Page 36 - Learning for All – A Guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12, 2013

34 • Learning for All
Always Start with the Student
When we believe that it is our students who are the starting point for our unit and lesson planning, not the course content or textbook, we try to live that belief by getting to know our students’ learning needs and preferences and then responding to that knowledge through the opportunities we provide in our classrooms.
Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009
Two highly effective tools that can assist teachers in getting to know their students and in planning effective instruction and assessment are the class profile and the individual student profile. These tools are discussed in detail in the following sections.
Developing a Class Profile
The class profile provides a snapshot of the strengths and needs, interests, and readiness
of the students in the class. It is a resource for planning that conveys a great deal of critical information at a glance, serving as an inventory of accumulated data. It is a living document, in that it is both a reference tool for planning assessment and instruction at the beginning of the year, semester, or term, and a tracking tool for monitoring progress, recording changes, adjusting instructional strategies, planning subsequent instruction or interventions, and sharing information with other educators and parents.
The class profile can be developed at the beginning of the school year, semester, or term,
as teachers embark on the process of assessment for learning. It serves as a tool for recording and summarizing information gathered through diagnostic assessment prior to instruction and through formative assessment during instruction. A class profile can be updated as the school year, semester, or term progresses. It enables teachers to identify patterns among their students in terms of:
• their learning styles and preferences (often referred to as a “learning profile”);
• their current place in the learning, or “readiness to learn”, with respect to the expecta-
tions of the particular subject and grade or course, as well as their learning strengths
and areas in need of improvement;
• their interests and talents;
• their socio-affective characteristics;
• the challenges involved in meeting their learning needs, and the supports that are
required to address those needs.
The class profile is an information-gathering tool, a reference tool, and a tracking tool, all in one. It helps teachers plan effective assessment and instruction for all the students in the class, monitor student progress,
and provide timely interventions when needed.