How do you ensure equity in your assessments?

Equity in assessments is a key principle of fair and inclusive education. It means that all students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and receive feedback that is relevant, accurate, and respectful of their diverse needs and backgrounds. However, ensuring equity in assessments is not always easy, especially in a time of remote and hybrid learning. Here are some strategies to help you design and implement assessments that promote equity and support student success.

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1 Know your students

The first step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to know your students well. This means understanding their strengths, challenges, interests, goals, cultural backgrounds, learning preferences, and access to resources. You can use surveys, interviews, portfolios, self-assessments, and other formative tools to gather this information throughout the year. Knowing your students will help you tailor your assessments to their needs and provide them with appropriate choices, supports, and accommodations.

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2 Align your assessments

The second step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to align them with your learning objectives, standards, and curriculum. This means that your assessments should measure what you intend to teach and what you expect your students to learn. You should also make sure that your assessments are valid, reliable, and free of bias or stereotypes. You can use rubrics, checklists, criteria, and exemplars to communicate your expectations and guide your scoring.

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Michelle Lindbloom

Educator at Rocky Boy Schools
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I have found using a pre-assessment provides a framework on what skills or learning is needed for students. Use your data to inform your instruction.

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3 Vary your assessments

The third step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to vary them in terms of format, content, and timing. This means that you should use a range of assessment methods, such as tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, essays, portfolios, and performance tasks, to capture different aspects of student learning. You should also diversify the content of your assessments, such as the topics, texts, questions, and prompts, to reflect the diversity of your students and their interests. Finally, you should be flexible with the timing of your assessments, such as the due dates, duration, and frequency, to accommodate the different needs and circumstances of your students.

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Michelle Lindbloom

Educator at Rocky Boy Schools
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Allowing students to express what they know in a variety of ways is a powerful tool for building confidence. Projects, posters, paintings, building and models, as well as traditional paper and pencil tests can all be used to assess what students have learned.

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4 Involve your students

The fourth step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to involve your students in the assessment process. This means that you should engage your students in setting goals, monitoring their progress, reflecting on their learning, and providing feedback to themselves and their peers. You should also encourage your students to participate in the design and evaluation of your assessments, such as by co-creating rubrics, criteria, or questions, or by self-assessing or peer-assessing their work. Involving your students in the assessment process will help them take ownership of their learning and develop their metacognitive and self-regulation skills.

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Michelle Lindbloom

Educator at Rocky Boy Schools
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Student involvement increases student engagement in their learning. Teachers know the content, we are teaching the content, who needs to learn the content and be engaged? Executive functioning is engaged for students when they feel ownership in their learning.

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5 Provide feedback

The fifth step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to provide feedback that is timely, specific, actionable, and supportive. This means that you should give your students feedback as soon as possible after they complete an assessment, and that you should focus on their strengths and areas for improvement. You should also give your students feedback that is clear, concrete, and relevant to their learning goals and objectives. Moreover, you should give your students feedback that is constructive, encouraging, and respectful of their efforts and achievements.

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6 Seek feedback

The sixth and final step to ensuring equity in your assessments is to seek feedback from your students, colleagues, and other stakeholders. This means that you should ask your students for their opinions, suggestions, and concerns about your assessments, and that you should listen to their feedback and make adjustments accordingly. You should also collaborate with your colleagues and other professionals to share best practices, resources, and ideas for improving your assessments. Furthermore, you should seek feedback from your administrators, parents, and community members to ensure that your assessments align with the expectations and values of your school and society.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you ensure equity in your assessments?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your students

2 Align your assessments

3 Vary your assessments

4 Involve your students

5 Provide feedback

6 Seek feedback

7 Here’s what else to consider

K-12 Education

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How do you ensure equity in your assessments?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your students

2 Align your assessments

3 Vary your assessments

4 Involve your students

5 Provide feedback

6 Seek feedback

7 Here’s what else to consider

K-12 Education

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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