The assessment tasks shown in Appendix A were used as a diagnostic assessment for a

mathematics assignment I completed, where I was required to plan and execute a series of
lessons based on needs identified through diagnostic testing of childs conceptions and
misconceptions relating to measurement. Demonstrating the capacity to interpret student
assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice (Australian
Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL] Standard 5.4, 2014) is crucial to
adapting teaching practice to cater to diverse learners (Readman & Allen, 2014). For this
particular assignement, I used premade tests from a program called enVisionMATHS, and
gave them to my student without analysis of their usefulness in terms of what I was trying to
accomplish. I believe that they may be useful as a means of establishing how much a student
understands about the concept of measurement, prior to determining which ability group within
a class he or she should be placed in. However, as a basis for planning a series of lessons
designed to correct my students individual misconceptions and assess his readiness to
acquire the knowledge and skills outlined in the curriculum (Sun & Suzuki, 2013), they were
not a good choice.
The assessment data was difficult to interpret, as many of my students answers were
inconsistent, however there was little opportunity for him to explain his thinking. As a
diagnostic assessment, it was not expected to allow for demonstrated evidence of learning,
however it ought to have measured my students processing skills, as well as his knowledge
structures to enable me to organise a sound instructional plan to facilitate his knowledge
development (Rupp, Templin & Henson, 2010). To have done this, I could have incorporated
observation and discussion with my student about his thought processes as formative
assessment and thus assembled a more accurate picture of his conceptions and
misconceptions (Readman & Allen, 2013). By gathering data using both methods, I would
have been better able to evaluate my students knowledge and modify my teaching, in order
to align with Standard 5.4 (AITSL, 2014).
The assessment itself did not cater for diversity, it was a standard test to assess knowledge.
In a sense, that is what a diagnostic is, and had it been administered to a whole class, it would
have allowed the teacher to group the children according to their knowledge about the topic.
In the context in which I used it, however, it failed to impart the level of detail that I needed in
order to plan quality, individualised instruction. If a teachers professional judgement is the
foundation for effective evaluation and assessment (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013), then
I did not exercise my judgement well enough in this instance, and used this form of
assessment inappropriately. Neither, though, does this assessment cater for students who
have low levels of literacy, culturally diverse backgrounds or specific learning disorders. A

written assessment does not suit every student, and alternative modes of delivery should be
offered in order to ensure that no student is preferences or abilities are discriminated against
or unrecognised (ACT Government Education and Training, 2013).
Adjustments should be made to cater to students with diverse learning needs. These
adjustment may include personalising teaching and learning experiences by drawing from
curriculum content at a level that is appropriate to a student's degree of educational
attainment, adjusting the focus of particular learning areas in order to concentrate on targeted
needs, providing alternative teaching and learning materials, modelling problem solving,
guiding practice and providing choice in how students represent their learning (Australian
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2013). In order to make any of
these adjustments, it is necessary that teachers use a variety of assessm ent techniques to
gather information which will be used to modify teaching and learning activities so as to cater
to a variety of individual student needs (Black & William, 2001). By doing so, teachers are also
complying with Standard 7.1 (AITSL, 2014), by meeting their professional ethics and
responsibilities through the provision of an inclusive learning environment that caters to all
students.
The assessment task shown in Appendix B is an example of assessment that can be
successfully completed using a range of methods or approaches as it provides a measure of
choice in how it is undertaken. This encourages students to demonstrate their own
understanding of what they have learned, by providing for a range of responses and allowing
students to show connections they are able to make between the concepts they have learned,
helping teachers to decide what specific help students may require in the relevant content
areas (Downton, Knight, Clarke & Lewis, 2006). It caters to a wide range of learners in that it
is not asking for a specific answer, rather it allows all students to demonstrate their own
understanding of the concepts implicit; it is highly likely that there will be a range of approaches
and responses shown by a group of diverse learners. This kind of assessment for learning, or
formative assessment, works to support learning, as it allows students to demonstrate their
progression in relation to a learning goal (Readman & Allen, 2014) and the teacher to give
feedback while they are still working on that learning goal, and can actually make use of the
feedback to improve their learning outcomes (Brookhart, 2008), complying with Standard 5.2
(AITSL, 2014). This task then is example of how assessment and learning can work together
to improve student outcomes (Readman & Allen, 2014).
The assessment task shown in Appendix C is an example of summative assessment, an
activity used to collect evidence of learning in order to record a level of achievement (Readman

& Allen, 2014). Using summative assessment is one of the ways in which teachers can report
on students achievement to their parents, complying with Standard 5.5 (AITSL, 2014). The
summative assessment shown in Appendix C is a published information report and is
assessed via a rubric aligned to the learning outcomes of the given task. The rubric outlines
the stages of the task and the specific criteria within each task that is being assessed, in this
case, the organisation and language features of the report. Creating a rubric allows a record
of student achievement to be kept, which will enable the teacher to track the progress of
students and groups, and make teaching decisions based on this (Headington, 2013). For this
task, students undertake their own research and construct a report based on their findings
themselves, however it could easily be modified to suit those with learning difficulties, by
setting a shorter written assignment, or providing them with additional scaffolding to simplify
the writing and revising process (Westwood, 2013).