The assessment process is a series of steps that constitute a method of assessing students or workers . It is an ongoing process aimed at continuous improvement of student learning . The process involves six steps: developing student learning outcomes that align with the university’s mission, the university’s student learning goals, and (if applicable) the accreditation requirements of the respective discipline; developing and implementing methods of assessment involving direct and indirect measures; determining criteria for success; collecting and analyzing data; planning (and executing) improvement actions; and documenting assessment and improvement activities .
Assessment activities can be informal to check progress, known as formative assessment, or formal to confirm achievement, known as summative assessment . The assessment cycle involves making a decision regarding your learner’s knowledge and/or performance against set criteria .
Reading Rockets has identified six stages in the assessment process, from child-find to program evaluation . The stages are as follows:
1. Child-find
2. Pre-referral
3. Referral
4. Assessment
5. Eligibility determination
6. Program evaluation
Please note that the above information is general in nature and may not be applicable to all types of assessments.