Local state standards can be effectively aligned with classroom assessment strategies by first understanding what the terms alignment, bars, and assessment refer to and what they entail. Measures indicate what the students should understand in a specific content area. Assessments, on the other hand, are tools used in gathering evidence as the students learn. They help the teacher in knowing the area better and poorly understood by the learners. Alignment ensures that a given state curriculum is consistent and will help learners reach the stated objectives in the outlined standards. Persistence administration of assessments that match the criteria and curriculum helps the tutors know how students’ learning is taking place. Assessment must be aligned to the covered content and standards of specific grades to determine whether the student has gained knowledge, skills, and abilities or not.
In 2005, the data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that only 35% of 12th graders in the U.S got right the question, “explain the use of irony and symbolism in a literary passage” (Indrawan,2021). In an attempt to correctly answer such questions, literacy skills were to be employed. Comprehension skills include summarizing the passage containing the question, then interpreting the question carefully to understand what ought to be the answer, and finally, evaluation follows. When students miss meaning while reading a passage, they should isolate what they do not get, use clues in the context, and summarize to get on track. The diagnostic assessment describes better the cause of the identified problem while formative monitors learning by students by providing ongoing feedback to staff and students. At the end of the instructional unit, a summative assessment is administered, used in decision making such as assigning grades or promotion.
Two think-aloud questions promoting reflection among them include “what is it? and why is it important?” the two help students say what they think when reading or solving a math problem. Strategies for differentiating assessments include collecting data before, during, or after the learning experience. Evidence is then used to identify students’ needs and strengths, and then using the assessment information to help differentiate teaching and learning.