Independent Together: Supporting the Multilevel Community

Learning Community for Teachers

View Print Material Assessment and learning are synonymous in the multilevel classroom.

Effective assessment

  • engages learners in the assessment process Watch Video Clip (782 KB)
  • describes what learners can do
  • informs instruction Listen to Audio Clip (115 KB)
  • provides meaningful feedback to learners Watch Video Clip (454 KB)
  • communicates student learning to parents
  • celebrates learning Watch Video Clip (1.13 MB)

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is integral to student success in the multilevel classroom.
Observation is the primary assessment method. View Word Document When planning for instruction and assessment, multilevel classroom teachers think about how to Listen to Audio Clip (115 KB)

  • target two or three learning outcomes
  • focus on two or three students
  • plan to observe in a variety of learning contexts View Word Document
  • construct student-generated criteria View Word Document - Watch Video Clip (475 KB)
  • record what they see and hear
  • reflect on learners' strengths and offer feedback for improvement Watch Video Clip (782 KB)
  • guide and/or facilitate goal setting
  • develop a continuum of learning for differentiation and reporting

Other formative assessment methods/tools include

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment communicates and celebrates the learning that takes place in the multilevel classroom at the end of a unit, theme, or term.

Performance tasks and/or products are effective means of assessing multiple learning outcomes from various curricula and across a wide age-range of learners. When planning for instruction and assessment, teachers think about how to

  • target knowledge, skills and strategies, and attitudinal learning outcomes
  • facilitate the revision of student-generated criteria View Word Document
  • guide or facilitate the development of rubrics for summative assessment from the student-generated criteria (Grades 6 to 8)
  • observe processes and products
  • synthesize formative and summative assessment information
  • report learning and progress to the partners in the multilevel learning community View Word Document
  • report learning in relation to grade-level "benchmarks" at the end of a term or at the end of the school year

Other summative assessment methods/tools include

  • portfolios
  • developmental continua
  • student-led conferences
  • action plans
  • report cards View Word Document