Sometimes, assessments can feel like a “big reveal”: Will the topics we covered in class actually be on there, or will there be a magical white rabbit none of us saw coming? It’s anyone’s guess.
But assessments shouldn’t have to feel that way. When used to their full potential, instructional assessments can actually serve as planning tools that help teachers internalize the demands of the standards. That way, teachers are better prepared to support students as they engage with rigorous, grade-level content.
And while simply reading the language of a standard is a powerful first step, looking at an assessment question or task helps you see what the standard looks like in action. It’s that age-old adage: Show me, don’t tell me.
Previewing math assessments is based on the idea that there’s no substitute for doing the work. Teachers solve the problems and answer the questions their students will be expected to do. As they analyze graphs and make estimations, teachers notice what skills and knowledge they have to draw on. They discover different entry points and potential pitfalls.
With a clear sense of the end goal in mind, teachers can improve their planning and instruction by asking themselves, How does my curriculum approach these standards, and is it similar to or different than how they are assessed? What should I pay attention to and/or adjust in my upcoming materials or instruction based on what I know is expected of students on the assessment?
Watch this video in which Principal Susan Harvey from George Washington Carver Elementary School in Cleveland, OH, shares how her teachers (and students!) have made it a habit to look at assessments as part of their planning.
Use this assessment preview protocol to help “flip” assessments from being a measure of students’ skills and knowledge to a powerful planning tool.