Research-Based Assessment Strategies

A Collection of Simple Assessment
Strategies You Can Use Every Day

22 Simple Assessment Strategies & Tips You Can Use Every Day
1. An open-ended question that gets them writing/talking
Avoid yes/no questions and phrases like “Does this make sense?” In response to these
questions, students usually answer ‘yes.’ So, of course, it’s surprising when several students
later admit that they’re lost.
To help students grasp ideas in class, ask open-ended questions that require students that
get students writing/talking. They will undoubtedly reveal more than you would’ve thought
to ask directly.
2. Ask students to reflect
During the last five minutes of class ask students to reflect on the lesson and write down what
they’ve learned. Then, ask them to consider how they would apply this concept or skill in a
practical setting. Exit tickets using tools like Loop make this easy to administer and review
student answers.
3. Use quizzes
Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension.
4. Ask students to summarize
Have students summarize or paraphrase important concepts and lessons. This can be done
orally, visually, or otherwise.
5. Hand signals
Hand signals can be used to rate or indicate students’ understanding of content. Students can
show anywhere from five fingers to signal maximum understanding to one finger to signal
minimal understanding. This strategy requires engagement by all students and allows the
teacher to check for understanding within a large group.
6. Response cards
Index cards, signs, whiteboards, magnetic boards, or other items are simultaneously held up
by all students in class to indicate their response to a question or problem presented by the
teacher. Using response devices, the teacher can easily note the responses of individual
students while teaching the whole group.
7. Four corners
A quick and easy snapshot of student understanding, Four Corners provides an opportunity
for student movement while permitting the teacher to monitor and assess understanding.
The teacher poses a question or makes a statement. Students then move to the appropriate
corner of the classroom to indicate their response to the prompt. For example, the corner
choices might include “I strongly agree,” “I strongly disagree,” “I agree somewhat,” and “I’m
not sure.”
8. Think-pair-share
Students take a few minutes to think about the question or prompt. Next, they pair with a
designated partner to compare thoughts before sharing with the whole class.
9. Choral reading
Students mark text to identify a particular concept and chime in, reading the marked text
aloud in unison with the teacher. This strategy helps students develop fluency; differentiate
between the reading of statements and questions; and practice phrasing, pacing, and reading
dialogue.
10. One question quiz
Ask a single focused question with a specific goal that can be answered within a minute or
two. You can quickly scan the written responses to assess student understanding.
11. Socratic seminar
Students ask questions of one another about an essential question, topic, or selected text.
The questions initiate a conversation that continues with a series of responses and additional
questions. Students learn to formulate questions that address issues to facilitate their own
discussion and arrive at a new understanding.
12. 3-2-1
Students consider what they have learned by responding to the following prompt at the end
of the lesson: 3) things they learned from your lesson; 2) things they want to know more
about; and 1) questions they have. The prompt stimulates student reflection on the lesson
and helps to process the learning.
13. Ticket out the door
Students write in response to a specific prompt for a short period of time. Teachers collect
their responses as a “ticket out the door” to check for students’ understanding of a concept
taught. This exercise quickly generates multiple ideas that could be turned into longer pieces
of writing at a later time.
14. Journal reflections
Students write their reflections on a lesson, such as what they learned, what caused them
difficulty, strategies they found helpful, or other lesson-related topics. Students can reflect on
and process lessons. By reading student work–especially —types of learning journals that
help students think—teachers can identify class and individual misconceptions and
successes. (See also
15. Formative pencil–paper assessment
Students respond individually to short, pencil–paper formative assessments of skills and

knowledge taught in the lesson. Teachers may elect to have students self-correct. The teacher
collects assessment results to monitor individual student progress and to inform future
instruction.
Both student and teacher can quickly assess whether the student acquired the intended
knowledge and skills. This is a formative assessment, so a grade is not the intended purpose.
16. Misconception check
Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a concept you’re

covering. Ask them whether they agree or disagree and to explain why.
17. Analogy prompt
Teaching with analogies can be powerful. Periodically, present students with an analogy
prompt: “the concept being covered is like ____ because ____.”
18. Practice frequency
Check for understanding at least three times a lesson, minimum.
19. Use variety
Teachers should use enough different individual and whole group techniques to check
understanding that they accurately know what all students know. More than likely, this means
during a single class the same technique should not be repeated.
20. Make it useful
The true test is whether or not you can adjust your course or continue as planned based on
the information received in each check. Do you need to stop and start over? Pull a few
students aside for three minutes to re-teach? Or move on?
21. Peer instruction
Perhaps the most accurate way to check for understanding is to have one student try to teach
another student what she’s learned. If she can do that successfully, it’s clear she understood
your lesson.
22. “Separate what you do and don’t understand”
Whether making a t-chart, drawing a concept map, or using some other means, have the
students not simply list what they think they know, but what they don’t know as well. This
won’t be as simple as it sounds–we’re usually not aware of what we don’t know.
They’ll also often know more or less than they can identify themselves, which makes this
strategy a bit crude. But that’s okay–the goal isn’t for them to be precise and complete in
their self-evaluation the goal is for you to gain insight as to what they do and don’t know.

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A Collection of Simple Assessment

Strategies You Can Use Every Day

1. An open-ended question that gets them writing/talking

2. Ask students to reflect

Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension.

4. Ask students to summarize

10. One question quiz

11. Socratic seminar

13. Ticket out the door

14. Journal reflections

15. Formative pencil–paper assessment

Students respond individually to short, pencil–paper formative assessments of skills and

16. Misconception check

Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a concept you’re

18. Practice frequency

Check for understanding at least three times a lesson, minimum.

19. Use variety

20. Make it useful

21. Peer instruction

22. “Separate what you do and don’t understand”

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