Assesment - PTK

Summative assessments generally address questions such as

"How well did the students learn the material? Was the instruction effective? Is this program or service worthy of continuation?"

Measuring student success against the achievement of the other students who took the test is also known as what

"grading on the curve" or "curving" the test results.

A good way to distinguish between summative and formative assessments is what

to think of summative assessments as assessments of learning and formative assessments as assessments for learning

Formative assessments are what

a common form of measurement and are based on the "formation" of a concept

A norm-referenced assessment, which is also known as what

as a cohort-referenced assessment

There are at least six general purposes for assessment in education which have an obvious relationship with the definitions of assessment that we have already reviewed. Each purpose should be a component of a comprehensive assessment-instruction system. The six purposes are what

•To identify the whole group's and individual student's strengths and weaknesses with respect to the curriculum so that the teacher can have access to the best information before making any instructional decisions •To inform parents and guardians about their children so they can help them and make informed decisions as to their future •To show students their progress toward mastery so individual students can become more aware, self-directed, and motivated in their approach to their own learning •To promote the concept of cyclic and continual student learning as exemplified by the model: assessment → instruction → assessment → instruction → assessment.... •To evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional implementation of specific curricular units, educational initiatives, teachers, or schools •To present personalized student data so that the teacher or institution can give a grade that is linked with an award, such as a degree, license, or certificate

What are the factors that are used to evaluate and ensure the quality of assessment instruments:

•Validity •Reliability •Bias

What are a few definitions of assessment. Assessment is:

•information gathering •the process of documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs •the process of determining whether or not clearly defined learning objectives have been achieved by students •a measure of students' knowledge and skills compared against some level of desired performance, such as attaining the level of proficient or distinguished or simply meeting the standard •how well the students are learning and how well the teacher is teaching •student, teacher, parent, and institutional accountability •a method to analyze and improve teaching and learning •a means to motivate students •a range of options for teachers to use that vary greatly from recording anecdotal notes while observing a student to administering a standardized test

Ipsative assessments have several characteristics that make them unique and particularly useful to the classroom teacher. What are they

- One of the benefits of ipsative assessments is the ease by which the students are able to compare their results with their existing "personal best" within that domain -Teachers also use ipsative assessments as practice events leading to a demonstration of mastery -can be used to motivate and challenge a student to continue to improve -Another related benefit occurs when the student analyzes his own progress and sets realistic goals and steps for achieving those goals.As a result, student self-determination is escalated

When using diagnostic exams, it is important to understand their limitations. What are they

-First of all, the teacher should clearly identify what is to be measured and make sure that the selected assessment is designed to measure that factor. -Try to avoid labeling students based only on diagnostic exam results

There are several instructional advantages afforded by criterion-referenced exams that teachers can utilize to maximize their benefits. What are they

-First, since the students are working to accomplish mastery of a criterion and not working against each other, the students can work in teams, or the teacher can form cooperative groups -allows the teacher to clearly define the objectives and goals for the students and create instructional ladders or steps for each student to reach those expectations.

There are many instructionally significant reasons to implement performance assessments as part of the assessment-instruction system. What are they

-Performance assessments tend to engage the students more than traditional paper and pencil tests -the lesson planning that leads to a performance exam tends to involve more active learning than the lecture and review type of lesson that is used to prepare students for other types of tests -Teachers also tend to feel that the data collected from a performance task is more representative of the students' true knowledge -Performance assessments differ from most other assessments because they allow great student freedom in constructing responses that require higher order and/or analytical thinking -they can be collected over time as evidence of the growth, mastery or achievement of curricular goals

While formative assessments are great tools, there are several ways that teachers commonly misuse them. What are they

-Probably the most common is to weight a student's grade with data primarily from formative assessments. -that they can stand alone and still provide an effective remedy for students' shortcomings. -when teachers rely too heavily on them -teachers sometimes express reluctance to use formative assessments because they feel they are losing control of the instructional delivery system

What are 7 types of assessments

-Summative • Formative • Ipsative • Diagnostic •Performance/authentic •Criterion-referenced •Norm-referenced

Yet, for all of the good that comes with performance assessments, there are also several items to consider during the planning stage:

-The amount of time required to complete the testing sequence -The amount of time need to score the tasks -Knowing how to use rubrics and holistic scoring prior to the event -Some students may not score well because they are not accustomed to a performance assessment.

