Those who understand teach. Those who can do. Those who understand teach. Those who teach assess.

Choosing Test Items There are no perfect items. Regional Collaboratives February 12, 2007 presented by Virginia Malone Virginia_Malone@juno.com

Today’s Questions Why test? What is being tested? What makes some test items better than others?

Why Test?

It is kind of nice to know why you do what you do.

Major Reasons for Testing Diagnostic Comparative To standards (criteria base) To others (norm reference)

What is being tested?

What do we want to learn from the test? Who knows the science and who does not. NOT who is a good reader and who is not NOT who a good test taker and who is not Universal Design - Fairness

Need Test Blueprint Assure that what should be taught is tested. Assure a balanced coverage of Performance Objectives.

Test Blueprint Define what tests will cover. Guide for reporting. Keep test forms parallel. Pre/post tests

What will be reported? Strands Concepts Performance Objectives Vocabulary 5 items for percent correct score 10 items for scaled scores Standards or outcomes All this based on math and reading. Highly suspect in survey tests like science and social studies.

One Type of Blueprint TEKS Number Knowledge Items Application Items 1.2 1 5 2.7 3 8 etc.

What makes some test items better than others? There is no such thing as a perfect item.

Thought Provoking Test Items Require the use of both knowledge and skills. May cover more than one TEKS. Go beyond reading and recalling. Have to choose the best fit TEKS

2. When did the illby ixleb summit? 3. Who was the illby? The ixleb was heb. That narf, the illby ixleb summit and was all domini. Where was its zomba? The ixleb zanked and then izzly zonched for its zomba from the hightow. It zonched because an uga of dow filled that narf er - dow of the dumbing tonto's bleer. 1. What was the ixleb? 2. When did the illby ixleb summit? 3. Who was the illby? 4. Where did the ixleb zank and zonch from? 5. Why did the ixleb izzly zonch? What are you testing

Appropriate Reading Level Reading levels as low as possible. Sentence structure simple. Words other than science should be as simple as possible. Short sentences rather than long. Avoid “there…”

More than Rote Memory poor Which of these is present in eukaryotic cells, but not prokarotic cells? A. a cytoplasmic membrane B. a chromosome C. a nucleous * D. a cell wall

Application to new situation better A cell is isolated that contains a cytoplasmic fluid phospholipid membrane, a cell wall, and a single circular chromosome. This cell most likely belongs to which type of organism? A. a plant B. a prokaryote * C. a protozoan D. a fungus

Recall Which of these is the most common element in living things? Objective: Identify the six most common elements in living things. poor Which of these is the most common element in living things? Iron Sulfur Calcium Carbon * Even low cognitive level TEKS can be moved up.

better but lots of reading Some students saw some white salt (NaCl) crystals at the edge of a drop of water. As the water evaporated the salt crystals became bigger and more of them appeared in the dish. All of the following would seem to indicate that the crystals are alive EXCEPT the fact that the crystals -- grow in size. lack hydrogen. * appear to reproduce. contain chlorine. Of this set of questions which one is best and why.

The size of the crystals increased. They lack hydrogen. * Graphics can simplify and engage. The diagram shows salt crystals that appeared in a dish after salt water evaporated. Which of these shows that the salt is not alive? The size of the crystals increased. They lack hydrogen. * C. They appear to reproduce. D. They contain chlorine. Of this set of questions which one is best and why.

Use graphics to simplify not to decorate. Poor The picture shows a mouse. Mice have fur and feed their young milk. Mice belong with what group? A Mammals B Insects C Fish D Birds Not a big idea anyway

Use graphics to simplify not to decorate. Better Mice have fur and feed their young milk. Mice belong with what group? A Mammals B Insects C Fish D Birds Grade level and ELL considerations Not a big idea anyway

Alignment to Objectives Objective: Understand the transfer of heat. poor Which temperature is equivalent of 273 K? A. 0 oC B. 32 oF C. 100 oC D. - 273 oC What is the F doing in here?

Objective: Understand the transfer of heat. better Which diagram correctly shows the direction of net heat transfer? Could have asked. The direction of heat flow is always from … or use application. Should have a real world application instead of squares

Avoid tricky questions or two justifiable correct choices poor Which of these shows the greatest evidence of erosion? A mountain range A canyon A delta A meteor crater Students could justify more than one answer. All can be justified

better Which of these landforms is the result of erosion caused by primarily by water? A A volcano B A canyon C A meteor crater D A sand dune

Avoid the Use of “You” poor Which of these would you do if a student asked you to help them on a test? A. Reprimand the student. B. Try to help the student without giving away the answer. C. Ask the student to stay after school for more help D. Remind the student that you are not allowed to help on the test. You depends on the person doing the answering

Better According to the directions for administering the test, which of these should a teacher do if a student asks for help on the test? A. Reprimand the student. B. Try to help the student without giving away the answer. C. Ask the student to stay after school for more help D. Remind the student that you are not allowed to help on the test. *

Items should provide focus. Poor The earth is – A. spherical more or less B. made up of elements C. part of the solar system the third rock from the sun All correct

