Evaluating Achievement in Mathematics

There arc numerous techniques available to appraise pupil achievement in elementary school mathematics. The teacher must utilize a variety of approaches to assess pupil growth in the mathematics curriculum. Each evaluation technique has its strengths as well as weaknesses. Thus, a specific evaluation technique may be utilized as a check on other approaches to appraisal. Pupil achievement must be assessed in terms of stated relevant understandings. skills, and attitudinal objectives. It is not adequate to appraise pupil growth in terms of understandings objectives only. Pupils must also be assessed in terms of skills objectives. The understandings acquired by learners must be utilized; thus, skills objectives need to be stressed adequately in ongoing units of study in elementary school mathematics. Adequate emphasis also needs to be placed upon pupils achieving attitudinal goals. Desireable attitudes on the part of learners aid in achieving understandings and skills objectives. A defensible program of evaluation would then stress that pupil achievement be adequately appraised in terms of understandings, skills, and attitudinal objectives.