ED-400 Midterm
Other things being equal, the more items in a test, the greater the test's reliability. Why is this so? A) Many different item types can be used B) Students have to work harder C) A better sampling of the content area is possible D) Scores on the test can be higher E) Students' attention span diminishes
A better sampling of the content area is possible
Which of the following types of tests is intended to assess achievement on a particular unit of instruction? A) A teacher-made test B) A standardized achievement test C) An ability test D) A state proficiency test E) An aptitude test
A teacher-made test
Which of the following item types can be used to assess higher-level thinking skills? A) True-false B) Multiple choice C) Interpretive exercises D) Essay E) All of these
All of these
Which of the following is NOT an example of what teachers should do to ensure that tests and instruction are aligned? A) Include lengthy verbiage within a single test item to ensure that multiple objectives are assessed. B) Include only topics and skills that were emphasized during instruction. C) Continually refer back to the learning objectives while developing test items. D) Create the types of problems that were practiced and discussed in class.
Include lengthy verbiage within a single test item to ensure that multiple objectives are assessed.
The primary intent of state standards is to A) provide comparisons of students nationwide. B) guide statewide learning and assessments. C) dictate classroom objectives and activities. D) replace teacher-made classroom tests with standardized standards-based assessments.
guide statewide learning and assessments.
Which of the following is NOT an example of formative assessment? A) Administering a paper-and-pencil test at the end of a unit B) Observing students while they work on an in-class assignment C) Questioning students during a full-class discussion D) Reviewing student homework
Administering a paper-and-pencil test at the end of a unit
After a student is identified as possibly having a special need, a team of which of the following individuals formally assesses the child? A) One or more special education teachers B) The student's classroom teacher C) Counselors and child advocates D) Parents E) All of these
All of these
Which of the following characteristics do both multiple-choice and essay items share? A) Are efficient for measuring knowledge of specific facts B) Can assess higher-level behaviors C) Provide extensive sampling of the content D) Reliability of scoring is high for both
Can assess higher-level behaviors
Whose responsibility is it to develop lesson plans and objectives that are appropriate for a class? A) Classroom teacher B) Textbook publisher C) School administrator D) Students' parents E) Local community
Classroom teacher
A teacher should judge a student's response to an essay item using which of the following criteria? A) Student's level of achievement on other tasks B) Handwriting C) Neatness D) Content of the student's response
Content of the student's response
Which of the following is a characteristic of early assessment? A) Records are kept on file at the school B) First impressions tend to remain stable C) Based largely on formal testing D) Conducted periodically throughout the school year E) Used to monitor the progress of instruction
First impressions tend to remain stable
Which type of evidence is a teacher LEAST likely to rely upon in carrying out assessment during instruction? A) Formal tests B) Looks on students' faces C) Involvement of students D) Students' posture E) Oral questioning
Formal tests
Which of the following objectives would be most appropriately assessed with an essay? A) Given a set of diagrams of atoms, identify which are inert gases. B) Given the necessary equipment, light a Bunsen burner. C) Given a set of lab notes, interpret the results of an experiment. D) Given an element's atomic weight, locate it on the periodic table.
Given a set of lab notes, interpret the results of an experiment.
Which of the following is of major importance in early assessment? A) Assigning student grades in a fair manner B) Administering group assessments and comparing all students in the same way C) Quickly recognizing each student's flaws and weaknesses D) Giving students a fair chance to show what they are like
Giving students a fair chance to show what they are like
Group assessment would be most appropriate for answering which of the following questions? A) How much has the class learned about math this year? B) Is this student highly motivated? C) Why is this student reluctant to read aloud? D) Does this child have a learning disability?
How much has the class learned about math this year?
Which of the following is the LEAST reliable source of information about a student's current progress and learning? A) Observations B) Lab and book reports and project portfolios C) Information from prior teachers D) Paper-and-pencil tests E) Oral questioning
Information from prior teachers
Which of the following verbs from an objective most clearly reflects higher-level learning? A) Recalls B) Recognizes C) Recites D) Interprets
Interprets
Which of the following is NOT true of an interpretive exercise? A) It is more difficult to construct than other item types. B) It is particularly useful with poor readers. C) It is intended to assess higher-level thinking skills. D) It is designed to assess achievements more complex than i
It is particularly useful with poor readers.
All of the following are examples of instructional assessments EXCEPT A) tomorrow, the students will write a biographical story. B) Mrs. Warren will develop a true-false quiz for her social studies class. C) students need to bring in one paper towel tube for the experiment. D) the class will work in small groups for the reading lesson. E) we will start Monday's class with a review of new vocabulary words.
