Module 1

Module 1 focused primarily on assessment and ways to make assessment more inclusive. This included addressing the differences between equity and equality, adapting and preparing assessments for students with exceptionalities, and considering the need for multiple forms of assessment through triangulation assessment, or collecting information from students through written output, observational evidence and conversational evidence to ensure a more balanced approach to capturing students' understanding (Cooper, n.d.).  

 Equity vs Equality

The first image that comes to mind when I reflect on the difference between equity and equality and how this impacts student success is perhaps the most popular image representing equity vs equality. Equality suggests treating everyone exactly the same, whereas equity takes into consideration an individual's needs and ensures that each person receives what they need.  This can be a challenging concept for young children who are quick to call out an action or inaction they perceive as unfair. This can especially be true for assessments when students may notice another student is not required to answer as many questions, or that they are using an assistive tool, such as a calculator.  Trying to explain this to young students in a way that does not place a negative stigma on the student who needs support can pose a challenge for teachers. One of the most effective strategies I witnessed  for teaching this concept was during a professional day workshop.  

Equality vs Equity (Image from equitytool.org n.d.)

The workshop speaker shared a story from her classroom, where she had students meet at the carpet after recess.  She had arranged with 3 students ahead of time to act out a scenario without letting the other students know.  The first student came up to her and told her that he had hurt his finger.  She put a bandaid on his finger and then he sat down.  A second student then came up and said she had hurt her knee at recess.  The teacher took a bandaid and placed it on this student's finger rather than her knee.  Finally the third student came up and said he had hurt his elbow. Once again she took out a bandaid and placed it on the student's finger.  The teacher then started a discussion with students about what she had done, and if it was fair.  She had treated the students all equally by doing the same thing for all of them, but she did not give them what they needed.  I felt this was a powerful age appropriate demonstration of what equity or fairness really means.  This workshop resonated with me and while I have not had my own classroom since, I would love to do this demonstration to show students the difference between equity and equality and use it as a anchor to remind them when situations like adapted assessments come up in the classroom. 

Strategies to Prepare Students with Exceptionalities for Assessments

Summative assessments can lead to an inaccurate representation of students' understanding for a multitude of reasons including test anxiety, poor reading comprehension, or if a student is not feeling well to name a few. 

 Classroom with stress (Adobestock, n.d.).

In elementary schools, tests are infrequent but they still exist and can be a great source of anxiety for some students. I can recall on several occasions children in tears over the stress of their spelling tests, or students knowing the material but struggling with the format. There are ways to address such challenges and better prepare students for assessments. These strategies can be effective for all students.

1. Integrate technology in a meaningful way.  Allow assistive technology such as an app that reads questions aloud, or tools such as calculators for students with numeracy disabilities.

2. Explicitly teach learning goals, various test taking formats and test language so students are familiar with the format and know exactly what they are expected to know and how to demonstrate their knowledge. Talk through questions with students to ensure comprehension. 

3. Approach assessments in a calm positive way to avoid inducing stress.  

4.  Ensure students know what tools and supports are available to them prior to the test. Allow students with exceptionalities to demonstrate their learning through a variety of mediums such as answering questions orally or with visuals, and limit the required number of questions as needed.

5. Design the tests with short instructions and visual aids to support comprehension. 

6. Model problem-solving strategies with students and give students regular opportunities for practice. 

7.  Teach students strategies for perseverance such as breaking information into smaller, more manageable chunks, and teaching them how to access their background knowledge and make connections to their learning. 

(Wilson, 2013)

(Wolpert-Gawron, 2017)

Assessments: Before and After

I have TOCed for most of my career and therefore have little experience with assessment. I also find in K-5 classes, traditional tests are rare, however projects are fairly common. I have TOCed in one specific grade 3 classroom regularly and have been present for a research assignment this teacher does with her class each spring. I chose to focus on this assessment as I was there last year in May as well as a few weeks ago so I have seen it twice and it is fresh in my mind. To create a more comprehensive picture, and because I integrated assessment throughout the process, I included information about the whole project rather than just the assessment piece.

