The Ateneo Teacher Training Center (ATTC) and the Office of the Vice President for Higher Education conducted a one-day seminar-workshop on Test Development for Probationary Teachers on 17 August 2026, at the Arrupe Convention Hall.
The seminar-workshop was intended for teachers within their first three years of teaching and served as a required professional development activity for purposes of recommendations on tenure and status. It was designed to provide participants with essential knowledge, practical strategies, and hands-on experience in developing valid, reliable, and appropriate assessments.
Through the seminar-workshop, probationary teachers were equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to design quality tests aligned with intended learning outcomes and to enhance their classroom assessment practices. The activity sought to strengthen their capacity to use assessment not merely for grading purposes but as an integral component of effective teaching and learning.
The speaker, Dr. Arnulfo Aaron R. Reganit, Director of the Ateneo Teacher Training Center (ATTC) and the only Fellow from Bicol of the Philippine Educational Measurement and Evaluation Association, emphasized that assessment is as important as curriculum and instruction. He stressed that assessment should not be viewed as a competitor to teaching but rather as a powerful tool for improving teaching and learning.
Dr. Reganit introduced the concept of “assist-ment,” drawing from the Latin root assidere, meaning “to sit beside.” He explained that assessment should embody the teacher’s role of sitting beside learners to guide, help, support, and assist them in learning more effectively. In this sense, assist-ment is not merely about passing or failing, nor is it primarily about scores. Rather, it is about understanding what learners know and do not know, what they have mastered and what they have yet to master, and providing timely intervention to those who may be struggling.
He reminded the teacher-participants of the importance of proper test construction. A poorly constructed test may fail to accurately capture what examinees truly know, understand, and can do. When an assessment fails to measure what students have actually learned, the resulting data become invalid for making sound judgments and educational decisions. Ultimately, inappropriate assessment can have serious consequences for students, affecting not only their academic performance but also their self-concept, self-esteem, academic recognition, and future educational and career opportunities.
ATTC Faculty Development Initiatives
The ATTC also extended its assessment expertise to other units of the University. On August 6, 2026, the College of Business and Accountancy requested the Ateneo Teacher Training Center to conduct an in-house faculty development session on “Crafting Quality Assessment: Test Development.” The activity focused on strengthening faculty members’ competencies in developing assessments that are aligned with learning outcomes and appropriate to the competencies being measured. Dr. Reganit also shared his insights on strengthening classroom assessment in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the need to design assessments that promote higher-order thinking, application, critical analysis, reflection, and authentic demonstration of learning.
The Center was likewise invited by the Ateneo Basic Education Unit to conduct an in-house in-service training on “Assessing What Matters: Empowering Basic Education Teachers through Trimodal Assessment,” held on 4-6 May 2026.
During the training, Dr. Reganit emphasized that the integration of written tests, performance tasks, and portfolio assessments provides a multifaceted approach to evaluating student learning. These forms of assessment should not be treated as separate or disconnected requirements but as complementary sources of evidence that provide a more comprehensive picture of learning across the teaching cycle.
A useful way of framing this approach is through balanced assessment, which is consistent with established principles of educational assessment and classroom approaches such as Assessment for Learning.
- Written tests assess students’ knowledge, understanding, and retention of essential concepts and content. They should be carefully designed to reflect the content and performance standards expected of learners.
- Performance tasks allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through meaningful, creative, and practical applications. These tasks should likewise be aligned with the intended learning outcomes, content standards, and performance standards.
- Portfolio assessment provides a collection of student work overtime that demonstrates learners’ efforts, progress, development, and achievements. The portfolio should contain evidence that reflects the intended learning outcomes and standards.
By integrating these three forms of assessment, teachers can develop a more holistic and authentic picture of students’ learning journeys, providing a more accurate reflection of their knowledge, skills, progress, and capabilities. Such an approach encourages students to become more actively engaged in their learning while fostering accountability, reflection, and ownership of their educational development.
Participants in the Ateneo Basic Education Unit training earned 12 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
