• They are published tests that are administered, scored, and interpreted in a standard manner.
• Same directions for administering, time, and scoring.

• Are created and selected by teachers
• Can take many different forms (multiple choice, T/F, fill in the blank, short answer, essay...) 

• Critical because teaching involves making many judgments and decisions based on student performance.
• Parents will often question you regarding their child's grade.

• Tells how much, how often, or how well by providing scores, ranks or rating.
•   Allows a teachers to compare one student’s performance on a particular task, with either a specific standard or performance of other students on the same task.

• The process of gathering information about a student's learning. 
• Can be formal, such as unit tests; or informal, such as observations.
• Can be designed by classroom teachers, the local school district, state, or national agencies.

• Occurs before or during instruction.
• It is used to guide the teacher in planning and improving instruction. It helps the student improve in his/her learning!
• Helps the teacher form instruction.

• Occurs at the end of instruction.
•  Let's the teacher and students know their level of accomplishment
• Always the final ____.

• Testing in which scores are compared with the average performance of others.
• Typical level of performance for a particular group.

1. Classes at your grade level
2. Your school
3. School District
4. Nation  

• When test scores are not compared to those of others, but to a given criterion or standard of performance
• These are the quizzes and tests that one will design, with a rubric and grading scale. 
• These tests measure the mastery of specific objectives.
• The results should show the teacher exactly what the students can and cannot do.

1. Achievement
2. Diagnostic
3. Aptitude 

• Used to test how much a student has learned in a particular content area.
• Ohio Academic Achievement, Iowa Test of Basic Skills...

• Used to measure abilities over a long period of time, and to predict future learning performance.
• SAT, ACT... 

• Is the average of a group of scores.
•  To calculate: add up all of the scores and divide by the total number of scores.

• Are obtained from separately normed samples for each grade level.

• They are reported in numbers such as: 3.8, 5.4, 11.2. The whole number represents the grade and the decimal the month.

• The grade represents a list of accomplishments.
• If clear objectives have been set for the course, the grade may represent a certain number of objectives met satisfoctorily.
• Criteria for each grade is generally spelled out in advance (syllabus). 

1. We must encourage students to reach beyond their intellectual grasp and allow them the privilege of learning from mistakes.
2. There must be a tolerance for error-making in every classroom, and gradual success, rather than continual success must become the yardstick by which learning is judged.
3. Students whose learning histories  have caused them to believe that excellence can be achieved with minimual effort do not learn to expend effort, and yet perceive that high grades are an entitlement for them.

Retained children are more likely male members of minority groups. Living in poverty, and less likely to have participated in early childhood program.

• A very important part of your success as a teacher, will be communicating with parents on a regular basis.

• Parent/Teacher conferences should not be your only communication with parents.