1 TEKS-Based Assessment

2 In this tutorial, we will be talking about assessing the TEKS, and the types of things you may do in the classroom to measure how well a child has learned TEKS content.

3 Think about the different types of assessments currently used in the classrooms.

4 Which assessments do you remember?

5 Did you identify… Before the lesson (diagnostic) assessment? Before the lesson (diagnostic) assessment? During the lesson (formative) assessment? During the lesson (formative) assessment? After the lesson (summative) assessment? After the lesson (summative) assessment?

6 This section of the TEKS training will introduce how diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments may be used in your classroom.

7 Why should we focus on TEKS-based assessment?

8 Within Texas Education Code, the Texas Legislature has identified a common curriculum (TEKS) for every student in the state, and a common assessment (TAKS, TAKS-Alt, or TAKS-I) beginning at grade three.

9 § REQUIRED CURRICULUM. (a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum: (1) a foundation curriculum that includes: (A) English language arts; (B) mathematics; (C) science; and (D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United States, and world history, government, and geography; and

10 TAC § (a) The goal of the statewide assessment program is to provide all eligible Texas students an appropriate statewide assessment that measures and supports their achievement of the essential knowledge and skills of the state- mandated curriculum. TAC § (a) The goal of the statewide assessment program is to provide all eligible Texas students an appropriate statewide assessment that measures and supports their achievement of the essential knowledge and skills of the state- mandated curriculum.

11 TEC § ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS. (f) The assessment instruments shall be designed to include assessment of a student's problem- solving ability and complex-thinking skills using a method of assessing those abilities and skills that is demonstrated to be highly reliable.

12 SECTION I

13 Section I: Diagnostic Assessment

14 The 79th Texas Legislature has appropriated funding for schools to provide accelerated reading and math intervention for struggling students in Grades K-6 during the school year. -TEA, 2005

15 District-wide mathematics diagnostics, such as the Texas Math Diagnostic System, should be used to identify students with mathematics difficulties. -TEA, 2005

16 So if instruction must meet students’ needs, how must we evaluate those needs prior to instruction?

17 Why use diagnostic assessment? Required by law, struggling students must be identified and served prior to failing the grade five mathematics TAKS Required by law, struggling students must be identified and served prior to failing the grade five mathematics TAKS This type of assessment helps us evaluate the knowledge students have retained from prior instruction, or learned at home This type of assessment helps us evaluate the knowledge students have retained from prior instruction, or learned at home Diagnostic assessment can help educators tailor instruction within a unit based on student need Diagnostic assessment can help educators tailor instruction within a unit based on student need

18 Diagnostic assessments should be examined by the teacher to determine which TEKS student expectation statements should be emphasized within a unit of study. A formal grade should not be given.

19 Please note: Diagnostic assessments should be open- ended in nature and allow for many types of student responses Diagnostic assessments should be open- ended in nature and allow for many types of student responses Include items that require students to communicate their thinking Include items that require students to communicate their thinking Include items that require students to use multiple representations Include items that require students to use multiple representations Multiple choice questions should NOT be used in this type of assessment Multiple choice questions should NOT be used in this type of assessment

20 Pretend you are a third grade teacher. What concepts and skills would you expect your students to know about 2-D and 3-D geometry prior to instruction? List these concepts and skills on a sheet of paper

21 Use the TEKS as your Guide (2.7)The student uses attributes to identify two- and three-dimensional geometric figures. The student compares and contrasts two- and three-dimensional geometric figures or both. The student is expected to: (A)describe attributes (the number of vertices, faces, edges, sides) of two- and three-dimensional geometric figures such as circles, polygons, spheres, cones, cylinders, prisms, and pyramids, etc, (A)describe attributes (the number of vertices, faces, edges, sides) of two- and three-dimensional geometric figures such as circles, polygons, spheres, cones, cylinders, prisms, and pyramids, etc,

