Chapter 3

This chapter was about how to assess students in a differentiated classroom. There was an emphasis on pre-assessments to determine student knowledge and readiness to allow the teacher to help students learn effectively rather than trying to teach them things they already know. It also stresses how important it is to act on the information you have collected rather than just let it sit there. The chapter suggests giving students the final assessment at the beginning of the unit so they will know exactly what is expected of them at the end. This way they will pay attention because they will know what they need to be listening for. The chapter also discusses authentic assessment and how important it is for students to be able to connect to the material in a real way. It also talks about avoiding "fluff" assignments and sticking with the ones that have real substance and help the students learn rather than just keep them busy. The other thing the chapter discussed was to remember that there are influences outside of the classroom that factor into a student's academic achievement. A terrible home life can hamper their ability to succeed.
Starting with the end in mind will allow students to see what the important concepts are and they will understand which material essential or desirable. It is good to give students the test at the beginning of the unit, but it would need to be changed before it was given again to avoid having students simply memorize the answers. A multiple choice test would become a perfect A grade if it was given prior to the exam date. It is definitely a good idea to have several assessments over the course of a grading period so the student does not have so many anxiety problems with having one large test that is a huge portion of their grade. One test should not usually mark the difference between passing and failing. Outside factors are also incredibly important, especially when a normally high achieving student suddenly plummets. It may seem intrusive, but it is the teacher's place to try to help the student when it affects their academics or even when it doesn't . The teacher can become a safe adult for the student to talk to.