Why Math Assessments Matter For Student Success

Although they can bring up feelings of nervousness and anxiety, math assessments aren’t used to intimidate students – they are there to help students get closer to math excellence. Without them, how can one truly tell if their math skills are improving? How can we know if students are effectively absorbing the material taught? 

Research has shown that, after a week or more after studying, students are more likely to perform worse on major assessments due to retaining less information as time goes on. On the other hand, a study had shown that students, who had frequent yet small assessments before a big test, remembered 60% of the materials taught compared to those who didn’t and, as a result, only remembered 40%.

Without these assessments, we wouldn’t know whether students are genuinely learning and understanding concepts, nor would we know if they fully retained such information! Below are some more insights into why math assessments are important to a student’s progress in math:

1. Math assessments motivates students to further improve their math skills

Math assessments determine a student’s weaknesses in math, helping them tackle such weaknesses to turn them into strengths. Students will find meaning and confidence in having concrete learning goals, as these assessments give them guidance into what they should learn and improve on. 

Such results in the student becoming more engaged with the curriculum, making them feel more empowered in recognizing their success through math assessments. In regards to math assessments like daily quizzes, a study had shown that students, rather than highlighting and rereading their notes and textbooks, opted to quiz themselves as a means of studying. This led to those students retaining 80% of the information later on, while other students could only remember about 30%. This is a result of having these assessments, as students challenge themselves through discovering other ways to do better and improve!

2. Teachers use math assessments to help teach the subject better

As an integral part of their profession, math assessments help teachers understand whether or not their students are responding positively to their teaching strategies. With math assessments, they can fully monitor and observe their students’ progress and whether or not they are reaching their learning goals. If not, teachers are able to provide their students with the resources they need to improve, as well as adjusting their own curriculum to fulfill their students’ learning needs. 

3. Math assessments help parents understand their child’s progress in math class

The benefits of math assessments are not only limited to teachers and students – they are also valuable to the parents of those students! They help parents evaluate and understand their child’s level in math and how they’re doing in school. In reviewing those math assessments, parents can help further boost their child’s confidence in math as well with words of encouragement or supplementing them with extracurricular activities (i.e. math tutoring).

With current research showing that knowledge is acquired through meaningful ways rather than long-term memory, parents can help their child find the importance of math in day-to-day activities. Such can help a student thrive in their math assessments, as they begin to see and value the necessity of math in everyday life. 

Math assessments are arguably one of the most effective tools in education, as it helps determine if students are successfully learning math and retaining the knowledge taught in class. We at Math Project utilize math assessments to identify any learning gaps in our students’ math education, using the results to customize their learning plan to strengthen their math skills and confidence. Book a free assessment for your child by calling +1 844-628-4243 – we’ll help with any inquiries and provide valuable information regarding Math Project, including fees! For more information on Math Project’s math tutoring programs in Katy, Richmond, Cypress, Sugar Land, Missouri City and/or Hillcroft, visit ‘Our Programs’ page. Book a free assessment

Citations:
Test-enhanced learning: Using retrieval practice to help students learn – cft.vanderbilt.edu
Researchers Find That Frequent Tests Can Boost Learning – scientificamerican.com
What Does the Research Say About Testing? – edutopia.org
Measuring What Counts: A Conceptual Guide for Mathematics Assessment – nap.edu
Three Tips for Developing Elementary Math Tests – resilienteducator.com
Why Is Assessment Important? –edutopia.org/assessment-guide-importance
Assessment to promote mathematics learning – thelearningexchange.ca
Why Assessment for Learning is essential for successful maths teaching – mathsnoproblem.com