The most important information a teacher needs about a student is what a student knows. This claim, of course, could be argued. For instance, one could say that it’s actually more important to understand what a student cares about. After all, students are inherently motivated to learn when they are invested in a topic. Motivation, in turn, becomes the source of engagement and engagement leads to a deep and abiding love of learning.
As a Wellington teacher, I greatly appreciate our school’s focus on student engagement and commitment to following through on this principle. We study student engagement and collect data on it. We cultivate engagement through peer learning and innovative curriculum like the 4th grade gamefication approach to teaching geography. We develop programs like Student Engagement Grants to fund innovation and creativity in the classroom.
From a practical standpoint, however, teachers not only need to understand what students are passionate about, but also what they know. This is where the fundamental teaching practice of assessment comes into play. If teachers are to push student growth they need a detailed understanding of the content and skills that students have mastered fully, partially, or not at all.
Let’s be honest. Few people love tests. But trying to teach without assessment is like trying to play a guitar without strings – it doesn’t work. This is not to say that all tests are equal or that all types of testing equally contribute to sustained student growth. State standardized testing, for instance, is designed to label and process students on an industrial scale and does little to actually help them grow as learners.
The most effective assessments help teachers to identify hot spots and cold spots, to borrow a phrase I learned from my middle school colleague Mark Rogers P ‘16, in a student’s comprehension. Understanding precisely what students know and what they need to work on allows teachers to identify what’s next for students at every level. Provided with this important information, teachers can then make instructional decisions that meet the needs of their students. It allows teachers to properly frame their questions during classroom discussions and target instruction appropriately during one-to-one conferences.The more precisely teachers understand a students’ level of mastery over skills and content, the more successful educators can be in targeting learning objectives that will push that growth outcomes.
"M.A.P. Growth testing and similar assessment tools provide us with an excellent way of determining what students know, information that provides a basis for targeted instruction and improves academic growth for all of our diverse learners.”
I am excited to share that some our middle school math and English classes have been piloting the use of an extremely powerful assessment tool called M.A.P. Growth, which provides teachers, parents, and students with rich data about what our students know. This remarkable assessment adapts itself to each test taker, gauging every individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. The end result of testing like this is so much more than a number spit out by a machine with which to label a student. It provides teachers with very specific information that can then direct instruction.
It may come as no surprise that a teacher like me gets excited about assessment tools, given the huge advantage it provides in terms of instruction. What may be more surprising, though, is the investment growth testing gets from students.
Naturally, students who find out that they are reading above grade level are excited to see their results; it not only energizes young learners but also provides educators with a way to push students’ development as readers. For instance, one 7th grader recently tested in the 11th to 12th grade reading range as a reader. “What should I do?” this student asked after seeing his results. “Well, I think you need to be really challenging yourself as a reader,” I replied. By the end of class this student was returning from the library with a stack of books including “Great Expectations” and “Heart of Darkness.”
Some students, of course, don’t fit the profile of this strong reader, and some may have grown to dislike any sort of testing over the years since each experience seems to reinforce negative feelings. One of the best things about growth testing is that is provides a pathway for students at every level clarifying where to go next and not simply spitting out a number for a student to feel bad about. The test, in this way, is analogous to a good athletic trainer who doesn’t shame anyone but is able to find a starting point for everyone. Setting appropriate “doable” targets that build motivation rather than squashing students by making them feel bad about their performance.
M.A.P. Growth testing and similar assessment tools provide us with an excellent way of determining what students know, information that provides a basis for targeted instruction and improves academic growth for all of our diverse learners. Wellington has traditionally held standardized testing at arm’s length- for many good, sound reasons. I am hopeful that the community might embrace this particular test for its potential impact on the growth and development of our students.
– Greg Davis, middle school language arts teacher