On their own part, Baker and Stites (1991) opined that continuous assessment should involve a formal assessment of learners' affective characteristics and motivation, in which they will need to demonstrate their commitment to tasks over time, their work-force readiness and their competence in team or group performance contexts. .
From these definitions, one could infer that continuous assessment is an assessment approach which involves the use of a variety of assessment instruments, assessing various components of learning, not only the thinking processes but including behaviors, personality traits and manual dexterity. .
Continuous assessment will also take place over a period of time. Such an approach would be more holistic, representing the learner in his/her entirety. It will begin with the decisions that the teachers perform on the first day of school and end with the decisions that the teachers and administrators make on the learners regarding end-of-year grading and promotion. Continuous Assessment will however, not be successful without the dutiful commitment, diligence and sacrifice on the part of teachers. The task is difficult and calls for dedicated objectivity and handwork on the part of the teachers, counselors and everybody involved in the education of the child.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT.
The following are the characteristics of continuous assessment:.
Systematic.
Comprehensive.
Cumulative.
Guidance "Oriented.
1 Systematic nature of continuous assessment:.
Continuous assessment is said to be systematic in the sense that it requires an operational plan which indicates what measurement are to be made of the pupils' performance, at what time intervals or times during the school year, the measurements are to be made and the results recorded, and the nature of the tools or instruments to be used in the measurements.
II-2 Comprehensive nature of continuous assessment.
