Fairness in Student Assessments

I am a firm believer in students excelling academically given the right environment. For instance, students who have IEPs or 504 plans are good examples of this. A student with accommodations for extended time on a test is now on the same level as other students because he or she has a learning difference than impedes him or her from finishing on time, but given the extra time that’s provided, they end up flourishing. There are specialized schools that help students flourish. For those who excel in math and science, there technology schools or magnet programs meant for those students and for those who need special education and smaller classes, there are schools focused on student differences and learning disabilities. If you think of it this way, is it fair for a student who is continuously underperforming to be placed in a group of kids who are over performing? There’s too much of a gap and in order to reduce the gap or at least mediate it, there needs to be some form of accommodation (given proper documentation).

A way to measure student learning is through assessments. Given the right environment a student can excel, but this is also true of assessments. The right, fair, valid, and reliable  assessment can go a long way for the student but also for teachers. The scores can be used to gauge where students are and it can also be used to improve or differentiate instruction. Now, in terms of which assessments are best for which students, the first important piece is to build rapport. A teacher who knows his or her students are best at assessing them because they often know where there strengths and weaknesses lie. Next, having a clear learning target is important in order to formulate the assessment. Having a mixture of questions with different formats (multiple choice, selected response, essay, etc.) is key in ensuring fairness. Also, having a variety of assessments is also needed like performance, alternate, creative, portfolios, and self-assessments. This also allows students to showcase their learning in different ways.

What I have learned so far during my MAT program is to utilize best practices and making them relatable for students. I’ll use different resources such as colleagues, mentors, and books when creating assessments to remove any biases or ambiguity. When it comes to scoring, I want to be as objective as possible so I will create and utilize a rubric. I also want to make sure my tests are reliable and valid so making sure my objective is clear and specific, and that the content aligns with it. I will also let students know what to expect and provide either study guides or a breakdown of the test and format. I want to make sure they know my expectations so they can study appropriately. The key to fairness in student achievement is the right environment and having appropriate measures for assessing student learning.