Assessment and Instruction

FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIAL: What are the key priority standards for my grade level/content area?

By giving priority to certain standards and concentrating on the most essential objectives for a grade level or course, teachers can provide targeted instruction and assessments. The key is "prioritization" not "elimination."

Additional resources around priority instructional content can be found at Achieve the Core.

PLANNING AND TEACHING: Based on what’s essential, what’s the best way to design lessons?

✩Keep it simple!

✩Use the technological tools that you and your students are familiar with.

✩The same high quality effective instructional practices apply to online instruction.

ASSESSMENT: How will you know when students have learned the standard?

Guiding Principles/Questions:

✩What is the purpose of the assessment?(formative/summative)

✩Which digital tools/resources will allow for accurately assessing student performance?

✩What are the limitations that students face in this new environment, and how does that affect the assigned assessment? (time, materials, etc.)

FEEDBACK: One of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement. Feedback should be timely, specific, balanced, and ongoing.

Essential aspects of feedback:

✩Always begin with the positive.

✩Identify what specific aspects of students’ performance need to improve.

✩Offer specific guidance and direction for making improvements.

✩Express confidence in students’ ability to achieve at the highest level.