Assessment Thinking Map

Description

Transform How You Observe, Analyze, and Support Effective Assessment

Assessment and feedback within a lesson can positively or negatively impact student engagement and learning—the key is knowing how to analyze the cycle effectively as an observer and supporting teachers in this same level of processing. From our book Feedback to Feed Forward, Our Assessment Thinking Map provides a structured framework to help instructional leaders, coaches, and peer observers organize and analyze evidence from classroom observations. This tool can be used time and again and enables deeper conversations with teachers about how their assessment methods drive student understanding and growth.

By focusing on what student evidence reveals and how teacher decisions impact learning, this thinking map helps leaders provide insightful, evidence-based feedback that elevates instructional practice and improves student outcomes.

What’s Inside the Assessment Thinking Map?

This structured tool helps you track, analyze, and reflect on classroom assessment practices through:

🔹 Student Evidence Analysis – Identify what collected evidence reveals about student engagement and understanding.
🔹 Teacher Decision-Making Review – Evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher’s actions based on assessment data.
🔹 Observer Hints & Guidance – Get expert tips on how to capture and interpret qualitative and quantitative evidence.
🔹 Completed Sample for Reference – See how to apply the thinking map in real classroom scenarios.

How to Use the Assessment Thinking Map

📌 Observe & Analyze in Real-Time – Capture evidence during instruction or complete after a classroom visit for deeper reflection.
📌 Collaborate with Teachers – Use as a coaching tool to discuss assessment effectiveness and refine feedback cycles.
📌 Facilitate Professional Learning – Work with teams to enhance collective understanding of formative and summative assessments.
📌 Align to Instructional Frameworks – Ensure assessment practices are meeting school or district expectations for student growth.

Why Use the Assessment Thinking Map?

✅ Strengthen Teacher Practice – Provide a clear, structured approach to understanding and improving assessments.
✅ Make Informed, Impact-Driven Feedback – Connect assessment decisions to student learning outcomes.
✅ Enhance Collaboration & Growth – Create a shared language and process for refining instructional practices.
✅ Maximize the Power of Formative & Summative Assessment – Support teachers in using real-time student evidence to guide instruction effectively.