Tests vs. Assessment

This semester I am taking a course titled "Standardized Assessment for Students with Moderate Disabilities."  It teaches me exactly what it's title suggests, how to give and evaluate assessments for students with moderate disabilities.  I've been doing a lot of testing and assessing lately, both in my regular education classroom and outside of it for this class. 

However, my biggest "take-away" from all of this so far is the difference between tests and assessments.  Most teachers would think these are the same thing.  I did up until I began taking this course.  If you asked me what's the difference between tests and assessments I would say the terminology.  While a test certainly seemed like a more rigid form of assessment, I believed anything that shows what a student has learned is assessment.

Apparently I was wrong.  Here is how my professor defined tests and assessments:

Tests - are one part of assessment, scores are final products of testing, not much information regarding the learning process.  Tends to be stagnant, little is done with the results of testing.

Assessments -  a multifaceted process which involves more than just administering a test, assessing involves considering the way individuals perform a variety of tasks in a variety of settings.  Tends to be continuous, and ongoing.  May effect students' placement or how they are taught.

 Today in class I gave an end of the unit test on nationalism and industrialization, what we've been studying for the past few weeks.  I made some changes to the test from last year and I went to upload it to my curriculum map, but I didn't know what category to put the test under.  The category options are as follows:

• Content/Concepts
• Essential Questions
• Students Will Be Able To (Skills)
• Academic Standards
• Assessments
• Learning Strategies
• Materials/Resources
• Key Vocabulary/Terms

Was this test truly an assessment?  Was my test multifaceted?  There were a variety of different questions but I no, not really.  Did it consider the way my students performed a variety of tasks in a variety of settings?  Certainly not.  Was it continuous and ongoing?  No, it just lasted one period.  We'll review the test later but I wouldn't continue to teach the material the test was on and assess them again later.  Will it effect students' placement or how they're taught? I may reflect back on how students performed on the test and change some aspects of my teaching, but overall, no major changes will take place.

Clearly by my professor's definitions I gave a test, not an assessment.  Should I put my test under the assessment category?  I didn't think so, it didn't seem appropriate.  I considered briefly putting it under "Students Will Be Able To" since it did measure those goals I had set for my students. Eventually I decided to put it under "Materials/Resources."  Could the test be part of an assessment?  Sure why not.  Could it be the entire assessment?  No, and it shouldn't be.  It wouldn't be fair to assess a student or make an important decision about placement or ability based on one test.

Which brings me to my next point - is there anything wrong with giving students a test?  I don't think so.  If I want to see how well students can define vocabulary words, respond to short answer questions, multiple-guess, and write an essay under time constraints, a test is an excellent measure of that.  If I want to determine whether a student is appropriately placed in an honors level classroom one test may give me some valuable information, but it is not enough for an assessment or to make a placement decision. I feel like some educators view the term test just like they would any other four letter word.  I don't see anything wrong with giving a test, but if you're giving it a test and calling it an assessment you're lying to yourself and your students.  Both tests and assessments have their place, and it is up to educators to determine when it is appropriate to use each.