Teachers use norm-referenced tests because of several unique benefits. What are they

-norm-referenced tests are considered more fair or compassionate because they guarantee that a prescribed number of students will be successful regardless of the ability of the students, teacher or institution -Norm-referenced tests are also useful whenever the teacher wants the students to understand how their scores compared to the remainder of the cohort who took the same assessment -The teacher can also use a series of norm-referenced tests to move students toward a standard in such a way that the students do not feel hopeless or defeated based on the results of the test.

There are a number of factors that a teacher must consider when using summative assessments. What are they

:Each summative assessment should target the teacher's instructional objectives which are based on the approved curriculum. •When planning a unit or sequence of lessons, the teacher should determine when a summative assessment is most appropriate and what it should measure. •The teacher should create the assessment before beginning instruction for that unit of learning. Creating the assessment first provides a more unbiased assessment of the students' knowledge. When a teacher creates a test after the instruction, it is sometimes difficult for the teacher to resist the temptation to de-emphasize a section of the curriculum because the students might not perform well on that section. As a result, the scores are higher than they should have been and the attention is not drawn to any areas where the students may need extra help. Another reason to create the assessment before beginning instruction is to guide the teacher's planning for that unit. This is particularly helpful in terms of pacing the lesson and determining the depth of coverage. •Summative assessments should be comprehensive and representative measures of overall knowledge, skills, and/or performance. They are most accurate when they aggregate data from a number of different sources. For instance, relying on one test to determine a student's grade for the year would be unprofessional. A wise teacher amasses data throughout the learning cycle such as from quizzes, unit tests and competitive performances, to determine the grade for a particular child. •When using multiple sources of assessments to determine grades, the teacher should predetermine the weighting of each assessment before instruction begins. The weighting of each particular component should reflect established curricular priorities.

An ipsative assessment is also know as what

It is also known as a "profiling" type of test.

The data from a diagnostic assessment can be used how

Once the data is available the teachers can then remediate students and/or adjust the instructional sequence to meet the specified needs of each student. The data from a diagnostic assessment can also be used to create an instructional target or goal for the students.

What is one of the best known norm-referenced assessments.

The IQ test

Summative assessments are what

These assessments are content-driven and appear as tests, quizzes, reports, papers, recitals, and competitions. Summative assessments are designed to add up or "sum" the amount of knowledge that the test-taker demonstrates. They are considered "assessments of learning."

In formative assessments, It is helpful if the students are able to see what

a model or an example of the completed product or the desired level of mastery so they can visualize the pathway that links their current level to the desired level

Often diagnostic tests are given as a what

a pre-test for a curricular unit to determine the entry level knowledge and establish baseline data about the students for measuring their growth. The information gained can become a baseline only if the diagnostic exam is a true representation of future learning

When the average person thinks of a test in school, they are typically recalling what

a summative assessment

A formative assessment without the supporting components becomes what

a summative test and loses the value unique to formatives

It is important for the teacher to do a final review of the task design before asking the students to begin working. The final review must include what

a thorough analysis to prevent technical constraints and/or equity issues and bias. The task must be fair to all students. Then teachers with training in holistic rubric scoring judge the quality of the students' work based on the established standards

The best definition of content validity is also the simplest: what is it

a valid assessment is one that measures what it is intended to measure.

A criterion-referenced assessment may not work in every situation. On a true criterion-referenced exam, all of the students may do what

all of the students may fail or they may all earn a perfect score. In the simplest terms, the students either make it to proficiency or they do not.

The best performance tasks do what

allow the students to apply an array of curriculum-related skills and knowledge in a creative manner that is a personalized response to the assessment. This also assumes that there are multiple methods for defining a correct answer

Testing students in a modality different from their classroom training will do what

also have a low validity. As an example, if students were asked to write extended essay-type responses to open-ended sample questions during the instruction which allowed them the freedom to express themselves in their answer, then a multiple choice test over the same material will have a lower validity

A good rule of thumb is to construct the assessments to represent what

an adequate sampling of the knowledge and skills taught in that course.

