Planning for Reliable and Valid Evidence of Learning
Planning the evidence of learning is critical to ensuring that teachers have what they need to guide instruction and make informed professional judgments about student learning and achievement.
In classroom assessment, evidence of learning is carefully planned so that it is reliable and valid – that is, collected from multiple sources – a process called triangulation of evidence.
|Law 30 Evidence|
It goes without saying that evidence of learning is important. It used to be that we thought “important evidence” was limited to numerical data. Now we know that everything a learner says, does, or creates is potential evidence of learning.
As you consider the learning destination – what students need to know, understand, do and articulate – ask yourself, “What could students do, create, or say that would provide evidence they know and understand, can do, and can articulate what is needed?”
|Language Arts Evidence|
Make a list.
Reflect upon it.
Add to it.
Remember these are working lists. They are in 'draft' mode which signals our flexibility. Our students show what they know in a variety of ways – and today’s students have an ever-increasing list to show what they know given the gifts of technology. As teachers we need to be open to evidence of learning that is far different than what we might have expected even just a few years ago.
Teachers – Taking Action
|Performs Musical Works Evidence|
2 Read Chapter Five of Making Classroom Assessment Work Pay attention to the process you can use to plan to collect evidence from multiple sources over time – the process of triangulation – in relation to the learning outcomes or standards so that the evidence of student learning they do collect is reliable and valid. Then do the task on page 54. Find a trusted colleague with whom to share your work. When we express our learning and ‘teach’ it to someone else, we learn more.
Leaders – Taking Action
|High School Science|
2. Download Preparing for a New School Year: Building an Assessment Plan. It is a nine-page resource that provides a detailed ‘walk-through’ of the key steps for building an assessment plan.
|Social Studies Evidence|
3 Join an online learning opportunity about this topic. We suggest Topic 8 – Planning Reliable and Valid Evidence or Topic 9 – Collecting Evidence of Learning.
Call our office and speak with our helpful staff. They will connect you to the resources and support that will best suit your learning needs.
Enjoy your learning!
All our best,
Anne and Sandra