2. The Opportunity to Learn Mandatory in order to ethically measure learning! No opportunity (i.e. not covered in your class or anything the students were required to read) = No assessing! This goes for materials too…no textbook at the beginning of the semester…then must make copies or cannot hold students responsible. McMillan Chapter 3 pg 81 FOR MORE INFO...

3. What is to be learned Teachers are legally mandated to cover all standards and objectives listed in the Alabama Course of Study (AL COS) for the given grade level or course. No options!! All Testing Objectives are in Addition to, not in place of, the AL COS. State Department of Education FOR MORE INFO...

4. What is to be learned The AL COS, along with the Testing Objectives, are set up to make sure students are prepared for any mandated assessment given by the state. Teaching only one and not the other is a recipe for disaster!! State Department of Education FOR MORE INFO... What is to be learned

5. Planning is what allows for covering testing objectives before assessment is given… This means Mark the state test dates on the calendar Divide all AL COS and Testing Objectives equally throughout the school year Make sure test objectives are covered before the test date and that AL COS objectives are covered before the end of the school year State Department of Education FOR MORE INFO... What is to be learned

6. 2 Types of Assessments Traditional Assessment Techniques Paper-pencil Based Assessments Objective Items Subjective Items Alternative Assessment Techniques Informal Assessment Performance Based Assessment Portfolio Assessment

7. Assessment Purpose Formative Judge the quality of student achievement while the student is still in the process of learning Help you and the students take the next appropriate instructional steps Specific assessment of few learning objectives Enhances student achievement by specializing instructional delivery and pace (McMillan, 2007; Black and Wiliam, 1998). Diagnostic Used to determine the need/level of special assistance or remediation “What learning activities should be used to adapt to the individual requirements of this student in order to maximize the student’s opportunity to learn? (Nitko, 1989). Never used for grades

8. Assessment Purpose Summative Judge the quality of student achievement after the instructional process is complete Conducted at the end of a unit of study or larger period of time Assessment of large numbers of learning objectives Certifies the achievement for the teacher/student/others

9. Gather Create Assessment Procedures Students need basic information about the assessment in order to maximize their performance When it will be given The conditions under which they are expected to perform The content and abilities that will be assessed The standard/level of performance expected How the assessment will be scored The effect the results of the assessment will have on any decisions

10. Teach Procedures for Assessment and Test Taking Skills By teaching students how to…bubble in, match the item # to the # on the answer document, erase stray marks… many simple mistakes can be avoided By teaching students how to read and analyze the item types, comprehension issues can be avoided. By teaching students inductive/deductive reasoning skills, educational guesses have a better chance of actually being correct! McMillan Chapter 3 pg. 81, 91, Test Skills Materials/Websites FOR MORE INFO...

11. Teach Procedures for Assessment and Test Taking Skills Craft and administer assessment procedures to afford students predictable expectation for both social and academic behavior during an assessment. What is the test taking process? Where do student submit completed work? Can they ask each other questions? Will you review the rubric with the students? Can they use their text? Where do students write their responses? McMillan Chapter 3 pg. 81, 91; Test Skills Materials/Websites; (Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Revised), 2004) FOR MORE INFO...

12. Establish (Brookhart &Nitko, 2007) An atmosphere where students don’t feel threatened if they need to ask for help A climate of respect for the student working conditions Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities Do not introduce accommodations for the 1 st time during the assessment (National Center on Educational Outcomes, 2005)

13. Practicality and Efficiency Teacher Familiarity with the Method Know About the assessment method you select The strengths and weaknesses of the method How to administer and score Time Required Desirable to use the shortest assessment possible to provide credible results Must consider the time required to construct the assessment for the students to complete the assessment to grade the assessment

14. Practicality and Efficiency Complexity of Administration Must be easy to administer Directions and procedures must be clear Must be aware of the shortcomings of those directions Must have supplies ready Scoring Ease and Appropriateness Scoring complexity needs to match the method and purpose Use the scoring method that is the easiest, but the most reliable

15. Practicality and Efficiency Scoring Ease and Appropriateness Use appropriate tools such as scoring keys, rubrics, checklists, & rating scales Give students the opportunity to review their graded assessments Explain the rationale for the correct answer/approach to an activity Score and return work in a timely manner Correct scoring errors

