3. Alternative Assessments Assessing Performance Tasks Checklists, Rating Scales, Rubrics, Journals, Graphic Organizers:Thinking Maps, Portfolios, Oral Exams

4. Checklists p. 281, Nitko Procedure Checklist – Ex: Use of a microscope Product Checklist – Ex: drawings, lesson plans Behavior Checklist – Ex: Student Presentation, Classroom Behavior Self-Evaluation Checklist – Ex: Science Project

5. To Prepare Checklists Have a thorough understanding of the content, product or procedure you wish to assess. You may want to examine student products to identify criteria. Observe students performing a task and note the correct and incorrect steps.

6. Rating Scales, Nitko Numerical Rating Scales - Ex: Use of a scale from 10-1 with comments (p. 285) Graphic Rating Scales – single words (p. 287) Ex: Dispositions Commitment: demonstrates genuine concern for students and is dedicated to the teaching profession Seldom Usually Always

7. Descriptive Graphic Rating Scales (Nitko, p. 267) Ex: Dispositions Reliability/Dependability Sometimes fails to complete assigned tasks and duties Sometimes needs to be reminded to attend to assigned tasks/duties Responsible: Attends to assigned tasks/duties on schedule without prompting Self-starter: Perceives needs and attends to them immediately

8. Rubrics - a set of guidelines for distinguishing between performances or products of different quality Nitko, pp. 262-270 Holistic Rubrics - scores the overall process or product as a whole, without judging the component parts separately Analytic Rubrics - scores are separate, individual parts of the product or performance are rated first, then sums the individual scores to obtain a total score.

9. General Steps in Designing Rubrics Examine the learning objective to be addressed by the task. This allows you to match your scoring guide with the objectives and instruction. Identify specific observable attributes that you want to see, as well as those you don't want to see in the demonstration of the product, or performance. Specify the characteristics, skills, or behaviors you will be looking for, as well as common mistakes you do not want to see. Brainstorm characteristics that describe each attribute. Identify ways to describe above average, average, and below average performance for each observable attribute identified in # 2.

10. Holistic Rubrics The focus is on the overall quality, proficiency, or understanding of the specific content and skills. It is usually used when there is a large number of products to assess. Ex: Nitko, p 232 for Essay Question 2, p282

11. When designing holistic scoring rubrics: Write thorough narrative descriptions for excellent work and poor work incorporating each attribute into the description. Describe the highest and lowest levels of performance combining the descriptions for all attributes. A letter grade can be assigned to each level.

12. Analytic Rubrics Analytic rubrics result initially in several scores, followed by a summed total score. Students receive specific feedback on their performance with respect to each of the individual scoring criteria.

13. When designing analytic scoring rubrics: List the major criteria of the performance task. Decide on the point value for each criteria. Write thorough narrative descriptions for excellent work and poor work for each individual criteria. Ex: Nitko,p. 278-279

14. Generic Rubrics are: Guidelines for scoring that apply to many different tasks of similar types. Ex: writing assignments Generic Rubrics can become Task-Specific Rubrics. Ex: p. 280, Nitko Developing Task-Specific Rubrics from a generic national or state rubric adds validity and reliability to the assessment results. (Nitko, p. 281)

15. Scoring Rubrics: What, When, & How? (www.ericae.net/pare/getvn.asp?v7&n=3) The article also appears in Practical Assessment, Research, & Evaluation and is authored by Barbara M. Moskal. the article discusses what rubrics are, and distinguishes between holistic and analytic types. Examples and additional resources are provided. Rubrics from the Staff Room for Ontario Teachers (www.odyssey.on.ca/~elaine.coxon/rubrics.htm) This site is a collection of literally hundreds of teacher- developed rubrics for scoring performance teaks. the rubrics are categorized by subject area and type of task. Rubistar Rubric Generator (rubistar.4teachers.org/) Teacher Rubric Maker (www.teach-ology.com/web_tools/rubics/) These two sites house Web-based rubric generators for teachers. Teachers can customize their own rubrics based on templates on the site. In both cases, rubric templates are organized by subject area and / or type of performance task.

