Standardized Achievement Tests and Diagnostic Tests. Standardized

¶ … standardized achievement tests and diagnostic tests.

Standardized tests are usually administered after the material has been taught, and they are used to determine whether or not the class has successfully met the district and state standards. The tests are administered under strict conditions and the tests are scored by machine rather than by hand. These tests are used to evaluate students as groups rather than individuals, and they show the performance of students by grade or by school.

Diagnostic tests are used to evaluate students who are having reading difficulties (Gillet 2008). These tests are somewhat less difficult than the standardized tests because they are mainly used for students who are having reading problems. They are usually administered to individual students rather than in a large group. The test questions and scores are broken down into skills and subskills, and each section is evaluated to determine where the student is having difficulty. The test results can be used as a tool to guide instruction or as evidence that a child is in need of resource or special education instruction.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Standardized achievement tests have both positive and negative aspects. For example, this type of test is useful for evaluating the progress of large groups of students. The examinations are also helpful for determining whether or not schools are making annual yearly progress as determined by No Child Left Behind (Gillet 2008). However, they also have several disadvantages. First, the tests are not designed to measure how the student reads and constructs meaning from text. Instead, they focus on analyzing whether the student has mastered specific skills and subskills. Secondly, they are designed to hold districts and schools accountable for meeting standards rather than to guide further instruction (Briggs, Tully & Stiefer 1998).

Similarly, diagnostic tests have advantages and disadvantages. Diagnostic tests are useful because they are designed to identify a child's specific learning needs and can guide classroom instruction or assist a teacher in developing modifications or interventions. However, these tests also have their weaknesses. Some diagnostic tests measure mistakes that are made by the students, but do not analyze the miscues for error patterns (Gillet 2008). Another issue is the wide variance in types of tests. Some tests ask multiple questions that analyze recall, while others ask only for simple yes or no questions (Gillet 2008). This can lead to discrepancies when at-risk students are being evaluated for additional services.

Informal Types of Assessment

Assessment should be a regular part of instruction (Shellard 2005). Regular assessments can be used by the teacher to gather information, which they can then use to determine strengths and weaknesses. The assessments can then be used to guide future lessons based upon what the students already know and what they still need to learn (Ruiz-Primo and Furtak 2004). There are a number of different types of assessments that can be used to guide instruction throughout the school year. In addition to giving regular classroom tests, several other assessment methods that can be used to guide instruction are on-the-spot assessments, portfolios, running records, and peer reviews (Cole 1999).

Advantages and Disadvantages

Cole (1999) suggests that simply walking around and talking to students as they complete assignments, or setting up individual conferences with students, can be a type of informal assessment. The two primary advantages are that teachers can determine on the spot whether or not the student understands the material and can provide immediate feedback. The disadvantages are that the teacher must develop a system for maintaining continuity from one meeting to another, and that the teacher might experience classroom management issues during conference periods.

Portfolios are helpful because they allow students the opportunity to choose the work that will be included, which gives them the chance to showcase their best work. They are useful to students because they can be used to demonstrate their talents to people such as competition judges or college admissions directors (Gillet 2008), and they can be used to show both progress and effort on the part of the student. The primary disadvantage of maintaining portfolios is that the progress can be time-consuming. In addition, the teacher must set aside time for portfolio conferences, and in a busy classroom, it may be difficult to find enough time to meet with every student on a regular basis.