Quick Skill Assessment Form: A simple system for differentiation & documentation

BEST SELLER AND NOW EDITABLE!! If differentiating and grading student work is taking hours and you don't have time to reflect on whether the class is really "getting it", this system can make your assessment more effective and efficient!

I developed the quick skill assessment form to evaluate the work students did independently, usually for workbook or textbook assignments. I'd give the kids a small amount of problems to complete (it's rarely necessary for kids to do an entire page of problems to show what they know) and have them bring the work to me when they were done. I'd glance over it quickly, write their name in the appropriate column in the form, and send them off to the enrichment or follow-up activity (differentiated centers, projects, computer-based work, etc.) while the rest of the class finished the assignment.

This informal assessment method allows you to:

• Give students immediate feedback on their work
• Correct any student misconceptions right away
• Reduce the number of papers that need to be graded
• Get clear insight into how effective your lessons have been
• Plan the rest of your unit based on how well the class understands the current skill
• Determine interventions, accommodations, & differentiated follow-up for every student
• Keep detailed, professional records of student progress with very little time and effort

UPDATED TO INCLUDE FULL-PAGE PLUS HALF-PAGE EDITABLE WORD DOCS!

This PDF assessment form can be used with any assignment, but it's especially useful for new skills you just introduced to the class that day so you can decide how to pace the rest of your unit and mid-unit assessments for ongoing skill instruction (for example, on day 5 of a multiplication unit).

It's also useful for concepts you teach in only one lesson, as you can check what students have retained without assigning a formal grade.

You can use the system for common core standards or other key skills for which you are required to document progress and/or interventions...or for any other skills or concepts you'd like to evaluate without formally testing your students.

I particularly like using the form to help differentiate instruction and determine which students need differentiated follow-up lessons.

The download includes a fictional example of a completed quick skill assessment form so you can see how it works. Download the preview to see the complete file.

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See what other teachers are saying!

Have found this very useful, especially for formative assessment! - Agata Gasior

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!!! It is used on a regular basis and I am able to see a snapshot of the class. I have tried everything from postits, to labels, to index cards and this is the best by far! - Brigitte H.

This is my second year using this resource. It is so amazingly simple to use. Really cuts down on my bookkeeping! - Valerie K.

This product saved me hours of trying to develop theses forms. - Paulette A.

This is a great tool! I showed them how I used it in an interview and they were impressed :) - Lisa Meade

These sheets are absolutely wonderful! I have found myself using them for EVERYTHING! They help me note who has mastered a skill, and when I did the reteaching for those who did not meet the standards. They are amazing. thank you! - Rebecca Sizemore

This will streamline my individual, group, and informal assessments. I feel so efficient and organized now! - Arden Lewis

This product is super valuable. It is quick and simple to use. Thanks for sharing. I love it! - Jocelyn G.

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Compliment Slips/Thank You Cards: an easy way to acknowledge kids' good choices The Clean Desk Diagram: Mini lesson + printables for teaching desk organization 
Puzzle Strips: Open-ended customizable activities for practicing ANY skill!
Question Stems for Common Core Math Practices
Discussion Starters for Math Problem Solving: Questions for Critical Thinking

Be sure to check out my website where there are hundreds of pages of classroom management resources that make teaching more effective, efficient, and enjoyable! You'll find photos, activities, printable forms/posters, and more.

Enjoy!

Angela
TruthForTeachers.com

NOTE: This resource is included at no cost for members of the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club, as part of our focus in the month of NOVEMBER on Lesson Planning in the Full Year program and week 5 of the Fast Track program.