Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading. Robert J. Marzano

      Student-generated assessments are probably the most underutilized form of classroom assessment. As the name implies, a defining feature of student-generated assessments is that students generate ideas about the manner in which they will demonstrate their current status on a given topic. To do so, they might use any of the types of obtrusive assessments discussed in the preceding text. For example, one student might say that she will provide an oral answer to any of the twenty questions in the back of chapter 3 of the science textbook to demonstrate her knowledge of the topic of habitats. Another student might propose that he design and explain a model of the cell membrane to demonstrate his knowledge of the topic. The following examples depict student-generated assessments that might be employed in various subject areas.

      Language arts: To demonstrate her understanding of a book read in class, a fifth-grade student proposes that she write a paper describing the events of the story and how one event caused another, leading to the story’s ultimate resolution.

      Mathematics: To demonstrate his understanding of geometric angles, a fourth-grade student proposes that he measure and draw acute, obtuse, and right angles as well as complementary and supplementary angles in the presence of the teacher.

      Science: To show that she understands the solar system, an eighth-grade student proposes that she draw a diagram of the solar system and write a paper describing the major features of each different planet and its relationship to the other planets in the system.

      Social studies: To demonstrate his understanding of the causes of World War II, an eighth-grade student proposes that he write a paper on how the war might have been avoided if the Treaty of Versailles had not been so punitive to Germany.

      Physical education: To show that she can do a forward and a backward roll, a kindergarten student offers to demonstrate both movements for the teacher.

      Art: To show his skill at shading, a sixth-grade student offers to draw and shade an object in his house and bring the drawing to class.

      Technology: To show that she understands how email works, a first-grade student offers to send the teacher an email from the school computer lab and bring a printed copy of the teacher’s reply to class.

      Exercise 2.1 provides some practice in classifying assessments. (See page 35 for a reproducible of this exercise and page 132 for a reproducible answer sheet. Visit MarzanoResources.com/classroom strategies to download all the exercises and answers in this book.)

Exercise 2.1 Obtrusive, Unobtrusive, and Student-Generated Assessments

      After reading each of the following classroom assessment scenarios, determine whether it is best classified as an example of obtrusive, unobtrusive, or student-generated assessment.