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** History of Assessment in Education ** Assessment can be traced back through the beginning of education; however it has changed as the process of education has changed. Up until World War I assessment consisted of oral assessment and recitation. Shortly after World War I a boom occurred and the idea of tracking took place. In order to, what was believed, successful tracking the IQ test was invented. This was developed to organize students in an attempt to unify students and acquire Utopia. They used this test to determine the quality of people. They also used this test to track students and spot future leaders. Standardizing became the main source of assessment and the SAT’s were created to help continue tracking. Through the mid/late 1900’s written examination became the soul assessment piece. This allowed teachers to directly assess students’ knowledge through written work. The Thorndike Handwriting Scale was the first recognized standardized test which was implemented in 1910. Tests similar in style continued to sore as the century went on. Throughout the 1900’s basic assessment stayed the same: oral recitation, written exams, and standardized tests were the most commonly used forms of assessment. Although some of these practices are still used in today’s educational system, teachers and professionals are working hard to distinguish more effective and beneficial assessment that is more student-centered.

** Standardized Testing ** Since before most people my age can remember, we have been subjected to a wide variety of standardized tests without any option or alternative. They have been an integral part of our education system, or so we think, for the past 50 years (Fletcher, 2009). As time passed and education became more and more progressive, educators and politicians wanted a better way to examine students on a massive level. Standardized testing, in the United States, all began with the coming of World War 1. When the war started, war officials needed a quick way to test soldiers to determine what position and task they should take. Using a mental test and aptitude quizzes, army officials were able to figure out what young men were suited for which jobs (Fletcher, 2009). The only problem at this time was that they needed to grade the tests manually still which was very time consuming and defeated the whole “testing the masses as quick as possible” idea. When you think about standardized testing, bubbling in answers on a scanner grid comes to mind first because standardized tests are known for being processed and graded with computers. It was not until the 1930s that the first auto-correction program was invented and thus began the start of efficient, mass testing (Fletcher, 2009). The famous SAT test is one of the most popular and well known standardized tests administered in the United States today. The SAT began in the 1920s as a 97 minute test with 315 questions (Lawrence et. al, 2002). It had a total of 9 sections, 7 being literary related and the other 2 being mathematical. The [|SAT] looked very different when it first emerged than it does today in that over time, SAT administrators reduced the amount of sections and extended the amount of test time because students were not finishing the test as planned (Lawrence et. al, 2002). In the 1930s, the test morphed to be similar to what we know of the test today and did not change much, excluding minor revisions, until 2005 (Fletcher, 2009). In 2005, the analogies were completely removed from the test and a writing portion was added. With this change came an alteration in the maximum score from 1600 to 2400 (Fletcher, 2009). It was not until the end of World War 2 when the test became a necessity for high schoolers to gain admission into most colleges and universities. While the SAT is definitely the most well-known standardized test in the United States, there are many others that are mandated in certain sections of education. For example, there are the SAT II’s which are for students who seek admission into more elite colleges such as Harvard, Cornell, or Yale. There are also the Advanced Placement tests that high schoolers take for the opportunity to opt out of general education classes in college. The MCAS test for Massachusetts students is a requirement for graduation and not only assesses reading/language arts and math skills but science/technology as well (MDESE, 2010). As future educators, we are all familiar with the Praxis series standardized tests which are supposed to evaluate whether or not we are intelligent enough to be teachers. All of these standardized tests are used to assess mass amounts of students in as little time as possible but this method of testing has proven to be very biased. Because standardized testing is a very traditional method of assessment, teachers who maintain an idealist or realist philosophy would be more drawn to standardized tests. More modern and radical philosophies like pragmatism and existentialism would prefer a much more subjective test that allows each student to be tested at their level and personality. Standardized tests, such as the SAT and Praxis, measure each and every student against the same scale. If a student does not fit that particular standard, then they will not be able to get into college, graduate college, or just be what they want to be. Realists and Idealists have a very conservative teaching style that is very structured, much like standardized tests. According to my personal philosophy, I believe that standardized tests are positives and negatives. Obviously, the negatives include the unfairness to some students and the lack of focus on students’ diversity. I think that the standardized test tries to do something it can’t which is accurately measure each student’s level of educational achievement to a certain point through only two multiple intelligences. On the other hand, I think that students should be tested at a massive level but there is not the time nor the resources to test each and every student as an individual based on their particular learning style. It is a constant war that will continue for many years to come, especially being a future teacher in the United States. ** Different Kinds of Assessment ** A definition for assessment is hard to come by. Each teacher has his or her own view of how and why students should be assessed and what they should be assessed over. According to McTighe and O’Connor in their article //Seven Practices for Effective Learning//, “Classroom assessment and grading practices have the potential not only to measure and report learning but also to promote it.” Assessment is a process; it is never ending. Great assessment shows the teacher what his or her students have learned and what they haven’t learned, what was effective and ineffective. It is a measure of the progress of the students and of the usefulness of the lesson. Assessments don’t necessarily require a grade. Diagnostic assessment, also known as pre assessment, measures the knowledge of the student on a subject area prior to the lesson. A great example of diagnostic assessment would be a KWL chart. Students fill out the “know” section of the chart with information that they already know about the section. This helps a teacher adapt her or her lesson to meet the educational needs of the students. Assessment that occurs during learning is formative assessment. Formative assessments allow a teacher to determine whether or not the lesson needs to be adjusted to better meet the needs of his or her students. Formative assessments give students a chance to practice what they’re learning while they are learning it. Some methods of formative assessments include observations, student self-assessments, group discussions, and goal setting. To determine the overall picture of what students have learned, summative assessment is used. It would commonly be used at the end of a unit and is beneficial in ensuring content standards are met and that the curriculum is effective. Tests and portfolios are examples of summative assessments. There are many different types of assessment but they all serve the same purpose: measure student learning and teacher ability. As the educational system continues to move forward, the effectiveness of assessment becomes much more substantial. There is still a lot to be learned by educators on how to appropriately assess; however we are making steps in the right direction.

Works Cited "9 Principles of Good Practice: Assessment: Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment." //Indiana University Kokomo//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

"Assessment vs. Evaluation: Tips & Advice for Teachers (Grades K-12) - TeacherVision.com." //Teacher Lesson Plans, Printables & Worksheets by Grade or Subject - TeacherVision.com//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

"Authentic Assessment Toolbox Home Page." //Jon Mueller Home Page//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

"E. L. Thorndike: Handwriting: The Measurement of the Quality of Handwriting." //Brock University//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

Fletcher, D. (2009, December 11). Brief history standardized testing. //Time//, Retrieved from []. **Provides a brief history of standardized testing, SATs, ACTs, and other tests.** "History of Iq Tests." //Free Online Iq Test - IQ Test Center//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

"The History of SAT." //The Eduers Higher Education//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

Lawrence, I., Rigol, G., Essen, T.V., & Jackson, C.A. (2002). A historical perspective on the sat. //Collge Board Research Report//, //2002//(7), 1-20. **Provides a detailed overview of the SAT, what it was when it started and how it changed over the years.** MDESE (2010, September 29). //Massachusetts comprehensive assessment system//. Retrieved from []. **Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education information about the MCAS test.** "Seven Practices for Effective Learning." //ERIC – World’s Largest Digital Library of Education Literature//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. . "The Teachers' Internet Use Guide." //Welcome to RMC Denver//. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .

"YouTube - TEDxNYED - Dan Meyer - 03/06/10." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.// Web. 03 Nov. 2010. .