A performance assessment consists of two parts, what are they

an authentic task and a rubric, or scoring criteria

Classroom examples of formative assessments include what

anecdotal records, practice tests, classwork, and self-reflection activities.

A performance based assessment, may also be referred to as what

as an authentic or alternative assessment

We should note that it is possible for one assessment instrument to qualify as what

as multiple types of assessments. For example, it is possible for a teacher to use a criterion-referenced, diagnostic assessment or a norm-referenced, summative assessment

Further, summative assessments summarize the development of learners when

at a particular time. The assessments are designed to measure learning as related to a specific set of curricular topics and allows the teacher to assign a score that reflects the students' achievement.

For teachers, the summative assessment is usually given when

at the end of a unit of study, such as a chapter, semester, or year, for the purpose of student evaluation and assigning a grade.

The tasks of a performance based assessment are typically what

based on real-life (authentic) scenarios or are career-specific, and require the application of the requisite skills and knowledge for that task.

In certain classes, performance assessments are also called lab practicums, why?

because the students are required to demonstrate how to correctly use the equipment specific to that program.

Performance assessments are popular why

because the students can actively demonstrate what they know rather than select an answer from a given list. Therefore, performance assessments can feel like a truer indicator of the student's actual knowledge and ability level than more traditional tests

By definition, ipsative events are somewhat personal why

because they compare a student to himself. Therefore it is not a standard procedure to compare the results of different students.

The feedback provided by formative assessments is designed to help students do what

become aware of any gaps between their current knowledge and their educational goals

In response to No Child Left Behind and high stakes testing, teachers have moved away from a reliance on norm-referenced tests. With the loss of the protective umbrella provided by norm-referenced tests, teachers and schools have developed what

better pedagogy to differentiate instruction so that all students can learn.

A norm-referenced assessment does not measure student success against a defined standard or criteria, but against what

but against the achievement of the other students who took the test

We have already noted the importance of and the many reasons for using assessments in the classroom. Assessments can do what

can target instructional needs, communicate valuable information about a student's progress, and can indicate a student's mastery of curricular content. However, this information will only be useful if teachers are using quality assessment tools

There are many types of validity but the most common in educational assessments is what

content validity

A comprehensive assessment plan, whether for an individual teacher or for a school system, should include what

data that is relevant for each of the categories listed

In performance assessments, Tasks that are embedded into and align with the intent of the curriculum do what

demonstrate the assessment-instruction feedback loop

Schools that utilize a comprehensive assessment-instruction system maintain what

diagnostic records for every student for the entire time the student is in that school and school system

Based on the results of the formative assessments, the teacher may do what

differentiate his or her approach among the students by selecting new or advanced learning opportunities for certain students and re-teaching some material using a new strategy for other students.

Once an instructional scheme has been developed based on the data generated from a formative assessment, a student must do what

engage in learning before it is practical to measure if the student has learned anything.

Typically ipsative assessments draw characteristics from what. (Describe those characteristics)

from both summative and formative assessments. For instance, students may receive a grade for their efforts while the assessment yields data that is helpful in preparation for the next assessment over the same material, skill, or process.

To construct a performance assessment, the teacher does what

identifies a well-defined task that requires the students to create, make, or do something that is within the intent of the curriculum and normal classroom instruction. The teacher then creates a holistic set of scoring criteria or a rubric that is based on curricular standards.

The usefulness of diagnostic data is magnified how

if it becomes incorporated into a historical measure of student performance over time.

Ipsative assessments are the norm in what

in competitive events, such as athletic or musical contests. The concept of trying to improve on a previous effort is the same in academics as athletics

Another consideration for the teacher is how to grade student effort on a series of ipsative assessments. Should the teacher count each one or wait until the student has reached his high mark and then count that one? The answer lies where

in how the teacher visualizes the ipsative assessment series. Are the assessments designed as practice (formative) or are they intended as a final measure of student performance (summative)? If formative, then the teacher may choose not to count some or all of the assessments. If summative, then the teacher will likely count all of them.

