PLT Section 3 Assessment
What are some examples of assessment tools?
Test, rubric, survey
What do you start with when using backwards design to create an assessment?
start with the state standards and work in reverse
What apply critical thinking to improve learning and performance? The feedback students generate for themselves, and peers informs self-adjustment and revision (Andrade, 2019). They are formative assessments. They are most effective when students act on their evaluation to improve their work or performance
student self-assessment and peer-assessment
What are these examples of? The wording was misleading or confusing. • The skill taught does not align to the skill tested on the assessment. • There is not a correct answer choice. • The question is not answerable because there is misinformation in the question. • The item is too difficult (likewise, an item might be too easy)
What the Test item quality can be attributed to
What are some cons of written assessments?
Writing assessments are harder to assess objectively than other assessments and therefore may not be a reliable data point.
What type of rubric is this? Best for assessing overall quality, proficiency, or comprehension of content or skills
Holistic rubrics.
What are some pros to using Open ended questions?
Informal Can be used with individual students, large and small groups. Teachers can modify questions in the moment to address specific content.
What is A range of informal assessments or checks conducted by the teacher before, during, and after the learning process in order to modify instruction?
Informal assessment
What type of assessment is this an example of? A teacher is walking around the room, checking on students as they work through math problems, and intervening when necessary. The teacher uses this observational data to make instructional decisions.
Informal assessments
What is this an example of? Teachers might give students extra time, allow students to use their notes, or permit the use of noise canceling headphones during a classroom assessment. However, on state standardized tests, testing accommodations are only provided if they are specified in the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
An accommodation that teachers might use.
What type of rubric is this? . Best for giving detailed feedback on a specific set of skills to assess strengths and weaknesses
Analytic rubrics.
What are clear, concise observations of student learning. These might describe observations of behaviors, interactions, skills, confidence, questions, or a response indicating growth or mastery of new learning. They can be a useful formative assessment tool.
Anecdotal notes ( Look at page 165 for example)
What ELL accommodation example is this? ELLs must have access to an English-to-heritage language translation dictionary or heritage language-to-English translation dictionary, such as those made available to ELLs in an instructional setting
Approved dictionary
What is the actual instrument (test, rubric, survey, etc.) that is used to collect data? These tools allow a teacher to monitor student achievement and make informed decisions. Using a variety of assessments is important to collect the most meaningful data about students' progress toward meeting their learning goals.
Assessment Tools
What ELL accommodation example is this? ELLs may be provided limited assistance by an ESOL or heritage language teacher using students' heritage language for directions.
Assistance in heritage language
What special education accommodation example is this? . A student may use varied assistive devices to access the computer (e.g., alternative keyboards, trackballs, joysticks, switch scanning systems, touch screens, mouth sticks, head wands, eye-gaze or head control systems).
Assistive devices and tools.
What is the best mode for a peer assessment of a persuasive essay? A. Criterion-based checklist B. Analytic rubric C. Holistic rubric D. Open-ended questions
B. Analytic rubric because it provides specific areas for improvement.
Example question A teacher wants to be sure that the questions she has developed for a classroom assessment are measuring the appropriate skills. Which of the following practices would be most beneficial in determining if the teacher's questions are performing properly? A. Give the assessment over and over again to determine its validity. B. Survey students to see how they liked the assessment. C. Conduct an item analysis. D. Align activities to test taking strategies.
C. Conduct an item analysis.
What are some cons to using portfolios?
Developing an objective evaluation tool for portfolios is challenging because student samples might have a small or large range of variability. For example, one piece of student work might suggest mastery of content and another suggests the need for growth.
What are some cons to using traffic light?
Feedback isn't specific. Students are not sharing why they need help or how you can assist them. The teacher still has to make predictions about what instructional strategies to use and what content to review.
What special education accommodation example is this? Test administrators might have to use oral language or sign language to accommodate students who are blind or deaf.
Flexible presentation.
What special education accommodation example is this? Students may have to dictate responses to a proctor if they do not have use of their hands. Students might also use speech-to-text technology.
Flexible responding.
What ELL accommodation example is this? ELLs may be provided additional time; however, each test session must be completed within one school day.
