EDUC 340 - Assessment

5 Credits

This course equips future educators with comprehensive assessment tools and strategies for today’s diverse classrooms. Students will master various assessment types, learning to design and implement evaluations that engage learners across all subject areas while addressing individual student needs.

Participants will develop skills in classroom observation, data collection, and using student voice and teacher reflection to guide instructional improvements. The course examines current grading practices alongside curriculum planning tools including Year-at-a-Glance calendars, Common Core Standards, learning targets, and rubrics.

Special emphasis is placed on creating equitable assessments for students receiving specialized services (IEP, 504, Multilingual Learners, RTI), experiencing trauma, or facing behavioral challenges. Students will also learn ethical data management practices, including maintaining confidentiality, collaborating in professional learning communities, and effectively communicating student progress with families and community stakeholders.

Pre-requisite(s) EDUC 404 with min 2.0
Instructor Permission Required Yes
Program Admission Required Yes Admitted Program BAS - EDUC
FeesTeaching Licensure Test Fee

Quarters Typically Offered
Spring Evening, Online

Designed to Serve Students in the BAS Elementary Education program seeking teacher certification.
Active Date 20260408T14:55:06

Grading Basis Decimal Grade
Class Limit 24
Contact Hours: Lecture 55
Total Contact Hours 55
Degree Distributions:
ProfTech Course Yes
Course Outline

Principles of measurement

Definition
Scales of measurement

Types of assessment

Formal
Informal

Bias in Assessment

Sources of Bias
Minimizing Bias

Tools of assessment

Observation
Tests

Uses of Assessment

Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs)
Class Assessments
Social Justice Critique

State-Required Assessments

Student Assessments
Teacher Assessments (WEST, edTPA, TPEP)

Standards-Based Grading

Student Learning Outcomes
Students apply assessment principles to evaluate learning progress using Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Learning Targets (LT), Success Criteria (SC), rubrics, and collected data. They also demonstrate how to maintain student confidentiality, discuss performance in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Professional Learning Teams (PLT), and appropriately communicate student progress with families and communities.

Analyze and compare principles of formative, summative, behavior analysis, and student-voice assessments. Design and align these assessments with CCSS and SEL standards, and use collected data to measure student progress, inform instructional improvements, and support student engagement, motivation, and positive growth.

Analyze assessments and instructional sources to identify cultural, linguistic, and contextual biases and evaluate their impact on diverse learners. Students will then design and implement culturally responsive and equitable assessments and differentiated lessons that address a variety of learning styles, abilities, and student needs.

Students will identify and describe all state-required standardized assessments for elementary school students and explain their purpose and the process of administering the assessments.