Using the Tool
How does the Profile Assessment Tool work?
On a regular basis, students are given a test with questions from all strands of the Western Canadian Protocol. After completing a test, the teacher marks it and returns the test to the students. From there, the students graph their results on a graph–see the Grade 3 Results Graph as an example.
If a student had the question correct, they color in the corresponding box. If they had the question wrong, they leave it blank, put an X or ? in it. If they had half a mark, they color in half the box.
When looking DOWN individual columns, you get an ACHIEVEMENT profile–how the student did on one particular test.
When looking ACROSS the rows, you get a DIAGNOSTIC profile–after a few tests, strengths and weaknesses will begin to emerge.
If a student consistently has the squares colored in across a particular row, you can infer that it is an area of strength. On the other hand, if a student consistently has blank squares (or X’s) across a row, you can infer that it is an area of weakness and may require remediation.
For a more detailed description of how this assessment tool was developed and how it can be adapted to other grade levels, visit Developing the Assessment.
