• Written tests are the most common form of assessment.Jeffrey Coolidge/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Assessing what a student knows is an important task for teachers so that they know what they need to teach and what skills students have already mastered. There are many forms of assessment, and in order accurately assess what a student knows, teachers must use different assessments for different skills. Teachers must make sure that when they assess a student, they are using a tool that measures the skill they are trying to assess.
  
  

Portfolios

• Portfolios are a collection of student work, usually showing chronological growth. Using a portfolio to assess what student is learning benefits students who do not test well. Portfolios often show growth, as they master new skills. For example, a writing portfolio might show writing samples from each month of the school year. These writing samples may show better spelling skills, grammar skills and organization as the year progresses.
  
  

Projects

• Teachers can use projects to assess student learning in many ways. Projects may take weeks, or even months, and may require work to take place in and out of the classroom. By assigning a project to a student, you are giving the student a chance to present his learning in a way that he feels comfortable doing so. For example, a student doing a project on the life cycle may decide to make a poster, create a diorama if he is artistic or write report if writing is his strong skill. Regardless of how the student presents the project, teachers can see if the student truly has learned the information.
  
  

Writing Samples

• Collecting writing samples, either formal or informal, is a quick way for you to asses your class. Ask students to write down what they know about a subject they are studying, and you can get a quick idea of who knows the information. Be careful if you have students who are not strong writers; they may know the information but cannot get them down on paper.
  
  

Oral Samples

• Asking questions, listening to class discussions and talking with a student about a topic can give you an informal assessment of the students knowledge on a subject. Create your questions to find out exactly what you want to assess. Give your students a chance to voice their knowledge in small groups or one on one if they feel uncomfortable speaking in large groups.
  
  

Tests and Quizzes

• Tests and quizzes are the most well known form of assessing a student. Often tests and quizzes do not only assess what a student knows; they also assess their reading skills, their testing skills and their memory. To avoid unfair bias when using tests to assess students, be sure that you give students grade and skill appropriate tests.