Trust First, Diagnostic Later
The Importance of Building Trust Before Administering Diagnostic Assessments
As school leaders set the testing schedule for the new school year, one of the top priorities is often administering diagnostic assessments. These tests provide teachers with essential data on where their students stand in various skills and knowledge areas and can be used to place students into programs. When used effectively, diagnostic data is a powerful tool for planning instruction that meets students where they are. However, there’s an often-overlooked step that is crucial to the success of these assessments: taking time to get to know your students and build trust before diving into the diagnostic administration.
Understanding Diagnostic Assessments
In an educational context, a diagnostic assessment is a tool used to evaluate students' current level of knowledge and skills in specific areas. The purpose is to identify strengths and areas for improvement so that instruction can be tailored to meet individual student needs. These assessments should never be about grading or judging students, but rather are about gathering information to guide instruction.
However, if administered too quickly—before students have had the chance to build rapport with their teachers or understand the purpose of the test—these assessments may yield results that do not accurately reflect students’ true abilities.
The Role of Trust in Diagnostic Assessments
Imagine being asked to perform a task you've never done before, in front of someone you don’t know, without fully understanding why you’re being asked to do it. For many students, especially younger ones or those with limited prior experience with tests, this scenario can create confusion, anxiety, and even fear.
Now, consider the first time a person ever swings a baseball bat. Without proper context and understanding of the task before them, they might think anything less than a home run is a failure. In the same way, students who are thrust into a diagnostic assessment without proper preparation may view any challenge they encounter as a sign of their own inadequacy, rather than as an opportunity for growth. This can lead to disengagement, discouragement, and ultimately, poor performance that does not accurately reflect their abilities.
Building Rapport and Explaining the Purpose
Before administering diagnostic assessments, it’s important to take the time to build rapport and trust with your students. Here are some key considerations:
Build Relationships: Spend time getting to know your students as individuals. Learn about their interests, strengths, and any anxieties they might have about testing. A positive relationship with their teacher can make students feel more comfortable and confident when taking tests.
Explain the Assessment’s Purpose: Clearly explain to students what the diagnostic test will assess and why it’s being given. Use age-appropriate language to ensure they understand that the test is not about grading them but about helping the teacher (or other school staff) understand how to support their future learning.
Clarify How Results Will Be Used: Reassure students that the results of the diagnostic test will be used to help tailor instruction to their needs, no matter how well they do on the test. It’s also important to explain what the results will not be used for, such as determining grades or comparing them to their peers. Most importantly, keep your word when using the diagnostic results.
Provide Context for New Tasks: If the diagnostic assessment includes tasks or content that may be unfamiliar to students, provide some context ahead of time. Explain that encountering new challenges is expected and that the test is designed to help uncover areas where they need more practice.
Create a Supportive Testing Environment: Ensure that the testing environment is calm, encouraging, and free from pressure. Encourage students to do their best but remind them that it’s okay not to know everything on the test—that’s the whole point of a diagnostic.
Ensuring Accurate and Useful Results
By taking the time to build trust and explain the purpose of the diagnostic assessment, you can help ensure that the results accurately reflect your students’ abilities. This, in turn, will make the data more valuable for planning instruction that truly meets their needs.
As you finalize your testing schedules, remember that the success of your diagnostic assessments depends not just on the tests themselves but on the relationships you build with your students and the clarity with which you communicate the purpose of the assessments. After all, data that doesn’t reflect reality is of little to no use in guiding instruction.
Before administering that first diagnostic, consider whether you’ve taken the steps necessary to ensure that students are ready—not just academically, but emotionally and mentally—to show you what they know. When students feel supported and understand why they’re being assessed, they’re more likely to engage fully and provide the accurate data you need to help them succeed.
Final Thoughts
As school and district leaders, it's essential to recognize that diagnostic assessments are more than just tools for gathering data—they’re opportunities to understand and connect with your students. A little extra time spent on this foundational step can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your diagnostic assessments and, ultimately, in your ability to support your students’ growth throughout the year. A diagnostic at the beginning of the school year is, after all, only the first test of what will be many. How it is approached sets the tone for future tests.
Considering Student Attitudes and Beliefs is just one component of my Compassionate Assessment Framework. This framework provides a lens through which to identify the most high leverage actions that will support your students’ measurable success and helps put testing back into its proper place. If you're interested in exploring how the Compassionate Assessment Framework can transform your school's approach to assessment, reach out and set up a consultation to discuss how we can make a positive, measurable impact on your students’ learning together.