Providing Focus Makes It Clear What a Student Is Being Asked to Do. better Which of these best describes the shape of the earth? A. An oblate spheroid B. A circle C. A torus D. A lumpy sphere

Items should avoid the use of negatives. poor Which of these is not a characteristic of animals? A. They eat other organisms. B. They have no chlorophyll. C. They do not make their own food. D. They have cell walls.* All of these are characteristic of animals except –

better Which of these is a characteristic that all animals have? A. Four legs B. Food getting behavior* C. Chlorophyll Blood

Items should not clue other items Vitamin B, found in rice hulls, helps prevent-- A. beriberi* B. scurvy C. measles D. botulism As westerners introduced better milling techniques to remove rice hulls, natives of south sea islands began to develop beriberi due to a lack of -- A. calcium B. a vitamin * C. citric acid D. protein Who does well the good reader.

Items should not require knowledge of the correct answer to a previous question. 1. At what point on this diagram is winter in North America represented? 2. During what season in North America is the sun closest to Earth? All art should be double checked.

Options should be in logical order. Which seeds are probably the slowest to germinate? Mango* B. Tomato C. Peach D. Watermelon Which seeds are probably the slowest to germinate? A. Watermelon B. Tomato C. Mango* D. Peach Was this growth after germination. Cannot really answer the question with the information given because once germinated some grow faster than others

Rationales for distractors. What is the greatest percent of weed control in this investigation? A. 55 the lowest value shown B. 85 the greatest value for single treatment C. 90 The greatest value D. 200 Just a number no justifiable rationale

The question must have one clearly correct answer. Tundras and taigas are found at high latitudes, but similar biomes can also be found – A. at high altitudes* B. at high longitude C. along coastlines D. in the interior of continents All answers are possible even though the correct response is the “best” answer this is not fair testing practice.

The options should be free of repetitious information. poor When is the earth farthest from the sun? A. During the spring in the Northern Hemisphere B. During the summer in the Northern Hemisphere C. During the fall in the Northern Hemisphere D. During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere

better During what season in North America is Earth farthest from the sun? A. Spring B. Summer* C. Winter D. Fall

When possible, items should be complete questions. poor The test item type that is most efficient and reliable is the – A. Multiple Choice B. Constructed Response C. Matching D. True/false

Complete Questions better Which of these is the most efficient and reliable type of test item on a 30 item test? A. Multiple Choice B. Constructed Response C. Matching D. True/false

Distractors should be plausible. poor Which of these is a planet in our solar system? A. Water B. Mars C. An asteroid D. Dirt No real rationale for answers

Plausible distractors better Which of these is a planet in our solar system? A. The sun B. The moon C. The planet Mars D. The comet Halley Big time clue

Options parallel in structure and degree of specificity. poor Which of the following is a compound? A. Kinetic energy B. Wind that is blowing C. Pure distilled water* D. A soft drink like Pepsi One sentence one with Like on energy others contain matter One is active others passive.

Parallel Options better Which of the following is a compound? A. Sulfur B. Iron C. Water* D. Hydrogen But just recall

The options should be free of repetitious information. poor When is the earth farthest from the sun? A. During the spring in the Northern Hemisphere B. During the summer in the Northern Hemisphere* C. During the fall in the Northern Hemisphere D. During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere

better During what season in North America is the earth farthest from the sun? A. Spring B. Summer* C. Winter D. Fall

Items should not contain options that are subsumed by other options. poor A patient had a high fever, a greater blood pressure on the right side of his body than his left. He was loosing about one pound a day. Which of these caused this person to become ill? A. HIV B. vasculitis* C. circulatory illness an infection Three are sedimentary allowing student to say B must be the answer.

Items should not contain options that are subsumed by other options. better A patient had a high fever, a greater blood pressure on the right side of his body than his left. He was loosing about one pound a day. Which of these caused this person to become ill? A. elephantiasis B. vasculitis* C. gastritis pneumonia * Bit of cluing. Good test taker eliminates distractors.

Options should not be opposites of one another. poor What time will it be on the side of the earth facing the sun? Daytime Nighttime 2:00 A.M. 11:07 P.M. Don’t know if this is pigment or light so no clear answer. Test wise has an advantage

What causes there to be nighttime on Earth? better What causes there to be nighttime on Earth? A. One side of Earth is facing away from the Sun. B. The Earth revolves around to the back side of the Sun. C. The sun moves to the daylight side of Earth. D. The sun stops sending light toward Earth. Options too long

Wording and/or art must be clear Wording and/or art must be clear. Which of these models shows the orbit of the Earth? Since we do not know if the item is focusing on the shape of the orbit or exaggeration of the orbit a knowledgeable student will not know which to answer. Except that the only correct answer shows the planet tilt. Which was not what the question was about

Factual information should be accurate and logical. Onion root do not generally grow to a length of 300 centimeters and even if they did they would not grow as fast as indicated by the graph.