16. Benefits of Checklists and Rubrics an alternative to traditional paper-and-pencil tests provide specific observable characteristics leaving little room for misunderstanding of expectations can be used again and again so that a pattern of performance can be documented to show a student's progress provide opportunities for self-assessment are more valid and can be more reliable if based on a document whose validity and reliability has been proven

17. GROUP ASSIGNMENTS FOR CHECKLISTS, RATING SCALES, RUBRICS (Nitko) Group 1 Procedure Checklist p 281 Sequence can be any number of steps Group 2 Behavior Checklist p 281 5 criteria Group 3 Graphic Rating Scale p 287 5 items Group 4 Descriptive Graphic Rating Scale p 267 3 items with 4 descriptions Group 5 Holistic Rubric p 282 p. 232 Letter grades Grades A and B Group 6 Analytic Rubric 279-280 Lesson plan rubric 2 criteria with 4 descriptions, pg 67 Schoenfeldt&Salsbury Group 7 Generic rubric to specific task rubric p. 281 4 levels, pg 67 Schoenfeldt&Salsbury

18. Graphic Organizers: Thinking Maps mental maps that represent key skills like sequencing, comparing and contrasting, and classifying

19. Why Should We Use Graphic Organizers? Many students cannot connect or relate new information to prior knowledge because they have trouble remembering things. Graphic organizers can help them remember because they become "blueprints" or maps that make abstract ideas more visible and concrete.

20. How Should We Use Graphic Organizers to Assess? 1. Include graphic organizers on quizzes and tests. 2. Require groups to complete an assigned graphic organizer on newsprint. Give a group grade for the final graphic organizer and oral presentation. 3. Assign students to select one graphic organizer to use to analyze a lecture, video, book, piece of fiction, piece of non- fiction, speech, news story, or textbook reading. Grade the assignment on accuracy, originality, and creativity. 4. Allow the students to select one or two graphic organizer assignments from their work to include in portfolios.

21. 5. Assign students work that requires a graphic organizer to be completed by cooperative groups. Ask each student in each group to complete an individual writing or speaking assignment based on the ideas included in the graphic organizer. Give a group grade and an individual grade. 6. Ask the students or the cooperative group to invent an original graphic organizer. Grade the assignment on the basis of originality, creativity, usefulness, and logic. 7. Require students to utilize a graphic organizer in a project or oral presentation. Grade on the quality and effectiveness of the graphic organizer to enhance the presentation. 8. Create a picture graphic organizer that includes outlines of objects rather than circles or lines.

22. 8 Thinking Maps

23. CIRCLE MAP – brainstorming BUBBLE MAP - describing using adjectives DOUBLE BUBBLE MAP - comparing and contrasting TREE MAP - classifying things and ideas BRACE MAP - analyzing physical objects FLOW MAP - sequencing and ordering information MULTI-FLOW MAP - showing and analyzing cause and effect relationships BRIDGE MAP - seeing analogies

24. JOURNALS : Teachers introduce students to journal writing by using: mini lessons in which they explain the purpose of the journal-writing and the procedures for gathering ideas, modeling of the procedure by writing sample entries, and students entries that may be read aloud. re: Privacy Issues

25. Example : Learning Log Entry Prompt: Describe what percent is. Show its symbol. Give at least 2 examples of how you use percent in your every day life.

26. Entry: Percent means “out of 100.” Its symbol is %. I can use percent to figure out how much I can save during a sale. It tells me about the chance of rain when I watch the weather.

27. Prompt We have been leaning about types of alternative assessments such as rubrics and rating scales. We just looked at an example of a learning log journal entry. Now in your journal, write as many ways as you can think of that journals could be useful in your classroom.

28. How can journals be used in your class? to assess comprehension, to express personal feelings and opinions, as prompts for writing, in projects and portfolios, as self-assessment, as teacher assessment, as communication, as organizers, to tap into HOTS, to practice LA skills, to record observations.

29. 1.Dialogue Journals - communication between students or between a student and the teacher 2.Personal Journals – include events in the students’ own lives and topics of special interest 3.Reading Logs - students respond to stories, poems, and informational books 4.Double-Entry Journals - students divide each page of their journals into two columns and write different types of information in each column 5.Simulated Journals - students assume the role of a character and write from the character's point of view 6.Language Arts Notebooks - notes on procedures, concepts, strategies, and other skills (reference book ) 7.Learning Logs - record or react to what they are learning in various subjects

30. Portfolios A limited and reflective collection of a student’s work Purposes: To illustrate best works of the student for evaluation and communication To show student growth over a given time To encourage student self-reflection

31. Types of Portfolios Best Works portfolio – illustrates mastery of content or skill, used to communicate with parents, or is evidence of meeting minimal standards (ex. Graduation requirements) Growth and Learning-progress portfolio – monitors student’s learning and thinking progress, diagnoses difficulties and presents numerous opportunities for reflection (ex. Early drafts of writing, initial explanations and observations) Electronic portfolios – used in teacher education programs and to track progress of new teachers

32. Growth and Learning-progress Portfolios Organization Know the objectives/learning targets Follow a learning progress theory Collaborate with fellow teachers Develop a rubric Design a form to guide students in self-reflection

33. Growth and Learning-progress Portfolios: Content Authentic work crafted by the student which involves thinking or a type of skill required in that field Work that shows the development of a concept or skill Frequent discussion with the teacher about the understanding of concepts, theories, etc. Ex. Science portfolio – evidence of the use of the scientific method – reforming of explanations, new questions and hypotheses, gathering and interpreting of observations and data

34. Best Works Portfolios Organization and Content Should fit the curriculum and objectives Criteria to evaluate entries should be the same as those used in daily instruction Limit the number and types of entries Use of portfolio entry sheet Entries illustrate mastery of learning targets of daily instruction Opportunities for self-reflection

35. 6 Guidelines for Crafting Portfolios 1.Identify the Purpose and Focus a. objectives/learning targets b. use as formative or summative c. best works, growth or both 2. Identify General Achievement Dimensions/Elements to be Assessed a. same content and process framework used for individual performance tasks b. focus - student’s use of portfolio to self-reflect on progress c. focus – content or skills

36. 3. Identify Appropriate Organization a. types of entries to assess content or process b. table of contents c. entries significance of the entry number of entries/category due dates for entries and evaluations entries as true representations of mastery or progress

37. 4. Portfolio’s Use in Practice a. When will students work on portfolios? b. Who will decide on the entries? c. When will portfolios be reviewed with the students? d. How will the portfolio be weighted and assigned a letter grade? e. Are the portfolios shared with parents, students, teachers?

38. 5. Evaluation of Portfolios and Entries a. scoring rubric – available, generic for each entry or overall portfolio, holistic, analytic b. adhere to national or state standards c. evaluators d. each entry, overall score e. how often 6. Evaluation of Rubrics a. availability of rubrics that match purpose of entire portfolio and each entry b. Validity – proven use by other teachers c. Reliability – consistent results when used by other teachers to assess the same students

39. Oral Exams GUIDELINES Identify objectives/learning targets for yourself and the students Use a scoring rubric that has been shared with the students Design items that require HOT based on Bloom or a selected cognitive learning theory Design items that require an explanation or demonstration of content knowledge or skills Establish proper etiquette for the students and the audience during the exam Allow students to practice responding to items similar to those on the exam If appropriate, give students the list of items before the exam to allow self-preparation

40. During the Oral Exam Provide random order of selection, by having the students draw numbers as they enter the room Provide scratch paper and pencils for students to jot down notes, illustrations, etc Have items typed on slips of folded paper that can be randomly drawn from a basket or other container Provide extra items and allow students to pick a second time without penalty Allow enough time for students to plan their response Call students to respond by the number they picked as they entered the room Use wait time and processing questions to obtain as much of the correct response as the student can provide If possible, have a knowledgeable proctor to assist in assessing student responses

41. Your Task Brainstorm on which of these alternative assessment strategies to use as a informal or formal assessment in Lesson Plan 3. Remember, it must match your objectives/learning targets and purpose. CHECKLISTS AND THINKING MAPS CAN BE USED BUT MUST BE COUPLED WITH A SECOND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT.