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Formal and Informal Assessment
Mary Stewart Anderson Teaching Strategies Project EDSP5319 – Dr. Charlotte Fontenot Summer 2015
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Formal and Informal Assessment - Content
Key Terms A Definition of Assessment Formal Assessment Examples of Formal Assessment Informal Assessment Examples of Informal Assessment Formal vs. Informal Assessment Implications for Special Education My Takeaways Hopkins, B. UCF stands alone in its method of distributing. scantrons (2013). Retrieved from method-of-distributing-scantrons/
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Key Terms reliability – the consistency with which an assessment strategy produces the same results for the same individual from one administration to the next validity – the degree to which an assessment measures what it claims to measure screening – measure administered to a group of students to identify those likely to have difficulty diagnosis – measure that enables determination of specific need or disability progress monitoring – measures given at regular intervals to measure growth in the curriculum or on the IEP Ginsburg, D. (2012). Raise scores with teacher prep, not test prep. Retrieved from teaching_tips/2012/10/raise_scores_with_teacher _prep_not_test_prep.html
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Key Terms cont’d. norm-referenced– compare student to large groups of same age/grade peers (uses percentiles) criterion-referenced – based on curriculum or taught objectives curriculum-based measurement (CBM) – assessments that are centered around specific objectives taught by the teacher evaluating student outcomes – measure administered to determine program effectiveness Patricio, R & Von Stamm, B.. (2012). Fun and games – changing the world of innovation assessments. Retrieved from /2014/11/03/fun-and-games-changing-the- world-of-innovation-assessments/
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A Definition of Assessment
Collects data to determine the effectiveness of instruction Used to inform instruction – planning and decision-making Used to improve outcomes for students 4 specific purposes: Screening Diagnosis Progress Monitoring Evaluating Student Outcomes 2 main categories: Formal and Informal Lean Enterprise Institute. (2015). Pre-summit workshops. Retrieved from
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Formal Assessment Characteristics: Types: Purposes of Assessment:
Structured Controlled Attempt to plan for extraneous factors Specific protocol Types: Norm-referenced Criterion-referenced Purposes of Assessment: Screening Diagnosis* Progress Monitoring Evaluating Outcomes* Ridley, C. (2015). Assessing the assessment of church planters. Retrieved from up/?doing_wp_cron= #.VZE4403JDIU
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Examples of Formal Assessments – Reading
Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test – 4th Ed. Emerging literacy skills, phonetic analysis, vocabulary, scanning Used to identify strengths and weaknesses in specific reading skills Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced Grades K - 13 DIBELS: Dynamis Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, oral reading fluency Screening and progress-monitoring measure for early literacy development Criterion-referenced Grades K - 6 Keimer, Courtney. (2015). My fluency Progress Monitoring Graph. Retrieved from intervention.wordpress .com/2013/03/28/my- fluency-progress-mon itoring-graph/ Test of Phonological Awareness Skills Phonological awareness: sound comparison, phoneme blending, and phoneme segmentation Used to identify students with problems with phonological awareness Norm-referenced Grades K – 5
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Examples of Formal Assessments – Math
KeyMath – 3: Diagnostic Assessment Basic concepts, operations, and applications Used to measure essential mathematical concepts Norm-referenced Grades K - 12 DIBELS: Dynamis Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, oral reading fluency Screening and progress-monitoring measure for early literacy development Criterion-referenced Grades K - 6 Blair. (2013). Math Chapter 6 Test Wednesday. Retrieved from .wednet.edu/blogs/ larablair/2013/12/ Comprehensive Mathematical Abilities Test Calculations, mathematical reasoning, practical applications Real world problems and higher-level math ability Norm-referenced Grades
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Examples of Formal Assessments - Language
Bankson Language Test – 2 Measures receptive and expressive language in morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics Used to identify students low in handwriting readiness compared to peers Screening and Diagnostic Age 3 – 6 years Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language – 3 Assesses receptive language in morphology, syntax, and semantics Focus on auditory comprehension Specific components Age 3 – 9 years LookForDiagnosis.com. (2014). Look for diagnosis. Retrieved from
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Examples of Formal Assessments – Writing
Test of Early Written Language – 2 Basic writing and contextual writing Construction, sentence components, and conventions Norm-referenced Ages 3 – 10 Test of Written Language – 4 Conceptual, linguistics, and conventional components of written language Ages Oral and Written Language Scales: Written Expression Measures conventions, syntax, and communication writing ability Writing prompts and responses Norm-referenced Ages Miss Literati. (2015). Writing prompt of the day. Retrieved from blog/your-crush-disappears
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Examples of Formal Assessments - Handwriting
Basic School Skills Inventory- 3rd Ed. Writing section assesses writing left to right, pencil grip, writing first name, writing letters, copying words, staying on the line Used to identify students low in handwriting readiness compared to peers Norm-referenced Age 4 – 6 years Test of Handwriting Skills Assesses upper case and lower case letters in manuscript or cursive, letter writing from memory, numbers from dictation, and sentences Focus on ability and speed Standardized test, norm-referenced Age 6 – 18 years East Irondequoit Central School District. (2011). Handwriting. Retrieved from
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Examples of Formal Assessments - Comprehensive
Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills – II Assesses word recognition, oral reading, word analysis, and reading comprehension in reading Assesses numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability in math Assesses letters, handwriting, conventions, and a variety of purposes in writing Criterion-referenced Grades K – 9 Woodcock-Johnson III Normative Update Tests of Achievement Assesses letter-word identification, word attack, reading fluency, reading vocabulary, and passage comprehension in reading Assesses calculation, math fluency, and applied problems in math Achievement Test Norm-referenced Age 2 to 90+