Flexible scheduling.
What ELL accommodation example is this? ELLs may be offered the opportunity to be tested in a separate room with the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) or heritage language teacher acting as test administrator.
Flexible setting
What special education accommodation example is this? Students may have to dictate responses to a proctor if they do not have use of their hands. Students might also use speech-to-text technology.
Flexible setting.
What is a process which examines student responses to individual test items to determine the quality of the test instructions and items?
Item Analysis
What is an assessment or evaluation that yields an estimate of the position of the tested individual in a predefined population with respect to the trait being measured? Results are usually communicated as a percentile ranking.
Norm referenced
What type of assessment is this an example of? National tests that measure student performance against other students. Advanced placements exams, SAT, and ACT are all norm-referenced assessments.
Norm referenced
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? One of the simplest ways to promote self-reflection is to ask open-ended questions. For example: • Can you explain how you solved the problem? • What else do you want to know about the topic? • What will you do differently next time?
Open ended questions
What can be used to promote constructive analysis and feedback of peer work. They can also be used by a student to promote discussion and encourage understanding of different perspectives( Peer Assessments)
Open-ended questions
What are the pros to using traffic light?
Quick, simple, routine, and useful for large and small groups
What are some pros to using reflective Journals?
Routine Easy to assess student work because all students are participating in the activity
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? A criterion-based rubric is a good tool for assessing the quality of work. Students can use rubrics to revise and improve certain aspects of an assignment. They can be used at the middle and end of a learning activity.
Rubric
What helps a peer to evaluate their partner's work and provide articulated feedback? Students can be clear about why they chose a 4 or a 5 for a certain aspect of the work. It is a particularly helpful tool for evaluating writing during the revision process.
Rubric.
What is an evaluation tool or set of guidelines used to promote the consistent application of learning expectations, learning objectives, or learning standards in the classroom? These also measure students' attainment of knowledge against a consistent set of criteria (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013). These are typically used for large projects and writing, but they can be used for any assignment.
Rubrics
______ across the content areas should include a section for following grade-level English language arts conventions.
Rubrics
What is a list of specific characteristics for an assignment? Like an analytical checklist, the focus is on whether the work meets the expectation or not. They do not have intervals like a rubric. They are frequently used for assessing projects and performance tasks.
Scoring Guides( Look at page 164 for example)
What is an assessment used to place students in appropriate classrooms or grade level?
Screening
What type of assessment is this an example of? Students are typically screened throughout the year to determine what level they are reading. Placement decisions are made based on the outcomes of the screening
Screening
What step in the assessment sequence is this? After the learning has concluded and the teacher has administered all strategies and interventions, the teacher administers a summative assessment. The teacher uses that data to measure outcomes and make decisions moving forward. The summative assessment also lets the teacher know if the strategies and interventions were impactful.
Step 3: Summative assessment (end of learning).
Students need what to use self and peer assessment tools effectively? and what do you always start with?
They need modeling, guidance, and practice. Always begin by modeling with an analysis of example work.
What are some cons to using selected responses?
This type of assessment does not always provide the necessary data when it comes to assessing students' abilities and students' needs. Often, an oral assessment or written assessment is more effective than a selected response assessment
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? To get a quick idea of student understanding, teachers can ask students to report a red light, yellow light, or green light. The self-assessment allows teachers to modify and adjust their instruction to differentiate for all learners. For example: • Green - I can do this. • Yellow - I'm getting there. • Red - I need help
Traffic light
What are some cons to using peer assessments?
• Takes more time than self-assessment and simply providing feedback from the teacher. • Assessment and feedback might not be accurate or constructive. • All students involved need to want to participate. • Peer assessments work best with constructive, focused pairs which can take time to assign and maintain.
Ho should teachers organize the assessments?
•State testing scores • District testing scores (if applicable) • Classroom assessments and assignments • Reading levels • Math levels • Item analyses • Learning gains over time • Standards mastery • Anecdotal observations • Notes
What are 3 reasons rubrics should be used?
1. Rubrics inform students of the expectations before the assignment is started. 2. Rubrics act as a formative self-assessment or peer-assessment tool during the task. 3. Rubrics act as a final evaluative tool for the teacher
What are the steps in backward design when planning assessments?