Mrs. Warren will develop a true-false quiz for her social studies class.
Which of the following item sequences would be the best arrangement for a test? A) Essay, short answer, matching, multiple choice B) Multiple choice, essay, short answer, matching C) Multiple choice, matching, short answer, essay D) Essay, multiple choice, essay, matching, essay, short answer
Multiple choice, matching, short answer, essay
School districts maintain central record files on their students. These files include test scores, grades, and promotion and placement history. These files contain information related to which type of assessment? A) Sizing-up B) Official C) Planning instruction D) Delivering instruction
Official
Assessments that are used to monitor and improve a process while it is still going on are called __________ assessments. A) formative B) objective C) summative D) official
formative
A teacher monitors student attention, facial expressions, posture, and eagerness to participate in classroom discussions. This illustrates the use of A) psychomotor assessment. B) summative assessment. C) out-of-tolerance behavior. D) formative assessment
formative assessment
The main purpose of a test item is to A) provide a challenging assessment experience for students. B) guarantee correct answers. C) give students an opportunity to show how much they know about what they were taught. D) provide official assessment records for school districts.
give students an opportunity to show how much they know about what they were taught.
All of the following are examples of teachers' ethical standards EXCEPT A) treat each student as an individual. B) avoid physical and emotional abuse of students. C) respect diversity. D) have lower expectations for students from impoverished families. E) avoid favoritism and harassment.
have lower expectations for students from impoverished families.
In order for an objective to be classified as higher level, the student must be asked to do a task that is A) new. B) creative. C) objective. D) familiar. E) recognized.
new
Teacher-made assessments that are developed for a single classroom with a single group of students are called A) nonstandardized. B) norm-referenced. C) standards based. D) reliable. E) standardized.
nonstandardized
Agreement of several scorers on the results of an essay examination is an indication of the exam's A) objectivity. B) validity. C) standardization. D) bias.
objectivity
Marie Tobin sits down in the faculty room, opens her lunch and says, "Something's wrong. I know they're up to something. They're being too good today." Marie has noticed A) evidence of student learning. B) out-of-tolerance behavior. C) a steering group. D) a self-fulfilling prophesy.
out-of-tolerance behavior.
Complex supply items, such as book reports, journal entries, portfolios, science experiments, and class projects, are also commonly called A) achievement tests. B) standardized tests. C) instructional assessments. D) performance assessments.
performance assessments.
Cognitive assessments involve intellectual activities such as A) Shooting a basketball B) Feeling motivated C) Problem solving D) Playing a musical instrument E) Maintaining self-control
problem solving
A test is best defined as a A) task requiring students to exhibit their best performance. B) set of questions about a specific content area. C) situation requiring students to solve problems. D) procedure for sampling the behavior of students.
procedure for sampling the behavior of students.
In scoring essay questions, one should do all of the following EXCEPT A) use a written scoring key or answer outline. B) read each essay twice at different times. C) read each pupil's paper in full before reading the next pupil's paper. D) separate judgments of content from writing skill and style.
read each pupil's paper in full before reading the next pupil's paper.
Objectives that require memorization are called ______ objectives. A) application B) analysis C) comprehension D) recall E) synthesis
recall
All of the following are examples of how to improve early assessments EXCEPT A) treat initial impressions as hypotheses. B) use direct indicators to gather information about students. C) make multiple observations to identify typical student behavior. D) rely on paper-and-pencil tests to gather student information. E) supplement informal observations with formal activities.
rely on paper-and-pencil tests to gather student information.
True-false, matching, and multiple choice are all examples of A) completion questions. B) supply questions. C) interpretive exercises. D) selection items.
selection items
Teachers' initial impressions often influence the way they interact with their students so that the students begin to behave in the way the teachers expected them to behave. This phenomenon is called the A) primacy effect. B) sizing-up process. C) triangulation effect. D) personal theory effect. E) self-fulfilling prophecy
self-fulfilling prophecy
The primary goal of educational standards is to A) administer valid and reliable computer-based group tests. B) set common criteria for performance to which all schools and students are held. C) assess a single group of students in a single classroom. D) set the bar for student promotion into the next grade.
set common criteria for performance to which all schools and students are held.