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Informal Assessment Characteristics: Types: Purposes of Assessment:
Accessible Flexible Natural Settings Types: Curriculum-based measurements Observational Teacher-created Purposes of Assessment: Screening Progress Monitoring* Kleeman, J. (2015). How can you assess the effectiveness of informal learning? Retrieved from
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Examples of Informal Assessments - Reading
Graded Word Lists Examine word recognition skills Randomly selected words from basal tested to measure sight words, fluency, and word attack Grade level score – independent, instructional, frustration Informal Reading Inventory Information about general reading level Reading passages of 50 – 200 words that are unfamiliar; read-aloud Measures errors, fluency, and 3 – 5 comprehension questions Grade level score - independent, instructional, frustration Schuylkill Haven Area School District. (n.d.). Guided Reading. Retrieved from .pa.us/title1/guidedread ing.html Portfolio Assessment Collection of student accomplishments as a reader. Cloze Procedure Deleted word replacement to determine appropriate reading level Teacher-Made Tests Quick estimate of specific skill
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Examples of Informal Assessments – Math
Teacher-Constructed Tests Identify problems, level of understanding, and monitor progress Progresses through levels of understanding: Concrete Semiconcrete Abstract levels Diagnostic Math Interviews Helps identify specific problems, error patterns, and problem-solving strategies Student expresses their thought process while solving math problems Direct and indirect questioning 6 Red (n.d.). I love math. Retrieved from shrewsbury.weebly.com /math.html Portfolio Assessment Collection of student accomplishments in math Open-ended
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Examples of Informal Assessments – Language
Tests of Phonology Analyze production of phonemes Direct observation, spontaneous speech Tests of Morphology Brown’s rank of morpheme acquisition Checklists, conversational speech Tests of Syntax Grammatical analysis Spontaneous speech Tests of Semantics Can be difficult to devise (complex) Checklists on word association and categorization Lansky, A. (2015). Language is a virus. Retrieved from .com/wordpress/ Tests of Pragmatics Analyzing sample of spontaneous speech Transcribe video tape of speech Classify pragmatic function by events before and after Frequency monitoring
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* Conducted through writing samples Examples of Informal Assessments – Writing
Fluency Sentence length Complexity Syntax Phrases, clauses, sentences Incomplete, simple, compound, and complex sentence types Vocabulary Originality, maturity Type Token Ratio – different words used Structure Mechanical aspects: punctuation, capitalization, grammar Hunsaker, M. (2015). Why haven’t they done that yet? Retrieved from theydonethatyet. wordpress.com/ page/2/ Content Accuracy Ideas Organization
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Examples of Informal Assessments - Comprehensive
Curriculum-Based Measurement Repeated readings for fluency in reading, teacher-made tests, graded math word lists, word problems, 3-minute writing samples, story starters – endless examples! Specific set of standardized procedures in which rate samples are used to assess a student’s achievement in academic skills Primarily for progress-monitoring Help establish long- and short-term goals through: Material selection Test administration Performance display interpretation Have excellent reliability and validity High correlations with standardized tests
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Formal vs. Informal Assessment
- rigid, controlled, scripted - standardized - norm-referenced, criterion-referenced - specific procedures Informal Assessment - naturalistic, flexible, accessible - Observational - Curriculum-Based Measurement - Not specific Both - can have high reliability and validity - used in a complete program
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Implications for Special Education
Screening Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 - Assess all students to determine missed benchmarks and those at risk - Primarily Formal - Gives teacher idea of who to monitor - All students receive research-based instruction in whole group - Progress-monitoring assessment - Primarily CBM (but can be both) - Informs who goes to Tier 2 - Intensive instruction in small group - Primarily CBM - Informs who goes to Tier 3 - Most intensive; 1-on-1 - Primarily CBM Informs Special Education Referral
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Implications for Special Education cont’d
Special Education Evaluation Multifactored Evaluation (MFE) Should include RTI data to make a data-driven decision Should include formal assessment by diagnostician (or assessment- certified professional) Should involve interviews with family, teachers, service providers and professionals who work with the child Should involve a multidisciplinary team of professionals Do2Learn. (2015). Evaluation and identification. Retrieved from
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Implications for Special Education cont’d
Special Education + Assessment IEP Planning: Goals and objectives, teaching methods, service providers, placement – based on assessments Once IEP goals are in place, frequent progress-monitoring takes place CBM Formal and informal measures Annual Review of IEP MFE every 3 years Assessment informs the whole process! Dublin Unified School District. (2015). Welcome to special education. Retrieved from
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My Takeaways Formal and informal assessment are more similar than I originally thought Assessment is crucial to general education and special education We need BOTH forms of assessment to ensure that we see the “whole picture” Neither form of assessment is superior
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References Federation for Children with Special Needs. (2015). Assessment. Retrieved from Heward, W. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education. Boston, MA: Pearson. Kagan, S. L., Shepard, L., & Wurtz, E. (Eds.). (1998, February). Principles and Recommendations for Earlyy Childhood Assessments (United States of America, Education, Goal 1 Early Childhood Assessments Resource Group). Retrieved from
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References cont’d LD Online. (2015). Assessments for young children. Retrieved from Mercer, C. D., Mercer, A. R., & Pullen, P. C. (2011). Teaching students with learning problems. Boston, MA: Pearson. Moersch, C. (2015). A-z informal assessment techniques. Retrieved from
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References cont’d Salvia, J., Ysseldyke, J. E., & Bolt, S. (2013). Assessment: In special and inclusive education (12th ed.). Southern Early Childhood Association. (2000). