
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12. Reporting
Assessment
Findings
1. Elements to consider
include such aspects as
audiences, medium,
format, content, level of
detail, frequency,
timing, and
confidentiality.
. 2. Written and oral
reports should contain
a description of the
goals and objectives
of instruction to which
the assessments are
referenced.
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3. Reports should be
complete in their
descriptions of the
strengths and weaknesses
of students so that
strengths can be built upon
and problem areas
addressed.
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4.Thereportingsystemshouldprovideforconferencesbetween
teachersandparents/guardians.Wheneveritisappropriate,
studentsshouldparticipateintheseconferences.
5.Anappealprocessshouldbedescribedtostudentsandtheir
parents/guardiansatthebeginningofeachschoolyearorcourseof
instructionthattheymayusetoappealreport.
6.Accesstoassessmentinformationshouldbegovernedbyawritten
policythatisconsistentwithapplicablelawsandwithbasic
principlesoffairness
andhumanrights.
7.Transferofassessmentinformationfromoneschooltoanother
shouldbeguidedbyawrittenpolicywithstringentprovisionsto
ensurethemaintenanceofconfidentiality.
S.Rajakumar., TCP

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Thank you
S.Rajakumar., TCP