1. Standards: Start with the state adopted standards. That is the end goal-to have the students master the standard(s). 2. Assessments: Determine how you will know the students mastered the standard and what assessments you will use to measure success. 3. Activities/ Lesson Decide what lessons and activities you will have students engage in to work toward standards mastery.
Which of the following would be the best way to organize student data to be communicated with parents? A. Email B. Gradebook C. Class wiki D. Anecdotal notes
B. Gradebook
This year, students will take an exam that compares student performances to one another. Students are taking what type of assessment? A. Formative B. Norm-referenced C. Criterion referenced D. Diagnostic
B. Norm Referenced Because A norm-referenced assessment yields an estimate of the position of the tested individual in a predefined population with respect to the trait being measured. Use norm-referenced assessments to compare student performances as a percentile ranking
Which of the following is the best way to describe a formal assessment? A. To measure multiple standards at the same time. B. To rank students by achievement level. C. To evaluate students' mastery of skills and knowledge. D. To measure capabilities against a rubric.
C. To evaluate students' mastery of skills and knowledge.
What are some cons to using reflective Journals?
Challenging to get students to write about their thinking and learning process. Teacher needs to read and respond to student work.
What is A pre-assessment providing instructors with information about students' prior knowledge, preconceptions, and misconceptions before beginning a learning activity? These are considered formative assessments because they inform instruction.
Diagonostic tests
What type of assessment is this an example of? Before starting a science unit, a teacher gives a quick assessment to determine students' prior knowledge of concepts in the text. She uses this information to make instructional decisions moving forward
Diagonostic tests
What are some pros to using rubrics?
Encourages ownership of learning. Students evaluate the quality of their work. When used routinely, can build habits of self-reflection.
What is an assessment that focuses on the outcomes? It is frequently used to measure the effectiveness of a lesson.
Formal assessments
What type of assessment is this an example of? A teacher gives a unit exam to measure outcomes and the effectiveness of instructional strategies.
Formal assessments
What is an assessment that measures students' ability to apply the skills and knowledge learned from a unit or units of study: the task challenges students to use their higher-order, critical thinking skills to create a product or complete a process (Chun, 2010)?
Performance based assessments
What is A purposeful collection of student work that has been selected and organized to show student learning progress over time? This can contain samples of student work, rubric scores, self-evaluations, reflections, etc.
Portfolio
What type of assessment format is this an example of? These are where the teacher uses a series of student-developed artifacts to determine student learning.
Portfolio
What type of assessment is this an example of? Over the course of a semester, students collect weekly writing samples and organize them by date in a designated folder. During parent conferences, students show their parents the portfolio and reflect on progress.
Portfolio
What are pros to using portfolios?
Portfolios are considered a form of authentic assessment and offer an alternative or an addition to traditional methods of grading. Portfolios are tools to help students establish short-term and long-term goals.
What are some pros to using checklists?
Provides a comprehensive overview of assignment elements. Gives clear direction for next steps to complete a learning task.
What type of assessment format is this an example of? The most widely used assessment is a multiple-choice assessment.
Selected Responses
What are some pros to using selected responses?
Selected response assessments are easy, straight forward, and reliable.
What are the steps for the assessment sequence?
Step 1: Diagnostic assessment (preassessment) Step 2: Formative assessment (ongoing). Step 3: Summative assessment (end of learning).
What are some pros to using data folders?
Students graph or chart quantitative measures. Students learn to have ownership of their performance and achievement.
What are some cons to using checklists?
Takes more time to grade. Does not provide an opportunity to revise for quality. Students do not evaluate their work as they would with a rubric. Takes skill to read, reflect, and adjust.
What is the task the test taker is being asked to perform? In a multiple-choice test, this includes the question, answer choices, and any additional stimuli provided like a chart or reading passage. For a physical education lesson on basketball this might include demonstrating dribbling or shooting skills. It is important for the this to assess the skill or objective of the lesson.
