Standardized assessments, such as New York's Math and English Language Arts Performance Assessment, are given at specific points throughout a school year to measure student growth in a subject area. These assessments usually play a heavy role in student placement for the following year. Those that score high on these state-wide assessments are placed into advanced-level classes, while students whose performance is below the norm will be given the assistance they need to ensure growth the following year. The importance of standardized tests cannot be understated, as they pinpoint the exact areas in which students flourish and struggle, and teachers in turn use this data to help the student grow.
Teachers are always observing their students, and in doing so are continually assessing their growth. Noticing student engagement, progress and setbacks, and overall personality is the best way to knowing the whole student, and truly understanding him. Observations are not meant to be judgmental; being objective when observing a child is beneficial to both parties. They can be taken in the form of a notebook, or audio and video recordings may be used (given parental consent) to be viewed at a later time. Observations can also be meta-cognitive, in that formative and summative assessments can be observed on a continuum in order to document student growth.
Rubrics are used to grade student performance on specific tasks within a project or assignment. A rubric will include specific categories pertaining to the task at hand, along with a scaled rating system for each category. For example, categories for an 8th grade Social Studies assignment may include Organization, Historical Information, Sources, and Presentation. The Sources category would then be rated on a scale from 1-4; 1 meaning only one source was used, and was cited inaccurately, and 4 meaning that more than 5 sources were used and they were all cited correctly. Rubrics are often shared with students before a project is even begun, in order to show them what an exemplary final product would include. Rubrics can be used to assess student performance on a daily basis, especially for at-risk students who need frequent updates on their progress to stay motivated.
Student portfolios are the culmination of the work a student has done throughout a specific unit. Before finalizing a portfolio, students collect everything they have done in relation to a certain topic, and decide which artifacts best exemplify their efforts. Anything may be considered for inclusion: for example, for a unit revolving around a 7th grade novel, a portfolio may include an A+ on a chapter quiz, a flash drive that will load a Powerpoint presentation exhibiting real-world connections from the novel, or even a drawing of a student's favorite character from the novel that he drew for fun outside of class. A student may decide that specific artifacts don't belong in the portfolio, as they don't exhibit his best efforts; these documents may be left out at the student's discretion. The advantages of using portfolios all benefit the child. Creating portfolios allows students to be critical of their own work, and deciding which is a product of their best efforts. The use of portfolios also teachers students the importance of organization and presentation.