You want your students to apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. You’ve heard that assessment can help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about using assessment?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 12 questions.

1. How does assessment impact student learning?
2. What type of assessment can you use?
3. What makes a good assessment good?
4. How good is your assessment?
5. How can you make your assessment even better?
6. How proficiently do you want your students to use a Biblical perspective?
7. How much practice do your students need?
8. What makes a good rubric good?
9. How can you use a rubric?
10. How can you use assessment data?
11. What's your vision for using assessment?
12. How committed are you to having your students apply a Biblical perspective to what they learn?

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about using assessment?" The real question is "How will you use assessment help your students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study?”


Additional resources:

1. Videos: Teach and assess Biblical perspective, Biblical perspective assessment helps, Assessment helps students value and get proficient at Biblical perspective,
2. Teacher testimonials regarding using assessment
3. Self-assessment: To get started with using assessment, take this self-assessment
4. Tutorial: Use assessment to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
5. Use assessment

You want your students to apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. You’ve heard that assessment can help. So, you want to use assessment.

Question: How can you get started?

Answer: By taking the following self-assessment. Rate each item, using the following scale:

4: Strongly agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly disagree

___ I understand how assessment impacts student application of a Biblical perspective.
___ I know what type of assessment to use to help my students apply a Biblical perspective.

___ I know what makes a good assessment good.
___ The assessments I give my students are good.
___ I work to make my assessments even better.

___ My students proficiently apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.
___ My students apply creation-fall-redemption-restoration to what they study.
___ My students get sufficient practice in applying a Biblical perspective to what they study.

___ The rubrics I use to score my assessments are good.
___ I use my rubrics effectively.
___ I use my assessment data to modify instruction.

___ I use assessment to help my students apply a Biblical perspective.
___ I have a clear vision for using assessment to help my students apply a Biblical perspective.
___ I want to learn more about using assessment to help my students apply a Biblical perspective.
___ I am committed to helping my students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.


Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What satisfies/concerns me about the data?
3. Which items would it be helpful to learn more about?
4. What will I do?

Additional resources:

1. Videos: Teach and assess Biblical perspective, Biblical perspective assessment helps, Assessment helps students value and get proficient at Biblical perspective,
2. Teacher testimonials regarding using assessment
3. Tutorial: Use assessment to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
4. Use assessment
5. To learn more about using assessment, explore these 12 questions

You want to help your students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective. Using a rubric can help. How?

1. Use a rubric to clarify expectations: When assigning a Biblical perspective assessment, review the rubric with your students. This will help your students better understand your expectations.
   
   
2. Use a rubric to provide feedback: Make a copy of the rubric for each student. Use the rubric to score the assessment, marking on the rubric to indicate how each student is performing. When returning the assessment, give each student a marked-up rubric. (Before returning the rubric, tabulate overall class performance for each rubric line to determine how many students performed above, at, or below standard.)
   
   
3. Use assessment data to increase learning. Ask each student to use his/her assessment data to develop an action step for increasing understanding and application of a Biblical perspective. For yourself, use the assessment data to modify your instruction.

Use a rubric on your next Biblical perspective assessment.

Feedback—you know it helps increase student learning. You know it can help your students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective. And you know that feedback can help you effectively modify your instruction to help your students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective.

A rubric is a good tool for providing feedback for students and for yourself. Why? Because a rubric provides specific feedback on student performance. I encourage you to use a rubric when assessing your students’ performance on a biblical perspective assessment. (And I encourage you to show your students the rubric before you give the assessment. Student learning increases when performance expectations are clear—rubrics help you make your expectations clear.)

Your task: Develop a good rubric so you can use a good rubric.

Your question: “What makes a good rubric good?”

My answer:
(1) A good rubric has criteria that…

• Are linked to standards and student objectives
  
• Are logically ordered (if applicable)
  
• Are written in clear, concise, student-friendly language
  
• Are defined by 5 levels of descriptors (Level 5 = exemplary, Level 3 = meeting the standard, Level 1 = Poor)

(2) A good rubric has descriptors that…

• Are evenly graduated from Level 5 to Level 1
  
• Are measurable
  
• Are written in clear, concise, student-friendly language
  
• Identify what the student does (not what the student doesn't do or what the student is missing)
  
• Include elements that are present at all levels and in the same order
  
• Can be used by teachers effectively and efficiently to assess student learning

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Here’s a part of a high school writing rubric that is being piloted. The 2 criteria below target understanding and application of a biblical perspective:

Criteria 1: Biblical perspective content
5: Significantly beyond the obvious
4: Beyond the obvious
3: Basic, addresses the obvious
2: Limited, does not fully address the obvious
1: Lacking, hardly addresses the obvious

Criteria 2: Application of biblical perspective to course content
5: Original
4: Thoughtful
3: Predictable
2: Weak or erroneous
1: Lacking

An English 10 teacher, who uses the rubric, says, “The rubric is useful. I find that using it helps me assess more consistently. My students like the rubric because it tells them how they did and what they need to do to improve. Using rubrics helps my students increase their understanding and application of a biblical perspective.”

Develop a good rubric. Then use it.