16. Objective assessments are the easiest to interpret with regards to meeting behavioral objectives Subjective assessments are more difficult, but rubric, checklists, and rating scales can make the process easier Must have a sufficient amount of evidence to interpret assessment results w/ regards to making decisions about behavioral objectives being met Typically takes 6-10 restricted response items or 1-3 extended response activities

17. Help students & parents properly interpret assessment results Interpret student performance on assessment in light of the behavioral objective being measured Give students multiple opportunities and different ways to show their abilities Use assessment results to evaluate attainment of behavioral objectives, not for punishment or controlling behavior Keep assessment results confidential

18. Validity Will scores support us in making good decisions? A characteristic that refers to how you interpret and use the results of an assessment Assessments must be Valid for your intended interpretation Only valid if method and item/activity match the objective/target(s) to be measured Formative Assessments To what degree does your assessment support the learning needs of your students Summative Assessments To what degree does your interpretation of the results provide accurate evidence about achievement of meeting/benchmarking the objective/target(s)

19. Reliability A characteristic that refers to the consistency of the scores or results If results are not stable, cannot expect the decisions made from the results to be valid 2 tests on same subject…1 w/ high score, 1 w/ low score…what is the validity of the decision made about the ability of the student? Have I ensured that the assessment occasion is free of distractions? Have I designed an assessment that gathers sufficient information for the decisions to be made? Have I developed scoring criteria that are clear and unambiguous for both myself and my student? Have I c0mpared my scoring standards with other teachers who teach the same content?

20. Make Public the Content, Expectations, & Grading Criteria for the Assessment Make clear what skills & objectives will be measured with the assessment Hold a review if only brief in nature Explain the types of items or skills assignments that will appear on the assessment Explain your expectations for what the response should look like (paragraph or single word, spelling/grammar mistakes counted?) McMillan Chapter 3 pg 81 FOR MORE INFO...

21. Make Public the Content, Expectations, & Grading Criteria for the Assessment When skills (writing, measuring, plotting…) will be assessed Be specific with expectations with what the components will be on how failure to meet expectation will effect what is earned for each component and the overall grade. McMillan Chapter 3 pg 81, 91 FOR MORE INFO...

22. Grading and Reporting Grades/Feedback Score and interpret assessments so that responses are evaluated accurately Make “Key” for any assessment Outline essay/open-end/completion response items Pre-write and teach rubric to students Ensure that results are valid and reliable Ensure that results will provide opportunity for positive academic growth Provide specific feedback Communicate assessment results in a timely manner Provide complete, useful, and correct information McMillan Chapter 3 pg 81, 91; (Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (Revised), 2004); More on Reliability and Validity next week FOR MORE INFO...

23. Avoid Bias & Stereotyping Judge student achievement based ONLY on how the student performs on the individual assessment Avoid grading the work of a student who has behaved poorly that day Have students write their name on the back of the assignment or only on the first page so that grading can be done somewhat anonymously. McMillan Chapter 3 pg 82 - 86 FOR MORE INFO...

24. Avoid Bias & Stereotyping Avoid making or writing any statement that might be offensive to a particular student or group of students. Phrase items appropriately and have someone else look over the items for problems…especially an issue in SS and LA classrooms. Actual items received in this course last year… Explain why Robert E. Lee was the greatest general ever. Why should women have stayed at home and out of the workplace after the end of WWII? McMillan Chapter 3 pg 82 - 86 FOR MORE INFO...

25. Accommodate Special Needs Meeting ALL Accommodations is Mandatory by both State and Federal Law Failing to do so can cause loss of teaching certificate Know which students have IEPs and 504s in your classroom see your counselor as soon as you receive your class rosters…do not wait for her to come to you!! McMillan Chapter 3 pg 84, Chapter 12 (covering in 2 weeks) FOR MORE INFO...

26. Know the Law!! Know what you are required to do by The school system The State Department of Education The Federal Department of Education Know what you are not allowed to do Ex: Look at standardized testing materials, skipping concepts required by the AL COS State & Fed Departments of Ed, Hiring School System FOR MORE INFO...

27. Announcements Complete Ethics RA through eLearning Deadline 1/30/12 at 4:00 pm For Lecture January 30 th Read Chapter 12 Quiz in Lecture Return Placement Form before leaving!!!