MODULE 3

ASSESSING TO SUPPORT
MATHEMATICS LEARNING
 This principle has important
implications for the nature of
assessment. Primary among them is
that assessment should be seen as an
integral part of teaching and learning
rather than as the culmination of the
process. As an integral part,
assessment provides an opportunity for
teachers and students alike to identify
areas of understanding and
misunderstanding.
 With this knowledge, students
and teachers can build on the
understanding and seek to
transform misunderstanding into
significant learning. Time spent
on assessment will then
contribute to the goal of
improving the mathematics
learning of all students.
 With this knowledge, students
and teachers can build on the
understanding and seek to
transform misunderstanding into
significant learning. Time spent
on assessment will then
contribute to the goal of
improving the mathematics
learning of all students.
 Assessments play a crucial
role in supporting
mathematics learning by
providing valuable feedback
to both students and
educators.
 Here's how assessments
contribute to supporting
mathematics learning:
◦ Diagnosing Understanding:
Assessments help teachers
identify students' strengths and
weaknesses in mathematical
concepts and skills. This
diagnostic aspect allows
educators to tailor instruction
to meet individual student
needs effectively.
◦ Monitoring Progress: Through
regular assessments, teachers
can monitor students' progress
over time. This monitoring
helps identify areas where
students may be struggling
and need additional support
or enrichment.
◦ Feedback Mechanism:
Assessments provide students
with feedback on their
performance, highlighting areas
of improvement and reinforcing
concepts they have mastered.
Constructive feedback
encourages students to reflect
on their learning and take
ownership of their progress.
◦ Adjusting Instruction: Assessment
results guide teachers in adjusting
their instructional strategies to better
meet the needs of their students. For
example, if a significant portion of
the class struggles with a particular
topic, the teacher may choose to
reteach the concept using different
methods or provide additional
practice opportunities.
◦ Identifying Misconceptions:
Assessments help uncover
common misconceptions or
errors in students' understanding
of mathematical concepts. By
addressing these misconceptions
early, educators can prevent
them from becoming persistent
barriers to learning.
◦ Differentiating Instruction:
Assessment data enables teachers
to differentiate instruction by
providing targeted support to
students who need it most while
offering enrichment opportunities for
those who have already mastered
the material. This personalized
approach ensures that all students
are appropriately challenged and
supported.
◦ Informing Curriculum Development:
Data from assessments can inform
curriculum development by
highlighting areas of strength and
weakness in existing instructional
materials. This information allows
curriculum developers to refine and
improve resources to better align
with students' learning needs.
◦ Promoting Reflection:
Assessments encourage students
to reflect on their mathematical
thinking and problem-solving
strategies. By analyzing their
performance on assessments,
students can identify areas for
improvement and develop
metacognitive skills that
enhance their learning process.
Lesson 1. Assessment in Support
of Learning
 Assessment in support of
learning mathematics should
be designed with the goal of
fostering student
understanding, promoting
growth mindset, and
informing instructional
practices.
 Here are key considerations
for effective assessment in
mathematics education:
◦ Formative Assessment: Emphasize
formative assessment strategies that
provide ongoing feedback to
students and teachers during the
learning process. This can include
quizzes, exit tickets, peer
assessments, and observations.
Formative assessment helps identify
student misconceptions early and
allows for timely intervention.
◦ Authentic Tasks: Use
authentic, real-world problems
and tasks that require critical
thinking, problem-solving, and
application of mathematical
concepts. Authentic tasks
engage students and help
them see the relevance of
mathematics in everyday life.
◦ Multiple Representations:
Encourage the use of multiple
representations (e.g., visual,
symbolic, verbal) to assess
mathematical understanding.
This allows students to
demonstrate their understanding
in different ways and promotes
deeper conceptual
understanding.
◦ Rubrics and Criteria: Provide
clear criteria and rubrics for
assessing student work. Clearly
defined expectations help
students understand what is
expected of them and
facilitate self-assessment and
goal-setting.
◦ Peer and Self-Assessment:
Incorporate opportunities for
peer and self-assessment, where
students evaluate their own work
and provide feedback to their
peers. Peer and self-assessment
promote reflection and
metacognition, which are
essential for mathematical
learning.
◦ Feedback: Offer constructive
feedback that is specific,
actionable, and focused on the
mathematical content. Feedback
should highlight strengths, address
misconceptions, and suggest areas
for improvement. Encourage
students to use feedback to revise
their work and deepen their
understanding.
◦ Assessment for Learning
Progressions: Design assessments
that align with learning
progressions and mathematical
standards. Assessments should
cover a range of skills and
concepts, allowing students to
demonstrate progression in their
mathematical understanding
over time.
◦ Assessment for Learning
Progressions: Design assessments
that align with learning
progressions and mathematical
standards. Assessments should
cover a range of skills and
concepts, allowing students to
demonstrate progression in their
mathematical understanding
over time.
◦ Differentiation: Differentiate
assessments to meet the diverse
needs of students. Provide
accommodations and
modifications as needed to
ensure that all students have
access to meaningful learning
experiences and can
demonstrate their understanding.
◦ Reflection and Goal Setting:
Promote reflection and goal
setting as integral parts of the
assessment process.
Encourage students to reflect
on their strengths and areas
for growth, set learning goals,
and track their progress over
time.
◦ Data-Informed Instruction: Use
assessment data to inform
instructional decisions and
differentiate instruction.
Analyze assessment results to
identify trends, patterns, and
areas of need, and adjust
teaching strategies
accordingly.
