Effective Teaching Final

Standardized Scores: Stanine

A derived score (short for standard nine) that divides a distribution into nine parts. One a scale of 1-9 with 5=above average; anything above 5 is above average; anything below 5 is below average.

Standardized Scores: Grade Equivalent

A derived score that represents a given raw score on a measure as the average grade level of individuals in a norming group. Ex: a G.E. of 8.7 would represent student performance at the 8th grade, 7th month: distorts scores.

Standardized Scores: T-Score

A derived score that transforms the z-score. Main purpose is to make negative z-scores positive.

Standardized Scores: Z-Score

A derived score that uses standard deviation units to indicate an individual's performance relative to the norming group's performance. To calculate z-score- mean/standard deviation.

Standard Deviation

A formula that deviates from the mean. Plus or minus 3 deviations is normal for a mean.

Assessment

A process of collecting information (from tests, portfolios, observations, homework, etc.) that is used to determine individual or group performance; teach, manage, and assess--you have to have grades!

Types of Multiple Choice: Alternate Choice

A statement that is presented with two alternate answers, one true and the other false. Ex: Criterion-Referenced tests should be used to: Describe pupils and compare pupils.

Standardized Scores: Percentile

A type of derived rand score that represents a raw score on a measure as the percentage of individuals in the sample or norming group whose score falls at or below that score. Ex: "A student did as well as or better than 45% of the students who took the test." NOTE: These are not equal-interval scale measurements; "as well as or better than."

Objectives

Are intended to: Help the teacher plan WHAT they are going to teach (not HOW they are going to teach), help teachers create test questions that align with what has been taught (as indicated by the objective). They help plan and organize, and the objective must be measurable. If students can't reach objectives, teacher needs to re-teach it until the students know. No more than 3 objectives per content section. Objectives must match test questions or the test is invalid.

Alternate Forms of Assessment: Performance

Based assessment; it is performance judged on more than one criteria.

Suggestions for Writing True/False

Be specific on how to mark true/false statements, construct ONLY statements that are definitely true or false, use short statements, be certain you have about the same number of true statements as you do false statements, avoid the following: double negatives, broad general statements, absolutes, taking statements directly from text.

Merits of True and False

Because True/False tend to be short, more material can be covered than with any other format, scoring is easy, with false questions, requiring students to write/explain the correct answer moves T/F toward higher level thinking skills, too easy to insert opinion, don't use T and F, have the students write out the words TRUE and FALSE.

Lee Canter and Assertive Discipline

Behavioral Model: Classroom rules and consequences-don't reinforce consequences, everything becomes useless. Student is responsible for their own behavior, teacher must be consistent. Teacher expectations of students.

Negatives on Matching

Can sometimes test on trivial information, emphasizes memorization.

Haim Ginott

Counselor Model, teacher controls self, then students maintain control. Teacher as role model. Counselor-facilitator-role model.

Learning Objective

Description of what is to eventually take place at the classroom level. Stated in behavioral terms. Ex: The student will be able to analyze a paragraph for the misuse of major parts of speech.

Negatives of Short Answer/Essay

Difficult to grade; it is best to construct a model answer and rubric before grading begins, scores can be very unreliable (especially without model answer and rubric), essay represents only a limited sampling of the total instructional experience, bluffing presents problems.

Negatives on Multiple Choice

Difficult to write questions; very time consuming, doesn't test higher level thinking well, don't teach=don't test.

Suggestions on writing Short Answer or Essay questions

Formulate questions that present a specific task and are clearly conveyed to students; do not write general and vague questions, begin questions with such phrases as Compare, Contrast, Develop, Explain, beware of asking memorization questions such as "List the following—", pose questions that require students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate, give the point count with the question, allow reasonable time to complete the essay items, no knowledge level essays.

Removal

Get them out of the class.

Suggestions for Writing Matching Questions

Give good directions, make homogenous lists, put longer descriptions in Column A (on the left), provide more answer options in Column B (column on the right) to lower guessing.

William Glasser and the Success Approach

Help students make the right choices-give them options. Separate behavior and grades. Create opportunities for success in the classroom.

Frederic Jones and Teacher Presence

How you handle yourself with your students is key to eliminating problems. Posture, voice, rotate, professional dress, eye contact. 20 seconds to gain first impression. Personal issues do not enter the classroom. Practice! Look directly at the students. Encourage respect for you-maintain order. Be who you are, not who they want you to do be. Get your bluff in early. Bad behaviors must be redirected-call attention to them. Teacher as a role model (Bandura's idea-most powerful modeling theory). Be assertive.

