Assessment and evaluation requires thoughtful planning and implementation to support the learning process and to inform teaching. All assessments and evaluation of student achievement must be based on the outcomes in the provincial curriculum and allow for flexibility determined by the needs of the student.
There are three interrelated purposes of assessment. Each type of assessment, systematically implemented, contributes to an overall picture of an individual student’s achievement.
Assessment for learning (formative assessment) involves the use of information about student progress to support and improve student learning, inform instructional practices, and:
- is teacher-driven for student, teacher, and parent use;
- occurs throughout the teaching and learning process, using a variety of tools; and
- engages teachers in providing differentiated instruction, feedback to students to enhance their learning, and information to parents in support of learning.
Assessment as learning (formative assessment) actively involves student reflection on learning, monitoring of his/her own progress, and:
- supports students in critically analyzing learning related to curricular outcomes;
- is student-driven with teacher guidance; and
- occurs throughout the learning process.
Assessment of learning (summative assessment) involves teachers’ use of evidence of student learning to make judgements about student achievement and:
- provides opportunity to report evidence of achievement related to curricular outcomes;
- occurs at the end of a learning cycle using a variety of tools;
- provides the foundation for discussions on placement or promotion.Evaluation compares assessment information against criteria based on curriculum outcomes for the purpose of communicating to students, teachers, parents/caregivers, and others about student progress; and to make informed decisions about the teaching and learning process.
(Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, 2010b, p. 33)
