Family Assessment

In every aspect of society, assessment and evaluation is conducted in order to improve what they have. The government programs and policies are continually being assessed and evaluated. In business transactions, whether buying, selling, investing, or planning, it is crucial to assess and evaluate the terms. In the field of medicine, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals look and examine charts and patients to provide the best service possible. Even in the family, parents assess and evaluate the family situations to make sound decisions for the family. In the military, it is crucial to come up with the best scenario to conduct the warfare based on the assessment and evaluation of the given conditions. The same is true in education.
According to Pellegrino, Chaudowsky, and Glasler (2001), “educational assessment seeks to determine how well students are learning” and it also “provides feedback to students” about the level of their understanding of learning. Various assessment methods- tests, observations, assignments, presentations – are implemented to measure the students’ educational outcome. Even though standardized assessment which is now mandated by the government is the most widely used type of assessment, comprehensive assessment such as observation, essays, interviews, performance tasks, exhibitions, demonstrations, portfolios, journals, teacher-created tests, rubrics, and self- and peer-evaluation, are more accurate indicators of student’s learning. (Edutopia, 2008). They provide more frequent and immediate feedback that is essential to increase student
However, over the years, the character of educational assessment has changed. (National Research Council, 2001) Recently, assessment has been equated with the end of the year standardized tests, and the reporting of the test result became the simplest representative form of accountability. According to Grissmer and Flanagan (1998), policy makers and educators see assessment linked with accountability as a strategy for ensuring all students held to the high standards set by the government. As Christian educators, it is our duty and responsibility to continuously and consciously assess the quality of education, teachers, and learning environment that we provide for students. Public schools are held responsible for student achievement, and they are either rewarded or punished for the performance of government mandated standardized tests (Education Week, 2004). While Christian schools do not have the pressure to perform from the State, they still need to find ways to collect data and measure student learning as evidence of accountability. Matthew Lucas (2007) states that “Christian schools must demonstrate that their schools are accomplishing their primary mission of educating students or face the possibility of stakeholders taking students and money