While 81% of educators believe their school or
district promotes a strong assessment-focused culture, only 62%
would describe themselves as proficient in assessment literacy
SALT
LAKE CITY, Aug. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/
-- Instructure, the leading learning platform which includes
Canvas LMS and Mastery Assessments, today released results from its
2023 State of Assessment in K-12 Education report, in partnership
with Hanover Research. With post-pandemic learning loss a continued
focus, educators and administrators are relying on both formative
and summative assessment data to direct classroom instruction.
However, they are concerned about assessment literacy; the value
placed on assessments; quality and reliability; identifying the
right technology to deliver data; and effectively balancing
assessment with instruction.
While 81% of educators believe they have an assessment-focused
culture, there are discrepancies in assessment literacy, a lack of
comfort with state standards, and the burdensome nature of the
current assessment model. Only 62% of educators feel proficient in
assessment literacy and 51% expressing concerns over the negative
impact of assessments on instructional time. This emphasizes the
need for relevant professional development opportunities, the use
of embedded (or in-course) assessments, and systemic improvements
that create an impactful and supportive assessment environment for
both educators and students.
"Based on the findings, educators need efficient and effective
tools to create and deliver assessments that measure student growth
beyond achievement," said Karl
Rectanus, SVP of K-12 Strategy. "The report shows the need
for learning platforms that can seamlessly and safely integrate
assessment into content to optimize effective teaching and
learning."
Partnering with Hanover Research, Instructure launched the study
designed to understand how 1,000 K-12
teachers and administrators across the
United States feel about assessment today, how they use
assessments and outcomes data in practice, and their opinion of the
future of K-12 assessment.
The findings suggest five common trends and best practices to
drive more balanced assessment in K-12 schools. View the full
report: 2023 State of Assessment in K-12 Education.
1. Assessment literacy needs to be prioritized.
There is a need to invest in professional development for
teachers to build confidence in assessment design and practice, as
well as how to effectively use the data to drive learning.
- Four out of five educators perceive their district or school
culture to be "assessment-focused," yet only three out of five
consider themselves "assessment literate."
- With less than two-thirds of educators (64%) feeling
comfortable with their current state standards, further efforts are
needed to promote standards-aligned assessment.
2. Both administrators and teachers value assessment – for
different reasons.
The survey uncovered diverging perspectives between
administrators and teachers regarding the value of assessment.
- 62% of teachers expressed concerns over the negative impact of
current assessment models on instructional time.
- The impact of interim and summative assessments differs between
teachers and administrators. Administrators are 17% more likely to
view interim assessments as an opportunity to measure student
growth than teachers.
3. Quality and reliability (still) matter most.
Assessment remains top-of-mind for educators. Almost twice as
many educators are evaluating their assessments annually compared
to one year ago. As schools continue to evaluate assessments and
consider changing models in upcoming years, three characteristics
are valued above all: reliability (91%), validity (90%), and
quality (91%).
- Of the 70% of educators evaluating their assessments at least
once yearly, half implement new assessments annually. This number
is significantly higher than 38% in 2021.
- 87% of educators agree that aligning assessments with state
standards and accurately representing the district's scope and
sequence is crucial.
4. The right technology embeds the right assessment data
at the right time.
Choosing the right educational tools is crucial for schools,
especially given the abundance of options and approaching funding
deadlines.
- Top data priorities include the ability to track student
mastery of learning standards (46%), align content to standards
(46%) and efficient, real-time data delivery (42%).
- Many educators report they are more likely to embrace
technology that provides valuable data (51%), is promoted by school
leaders (47%) and saves them time (47%).
5. Educators continue to balance the assessment
approach.
As the post-pandemic new normal sets in, educators' confidence
in summative assessment appears to be returning.
- More than two-thirds of educators reported positive perceptions
of summative assessments, compared to just over half of educators
in 2021.
- Educators cite that summative assessments help them to see
trends over time (76%), provide valuable data that influence
classroom instruction (73%) and encourage them to grow as teachers
(70%).
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The 2023 State of Assessment in
K-12 Education survey was developed in coordination with Hanover
Research. It was fielded in April
2023 and after fielding and data cleaning, the study
comprised 1,000 qualified, completed responses from 550 teachers,
340 school or district-level administrators and 110 assessment
specialists. The data is cut into crosstabs by role, region and
district urbanicity. We performed statistical significance testing
across segments with a 95% confidence level using a Z-Test with p =
less than 0.05 and a margin of error +/- 1% for the overall sample
size.
For any questions regarding the underlying methodology or data,
please contact us at k12assessment@instructure.com.
ABOUT INSTRUCTURE
Instructure (NYSE:
INST) is an education technology company dedicated to
elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and
inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure
Learning Platform, comprised of its flagship product
Canvas LMS and several products serving K-12 and
higher education, supports tens of millions of educators and
learners around the world. Learn more at
www.instructure.com. Today the Instructure
Learning Platform, comprised of its flagship product
Canvas LMS, supports tens of millions of educators and
learners around the world. Learn more at
www.instructure.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains
"forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
including statements regarding the potential, timing and examples
of any strategic alternatives. These statements are not guarantees
of future performance, but are based on management's expectations
as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are
inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in
circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements
to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in
the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 17, 2023 and other documents filed with
the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations.
All information provided in this press release is as of the date
hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update this
information except as required by law.
CONTACT:
Jennifer
Durrant
Director of Product Public
Relations
Instructure
(801)
717-6156
jennifer.durrant@instructure.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/instructures-annual-state-of-assessment-survey-reveals-the-importance-of-data-informed-decision-making-educator-desire-for-greater-assessment-literacy-301896608.html
SOURCE Instructure; Canvas