Everything You Need to Know About Assessments From A - Z

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary®, “assessment” is defined as the following:

as·sess·ment /əˈsɛsmənt/ noun

plural as·sess·ments

formal 1 a : the act of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something [count] ▪ The book is a careful assessment [=appraisal, evaluation] of the president’s achievements. ▪ The school uses a variety of tests for its annual student assessments. [=evaluations] [noncount] ▪ It’s a difficult problem that requires careful assessment.

b [count] : an idea or opinion about something

▪ I don’t agree with his assessment of the problem.

2 [count] : an amount that a person is officially required to pay especially as a tax

▪ The owners claimed the tax assessment on their house was too high.

However, when educators define the term “assessment” they may use different definitions based on their goals or how they are using assessments in their school or district. In the field of educational assessment, there are many types of assessments and there is a wide range of terms unique to this field.

At CTB, we’re aware of the challenges educators, students, and parents face in understanding the various types of assessments and the terminology used in testing. We’ve created step-by-step guides that not only walk educators, and even parents and students, through the assessment process, but a glossary that covers the terminology used in the field of assessment. From “Achievement Test” to “Validity,” our A-Z glossary leaves no assessment term unturned.

For more information about assessments and their role in education, visit CTB.com/AssessmentBasics and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About these ads