Lesson 2. Assessment in Support
of Instruction
 Assessment in support of
mathematics instruction
serves several important
purposes, including informing
teaching strategies,
monitoring student progress,
and providing feedback for
both students and teachers.
 Here are key aspects of
assessment that support
mathematics instruction:
◦ Pre-assessment: Before beginning a
new unit or topic, teachers can
administer pre-assessments to
gauge students' prior knowledge
and identify any misconceptions.
This information allows teachers to
tailor their instruction to meet the
needs of the students and address
any gaps in understanding.
◦ Formative Assessment: Formative
assessments are ongoing checks for
understanding that occur
throughout the learning process.
They provide immediate feedback
to both teachers and students,
helping to identify areas of strength
and weakness. Formative
assessments can take various forms,
such as quizzes, exit tickets,
observations, and discussions.
◦ Differentiated Assessment:
Recognize that students have
diverse learning needs and styles.
Use a variety of assessment
methods, including written tests,
oral assessments, projects, and
performance tasks, to
accommodate different learning
preferences and abilities.
◦ Authentic Assessment: Design
assessments that reflect
real-world mathematical
problem-solving scenarios.
Authentic assessments require
students to apply their
mathematical knowledge and
skills in practical contexts, helping
to reinforce the relevance of
mathematics in everyday life.
◦ Rubrics and Criteria: Provide
clear criteria and rubrics for
assessing student work. Rubrics
outline expectations for
performance and help
students understand how their
work will be evaluated. Clear
criteria enable consistent and
fair assessment practices.
◦ Feedback: Offer timely and specific
feedback to students on their
mathematical reasoning and
problem-solving strategies.
Feedback should focus on both
correct answers and
misconceptions, guiding students
towards deeper understanding.
Encourage students to use
feedback to revise their work and
improve their mathematical skills.
◦ Summative Assessment: Summative
assessments, such as end-of-unit
tests or standardized exams, provide
a snapshot of students' overall
understanding of mathematical
concepts. Use summative
assessments to evaluate student
progress towards learning goals and
standards, and to inform future
instruction.
◦ Data Analysis: Analyze
assessment data to identify
patterns and trends in student
performance. Use this
information to adjust
instructional strategies,
differentiate instruction, and
provide targeted support to
students who are struggling.
◦ Reflection and Goal Setting:
Encourage students to reflect
on their own learning and set
goals for improvement. Help
students identify areas of
strength and weakness, and
support them in developing
strategies to achieve their
learning objectives.
◦ Professional Development: Provide
opportunities for teachers to
deepen their understanding of
effective assessment practices
through professional development
workshops, collaboration with
colleagues, and ongoing training.
Effective assessment practices
require ongoing reflection and
refinement.
Lesson 3. Assessment in Support
of Teachers
 Assessment plays a crucial
role in supporting
mathematics teachers by
providing valuable insights
into student learning, guiding
instructional decisions, and
fostering professional growth.
 Here are key ways in which
assessment supports
mathematics teachers:
◦ Diagnostic Insights: Assessment
data helps teachers understand
students' prior knowledge,
misconceptions, and learning
needs. This diagnostic
information informs instructional
planning and allows teachers to
tailor their lessons to meet the
diverse needs of their students.
◦ Informing Instructional Decisions:
Assessment results guide teachers in
making data-driven instructional
decisions. By analyzing student
performance data, teachers can
identify areas of strength and
weakness in their instruction, adjust
teaching strategies, and target
interventions to support student
learning effectively.
◦ Monitoring Student Progress:
Assessments provide teachers
with ongoing feedback on
student progress and
achievement. By monitoring
student performance over time,
teachers can track growth,
identify trends, and intervene
early when students are
struggling.
◦ Differentiating Instruction:
Assessment data helps teachers
differentiate instruction to meet
the needs of diverse learners. By
understanding students'
individual strengths, weaknesses,
and learning styles, teachers can
adapt their instruction to provide
appropriate levels of challenge
and support for each student.
◦ Professional Development:
Assessment data can be used to
identify areas for professional growth
and development. By reflecting on
assessment results and instructional
practices, teachers can identify
areas of strength and areas in need
of improvement. This self-reflection
informs professional development
goals and guides teachers in refining
their instructional practice.
◦ Collaborative Learning
Communities: Assessment data
fosters collaboration among
teachers within a school or district.
By sharing assessment data,
instructional strategies, and best
practices, teachers can learn from
one another, collaborate on
instructional planning, and
collectively improve student learning
outcomes.
◦ Evaluation and Accountability:
Assessment data is often used for
teacher evaluation and
accountability purposes. By
analyzing student performance
data, administrators can assess
the effectiveness of teachers'
instruction and provide targeted
support and professional
development as needed.
◦ Promoting Reflective Practice:
Assessment encourages teachers to
engage in reflective practice,
continuously reflecting on their
instructional practices, analyzing
student data, and making
adjustments to improve student
learning outcomes. Reflective
practice is essential for ongoing
professional growth and
improvement.
◦ Aligning Instruction with Standards:
Assessment data helps teachers
ensure that their instruction aligns
with curriculum standards and
learning objectives. By analyzing
assessment results, teachers can
identify areas where students are
struggling to meet standards and
adjust their instruction accordingly.
◦ Building Student Relationships:
Through assessment, teachers gain
insights into students' strengths,
weaknesses, and individual needs.
This understanding helps teachers
build positive relationships with
students, provide personalized
support, and create a supportive
learning environment conducive to
student success.
QUESTION?