On which type of item is guessing likely to have least influence? A) Short answer B) Matching C) Multiple choice D) True-false
short answer
When teachers size up their students at the start of the year, the main danger that threatens the reliability of their judgments is(are) the A) small samples of student behavior typically observed. B) usual lack of formal assessment information. C) logical errors made in interpreting the information gathered. D) use of low-inference indicators. E) failure to collect information about affective behaviors.
small samples of student behavior typically observed.
Test item writers should avoid providing grammatical clues, implausible option clues, or A) specific determiner clues. B) distracters. C) stems. D) interpretive clues.
specific determiner clues
The two major classes of test items are A) extended choice and restricted choice. B) multiple choice and selection. C) short answer and supply. D) supply and selection
supply and selection
Good instruction focuses on the _____, while effective instruction focuses on the _____ . A) textbook objectives; teacher objectives B) teacher's plans; textbook plans C) teacher's instruction; students' learning D) teacher's activities; textbook tests E) students' learning; teacher's lesson plans
teacher's instruction; students' learning
Control of the process of planning instruction rests mainly with the ____, while control when delivering instruction is shared with the _____. A) students, textbook B) teacher, students C) textbook, assessment procedures D) teacher, textbook E) students, teacher
teacher, students
What are a teacher's two main tasks when teaching? A) Planning and thinking B) Providing instruction and planning lessons C) Weighting formal evidence and selecting topics D) Providing instruction and assessing instruction E) Defining pupil characteristics and assessing
Providing instruction and assessing instruction
A formal, systematic, usually paper-and-pencil procedure used to gather information about students' performance is called a(n) A) evaluation. B) assessment. C) diagnosis. D) test. E) education plan.
test
The skills, performances, and behaviors students are expected to learn in a subject area are called their A) abilities. B) achievements. C) aptitudes. D) curriculum. E) norms.
curriculum.
One reason that assessment during instruction is more difficult than assessment for planning instruction is that students' reactions to lesson plans are often A) consistent. B) wrong. C) unpredictable. D) anticipated. E) subjective.
unpredictable
When an assessment permits one to make the inference for which it is being used, we say that the assessment is A) reliable B) valid. C) objective. D) standardized. E) biased.
valid
The main effect of prejudgments and logical error in early assessments is on the _______ of the decisions teachers make. A) subjectivity B) validity C) reliability D) formality
validity
The two main characteristics of appropriate assessment information are A) standardization and objectivity. B) cognitive and affective. C) validity and reliability. D) objectivity and observation. E) selectivity and standardization.
validity and reliability
Which of the following is the most important preparation for formal achievement testing? A) Providing students with good instruction B) Teaching students testwise skills C) Providing students with chapter reviews contained in textbooks D) Using effective oral questioning techniques during reviews E) Implementing curriculum that is based on the state standards
Providing students with good instruction
What characteristic makes an assessment one that is focused upon assessing achievement? A) It is constructed by the classroom teacher. B) Many different classroom teachers would agree upon the assessment procedures. C) The tasks are new to the students. D) The assessment gathers information about what was taught. E) It contains questions about the textbook content.
The assessment gathers information about what was taught.
Many teachers' lesson plans consist of activities such as "introduce improper fractions" or "do worksheet 8 independently." The problem with such lesson plans is that they A) are not feasible for most students. B) are too short. C) do not describe what students are to learn. D) do not take into account student needs. E) ignore available instructional resources.
are too short
The primary purpose of all types of assessments is to A) compare pupils. B) grade pupils. C) improve instruction. D) help make decisions
help make decisions
A teacher is planning to include a new type of test question on a literature test. The teacher should do all of the following EXCEPT A) provide special directions for the question. B) provide a separate answer sheet. C) give the students some practice examples ahead of time. D) include the new questions in a separate part of the test.
provide a separate answer sheet
Which of the following testing scenarios would result in invalid test results? A) A teacher conducts a review session that covers many of the same questions that will appear on the actual test. B) Although Jake hasn't mastered the content knowledge, he uses good testwise strategies and performs well on the test. C) A teacher schedules a final exam on the day of the school's football homecoming game. D) A teacher includes test questions that were covered in textbook content but weren't addressed during actual classroom instruction. E) All of these.
All of these
Which of the following is NOT an important screen that should be used to judge the adequacy of textbook objectives and lesson plans? A) Are they clearly stated regarding activities and student outcomes? B) Are they suitable for this particular group of students? C) Do they cover all or most of the important activities and outcomes students need? D) Are the objectives and plans easy to assess?
Are the objectives and plans easy to assess?
