Clarifying the Purpose and Utility of Pre-Assessments

• In Event: Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: Classroom Assessment: Current and Future Directions

Abstract

Pre-assessments represent any means used by teachers to gather information about students prior to instruction. This conceptual paper reviews the history of research on pre-assessments in education and presents a model describing their three major purposes: 1. Preview pre-assessments that measure the knowledge and skills students must have to start learning; 2. Present pre-assessments that address students’ current knowledge, skills, dispositions, and interests; and 3. Preview pre-assessments that measure the learning goals of forthcoming units or tasks, forecasting what students will be learning and perhaps why it is important. Research on the utility of each type is described along with the effectiveness of pre-assessment data in planning high quality instruction and improving student learning. Implications for better practice are discussed.

Author

• Thomas R. Guskey, University of Kentucky