Artifact: Math Pre-test
This assessment was used to assess the students’ prior knowledge of numeric operations at the beginning of the school year. Determining the math level of new students helps determine areas that need emphasis during the course of fourth grade. The assessment covers Alabama objectives that are to be mastered and introduced in third grade.
Using a base line assessment with students helps a teacher judge the progress or lack of, students achieve in the course of a school year. By determining first what a student knows then using this information to design learning experiences to deepen and build upon that knowledge teachers plan for the success of all students. Using assessments periodically throughout the school year and reflecting back on the base line assessment teachers can judge the effectiveness of their teaching and determine other strategies to be used if needed.
In the past I’ve used textbook generated inventory tests because I was asked by my administrator to administer such pre-assessments. However, I never really used them in the development of any of my plans. After researching different math strategies and developing a plan to use in my classroom I have come to realize the valuable information such pre-assessments possess. I also realized that the inventory tests I was using did not correlate with the objectives I’m required to teach. Because of this realization I have created my own inventory test and hope to make it better as I use it and derive information from it each year.
In completing this pre-test students will demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses in the area of math. Students will apply previous taught math skills to complete math problems. In return this information will be used to develop math units and implement math strategies in the classroom.
Proposition #2 – Teachers know the subject they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
This pre-test is an example of how to teach math to students. Although students come into my fourth grade classroom having been taught first through third grade math objectives teachers must never assume the students are ready for fourth grade math. In administering a pre-test teachers are doing a temperature check of students abilities and can then begin developing strategies to enhance the strengths of the students and at the same time build upon the weaknesses in order for students to be successful with the fourth grade math curriculum. Of all subjects taught math skills cannot be glossed over in order to move on to the next objective.
Proposition #3 – Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
By administering a pre-test teachers develop a base line of student knowledge which makes it easier to monitor student learning. Teachers who closely monitor student learning are able to communicate the child’s instructional needs as well as their progress. Not only can a teacher use this base line in order to communicate the achievements of the individual learner but also the achievements or needs of the entire class during the reflection part of a lesson or unit.
The strength of this pre-test is that it was easy to grade. After using this in my classroom I found that it had many weaknesses. It did not offer all the information that I had anticipated in the development of this assessment. I really wanted to have an assessment that revealed the thought processes of my fourth graders, this only showed those who knew the correct answer or who was a good guesser and I couldn’t even determine which was which. In the future my pre-tests will not look so much like a math test rather a journal or maybe even an attitude survey. I also am thinking about pulling students back in small groups to administer a more oral type of pre-assessment to encourage students to think out loud which will show me their thought processes without adding the burden to a new fourth grader of writing down what they’re thinking which they may not be comfortable doing at that point.