Types of Assessments

 In First grade, we primarily use three types of assessments- selected response (multiple-choice), open-ended, and performance assessments.

Selected-Response

According to the University of California at Davis (2020), selected response is the most widely used testing format.  It commonly includes multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and matching questions.  These tests are efficient and effective in scoring and can measure a broad range of learning objectives. Selective-response effectively measures a student's ability to draw inferences, apply information and interpret data.  

However, they are limited to measuring lower-order thinking skills and are not reliable measures of synthesis, originality, or organization. They cannot measure real-world skills, and students can often guess correct answers.  Test questions must be well-designed to produce effective results.

Open-ended

Open-ended assessments include question prompts that require students to construct their own responses without a choice of pre-selected answers (St. Olaf College, n.d.).  It allows students to use higher-order thinking skills from Bloom's taxonomy across various content areas.  Open-ended assessments allow teachers to assess students' ability to analyze, evaluate and solve problems (Machado, 2011).

However, the grading of these assessments can be time-consuming.  It also presents challenges for children who have difficulty with written expression due to disability, grade level, or language barriers, which requires the teacher to act as a scribe.  These open-ended tests must also be well-designed to ensure valid data is gained from the assessment (Passinger, 2021).

Performance Assessment

Performance-Based Assessments (PBAs) are assessments where students engage in an authentic task by constructing answers, creating a product, or performing an activity.  These assessments require problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.  They increase student engagement and develop academic and interpersonal skills (Pellerin, 2020). 

PBAs do have some limitations.  The biggest challenge for teachers is time.  These assessments require significant time to construct, implement, and grade (Florida Gulf Coast University, n.d.).  Scoring can also be subjective and unreliable (University of Delaware, n.d.).

So which is best for a 1st Grade classroom?  Well, I currently use a mix of all three!  My summative and formative assessments usually include both selected-response and open-ended questions.  Selected response is used to assess basic knowledge and comprehension of the content.  An open-response question is more appropriate when a learning target requires more application, analysis, or synthesis. It allows me to observe students' thought processes as they engage in higher-order problem-solving.  

Performance-based assessments are a big production in 1st Grade, and students LOVE them!  Students understand these assessments often require multiple lessons to complete and require active engagement and problem-solving as they tackle authentic problems and create products.  Their favorite performance assessment are 3-Act Tasks in mathematics instruction.  These "tasks" are authentic, relatable to the students, and provide fun mathematical situations that engage all students in questioning, problem-solving, using mathematical strategies, and evaluation of different solutions ("Three Act Tasks, n.d.).  

Florida Gulf Coast University (n.d.). EDF 4430 Measurement for teachers. http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/chewittg/10009/module4bn.htm#Limitations%20of%20Performance-Based%20Assessments

Machado, J. (2011, August 18). Open-ended questioning with Bloom's. Tech4Learning. https://web.tech4learning.com/open-ended-questioning-with-blooms

Passinger, A. (2021, January 15). Pros and cons of different types of test questions. Teachhub. https://www.teachhub.com/professional-development/2021/01/pros-and-cons-of-different-types-of-test-questions/

Pellerin, E. (2020, July 29). Performance assessment: An engaging alternative to traditional test-taking. Institute of Educational Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/appalachia/blogs/blog32_performance-assessment-engaging-alternative-to-traditional-test-taking.asp

St. Olaf College (n.d.). Open-ended versus closed-ended questions. https://wp.stolaf.edu/iea/open-ended-versus-close-ended-questions/#:~:text=Open%2Dended%20questions%20are%20those,a%20list%20of%20possible%20responses.

Three Act Tasks (n.d.) Meaningful Math Moments. http://www.meaningfulmathmoments.com/three-act-tasks.html

University of California, Davis (2020, April 24). Designing assessment tools: Selected response tests. https://assessment.ucdavis.edu/designing-selected-response-tests#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20commonly,is%20the%20Multiple%2DChoice%20Test.

University of Delaware (n.d.). Chapter 11 (Performance-Based assessments). https://www1.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/451/unit8-chap11.htm