Assessing Projects : Assessment Strategies
Assessment Timeline
A timeline shows types and sequence of (formal and informal) assessments during the project. The timeline should reflect assessments at the beginning, middle and end of a project. A table below the timeline describes how the assessments are conducted; how the assessment informs the teacher and learner (the purpose), and who participates in rating or recording the assessment (learner, teacher, parent, or peer.)
The following Assessment Plan example is taken from The Great Bean Race Project Plan within Designing Effective Projects. In this project, learners study plants and conduct investigations of ideal growth conditions before growing the tallest beans possible. They keep a science journal and plant log and create a newsletter that documents results of the different activities in the seven week project.
Assessment Timeline  |
Before project work begins |
Learners work on projects and |
After project work is completed |
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| Assessment | Process and Purpose of Assessment |
| T-Chart | Learners create a T-chart to compare and contrast fact from fiction. Use the information to draw out prior knowledge and gauge readiness for a plant study. The T-chart is posted for learners to revisit what is fact or fiction. |
| K-W-L Chart | Learners develop classroom and individual Know-Wonder-Learn charts about plants. Learners use these to access prior understanding, brainstorm ideas, think about questions to research, and reflect on their learning. Use the KWL initially to gauge readiness and interests and then during the unit to promote metacognition of learning progress as learners revisit them and reflect. |
| Questioning | Use questioning strategies to monitor learner progress, probe for understanding, and engage learners in higher-order thinking. Circulate during group and individual work time as well as during conferences. Also return to Curriculum-aligned Questions throughout the project to analyze learner understanding. |
| Group Plan | Learners synthesize their new learning in small groups and plan conditions for light, soil, and water to grow the tallest bean plant. Review the plan to assess scientific understanding of plant growth and prepare feedback, clarify misunderstandings, or provide additional lessons, if necessary. Learners review and discuss plan at end of investigation. |
| Meetings | Schedule individual meetings to assess the learners’ scientific understanding and the writing process and allow for feedback, clarify misunderstandings, or provide additional lessons if necessary. Pre-planned questions and notes provide documentation for project assessment. |
| Anecdotal Notes | In this informal assessment, notes from observations and interactions with individuals and groups and from the meetings provide documentation for final assessment. |
| Plant Log | The log is provided for learners to record daily growth and temperature and graph the changes over the growing period. Use the log during conferences to monitor the progress of data collection and prompt questions. Review the log at the end of the project. |
| Science Journal | Learners make observations and keep notes in their science journal about the growth of their plants. Learners complete specific observations and reflections prompted by the teacher at key times during the project. Review during meetings to provide feedback, clarify misunderstandings, and provide additional lessons if necessary. Also review at the end of the project to assess scientific understanding. |
| Newsletter Checklist | Learners use the newsletter checklist to self-assess their progress while working on the newsletter. |
| Collaborative Assessment- Newsletter | Learners assess how well they worked as a group. Use this assessment to assess the group process and the final newsletter product. |
| Peer Feedback | Learners review each others’ writing and give structured feedback. Use to help monitor group process. |
| Reflection | Learners analyze all groups' bean plant growth data and come to a conclusion about the best growing conditions for plants. Use to assess science concept and process understanding. |
| Science Content Rubric | Use the science journal, plant log, group plan, reflection, observation notes, and newsletter to assess science concepts and process development using the rubric as a guide. The rubric allows learners to self- assess their progress. Also, use it to conduct a final assessment. |
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