View or share this material in a Google Doc: Asset-Based Assessments and Actionable Feedback
Objective
To explore actionable feedback and equitable representation in assessments to support and prioritize asset-based research on academic achievement.
The estimated time for this activity is 25–30 minutes.
Explore this Website
According to NYSED’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, it is important for teachers, school leaders, and district leaders to “promote the design of multiple forms of assessment that consider personalized student needs (i.e., learning style, learning preferences, language proficiency).” Opportunities to design multiple forms of assessment include prioritizing asset-based, inclusive assessments and providing actionable feedback. Tests and assessments should be more than a grade, and should inspire teachers to critically examine their instruction and feedback.
Relying on one assessment, or one set of data, limits student learning. EngageNY and the New York State United Teachers Organization identify formative assessments to monitor and adjust pacing by assessing student progress, seeking and providing feedback, and adapting instruction to student needs.
Stop & Think
Key: T — Teachers, SL — School Leaders, DL — District Leaders
- How has remote learning affected student access to assessments and feedback? (T, SL, DL)
- How varied are your methods of assessment? (T, SL)
- How do you use formative assessments in your learning environment? (T, SL)
- Are your assessments differentiated to be accessible to students with varied learning styles, learning preferences, and language proficiencies? (T, SL)
- What assessment policies do you have in place that prioritize academic achievement for underrepresented and underserved students of diverse identities?
- What role did (will) teachers, families, and community members play in creating your inclusive assessment policies? (SL, DL)
Take Action
Individually, or with your grade-level or content-area team, consider an assessment you have given, or plan to give, to your learners.
Using the Inclusive Assessment tool below (the Assessment tool is also linked here), assess the inclusivity of your assessment(s) and opportunities for actionable feedback to support academic achievement for all learners.
After reflecting on your assessment, consider the opportunities and examples in the far-right column (“Ideas for remote implementation”) to increase actionable feedback and equitable representation in your assessments and instruction.
Reflect on your assessment using the bullets below:
Strength-Based Assessment
All learning styles, learning preferences, and language proficiencies are considered.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Student-led video conferences
- Digital slideshow presentation
My assessment data include what all learners know and can do in alignment with the standards.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Digital facilitation sheet that tracks student mastery of standards
Multiple perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds are addressed.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Video-conference student and family interviews
Students are provided a variety of platforms/formats to show what they know and can do.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Student-created videos
- Digital surveys/quizzes/test
Assessment data are collected across a variety of platforms/formats.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Digital portfolios (can include screenshots of student work)
Hypothetical situations or scenarios are relevant to each of your learners (or differentiated to be relevant to each of your learners)
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Video-conference student and family interviews
- Student and family digital surveys
Actionable Feedback
There are opportunities for student self-assessment.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Digital rubrics
- Digital reflection journals
If formative, there are opportunities for goal-oriented feedback to be shared with the student.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Utilize the comment feature on shared digital documents
- Video conference(s) to set goals and track progress
If summative, students have received goal-oriented feedback and have had opportunities to apply it before the assessment.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Digital facilitation sheet to track when and how feedback was given
There are opportunities for actionable feedback that considers all learning styles, learning preferences, and language proficiencies.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Screencast feedback with student work and teacher voice
- Teacher-created videos sent directly to student(s)
- Language is specific, concrete, and actionable (use online translators when possible)
There are opportunities for actionable feedback that considers multiple perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds.
Ideas for remote implementation:
- Video-conference student and family interviews
- Student and family digital surveys