A teacher is concerned that his students might cheat on the final exam because the exam counts 50% of their grade. Which of the following will most effectively reduce the possibility of cheating? A) Introduce an honor system B) Develop and administer alternative forms of the test C) Have a class discussion about the dishonesty of cheating D) Have an open-book exam
Develop and administer alternative forms of the test
Which of the following is NOT an example of how to supplement informal observations with more formal, structured activities? A) Require students to write in a journal three times a week B) Collect samples of students' work into portfolios C) Discuss a "problem" student with a colleague after school D) Assign students to work in small groups on a project E) Play classroom games based on math facts
Discuss a "problem" student with a colleague after school
Which of the following mandated that free public education be provided for all school-age children, including those with disabilities? A) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) B) Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 C) Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 D) No Child Left Behind Act
Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
Which of the following is NOT a lower-level thinking process? A) Reciting number facts B) Writing spelling words C) Matching states to their capitals D) Explaining a story in one's own words E) Naming the letter shown on a flashcard
Explaining a story in one's own words
Which of these is NOT a characteristic of assessment during instruction? A) Requires instantaneous decisions B) Based on students' reactions to instruction C) Relies heavily on formal assessment information D) Purpose is to monitor the flow of instruction
Relies heavily on formal assessment information
Which of the following is NOT a way to improve the quality of early assessments? A) Confirm initial impressions with follow-up observations B) Observe directly the behavior or characteristic of interest C) Observe long enough to be sure the student's behavior is typical D) Rely heavily upon formal, objective assessment information E) Determine whether different kinds of student information confirm one Another
Rely heavily upon formal, objective assessment information
Which of the following is a desirable practice in assembling items into a classroom test? A) Review items for their relevance to instruction B) Put essay questions first in the test C) Save easy items until last to keep slower students interested D) Follow each multiple-choice item with a short-answer item
Review items for their relevance to instruction
Which of the following activities is an example of a measurement? A) Constructing a test B) Scoring a test C) Reporting test performance to students D) Grading a test
Scoring a test
The average difficulty of five items measuring an objective at the beginning of a unit was .4. At the end of the unit, the average difficulty of five very similar items was .8. Which of the following conclusions could the teacher most safely make? A) Those students who knew little about the objective at the beginning of the unit were able to master it by the end. B) The preinstruction items were easier than the postinstruction items. C) The postinstruction items were more valid than the preinstruction items. D) Some of the students had mastered the objective prior to the unit and most of the class mastered it by the end.
Some of the students had mastered the objective prior to the unit and most of the class mastered it by the end.
Which of the following is the most clearly stated objective? A) The student will write the solutions to problems requiring addition of 3 single-digit numbers. B) The student will understand basic math facts. C) The student will recognize the addition symbol, the subtraction symbol, and the equal sign. D) The student will be able to comprehend the difference between the operations of addition and subtraction.
The student will write the solutions to problems requiring addition of 3 single-digit numbers.
Which of the following is an example of providing a productive psychological setting for testing? A) The teacher emphasizes the critical importance of a test B) The teacher posts a sign on the door that says, "Testing in Progress-Do Not Disturb" C) The teacher gives advance notice of the test and offers a pretest review D) The teacher does not waste time with instructions and addresses questions during testing
The teacher gives advance notice of the test and offers a pretest review
Which of the following is a characteristic of interpretive exercises? A) Attitudes and personality are assessed B) Oral questions are generally used C) Usually are based on graphs, charts, and reading passages D) Assess psychomotor skills E) Students are not aware they are being assessed
Usually are based on graphs, charts, and reading passages
When evaluating textbook assessment instruments, which of the following must be considered? A) Whether the instruments save time or not B) Whether the items on the test align with the instructional objectives of the actual instruction experienced by students C) Whether the instruments reliably produce the same results with multiple groups of students D) Whether the majority of students can pass the assessments
Whether the items on the test align with the instructional objectives of the actual instruction experienced by students
Which of the following classroom activities would result in a product to assess? A) Participating in a debate B) Answering oral questions C) Reading aloud D) Writing a poem
Writing a poem
While presenting a lesson, the teacher notices the following behaviors: Students' eyes remain focused on the front of the room Their facial expressions appear alert They take notes at the proper time No interruptions or whispering goes on The teacher can correctly make all of the following inferences about the students EXCEPT that they A) are paying attention. B) appear interested in the lesson. C) are learning the material. D) are behaving appropriately.
are learning the material.