Does the writer have a misconception? Five-fingers occur more commonly in any human population than six fingers. The five-finger trait is probably -- A. dominant* B. recessive C. hybrid D. incomplete Only way to catch this is to have others review the test.

NOTE Every item can be improved. “Better” in this presentation does not equate to good.

Loricifera Use a Checklist to Explain How You Arrive at Your Answers

Answering questions without knowing much about the subject Loriciferans Answering questions without knowing much about the subject Provide handout

1. Which of the following is a characteristic unique to the phylum Loricifera? A. Multicellularity B. Small body structure C. A flexible feeding tube that can be retracted into the organism D. Multiple spines

2. All Loriciferans are – Single cellular Multicellular Colorful Hungry

3. What is the level of classification for Loriciferans? Kingdom Phylum Genus Species

4. All of these are places Loriciferans can be found EXCEPT – A. sediments B. artic ocean sands C. ocean coastal deposits D. in the needles of pine trees

5. Who named the phylum Loricifera? A. Reinhardt Kristensen, a Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellow B. Carl Linnaeus, a Postdoctoral Fellow C. Feras Feras, a Lorci Postdoctoral Fellow D. A Postdoctoral Fellow

6. Loriciferans are most closely associated with an -- a. glacier c. ocean b. river D. storm

7. What is the source of energy for Loriciferans? A. Snow B. Meiofauna C. Phyla D. Cars

8. Which of these do you think is the most important phylum? Phylum Arthropoda Phylum Loricifera Phylum Chordata Phylum Platyhelminthes

9. Loricifera larvae 1 and 2 are moving toward the grain of sand 9. Loricifera larvae 1 and 2 are moving toward the grain of sand. If they start at the same time and arrive at the next grain of sand at the same moment, which one moved the fastest? A. 2 moved faster than 1 B. 1 moved faster than 2 C. 1 and 2 moved at the same speed D. 1 moved slower than 2

10. Which of these is not a characteristic of the producers Loriciferas eat? A. They are able to make their own food. B. They lack photosynthetic pigments. C. They do not require carbon dioxide at night. D. They give off oxygen when it is not dark.

10. What type of fauna is most appealing to Loriciferans? A. deer B. meiofauna C. fish D. flowers Different configuration than previous stacked items.

11. Loriciferans are approximately 0. 3 mm long 11. Loriciferans are approximately 0.3 mm long. If 8 loriciferans were placed side by side they would extend approximately how many millimeters? A. 0.1 mm B. 2.4 mm C. 5.5 mm D. 1.6 mm

12. Which of the following pieces of equipment would be required to calculate the density of the water surrounding the sand in which the Loriciferans live? A. Balance and graduated cylinder B. Graduated cylinder and burner C. Thermometer and balance D. Balance and volumetric flask

13. Which of these is the main function of the ovaries of adult Loriciferans? A. Male B. Eggs C. Food D. Larva

14. What is the function of the protonephridium? A. To produce digestive enzymes B. To eliminate metabolic waste C. To pump blood D. To act as a primitive eye

15. What type of compounds have a multitude of different functions in Loriciferans including providing structural support within cells and catalyzing chemical reactions and facilitating diffusion through the plasma membrane and allowing cell recognition through its unique structure? A. mitochondria B. proteins C. ribosomes D. cells

16. In the Loriciferans ecosystem energy flows from producers to primary consumers to Loriciferans. More energy flows from producers to primary consumers in the Loriciferans ecosystem than in a forest ecosystem where there is thick vegetation. Why is this? A Forest plants receive more sunlight than aquatic photosynthetic organisms. B Plants in forests put more energy into wood and other hard-to-digest biomass. C Animals in oceans perform less cellular respiration than animals in forests. D Producers are less able to harvest the light energy in forests than in oceans.

Well Constructed Test Items Match the objective. Do not give away the answer. Do not favor the test wise student. Do not favor the good reader over the good social studies, math, or science student.

Well Constructed Test Items Avoid the use of negative words in the stem and/or options. Have responses in logical order. Have one clearly correct answer. Are factually correct. Make it clear what the student is being asked to do.

Well Constructed Options Parallel in degree of specificity. Parallel in length Parallel in grammatical structure.

Well Constructed Options Free of excess repetition Do not subsume other options Not opposite of one another Have rationales for the distractors

Did you Learn? Why test? What is being tested? What makes some test items better than others? There are no perfect items.

The fatal pedagogical error… to throw answers like stones at the heads of those who have not yet asked the questions. Paul Tillich

A Test A Day Keeps Students Away

Teachers should not have to put aside good instruction to prepare for the test. Unknown

Every test question can be improved.

Every student can learn.

Every teacher can improve.

Every school can become a center of excellence.

No one said it will be easy. There are no short cuts.

Always Under Construction. The Road to Success Is Always Under Construction.

For more information Easy to follow examples of test items http://webusers.xula.edu/jsevenai/objective/objective.html Easy to follow examples of test items http://www.tenet.edu/teks/science/stacks/instruct/strategy.html Strengths and weaknesses of various strategies. Provides examples of poor and better selected response items http://questioning.org/Q6/question.html For more questions