Suggestions for Writing Completion

Items should require only a single-word answer, the statement should pose a problem or ask a question, the completion statement should be factually correct, omit key words for the completion answer; place a "blank" toward the end of the statement, negatives: Difficult to create statements with only one answer that "fits".

Merits of Short Answer and Essay

Most effective way to assess higher-level learning outcomes (analysis, synthesis, evaluation), questions are easy to construct, emphasizes writing and communication skills, eliminates guessing, subjective, short answer needs rubric and model answer to justify the grading.

Merits of Multiple Choice

Most reliable format, measures knowledge level to application level (sometimes analysis), samples broadly, eliminates bluffing, easy to score (hard to prepare), scoring is objective, easy to pinpoint learning errors.

Objective Test Questions

Most reliable testing format. Multiple choice- knowledge; males do better, A-E, matching, true/false, completion (most unreliable).

Types of Multiple Choice: Correct Answer

Only one right answer (usually A-D or A-E format)

Criterion-Referenced Grading

Out of 100 percent, individual grading, cut-off scores (absolute scores of 90, 80, 70 for example), purpose is for content mastery, grades assigned based upon a percentage, grades are assigned based on individual performance, usually grading is preferred when there is a homogeneous group of students(similar knowledge/background etc.)

Norm-Referenced Grading

Relative scores (based upon average score performance), grades are based on group performance (not individual), compared to others, applicable with heterogeneous group of students, performance is rated according to standardized scores: z-scores, percentile, grade equivalent, stanin, and T-scores.

B.F. Skinner and Behavioral Modification

Rules/consequences for actions. Reinforcement. In a class you want both positive and negative reinforcement- it works like conditioning

Alternate Forms of Assessment: Portfolio

Systematic collection of student work.

Negative Reinforcement

Take something away.

Presentation Punishment

Talking to the students.

Standardized Scores

Tell you the same thing just in a different way. Area under the bell curve does not change. Most of the population (68%) is average within 1 to -1 within standard deviation (middle of the bell curve).

Negatives on True/False

Tend to emphasize rote memorization or knowledge, presume that the answer to the question is unequivocally true or false, encourage a high degree of guessing (50% chance of being correct).

Factors that Limit Validity (4)

Test scores are based on too few test items, range of scores is limited, testing conditions are inadequate, and scoring is subjective.

Teachers and Use of Force in the Classroom

Texas Penal Code Statute 9.62 (This statute provides teachers and school administrators the ability to maintain order and discipline in the classroom through the use of force. The use of force, but not deadly force: If the actor is entrusted with the care, supervision, or administration of the person for a special purpose; and When and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is necessary to further discipline.

Suggestions for Writing Multiple Choice Questions

The stem should contain as much of the test question as possible; no clues should appear in the stem, one and only one answer is possible, plausible distracter options; no more than 3-4, use negative items sparingly (reverse), and underline the negative (not, except), to increase difficulty of an item, increase similarity of content—make answer options similar, use "none of the above" sparingly, avoid using "all of the above"—it's usually incorrect.

Standardized Tests

Those tests created and piloted by a testing organization prior to actual student testing to determine student achievement or ability (or personality). Test items are presented in a "standard" format with results reported in a "standard" format.

Teacher-Made Tests

Those tests teachers construct to determine student understanding of content material. Ex: Achievement Tests.

Standardized Scores: Derived

Transformation of a raw score according to a comparison ("norming") group- the transformed score is also known as a STANDARDIZED SCORE.

Gangs

Treat these students the same way as any other student in your classroom. These students usually join gangs to belong- or simply for the thrill of it. How can you help move a student out of a gang? Improve students' self-esteem through success in school (academic or extracurricular), encourage students to join YMCA/YWCA or Boys and girls clubs for extracurricular activities. offer your support and encouragement.

Carolyn Evertson and Edmund Emmer and the Business Academic Approach

Vary instructional routine to meet the needs of all learners. Provide immediate feedback-grade as a real grade and grade immediately.

Punishment

Weakens behaviors.

Jacob Kounin and Group Managerial Approach

Withitness- you know and are in tune with your class and know what's going on at all times; you must be able to do this becuase you are in control and responsible for what happens in your classroom. Group focus is important. Ripple Effect- if one kid gets away with something the whole class does. Teacher circulates in the classroom while teaching to maintain control.