Before:

Grade 3 Animal Habitat Research Project

Assignment: Students are given a choice of 10 Canadian animals to research and present to the class. They are required to share 3 interesting facts, an overview of the habitat with at least 3 pieces of information including where in Canada the animal lives, information on diet and possible predators.

Process: Students conduct research through google searches in their computer blocks and make notes on a pre-made sheet with questions listed above.

Summative Assessment: Students use images and writing to create a poster demonstrating their findings. Students will orally present their poster to the class and will be marked on the following:

/3 Interesting Facts /3 Habitat

/1 Food Source /1 Predators

/4 Clear, neat poster that includes all the necessary information as well as 3-4 images or drawings.

After:

Assignment: Students are given a choice of 10 Canadian animals to research and present for the class. They are required to share 3 interesting facts, an overview of the habitat with at least 3 pieces of information including where in Canada the animal lives, information on diet and possible predators.

Changes to support inclusion - Students will formulate one of their own questions/wondering to explore and share in addition to the factual information listed above. Teacher will provide suggestions for students who need guidance. Students can draw or write notes in point form. Students with writing challenges can record ideas on voice recording app or type notes if they prefer.


Process: Students conduct research through google searches in their computer blocks and make notes on pre-made sheet with questions listed above.

Changes to increase inclusion - Students will be given a wide variety of formats for research including but not limited to:

A collection of non-fiction print texts including a variety of reading levels
Digital books - Curated from Epic!
Preselected websites that offer videos as well as text such as National Geographic Kids, World Book Kids, and DK Find Out

Teacher will schedule computer blocks during library learning commons so there is an additional adult to assist.

Summative Assessment: Students use images and writing to create a poster demonstrating their findings. Students will orally present their poster to the class and will be marked on the following:

/3 Interesting Facts /3 Habitat

/1 Food Sources /1 Predators

/4 Clear, neat poster that includes all the necessary information as well as 3-4 images or drawings.

Changes to support inclusion -

In addition to a summative assessment, students will be assessed throughout the research project to check for understanding. This will be done both conversationally with students as well as through observation. Students will also self-assess with informal check-ins throughout the project with thumbs up, thumbs down, and smiley face checklists. Teacher will also conduct one or two exit tickets and several think/pair/shares during the 4 week project so students can reflect on their learning and share their thinking and their wonderings.

Final Project: Students will be able to choose a mode of expression including but not limited to the following options: Poster, Powerpoint, Writing, Digital Books, Diorama, and iMovie. Students with exceptionalities may be assigned fewer research points/reduced output.

 To make this assessment more inclusive, I wanted to provide students with more choice at all stages, including the topic, research tools, and modes of expressions. I also wanted to include various opportunities for formative and self-assessment throughout so not all of the students' assessment marks were limited to the final summative assessment. While traditional research projects are not personally my preferred project, I understand this is a common activity used to teach research related to curricular content and can be valuable for students in practicing research and presentation skills.

Reflection:

This module offered rich learning opportunities on ways to adapt assessments for students and create inclusive modes of assessment through observation, conversation, and summative assessments.  The examples provided by my colleagues were valuable for my learning and provided me with concrete ideas for subject specific assessments. 

References:

Adobestock (n.d.).  Classroom with stress [Image]. AdobeStock. Retrieved June 29, 2022 from https://stock.adobe.com/ca/search?k=test+anxiety&search_type=recentsearch&asset_id=489044300 

Cooper, Damien (n.d). What is "triangulation" in the assessment context?  Fresh Grade. com.  Retrieved June 25, 2022 from https://freshgrade.com/blog/what-is-triangulation-in-the-assessment-context/

EquityTool.org (nd.). Equity vs Equality [Image}.  Equitytool.org.  Retrieved June 27, 2022 from https://www.equitytool.org/equity/  

 Wilson, L.W. (2005). What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Assessment (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315854144

Wolpert-Gawron, Heather (2017).  Test prep doesn't have to be overwhelming. Edutopia.  Retrieved June 29, 2022 from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-students-state-standardized-tests