Ptasienski 1

Lindsay Ptasienski
Reflective Statement

Artifact: Assessment Brochure

Professional Standard 8 – Assessment

The teacher understands various formal and informal assessment strategies and uses them
to support the continuous development of all students.
8A. Understands assessment as a means of evaluating how students learn, what they
know and are able to do in meeting the Illinois Academic Standards, and what kinds of
experiences will support their further growth and development.
8D. Understands how to use the results of assessment to reflect on and modify teaching.
8E. Understands how to select, construct, and use assessment strategies and instruments
for diagnosis and evaluation of learning and instruction.
8I. Uses assessment results to diagnose student learning needs, align and modify
instruction, and design teaching strategies.
8J. Appropriately uses a variety of formal and informal assessments to evaluate the
understanding, progress, and performance of the individual student and the class as a
whole.
8N. Collaborates with families and other professionals involved in the assessment of
individuals with disabilities.

1. Fully state the standard in bold text. Then write a paragraph explaining your knowledge and
understanding of the standard—put the standard into your own words.

This standard is about how I, as a teacher, understand that there are many different forms of both

formal and informal assessment strategies that can be used to support the development of my

students. I can use the results of the assessment to evaluate the progress of my students and to

ensure that their needs are met within the classroom. I will appropriately use a variety of

assessment techniques to evaluate the understanding, progress, and performance of each

individual student and of the class as a whole. I will also communicate with families as well as

other teachers/administrators, to keep them updated with how their students will be assessed

throughout the year. Through my understanding of assessment, I will be better equipped to

differentiate my instruction as well as provide for the needs of a diverse group of learners.
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2. Explain how the artifact you chose demonstrates your understanding and application of the
standard.

The artifact that I chose outlines that way that my future classroom will be run in terms of

assessment. This artifact is a brochure that I will send home to my students’ parents to keep

them informed about how I will be assessing their children throughout the course of the

academic school year. This brochure outlines my strategies for informal as well as formal

instruction. It also includes an explanation for how standardized testing is incorporated into the

school day. By outlining my philosophy of assessment, I declared my understanding of how it is

used to both guide and enhance my classroom instruction and how it will benefit the students and

class at large. This brochure demonstrates my understanding and application of the standard

directly through providing examples and an outline of my future assessment plan.

3. A If the artifact has been used in your practice, reflect on how your teaching will change in
the future to further meet the standard.
B If the artifact has not been used in your practice, i.e., a class assignment, reflect upon how
your teaching will be impacted by the assignment.

This artifact has not been used in my practice, but it will definitely impact my future teaching.

By setting a standard for assessment at the beginning of the academic school year, I will have

more guidance and purpose for my instruction. By communicating with the parents as well as

the administrators, I will open up collaboration opportunities to get parents involved in their

students’ learning, which in-turn will enhance my classroom instruction. By sending home a

brochure, parents will better understand how they can be preparing their students for the

assessment that will be used within the classroom on a regular basis. Also, by forming a

philosophy about instruction, I am held more accountable to my own words. Through

developing this philosophy, I will be more intentional about abiding by it in my day-to-day

instruction.
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4. Conclude with a paragraph discussing how you are more prepared to Teach and Learn in a
Diverse Society as a result of satisfactorily meeting the standard.

Assessment affects every student in every school. By having such an test-driven education

system, knowing how to use assessment to benefit classroom instruction will help to inform me

about the specific needs of my students. By utilizing assessment, I will be able to identify the

areas of weakness that my students possess and develop strategies to scaffold their instruction—

providing them with more individual help. With groups of students that are above, at, and below

grade-level, assessment can help to develop intervention or enrichment programs in order to

level the playing field for all students.