Classroom Evaluation & Grading Chapter 15

Intelligence and Achievement Intelligence and achievement are not the same Intelligence and achievement are not the same However, intelligence can be used to predict achievement However, intelligence can be used to predict achievement Intelligence Achievement

Today’s Task What would convince you that someone really understood your area of knowledge? – Identify an area that you might teach – Pick out one central concept – Devise a plan to assess a student on that one concept – Would your plan work for the whole class?

What is understanding? Information/knowledge Information/knowledge Reasoning/problem solving Reasoning/problem solving What combination of reasoning and knowledge are appropriate? Science assessment example: Mystery powders -Identifying white powder as salt -By taste? -By chemical reaction? -By formula?

Implications of Assessment Teaching to the test Teaching to the test – Kamii:Multiple choice tests lower conceptual thinking skills – Determine the pace of instruction – Determine content

Formative and Summative Assessment

Pretests Pretests – aids teacher in planning – helps students identify areas that need work – identify weaknesses: diagnostic – Usually not graded Formative Assessments

Summative Assessments Occurs at the end of instruction Occurs at the end of instruction Provides a summary of accomplishments Provides a summary of accomplishments End of chapter, midterms, final exam End of chapter, midterms, final exam Purpose is to determine final achievement Purpose is to determine final achievement

Grading and Reporting: Nuts and Bolts

Criterion-Referenced Criteria for grades set in advance Criteria for grades set in advance All students could receive an ‘A’ All students could receive an ‘A’ All students could do poorly if standards are high All students could do poorly if standards are high

Norm-Referenced Grading Grading on the curve Grading on the curve Students compared to other students Students compared to other students ‘Average’ becomes the anchor for other grades ‘Average’ becomes the anchor for other grades Can overestimate differences Can overestimate differences

Is US Achievement going down?

Getting the Most From Traditional Testing

Key Principles Clearly written stem Clearly written stem Put most wording in the stem Put most wording in the stem Avoid unessential details Avoid unessential details Make options conceptually distinct Make options conceptually distinct Check for grammatical correctness Check for grammatical correctness

Key Principles Avoid exclusive & inclusive words Avoid exclusive & inclusive words – all, every, only, never, none Avoid two distracters with the same meaning Avoid two distracters with the same meaning Avoid exact textbook language Avoid exact textbook language Avoid overuse of all- or none- of the above Avoid overuse of all- or none- of the above

Samples to Critique 1. The word “flaco” in Spanish means a. thin b. underweight c. skinny d. fat

Samples to Critique 2. A spider is an a. marsupial b. arachnid c. vertebrate d. chordate

Samples to Critique 3. The development of the self-concept is not principally influenced by is not principally influenced by a. parents b. peers c. growth rate d. physical appearance

Samples to Critique 4. “Culture-fair” tests are a. always reliable b. always valid c. power tests d. usually nonverbal in order to offset cultural differences in language

Evaluating Objective Test Items Item analysis Item analysis – Difficulty – Discrimination – Reliability

Problems with objective testing Students can get some problems correct by guessing Students can get some problems correct by guessing May reduce motivation for problem solving May reduce motivation for problem solving May overly focus knowledge and overlook major misconceptions May overly focus knowledge and overlook major misconceptions

Essay Testing Emphasizes reasoning Emphasizes reasoning Communication Communication More complex learning outcomes More complex learning outcomes Can provide more information about misconceptions than multiple choice Can provide more information about misconceptions than multiple choice

Evaluating Essays Problems with subjective testing Problems with subjective testing – individual standards of the grader – unreliability of scoring procedures – bias: wordy essays

Evaluating Essays Methods for evaluating essays Methods for evaluating essays – Construct a model answer – Construct a rubric for the assignment – Give points for each part of the answer – Give points for organization – Grade all responses to the first question before reading subsequent questions

Innovations in Assessment

Alternative Assessments Authentic assessments Authentic assessments Performance in context Performance in context Portfolios Portfolios Exhibitions Exhibitions

Evaluating Portfolios and Performances Scoring rubrics Scoring rubrics Reliability, validity, and equity Reliability, validity, and equity Self- and peer- evaluation Self- and peer- evaluation

Effects of Grading on Students

Effects of Grading Effects of failure Effects of failure Effects of feedback - knowing ‘why’ they were wrong Effects of feedback - knowing ‘why’ they were wrong Effects of grades on motivation Effects of grades on motivation

Improving education Make great assessments that are worth focusing curriculum around Make great assessments that are worth focusing curriculum around Give teachers the support to investigate their own knowledge and understanding Give teachers the support to investigate their own knowledge and understanding Provide content and classrooms that are applicable to the students and their lives Provide content and classrooms that are applicable to the students and their lives “We want the child chasing education and not the other way around” -George Bernard Shaw

Three parts of a school Curriculum: What should students know? Instruction: How should we present what students should know? Assessment: What do students know? And what can they do?

Quiz Use and misuse of Gardners theory of intelligence Use and misuse of Gardners theory of intelligence Role of education in achievement and Intelligence Role of education in achievement and Intelligence Interpreting IQ scores Interpreting IQ scores Be able to identify traits as gifted, Learning disabled, or ADGD table 4.2, 4.4, 4.6 Be able to identify traits as gifted, Learning disabled, or ADGD table 4.2, 4.4, 4.6

Quiz Criterion versus norm referenced testing Criterion versus norm referenced testing Benefits /Drawbacks of objective and subjective assessment Benefits /Drawbacks of objective and subjective assessment Types of alternative assessment Types of alternative assessment Formative and summative evaluations Formative and summative evaluations