| Internal
Assessment, also known as curriculum-embedded assessment, encompasses
student evaluations developed and used by and for individual
schools. Internal assessment is a crucial part of the instruction
process, aiding teachers, students, and parents in documenting
student progress in content that is not typically evaluated
in external assessment.
Internal
assessment also serves as a basis for professional development.
Teachers who analyze the work of their students will see trends
in student performance that may be related to instruction.
For example, a teacher who sees that performance of his or
her theatre students over time lacks depth may wish to take
advanced acting courses to elicit more depth in student performance.
An
ongoing practice of internal assessment enables teachers to
monitor learning as part of their teaching process. It indicates
how to adjust instructional strategies to accommodate the
different needs and learning styles of students, and aids
students in self-assessment by providing them with critical
feedback. Though teachers sometimes design specific tasks
to address particular concepts or skills, any student product
and learning process can be viewed as an assessment tool,
providing teachers with valuable information on current levels
of student performance. Particularly useful examples of internal
assessment are:
- Checklists
- Student
journals
- Individual
and group projects
- Classwork
- Peer
reviews
- Conferencing
- Portfolios.
Whatever
assessment tools are used, teachers should ensure that they
are aligned with the TEKS, local curriculum, and instructional
strategies. Additionally, teachers should make sure students
understand what knowledge and skills will be assessed and
provide constructive feedback to students. Good, clear assessment
preparation will keep reteaching to a minimum.
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