1. 2013 Mathematics Standards of Learning Institutes Analyzing and Modifying Assessments

2. Learning Outcomes Participants will be able to analyze assessments
modify existing assessments to raise the level of cognitive demand
modify existing resources to promote problem solving

3. Assessment Analysis Sample Assessment
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis
Sample Assessment
Is this a good assessment? Complete the assessment individually and then discuss in small groups.
Be able to justify your group’s conclusions.
Method of sharing varies

4. Assessment Analysis Share and Reflect
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis
Share and Reflect
Share your conclusions and justifications with the whole group

5. Assessment Analysis Guiding Questions
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis Guiding Questions
SOL Alignment
Does the assessment assess the standard?
Does the assessment assess targeted components of the Essential Knowledge and Skills found in the Curriculum Framework?
Does the assessment reflect the requirements of the verbs found in the Curriculum Framework?
Wrap in the vertical articulation documents

6. Assessment Analysis Guiding Questions
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis Guiding Questions
Level of Cognitive Demand
Does the assessment have an appropriate variety of questions requiring various levels of cognitive demand?
Does the assessment require students to explain, justify, and use multiple representations?
Format
Does the assessment provide various ways for students to demonstrate understanding? (open response, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, shading, sorting, etc)

7. Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Small Group discussion
Brainstorm and record characteristics of mathematics tasks/problems that require a high level of cognitive demand.

8. Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Share and Reflect
Share your conclusions and justifications with the whole group

9. Characteristics of Lower-level Tasks
Involve recall or memory of facts, rules, formulae, procedures, or definitions
Involve exact reproduction of previously seen-material
No connection of facts, rules, formulae, procedures, or definitions to concepts or underlying understandings.
Require limited cognitive demand
Focused on producing correct answers rather than developing mathematical understandings
Require no explanations or explanations that focus only on describing the procedure used to solve
Adapted from Stein, M.K., Smith, M.S., Henningsen, M.A., & Silver, E.A. (2000). Implementing standards-based mathematics instruction: A casebook for professional development. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

10. Characteristics of Higher-level Tasks
Focus on use of procedures for developing deeper levels of understanding of concepts and ideas
Suggest broad general procedures with connections to conceptual ideas (not narrow algorithms)
Provide multiple representations to develop understanding and connections
Require complex, non-algorithmic thinking and considerable cognitive effort
Adapted from Stein, M.K., Smith, M.S., Henningsen, M.A., & Silver, E.A. (2000). Implementing standards-based mathematics instruction: A casebook for professional development. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

11. Characteristics of Higher-level Tasks
Require exploration and understanding of concepts, processes, or relationships
Require accessing and applying prior knowledge and relevant experiences to facilitate connections and problem solving
Require task analysis and identification of limits to solutions
DOING Mathematics
Adapted from Stein, M.K., Smith, M.S., Henningsen, M.A., & Silver, E.A. (2000). Implementing standards-based mathematics instruction: A casebook for professional development. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

12. Assessment Analysis Small Group discussion
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis
Small Group discussion
Identify whether or not each problem is aligned to the intended SOL, using the Curriculum Framework to justify.
- and -
Identify the level of cognitive demand of each problem as “low,” “medium,” or “high.” Be able to justify your groups’ consensus.

13. Assessment Analysis Share and Reflect
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis
Share and Reflect
Share your conclusions and justifications with the group
Record responses somewhow.

14. Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Morning Session
Assessment Analysis – Level of Cognitive Demand
Discussion
Does the assessment have a variety of problems requiring various levels of cognitive demand? Is there a balance?
Record responses somewhow.

15. Level of Cognitive Demand in Activities
High
Level of Cognitive Demand
Med
Med
Low

16. Level of Cognitive Demand in Activities
Write a real-world problem using this expression.
Is the value of this expression more or less than 1? How do you know?
Simplify.

17. Modifying Assessment Items
Morning Session
Modifying Assessment Items
Group work
Select two of the low-level problems and modify them to raise the level of cognitive demand to a “high-level.”
Record your modified problems on the handout to share and on chart paper to post.
Need a balance of cognitive demand on the assessment

18. Modifying Assessment Items
Morning Session
Modifying Assessment Items
Share and Reflect
Share your modified problems using the document camera
Post assessment item using chart paper

19. Modifying Assessment Items
Morning Session
Modifying Assessment Items
Reflect
What are some of the strategies you used to raise the level of cognitive demand?
Providing context/requiring application
Choosing numbers intentionally
Increasing the number of required steps
Changing the unknown/given information
Allowing for multiple solutions
Requiring students to explain, justify, and make connections between representations
Record responses somehow.

20. Balancing Assessments
Morning Session
Balancing Assessments
Modify the original assessment
Select replacement items from modified assessments posted to balance the level of cognitive demand required in the assessment.