Diagnostic assessments are similar to summative assessments in what way

in that they are both formal and identify students' achievement in reference to pre-determined standards

Diagnostic assessments are unique in what way

in that they can be used to track student performance, evaluate curriculum, and measure the effectiveness of value-added components in a non-summative manner.

A criterion-referenced test is typically utilized how

in the classroom to determine how well students have mastered a particular curricular unit or standard and the students' scores will reflect their level of mastery

An ipsative assessment is a type of assessment in which what happens

in which the student is compared to his best previous attempt within the same curricular concepts

Formative assessments promote student learning and in particular, deep learning. As such, they are intertwined with what

instructional pedagogy.

Teachers must also remain vigilant regarding the pacing of the lessons. Excessive use of ipsative assessments may consume a large amount of time that will be needed later to complete the entire curriculum. There may be some situations whereby certain students increase their achievement at such a slow pace that the time available will run out before they have maximized their opportunity. To guard against this, the teacher must do what

is advised to determine the length of time available for teaching a particular concept and then plan ipsative assessments within that time constraint

Another aspect of formative assessments are that they allow the teacher and students to assume different roles. In the assessment for learning process, the teacher and students do what

may become more interactive than a more traditional and distant approach.

Teachers who use quizzes and tests as the primary means for generating student interest in the class are what

missing an opportunity to provide engaging instruction.

Since a formative assessment is considered practice, teachers do not so what

necessarily count them for grading purposes

A performance based assessment, is a form of testing where the assessment is what

not a traditional paper and pencil test, but rather an exhibition of skills.

Reliability is a measure of what

of test consistency

When curving the test results, the top scoring students always get an "A" (or some other indication of a high mark) and the rest of the students receive scores based on what

on how well they scored on the assessment relative to the top scoring students. That way, no matter how well or poorly the students demonstrated achievement, a set number or percentage of the students, such as 15% of the class, will always score an "A," a set number or percentage will receive a "B," and so on

A diagnostic assessment is what

one that looks back on prior student learning and provides data that connects to new learning

A criterion-referenced assessment is what

one that measures students' success in reference to defined standards, or criteria.

In formative assessments The students' role morphs into what

one where they become more involved with their own learning. Since they are able to analyze the results of their own formative assessments, they can and should have a voice in what steps are necessary for their continued development

Feedback should be what

personalized and specific to the expectations for that area of study. An example of ineffective feedback would be a situation where the teacher informs the class that 35% of the students got question number 5 incorrect or that there were 12 "A" grades on the last test. This type of information may serve another purpose, but it does not help an individual student understand what he or she did wrong or how to make improvements before the next exam

Like formative assessments, diagnostic assessments do what

they presume that an instructional component will connect the needs identified by the assessments with future student growth. In other words, the teacher is expected to adjust lesson components and differentiate lessons as needed in response to the data generated by these assessments.

Poor assessments do what

provide poor data, send teachers down the wrong path, and can harm students by misrepresenting their needs and skill levels.

summative assessments are measures of outcome that define student achievement rather than what

student cooperation, aptitude, or effort. As such, they are used to determine if a student or learner has "passed" or reached proficiency in that particular event.

In the simplest terms, a formative assessment includes what

student practice with constructive feedback and leads to more personalized student practice followed by more personalized feedback. The loop continues until the desired level of student mastery is reached.

To use a more sophisticated definition, summative assessments are what

tests that are designed to measure a learner's understanding following a sustained period of instruction with a focus on identifying the level of mastery and the effectiveness of the instruction.

Effective feedback is one that does what

that connects the individual student with the exact area that needs improvement as well as those areas where the student is considered proficient. For instance, a teacher may inform a student that he performed well on the last arithmetic practice test and showed that he has mastered adding single column numbers, but that he needs to develop a plan to improve his ability to subtract single column numbers.

With norm-referenced tests, it is not uncommon to find what

that students will be unwilling to work together or cooperate to help other students learn. From a student's perspective, it may seem disadvantageous to help another student in the same cohort.