Test Item
What type of assessment format is this an example of? These are considered authentic assessments because they give a comprehensive view of what a student knows about a particular topic. These can be as simple as filling in the blank or as complex as writing an essay on a topic. Examples include: • Essays • Lab write-ups • Letters • Journals
Written assessments
What is a list of what needs to be included in an assignment? Similar to a rubric, they should be used throughout an assignment. Teachers and students can preview the assignment, work together to analyze a student's progress through a multi-step task, or reflect on and assess various components of a student's work. Work can be assessed with letter grades or on a continuum. These can also be used to assess prior knowledge and provide feedback on a pre-assessment.
analytical checklists(Look at page 164 for the example)
What is an assessment tool that measures student progress toward mastery? It shows where a student falls on the spectrum of development and allows teachers to identify specific evidence of comprehension.
continuum (Look at page 165 for example)
What are things you should consider when using anecdotal notes?
• Have an organizational system for managing notes (i.e., a notebook, organizer, sticky notes). • Focus on observed learning aligned to goals. • Use a checklist when useful. • Compile and organize anecdotal notes for each student to look for patterns over time.
What are some strengths to using peer assessments?
• Internalizes qualities of good work by helping a peer to emulate those qualities in their own work. • Promotes collaboration and responsibility. • Builds oral language skills (presentation, discussion, active listening, respectful response, argumentation, etc.). • Enhances students' capacity for providing constructive feedback. • Promotes self-efficacy and independence.
During class, a sometimes-anxious student answers all of the questions correctly that a teacher asks about a particular topic. On test day, the student seems to freeze up and performs poorly on test items the teacher knows the student should have answered correctly. What should the teacher do to accurately assess the student? A. Tell the student they will do better next time and offer the advice to just relax during a test. B. Meet privately with the student and reassess the student orally in a less anxious environment. C. Retest the student the following day with a similar test that has a few easier questions. D. Offer test corrections for partial credit added to the test
B. Meet privately with the student and reassess the student orally in a less anxious environment.
A math teacher wants to assess whether or not his 4th grade students understand the concept of division. Which of the following assessments is the best formative assessment for the teacher to use to determine if students understand the concept? A. A 5-question quiz that includes at least two division problems. B. A pre-assessment on addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts through 12. C. A paired activity where students explain how to solve division problems to one another. D. A game involving the whole class that includes multiplication and division facts.
C. A paired activity where students explain how to solve division problems to one another.
A teacher has a few students who need specific reading interventions. What would be the most effective way to organize these interventions in the classroom? A. Have the reading coach work with students who need help and focus instruction to students who have met proficiency. B. Use a whole-group approach to address the reading deficiencies and apply strategies when needed. C. Set up a variety of reading centers that target skills students need to practice, use flexible grouping to move students through the centers, and monitor progress by observing students. D. Group all struggling readers together, apply interventions, and allow grade-level readers to engage in an activity of their choice.
C. Set up a variety of reading centers that target skills students need to practice, use flexible grouping to move students through the centers, and monitor progress by observing students.
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? Students can use a checklist to assess whether they have included essential elements in their work. They can be used for performance assessments, projects, and group work. A checklist can be written with selfreflective questions. For example: • My graph is clear and easy to ready. • My graph shows data correctly. • My graph has a title, scale, and labels.
Checklist
What is a useful tool for reviewing the process of a writing assignment, project, or presentation? For a peer-assessment, it is typically used for a partnership to stay focused and be sure all elements of the assignment are complete.
Checklists.
What are some cons to using rubrics?
Components of the skill or knowledge are not outlined in the assessment.
What is an assessment that measures student performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria or learning standards? Most commonly known criterion-reference exams are state standardized assessments.
Criterion referenced
What type of assessment is this an example of? At the end of the spring semester, students take the state standardized tests. The state uses the scores for accountability measures
Criterion referenced
During a unit on money, a class is setting up a school store to raise money for a school fundraiser. Ms. Hughes wants to make sure students are applying the math concepts of profit, net cost, and unit cost as they write and submit their plan for the store. What is the best assessment tool for the project? A. Holistic rubric B. Continuum C. Anecdotal notes D. Analytical checklist
D. Analytical Checklist because she has specific concepts, she wants them to address in their store plan. An analytical checklist will help students before they begin the assignment, provide opportunities for feedback as they work, and give them a clear picture of accomplishment in the end.
