Module 3: Purposes of Assessment

5th Parent-Teacher Conference and 3rd Quarter Distribution of Report Cards. Assessments are meant to be reported to parents as major stakeholders in the education of our young learners. Dr. Lorna Earl said in her webinar "Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind", that to be able to increase reliability of assessment, that eventually lead to high quality assessment, the teacher should utilized many reflective lenses. This means s teacher may ask for as many feedback as he can - from the students, from other teachers, and from the parents.

Assessment for what?

Assessment OF Learning: Passing is not just a matter of luck

When I was a student, I thought of assessment as an obstacle I must surpass. I have to prepare for it because if I fail, I may not have the opportunity to try it again or even if there is a chance… I may not complete the race in time. I had convinced myself then that “I will fail a test every time” that’s why I need to study harder. For some instances, it has worked for me… but for many times it has brought fear. There is a point when I have resolved that passing a subject is a matter of luck.


When I became a teacher, I want to make assessment somewhat enjoyable to my students. I make some innovation on their quizzes, exams were done in pairs and in group, and I even give take home exams and worksheets. I thought I have been doing them a favor but after studying Module 3, I realized I have been throwing arrows but not aiming at specific, relevant targets.


An assessment should have a purpose and it is not limited to measuring what our students have achieved so far. Assessment can also be done FOR learning and can be used AS a learning activity.

Assessment FOR Learning: Discovering rooms to grow

Now, every time I take an assessment, what comes first into to my mind is to think of the intended use of its results. If it’s a diagnostic exam, I am no longer bothered with reviewing because I know that its purpose is to evaluate my current knowledge and skills. For instance, last October 2018, all the science and math teachers in our Division were took an exam intended to measure our English Proficiency and Science Process Skills (SPS) Test. I supposed the data that will be derived from the assessment will be used by policy makers to improve teachers English and SPS skills. After two years, the results were released and I was surprised to know that I got the highest rating in our school. I was happy and enlightened at the same time. By looking at the scores per I knew then that I still have to work a lot especially on areas I scored very low. At the instance, the assessments provided me with information about me as a learner – I still have a lot of things to improve.

Assessment AS Learning: Learning under pressure

Post-Con with my Subject Group Head

If students are weary with examinations, for teachers, it would be the class observations. Even though I have been teaching for three years already, being observed by the school head is still nerve wracking. Good thing that we had a mentor in the person of our Subject Group Head (SGH). Receiving concrete feedback from her help me improve my instructions over the past years.  Looking back to those days, with her sitting at the back area of my class, made me realize that the actual class observation itself is already a learning experience and I should take every opportunity to self-reflect and to learn something new from it. It could also allow me to self-regulate my instructions - from the tone and volume of my voice, to the way I interact with students, how I overall manage class discussion, and the manner I deliver the assessment. And during the post-conference with my SGH, I did not just receive feedback that help me plan concrete actions to improve my weakness but a handful of motivating words that push me to aim for the better.