Teachers may track their student's progress over time by using diagnostic assessments.
Diagnostic assessments allow teachers and educators to evaluate their student's learning through tests and measurements. The results from the tests give teachers an opportunity to change or alter curriculum as needed. Students across the United States must meet certain benchmark standards, and tests give teachers an idea of what students should work on to meet these standards.
Function
Teachers conduct diagnostic assessments to plan curriculum and instruction. Teachers identify the student's existing knowledge, skills, attitudes,interests and learning styles. Students receive reading assessments in grades kindergarten through second grade, writing assessments from kindergarten through third grade and mathematics assessments in kindergarten through grade 2.
Screening Measures
The screening measures part of the diagnostic assessment analyzes a student's understanding of fundamental concepts, skills and ideas. Teachers identify which students may or may not be at risk for low falling beyond their peers or not understanding instruction. The fastest part of a diagnostic assessment, short screening measures quickly tell teachers whether students are on track to meet standards of need intervention and further assistance to meet the standards. Short screening measurements may be a few questions asked by the teacher, a short questionnaire given to the student or a short test given after a brief essay.
Observational Measurement
Observational measurements involve teachers collecting and monitoring information about their students during the regular school day. This may involve the teacher sitting near the student while he completes a math assignment or a student and teacher reading aloud to one another. A teacher uses the information to determine whether the student needs interventions or extra assistance in the classroom.
Diagnostic Measures
Diagnostic measures are used for summative and formative assessment at different points of the school year. Measures used by teachers are: graphic organizers, journal entries and pretests. Graphic organizers are charts that allow students to organize the information they know about a certain subject by placing it on paper. Journals allow students to discuss how they feel about a certain subject, ask questions and give opinions about what they are learning. Pretests simply measure a student's knowledge about a particular subject before the teacher has given any instruction on the subject.
How Are Diagnostic Assessments Used?
Testing may be done upon entry into a new grade as it can provide a baseline for future testing and assessment. Tracking progress of students can be used by teachers and administrators to change and alter curriculum as needed. Tracking progress can assist a school in obtaining funds from the public and from private donors.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Diagnostic Testing
Teachers are able to evaluate their student's progress in a ongoing matter. Diagnostic testing puts children on a level playing field with one another. Testing reveals what children do and do not know. However, undue labels may be put on children, tracking information may be used incorrectly and students may spend more time preparing for and taking tests than learning.
Tags: kindergarten through, their student, about certain, about certain subject, allow students