A teacher is helping students organize math assessment scores over the course of a semester. Which of the following would be most appropriate in organizing students' scores? A. School website B. Bulletin board C. Journals D. Data folders
D. Data folders
What are some cons to using data folders?
Data can be hard to collect and organize. Quantitative focus can limit opportunities for students to include what they know and are able to do.
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? Students can collect data throughout the school year and review their own achievement and growth. Data folders can contain test scores, learning targets, self assessment data, and teacher and student assessment of classroom behaviors. Data folders can be used to: • Track progress over time. • Allow students to set their own goals. • Serve as an artifact for parent-teacher or student-led conferences.
Data folder
What is often referred to as informal assessments, are ongoing and used to monitor student learning? They can provide qualitative data such as anecdotal notes and observations. They can also provide quantitative data like test scores and reading level. The purpose of is to measure performance and progress in day-to-day classroom activities. They can be as simple as "thumbs-up/thumbs-down" to gauge student understanding. They can also be complex like a planned quiz after a lesson.
Formative Assessment
What are these examples of? Observations • Exit tickets • Quizzes • Running record • Computer-based knowledge check
Formative Assessments
What 3 things provide teachers with ways to organize and analyze data?
Gradebooks, spreadsheets, and databases
What are when one student provides constructive feedback to another student. Self-assessment tools like open-ended questions, criterion-based checklists, rating scale, and rubrics can also be used for these. These require modeling and reviewing expectations so that all students and their work are treated with respect. These are almost always formative assessments.
Peer-assessments
What type of assessment is this an example of? After reading text about the Civil War, students develop stories about different historical figures in the war. Students then perform these stories in front of the class and answer questions.
Performance based assessment
What is the most common accommodation for special education and ELL students?
Providing extra time on state assessments
What type of self-assessment tool is this an example of? A qualitative assessment tool where students write about their thinking and learning. They are used to formalize student responses to self-reflection questions, keep track of progress towards learning goals, and to promote metacognition. For example: • Solve 23 X 18. • Explain how you solved the problem. • Why did you choose this method?
Reflective journal
What step in the assessment sequence is this? Before the unit, the teacher gives students a pretest to measure skills, prior knowledge, preconceptions and misconceptions. Based on that data, the teacher makes instructional decisions moving forward.
Step 1: Diagnostic assessment (preassessment).
What step in the assessment sequence is this? As students move through, the lesson objectives, the teacher uses formative assessments—observations, quick checks, writing samples, etc.—to move the lesson along. If any students are struggling with the objectives, the teacher uses targeted interventions to meet the specific needs of all students. The teacher continues to progress monitor throughout the lesson and unit by using formative assessments.
Step 2: Formative assessment (ongoing).
What are some cons to using open ended questions?
Students might not have the time and space to reflect deeply. It can be challenging to come up with questions that will produce descriptive and transformative responses
What are these examples of? Mid-term or final exam • District benchmark tests • State assessments • Performance Assessment like a research paper, digital project, or visual presentation • Chapter tests • Science lab at the end of a unit
Summative assessments
What is often referred to as formal assessments, are at the end of learning and outcome driven? The purpose is to determine students' proficiency and mastery of material. These are used to measure how well the student learned objectives, skills, or other outcomes. These typically have evaluation criteria based on standards. They are most often associated with measuring outcomes. They can also be used to assess the effectiveness of a curriculum or instructional program
Summative assessments
What are some pros of written assessments?
Written assessments often yield more information than a multiple-choice test. Teachers should use rubrics to assess written assessments. The main thing to remember when using informal writing assessments is to measure language usage, organization, and mechanics. Then use the qualitative data to make meaningful instructional decisions based on students' individual needs (The International Reading Association, n.d.).
What do you use peer assessments to do?
• Promote understanding of new knowledge and skills. • Increase the amount of feedback students receive. • Promote a culture of support and collaboration. • Encourage revision and reflection. • Encourage a deeper understanding of the elements and characteristics of quality work.