22 (B)use attributes to describe how 2 two- dimensional figures or 2 three-dimensional geometric figures are alike or different (B)use attributes to describe how 2 two- dimensional figures or 2 three-dimensional geometric figures are alike or different (C) cut two-dimensional geometric figures apart and identify the new geometric figures formed (C) cut two-dimensional geometric figures apart and identify the new geometric figures formed

23 What content related to 2-D and 3-D geometric vocabulary are you required to teach in third grade?

24 Use the TEKS as your Guide (3.9) The student uses formal geometric vocabulary. The student is expected to: (A) identify, classify, and describe two- and three-dimensional geometric figures by their attributes. The student compares two- dimensional figures and three-dimensional figures, or both by their attributes using formal geometry vocabulary. (A) identify, classify, and describe two- and three-dimensional geometric figures by their attributes. The student compares two- dimensional figures and three-dimensional figures, or both by their attributes using formal geometry vocabulary.

25 The diagnostic assessment used should require students to access and communicate prior learning. This will help the teacher identify patterns in what students (individual and whole class) know about 2-D and 3-D geometry prior to instruction.

26 Ideally, the diagnostic assessment created would also help the teacher identify student readiness to learn about the identification and classification of geometric figures using formal geometric vocabulary.

27 SECTION II

28 Section II: Assessment During the Lesson

29 In the past, teachers have relied heavily on homework to evaluate student learning. This section will discuss formative assessment methods teachers may use during the lesson to evaluate student thinking in “real time”.

30 “Knowledge-including mathematical knowledge- is now being seen as socially constructed.” -Silver, et. All, 1990

31 “Students learn mathematics through communication. Students need opportunities not just to listen, but to speak mathematics themselves-to discuss what they have observed, why procedures appear to work, or why they think their solution is correct.” -Silver, et. All, 1990

32 Students must construct their own mathematical understanding. Teachers have to pose questions and provide opportunities for students to apply and communicate what they are learning.

33 Posing questions where the answer becomes the question opens up the social “space” in the classroom. This allows all students the opportunity to participate, and makes them accountable for the content they are learning.

34 Assessing measurement

35 Given the changes in the measurement strand of the elementary TEKS, teachers will now be responsible for teaching more content to students in grades 3-5.

36 Area is an important concept that will be developed throughout grades K-5

37 Review the TEKS in second, third, fourth and fifth grade that develop the concept of area.

38 Read the following TEKS knowledge and skill and student expectation statements.

39 (4.11) Measurement. The student applies measurement concepts. The student is expected to estimate and measure to solve problems involving length (including perimeter) and area. The student uses measurement tools to measure capacity/volume and weight/mass.

40 The student is expected to: (A) estimate and use measurement tools to determine length (including perimeter), area, capacity and weight/mass using standard units SI (metric) and customary; (B) perform simple conversions between different units of length, between different units of capacity, and between different units of weight within the customary measurement system;

41 Assessment opportunities may be open-ended to capture multiple responses from students.

42 In an open-response assessment, a teacher might ask students to identify three objects in the room with an area greater than 15 square inches.

43 This task would allow students to participate in the assessment regardless of their cognitive level.

44 Once students have identified different objects in the room with an area greater than 15, the teacher may begin a list of objects found by students. This will allow many different objects to be shared with the class and help the teacher identify students that need additional support.

45 Once a list has been generated by the class, the teacher may ask the class if there are any objects on the list that they believe have an area smaller than 15 square inches. Allow the class an opportunity to validate or delete the objects on the list.

46 Things to keep in mind One of the reasons teachers want to use early comparison activities with area is to help students distinguish between size (area) shape, length and other dimensions One of the reasons teachers want to use early comparison activities with area is to help students distinguish between size (area) shape, length and other dimensions Direct comparisons of two areas is nearly impossible, unless the shapes have a common dimension or property Direct comparisons of two areas is nearly impossible, unless the shapes have a common dimension or property

47 Develop the idea that area is a measure of covering a 2-dimensional surface. Formulas do not need to be developed at this grade level. It is appropriate for students to use tools such as inch tiles to “cover” the area of an object. Listen as they discuss how to determine the area when it is impossible to fit the tiles over the object.

