While you may not have control over whether your class must meet virtually (either for the duration of the school year or for short periods of time), benchmark assessment data can provide a great starting point for flexible lesson plans that can be carried out either in person or virtually. 4. Leverage Benchmark Assessment Results to Craft Personalized Learning Paths Remind students that benchmark testing isn’t a race and that they can always return to unanswered questions once they are done with the rest of the test. Take some class time to review effective test-taking strategies, or if you are learning online, provide a tip sheet for students and parents that covers best practices, like starting with the questions that students feel most comfortable with (even if that means answering questions out of order), not spending too much time on any single question, and skipping questions that they don’t know the answer. Knowing the right test-taking practices can make a huge difference for students once they have their benchmark assessment in front of them. Review Effective Test-Taking Strategies with Students and ParentsĪfter several months away from the classroom, students (especially early elementary learners) may not have the same level of comfort with taking tests as they did last school year. Testing is an inherently stressful experience for many students.īenchmark assessments will provide critical insight and data about your students, but they don’t need to be framed as a “big deal.”Īvoid administering benchmarks for multiple subjects on the same day, and make sure that students understand that the benchmark assessments are only a tool-not a graded assignment or judgment on their progress. Keep the Benchmark Assessment Experience Low Stakes Administering benchmark exams in a manageable, single-subject format can help provide a more accurate measure of what knowledge students have already mastered and where they have real gaps in a given subject area. In addition, educators know that students are bound to lose interest in any long test. ![]() ![]() Whether you’re teaching all subjects at the elementary level or a specific subject at the secondary level, testing your students on one topic at a time will help them focus their energy and feel more in control. Of course, building rapport with your students (and identifying any crucial basic welfare or social-emotional needs) comes first, but benchmarking should be your second priority. ![]() Getting a fast and accurate read on each student’s current knowledge is critical to starting the school year productively. Administer a Subject-Specific Benchmark Assessment Immediately at the Beginning of the YearĪt the beginning of each year, your students return to the classroom-whether in person or virtual-having had vastly different learning experiences over the summer. Here are four tips for a successful benchmark assessment strategy: 1. Benchmark assessment can be an invaluable tool in every educator’s toolbox to pinpoint student understanding, and help all students have a successful school year-whether they need to catch up, stay on track toward grade-level learning targets, or continue to make advanced progress.
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