Violence in the Classroom

You are responsible for the students in your class. DO NOT leave your classroom, students should be separated from the class students who are fighting or threatening others, send for help via student or call for help if weapons are involved—if you can get the students out of the classroom—do so. If not, get them down and behind desks If there is a fight, unless you are able to intervene and make a difference—please don't—send for help and get students out of the way unless some of them step in to break up the fight, don't ever panic.

Merits of Matching

Easy to construct and to score, ideally suited to measure associations between facts, sometimes can be better than multiple choice because they avoid repetition of options, reduce the effects of guessing, knowledge level, more options than stems.

Drug Use Suspicions

Document incidents, talk to student with general inquiries about how they are doing in their studies, activities outside and inside of school, teport your suspicions to the counselor, possible parent-teacher-counselor conference, you don't want to be alone when confronting the parent, have another administrator with you so parents can't attack or distort what you .

If You Think a Student May Be Suicidal

Document your reasoning, talk to the student with general inquiries, report your suspicions to the counselor, possible parent-teacher-counselor conference, give them your phone number if they want to talk, or give them a phone number of a help hotline, offer help, don't ever ignore the issue, this is a growing problem, even with elementary age children.

Content Validity

Does the test measure what it is supposed to measure? (NOTE: objectives and test questions must match to be valid). Applies to achievement tests (predictor validity aligns with aptitude tests).

Content Reliability

Does the test yield the same or similar scores consistently? This can be increased through longer tests and homogeneous test items (all multiple choice, all true false, all essay). This is consistent over time, tests are long, test questions need to be in the same format, interpretations of tests are to be valuable.

Classroom Management From the First Day

Set down your list of rules on the first day: List no more than 3-5 rules OR give expectations of students and what they can expect from you. List consequences. Provide a contract for students to sign stating that they understand the rules. Post on your website. Document immediately if a student chooses not to sign. Be upfront—follow through with what you initially say. Parents can sign rules too. Have rules (expectations) available on your website for parents to view. Explain your grading policy in writing on the 1st day. If you intend to use extra credit let them know in advance and be sure to explain the process. Know the names of your students by the end of the first week—use seating charts, name tags, or desk cards to help in the process. Decorate your room. You are NOT a friend of the student—you ARE THE TEACHER. Provide a syllabus, a calendar, and other information on your website and in your classroom. Make your teaching objectives available on your white board every day. Always be prepared and well organized. Plan more, not less—students will be able to tell if you aren't prepared—huge mistake. Try to deal with discipline problems from inside the classroom—other students will know you are in charge—if you send a student out of the classroom, you send the message to your students that you can't handle situations. Get to know your problem students. Try to make contact with them every day; sometimes 1-on-1 is the best (and only) way—you want these kids on your side. Follow through with 1-on-1's—if the student doesn't show up, find them. Recognize that each class has a personality and make modifications for that. Create a user-friendly website that contains a calendar of events, study topics, homework, projects, extra credit etc. UPDATE WEEKLY. Collect information on your students by asking them to complete an interest inventory---finding students interests will motivate them in the classroom. In problem situations, DOCUMENT the situation, circumstances, date, and time. Best way to handle problem students: 1-on-1. Be careful about demographics.

Types of Multiple Choice: Best Answer

Several plausible answers, but only one best (usually A-D or A-E formats)

Subjective Test Questions

Short Answer- 1 to several sentences; females do better. Essay- a paragraph minimum.

Positive Reinforcement

Strengthens behaviors; rewards (ex. candy).

Rudolf Dreikurs and the Acceptance Model

Student behavior must be directed. Be sure the students do not know you have lost control. Democratic classroom/teacher is the facilitator. Student is responsible for their own actions. Inappropriate student behaviors: Attention-seeking (2nd most common), power-seeking, revenge-seeking (smallest group), displayed inadequacy (most common; unmotivated, slacking, continuous excuses; they learn this behavior early-around 4th grade. IF you can handle these 4 misbehavior, than you will have it made. Major form of bullying=cyberbullying (#1). You can ignore the Attention Getters by having them help you in the class.

Types of Multiple Choice: Analogy

Students are asked to determine the relationship that exists between four words. Example: dog:springer spaniel as cat:_________

Types of Multiple Choice: Reverse

Students are asked to select the INCORRECT answer. Ex: Which of the following is NOT an example of a cat?

Types of Multiple Choice: Multiple Answer

Students are presented with multiple alternatives that may be correct; student is to name/circle all that apply.

Types of Multiple Choice: Multiple Binary Choice

Students may answer the question as "true" or "false"

Fritz Redl and Group Guidance Approach

Students must be on task. Group punishment- peer pressure is positive, the attention getter is negative; keep the students after class, it really works! Teacher expectations.