Competence in Educational Assessment 1
Running Head: COMPETENCE IN EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
Competence in Educational Assessment
Sherie Loika
Angelo State University
Competence in Educational Assessment 2
Abstract
In an overview of the Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational
Assessment of Students, I have exemplified my current professional competencies and
recognized weaknesses in need of improvement.
Competence in Educational Assessment 3
Competence in Educational Assessment
Developed by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Council on
Measurement in Education, and the National Education Association, the Standards for
Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students are as follows.
1. Teachers Should be Skilled in Choosing Assessment Methods
Appropriate for Instructional Decisions.
2. Teachers Should be skilled in Developing Assessment Methods
Appropriate for Instructional Decisions.
3. Teachers Should be Skilled in Administering, Scoring, and
Interpreting the Results of both Externally-produced and
Teacher-produced Assessment Methods.
4. Teachers Should be Skilled in Using Assessment Results when
Making Decisions about Individual Students, Planning Teaching,
Developing Curriculum, and School Improvement.
5. Teachers Should be Skilled in Developing Valid Pupil Grading
Procedures which Use Pupil Assessments.
6. Teachers Should be Skilled in Communicating Assessment Results
to Students, Parents, Other Lay Audiences, and Other Educators.
7. Teachers Should be Skilled in Recognizing Unethical, Illegal, and
Otherwise Inappropriate Assessment Methods and Uses of
Assessment Information.
As a secondary science teacher and future master of curriculum and instruction, I
maintain a greater competence in choosing assessment, developing assessment,
developing valid pupil grading procedures, and communicating assessment results
(Standards 1, 2, 5, and 6). In relation to Nitko’s guidelines for selecting and using
classroom assessment, I choose and develop assessments that address my learning
objective in a method that matches the targeted content and performance (Nitko,
2004). To further enhance the validity of acquired information, I utilize a variety of
assessment methods. For example, a formal test is always given at the end of a
Competence in Educational Assessment 4
teaching segment. However, I also employ a portfolio to acquire information about
my students’ acquisition of specific learning targets, as well as, general learning
objectives. The variety of assessment not only increases the validity of my
interpretation, but also allows my diverse student population to express their learning
acquisition in a manner that best displays their abilities. Through experience, I have
found the portfolio a priceless source for counselors, diagnosticians, parents, and
myself. When called upon, I have used portfolios as communication devices for
addressing parental concerns, providing writing samples for diagnosticians,
displaying reason for referral for gifted and talented testing, and helping students
reflect on their growth and learning experiences.
Shadowing my competence in educational assessment, my abilities diminish
respectively in the areas of Standards 3, 4, and 7. With experience in administering
externally produced high stakes tests (i.e. TAKS), I am capable, yet, not an expert, in
administration of tests. Normally, such data is returned and formatted in a variety of
ways that benefit my decisions about individual students and curriculum planning;
albeit, I admittedly do not excel in interpreting the results or in applying them to their
maximum benefit. Though I consider myself to be an ethical individual, I am the
least familiar in the areas addressed by Standard 7. Therefore, by the end of this
course, it is my intention to obtain a better understanding of these legalities, and
enhance my ability to interpret and apply assessment data to my classroom.
Competence in Educational Assessment 5
References
Nitko, A. J. (2004). Educational assessment of students (4th ed). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.