48 Make a station at which students create objects that have an area greater or less than a given figure. Have students draw new figures and prove their solutions. IDEA: Irregular Shapes

49 SECTION III

50 This section will focus on summative assessment of the TEKS

51 Myth Myth Students must be given selected response items in grades 3-5 to prepare them for TAKS assessments Students must be given selected response items in grades 3-5 to prepare them for TAKS assessments

52 Reality Students must retain the TEKS content they are learning each year, it is longitudinal content knowledge that prepares students for TAKS assessments, not test- taking strategies. Students must retain the TEKS content they are learning each year, it is longitudinal content knowledge that prepares students for TAKS assessments, not test- taking strategies.

53 Types of Summative Assessment (Stiggins, 1997) Selected response Selected response Essay Essay Performance assessment Performance assessment Personal communication Personal communication

54 This section will highlight three of the summative assessments mentioned by Stiggins, selected response, performance assessment and personal communication.

55 Selected Response Questions are developed to determine if a student can reason effectively in order to select the “best” or most appropriate answer. Questions are developed to determine if a student can reason effectively in order to select the “best” or most appropriate answer. Examples: Examples: Yes/no Yes/no True/false True/false Fill in the blank Fill in the blank Multiple choice Multiple choice Matching Matching All of the above/None of the above All of the above/None of the above

56 Performance Assessment With performance assessments, we observe students while they are performing or we examine the products they create, and judge the level of proficiency demonstrated on a given task. We compare student performance to predetermined measures, usually with the assistance of a teacher-created rubric. With performance assessments, we observe students while they are performing or we examine the products they create, and judge the level of proficiency demonstrated on a given task. We compare student performance to predetermined measures, usually with the assistance of a teacher-created rubric.

57 Performance Assessment, Volume Review the 5 th grade performance assessment related to volume. Review the 5 th grade performance assessment related to volume. Review the following questions to determine students’ procedural and conceptual knowledge and communication related to the concept of volume. Review the following questions to determine students’ procedural and conceptual knowledge and communication related to the concept of volume.

58 Student Work is Judged Based on: Conceptual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge Does the student know the content? Does the student know the content? Procedural Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Does the student know the process to solve the problem? Does the student know the process to solve the problem? Communication Communication How does the student communicate what they know about the problem and how do they communicate the steps used to solve the problem? How does the student communicate what they know about the problem and how do they communicate the steps used to solve the problem? (ESC, Region IV)

59 Personal Communication Teachers are able to gather a lot of information from students by talking to them. Teachers are able to gather a lot of information from students by talking to them. Teachers may: Teachers may: Conduct conferences Conduct conferences Conduct oral exams to assess mastery of content Conduct oral exams to assess mastery of content Ask students to journal Ask students to journal Ask students talk or write about content with peers Ask students talk or write about content with peers

60 Things to remember when designing TEKS-Based Assessments The TEKS should be the focus of the assessment, keep the assessment on grade level The TEKS should be the focus of the assessment, keep the assessment on grade level Search for the appropriate rigor and application in the assessment items/tasks used with students Search for the appropriate rigor and application in the assessment items/tasks used with students Make sure the assessment created aligns with the processes used in instruction Make sure the assessment created aligns with the processes used in instruction Never see an assessment as an endpoint, but a process that will yield information and inform next steps Never see an assessment as an endpoint, but a process that will yield information and inform next steps

61 “A quality assessment provides a clear, accurate, and timely picture of what a student has learned, while at the same time spelling out which achievement expectations have not yet been met.” -Stiggins & Knight, 1997

62 The Assessment Principle Assessment should become a routine part of the ongoing classroom activity rather than an interruption. NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000)