Reliability relates to what

the ability of an assessment to replicate the same results

In the technical sense, validity refers to what

the appropriateness of the interpretation of the assessment results and not to the assessment instrument.

Formative assessments can also be defined as what

the diagnostic use of assessments to provide feedback to teachers and students for the purpose of providing better instruction so that individual students may reach proficiency

Although summative assessments do provide useful data, there are also several disadvantages. Probably the most common misuse of a summative assessment is what

the over-reliance and dependence on these assessments to promote learning

There is rarely a way that students can guess the correct answer using a performance assessment and all of the information must typically be generated by the student. In this way, they do what

they separate those students who have studied and prepared for the event from those who may have taken shortcuts.

Associated with the pressure that is placed on students and teachers, is the assertion that high stakes summative assessments force to teachers to do what

to "teach to the test" to keep their students' scores high

Diagnostic assessments are useful how

to ascertain each student's strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills prior to instruction of that curricular sequence

criterion-referenced assessment may be used to how

to compare students' results by criterion if they completed the same exam, such as a statewide exam in a particular subject area.

In performance assessments, Students might not know what to expect and will not adequately prepare for the activity. In cases like this, the students may feel the tasks are unfair. To prevent this, teachers are advised to do what

to keep their instruction and performance assessments similar and to communicate that similarity to the students.It is also a good idea to inform the students ahead of time as to what the task entails and explain the standards that will be used to evaluate their performance. This will require a careful description of the elements that will be expected for a proficient response.

Recently norm-referenced tests have received criticism. By definition, a norm-referenced assessment does not measure achievement with respect to a standard, so the assessment is seldom linked to why

to lesson planning or mastery learning. Teachers can curve a benchmark test showing how well the class is progressing and, after the test, the teacher can begin the next unit of study regardless of how well the students performed.

A diagnostic assessment allows a teacher to do what

to make judgments regarding how well a student is performing or is likely to perform on a particular curricular topic.

It is important to remember what with ipsative assessment

to measure student growth within the same curricular concepts. For instance, comparing a student's performance on the photosynthesis test with their results on the cell structure test is not ipsative

The simple way to create a performance assessment is what

to take a proven, existing activity, create a rubric, and refer to it as a performance assessment

The results of a criterion-referenced assessment are not determined by how well a student scored in relation to what

to the other students taking the same exam.

validity is considered in relation to what

to the specified use of the assessment. For instance, a social studies assessment will have a high validity index if it measures what has been taught in the class. It may also have a degree of validity for predicting how well the students will do in the next social studies course. However, the validity would be suspect in determining how well the same student will do in a mathematics course

When students do take partial responsibility, this present an opportunity for the teacher to become more of a facilitator of learning rather than just a provider. Yet, in order for this to occur, students must receive what

useful feedback regarding their performance.

Formative assessments work best when

when they are a natural outgrowth of classroom teaching and provide the teacher and student with renewed direction for continued growth.

When using formative assessments, both the teacher and students become consumers of the data generated by the event. Within that relationship, an interesting instructional association should develop where what happens

where the teacher and students share the responsibility for learning to a greater extent than traditional models have allowed

During formative assessments, the teacher's role changes so that the teacher does what

works more closely with individual students to construct lessons targeting their areas of need based on the data generated by the formative assessment. To get to that point, the teacher determines appropriate locations for formative assessments and then allocates time for them within the lesson plan

Like other assessments, diagnostic assessments should be conceived during the initial planning stages for a curricular segment. Several fundamental questions need an answer during this initial planning stage: what are they

•Is there currently a diagnostic available for this unit? •What is the purpose of the diagnostic assessment? •What will you do with the results?

There are several conditions teachers must consider when implementing formative assessments as an instructional component of a lesson plan. What are they

•The instructional expectations must be based on the approved curriculum. •The teacher must identify and share the achievement goals with the students in a way that they will understand. It is also helpful to provide examples of exemplary student work as a model or thought-starter. •When employing direct instruction, teachers should include a series of guided practice events with informative feedback as a formative assessment of that instruction. •Within a series of formative assessments, the teacher can choose to have the students complete several self-assessments as part of the series.