Using Assessment Data

When I teach my Adult Transition students, I use assessment data to inform my instruction. In this blog, I will share with you some ways that I use assessment data in my teaching practices. There are 4 fundamental components of Assessment

 

Four fundamental elements of learner-centered assessment:

Westminster College (2019)

Formulating Statements of Intended Learning Outcomes includes statements about what the intentions are. It is what the student understands, their background knowledge, as well as what the students abilities are. Developing or Selecting Assessment Measures include what type of design will occur. This can be formal or informal. The intended learning is the focus. Creating Experiences Leading to Outcomes is important because it combines learning experiencers at home, in the community, in the workplace, as well as in the classroom. Their learning outcomes can transfer to all of the areas of the adult learners life. Discussing and Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning is when you collect the data and use it to enhance the adult learners outcome. This is one of the driving forces in my program. My adult learners go into the community and workplace and transfer of information is essential. Feedback is provided at this time. For more reasons why you should use assessment data watch Using Data To Inform Instruction.


(Michigan Virtual, 2017) 


All of my students have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In Michigan, the IEP is a written document for students with disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 26 years old, who receive special education programs and related services. The purpose of an IEP is to identify each student’s needs, develop reasonable learning goals, and document the services the school district will provide to help the student achieve these goals. (The Understood Team. no date) The IEP has many components. One part of the IEP are the students' Goals and Objectives. Each goal and objective must be measurable. These are formed by using assessment data.

I also use assessment data, during the adult learners' Work-Based Learning experiences (WBL). For example, when my students are working at a restaurant, they have a checklist of jobs that must be completed to satisfaction. When the data is collected, I sit with the learner to review and objectively discuss the results. We use this information to improve their work at WBL sites in the future. When the data shows that they have consistently completed the tasks successfully, they move on to more difficult but enjoyable tasks.

When assessment data is used strategically, it can have a profound impact on the learning of the students. It is a reliable way to show the students and their parents the progression of learning. It can also inform future instruction.



References

Michigan Virtual (2017) Module 4: Using Data to Inform Instruction, YouTube. https://youtu.be/ooNJUI0iKik


The Understood Team (no date) What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program, https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-individualized-education-programs.


Westminster College (2019) What Is Assessment?, Westminster.edu. www.westminster.edu/about/accreditation-assessment/definition.cfm

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