Aligning Unit Tests and Backwards Instruction Planning Virginia Department of Education Office of School Improvement

Why do we use summative assessment? Is assessment something we do only after instruction has been completed in order to give a grade… Or a way to outline beforehand the goals for students to demonstrate mastery of essential knowledge and skills? Is assessment something we do only after instruction has been completed in order to give a grade… Or a way to outline beforehand the goals for students to demonstrate mastery of essential knowledge and skills? Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Stages in the Backwards Design Plan 1. Identify desired results. 2. Determine acceptable evidence. 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction. Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Benefits of Backwards Design Clarifies learning goals for both students and teachers Results in sharply defined teaching Increases student performance Clarifies learning goals for both students and teachers Results in sharply defined teaching Increases student performance Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Stage One Identify desired results for the unit.

Why is this unit important? “What you’re trying to do is make it more likely that by design, you’re more goal- focused, more effective. … What we see over and over again is that there’s a misalignment between short-term plans and actions and long-term goals.” Avenues Workshop Series. (2013, March). Understanding by Design with Grant Wiggins. Retrieved from

What are Enduring Understandings? Enduring Understanding Important to know and do Worth being familiar with Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development.

Essential Questions Get at matters of deep understanding Provocative and multi-layered Reveal richness and complexities of a subject Get at matters of deep understanding Provocative and multi-layered Reveal richness and complexities of a subject Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development.

ExamplesExamples High School Virginia & US History Unit: Revolutionary Period Grade 5 Writing Unit: Written Expression High School Virginia & US History Unit: Revolutionary Period Grade 5 Writing Unit: Written Expression

Example: Revolutionary Period Unit How do ideas about rights of people and their relationship to their rulers influence government? The American Revolution was inspired by ideas concerning natural rights and political authority, and its successful completion affected people and governments throughout the world for many generations. Essential Question Enduring Understanding

Example: Written Expression How do we develop a tone that supports the purpose of our writing? Good writers use precise, descriptive vocabulary and vary sentence structure as they revise for clarity. Essential Question Enduring Understanding

Stage Two Determine acceptable evidence.

Alignment & Content Coverage

Basic Component: Consistency & Fairness

Steps for Creating a Standards-Based Unit Assessment Subtask 1 Determine which standards, knowledge, and skills will be assessed Subtask 2 Unpack standards, knowledge, and skills for content and cognitive level. Subtask 3 Determine how each standard, knowledge and/or skill be will assessed Subtask 4 Design the assessment Table of Specifications

Tips for Success 1.Do this BEFORE teaching the unit 2.Work in collaborative groups if possible 3.Use all relevant Standards of Learning documents (SOLs, Curriculum Framework, Blueprints, Released Test Items) 1.Do this BEFORE teaching the unit 2.Work in collaborative groups if possible 3.Use all relevant Standards of Learning documents (SOLs, Curriculum Framework, Blueprints, Released Test Items)

Choosing Where to Start Review SOL assessment data to determine the areas of greatest need for the largest number of students Use the Table of Specifications process with those units first Expand to other units as time and personnel resources allow Review SOL assessment data to determine the areas of greatest need for the largest number of students Use the Table of Specifications process with those units first Expand to other units as time and personnel resources allow

Subtask 1: Determine which standards will be assessed

The Shift in Choosing Content and Skills for Assessments Assessing what is EASY for us as teachers Assessing what is IMPORTANT for them as students

Materials Needed Use division written curriculum (when available) Standards of Learning documents Standards of Learning (required) Curriculum Framework (required) Blueprints (recommended) Use division written curriculum (when available) Standards of Learning documents Standards of Learning (required) Curriculum Framework (required) Blueprints (recommended)

Table of Specifications PLACEHOLDER FOR VIDEO OF WORD DOCUMENT

Subtask 2: Unpack standards, knowledge, and skills for content and cognitive level.

Unpacking Process Understanding how to use a taxonomy to unpack a standard, knowledge, skill, or process: 1.Review the overarching standard in order to determine the CONTEXT. 2.Determine the CONTENT (what students must know) 3.Determine the COGNITIVE LEVEL. (Bloom’s Taxonomy, Revised): What students must be able to do with what they know. Understanding how to use a taxonomy to unpack a standard, knowledge, skill, or process: 1.Review the overarching standard in order to determine the CONTEXT. 2.Determine the CONTENT (what students must know) 3.Determine the COGNITIVE LEVEL. (Bloom’s Taxonomy, Revised): What students must be able to do with what they know.

Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) Create Generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things Evaluate Justifying a decision or course of action Analyze Breaking information into parts to explore understandings and relationships Apply Applying knowledge to actual situations Understand Demonstrating an understanding of the facts; explaining ideas or concepts Remember Recalling previously learned information

Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) Create assemble, combine, compose, construct, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, plan, set up, synthesize, tell, write Evaluate appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, conclude, defend, discriminate, estimate, judge, justify, interpret, rate, support, value Analyze appraise, breakdown, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, diagram, differentiate, distinguish, examine, infer, model, question, test Apply change, choose, compute, demonstrate, employ, illustrate, interpret, manipulate, modify, practice, prepare, show, sketch, solve, use Understand classify, convert, defend, describe, discuss, distinguish, estimate, explain, give examples, indicate, locate, paraphrase, predict, summarize Remember arrange, define, describe, duplicate, identify, label, list, match, memorize, name, order, recall, relate, recognize, repeat, select, state

Example: Unpacking a Standard For the learning objective, underline the content, circle the word(s) that provide information regarding cognitive level, and finally, classify the word into one of Bloom’s six cognitive levels. VUS.1h Interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and other documents. Standard = Context Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes

Example: Unpacking a Standard For the learning objective, underline the content, circle the word(s) that provide information regarding cognitive level, and finally, classify the word into one of Bloom’s six cognitive levels. VUS.1h Interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and other documents. Apply

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Subtask 3: Determine how each standard, knowledge and/or skill be will assessed.

Assessing Knowledge and Skills Selected Response Constructed Response Performance Tasks Selected Response Constructed Response Performance Tasks

Item Type: Selected Response Objective—right or wrong answers Examples  Multiple choice  True/false  Matching Objective—right or wrong answers Examples  Multiple choice  True/false  Matching

Select Response: Multiple Choice Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds (depending on level of cognitive demand) Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds (depending on level of cognitive demand) Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Selected Response: True/False Approximate amount of time to answer per item: 15 seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand Approximate amount of time to answer per item: 15 seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Selected Response: Matching Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds (depending on number of matching items) Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds (depending on number of matching items) Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Item Type: Constructed Response Written or oral React to and use information Generally graded with a rubric Examples  Fill-in-the-Blank/ Diagram  Short Answer  Essay Written or oral React to and use information Generally graded with a rubric Examples  Fill-in-the-Blank/ Diagram  Short Answer  Essay Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Constructed Response: Fill-in- the-Blank/ Diagram Approximate amount of time to answer per item: 30 seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze Approximate amount of time to answer per item: 30 seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Constructed Response: Short Answer Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create Approximate amount of time to answer per item: seconds Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Constructed Response: Essay Approximate amount of time to answer per item: At least 60 seconds for each individual point; significant additional time may be needed Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create Approximate amount of time to answer per item: At least 60 seconds for each individual point; significant additional time may be needed Cognitive level it best evaluates: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Item Type: Performance Task Apply knowledge Usually “real life” situations Generally graded with a rubric Examples:  Role-play (debates, skits)  Model/Simulation  Performance/Product  Labs Apply knowledge Usually “real life” situations Generally graded with a rubric Examples:  Role-play (debates, skits)  Model/Simulation  Performance/Product  Labs Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Choosing the Assessment Item How much emphasis do we place on the standard, knowledge, or skill in the unit? Remember the goals for the unit! What cognitive level is the standard, knowledge, or skill? How much emphasis do we place on the standard, knowledge, or skill in the unit? Remember the goals for the unit! What cognitive level is the standard, knowledge, or skill?

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Subtask 4: Design the assessment.

Sources for Items Virginia Department of Education released test items Textbooks Online item banks Previously-given assessments Your brain Virginia Department of Education released test items Textbooks Online item banks Previously-given assessments Your brain

Consistent and Fair Assessments Have we considered and tried to avoid:  Culturally biased language and expressions  Developmentally inappropriate reading level  Mechanical or grammatical mistakes in assessment items  Insufficient or unclear directions  Poor layout, causing uncertainty or mistakes in reading the assessment  Insufficient number of assessment items  Subjective scoring Have we considered and tried to avoid:  Culturally biased language and expressions  Developmentally inappropriate reading level  Mechanical or grammatical mistakes in assessment items  Insufficient or unclear directions  Poor layout, causing uncertainty or mistakes in reading the assessment  Insufficient number of assessment items  Subjective scoring Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Increasing Fairness: Hints for Overall Test Construction 1.Make sure one item does not give away the answer to another item (cluing). 2.Provide clear directions to each portion of the test. 3.Do not split items across pages. 4.Make sure the test is neat and error-free. 5.Provide clear and adequate response spaces. 6.Provide point values for older students. 1.Make sure one item does not give away the answer to another item (cluing). 2.Provide clear directions to each portion of the test. 3.Do not split items across pages. 4.Make sure the test is neat and error-free. 5.Provide clear and adequate response spaces. 6.Provide point values for older students. Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Main Types of Rubrics 1.Checklist 2.Holistic Rubric 3.Analytical Rubric 1.Checklist 2.Holistic Rubric 3.Analytical Rubric Gareis, C.R., & Grant, L.W. (2008). Teacher-made assessments: How to connect curriculum, instruction, & student learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

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Stage Three Plan learning experiences and instruction.

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Aligning Unit Tests and Backwards Instruction Planning Virginia Department of Education Office of School Improvement