When questioning students, teachers should use all of the following strategies EXCEPT A) ask questions that relate to the objectives of instruction. B) allow sufficient "wait time" after asking a question. C) involve the entire class in the questioning process. D) probe students with follow-up questions. E) ask questions that are global and general.
ask questions that are global and general
Formal oral examinations are appropriate when a teacher wants to A) assess a student's progress in learning a foreign language. B) review a prior topic. C) brainstorm a new topic. D) check for student understanding during a lecture. E) engage a student who is off-task.
assess a student's progress in learning a foreign language
A key advantage of an essay exam over an objective exam is that the essay exam A) is a more efficient way to assess knowledge. B) assesses the ability to organize. C) can cover many topics in a single sitting. D) develops good writing habits.
assesses the ability to organize
In holistic scoring, the scorer A) reads a student's entire paper before reading the next student's paper. B) assigns many scores to each essay read. C) assigns a single score to each essay read. D) focuses scoring mainly on grammar and punctuation. E) ignores content, grammar, and organization in scoring.
assigns a single score to each essay read.
One advantage of the multiple-choice test over the essay test is that it A) can be used to measure more complex outcomes. B) has a more desirable influence on student learning. C) provides a more extensive sampling of course content. D) requires less time to construct and score.
can be used to measure more complex outcomes.
All of the following are features of interactive instructional assessment EXCEPT A) careful selection of educational objectives. B) use of assessment information to determine what to do next. C) monitoring student response to the lesson. D) observation of body language, facial expressions, and posture.
careful selection of educational objectives.
An assessment that is generally used by teachers at the start of the school year to get to know their students is called a(n)
early assessment
What type of assessment is used to obtain information to help develop the classroom into a productive social and educational environment? A) Early assessment B) Instructional assessment C) Official assessment D) Cognitive assessment E) Formal assessment
early assessment
During instruction, teachers focus most of their assessment activities and decision making on A) how well students are learning. B) how well activities are flowing and holding students' interest. C) what types of assessment information to collect. D) what objectives are being met.
how well activities are flowing and holding students' interest
Mrs. Jackson notes that Shandra does not raise her hand during the science discussion. Mrs. Jackson interprets this behavior as Shandra being shy. She does not know that Shandra raised her hand twice during math class. This example reveals one weakness of A) group assessment. B) teacher bias. C) standardized assessment. D) informal observation.
informal observation.
All of the following are levels of Bloom's Taxonomy EXCEPT A) comprehension. B) analysis. C) evaluation. D) integration.
integration
Practical knowledge about a classroom A) remains static from year to year. B) is relevant to a particular school and school district. C) is the same as possessing theoretical knowledge about teaching. D) is dynamic and based on the unique student characteristics that comprise a particular class. E) is generally invalid and unreliable.
is dynamic and based on the unique student characteristics that comprise a particular class.
A teacher mislabels a student based on observations that do not justify the label. This is an example of A) subjectivity. B) first impressions. C) logical error. D) prejudgment. E) informal observation.
logical error.
One reason why teachers emphasize lower-level rather than higher-level questions is that A) lesson plans often stress analytical and evaluative objectives. B) lower-level questions are easiest for students to answer. C) teachers already know the answers to higher-level questions. D) lower-level questions are more challenging to create than higher-level questions. E) lower-level questions help to slow down the pace of instruction.
lower-level questions are easiest for students to answer.
Advocates of universal design in testing suggest that A) students accused of cheating be given a separate test. B) tests be designed at the outset to meet a wide range of student needs. C) using challenging vocabulary and complex sentence structure is good for students at all levels. D) it is more beneficial to students to modify the test on the day it is given.
tests be designed at the outset to meet a wide range of student needs.
The behaviors students are expected to perform on assessments of achievement should be related to A) higher-level thinking processes. B) the objectives and instruction provided. C) things all students have learned to do. D) skills all teachers could be expected to emphasize. E) all different kinds of test items.
the objectives and instruction provided.
A teacher is planning a final exam. She/he should decide what types of items to include based on A) the intended difficulty of the test. B) whether the exam is to be diagnostic or for grading. C) how well the students did on topics during instruction. D) the tasks suggested by her objectives.
the tasks suggested by her objectives.
Teachers should conduct reviews before testing for all of the following reasons EXCEPT A) to refresh students on objectives taught early in the unit. B) to provide a final opportunity to practice important behaviors and skills. C) to teach students the answers to specific questions that will likely appear on the test. D) to provide students an opportunity to ask questions about concepts that are unclear. E) to familiarize students with question and response formats.
to teach students the answers to specific questions that will likely appear on the test.
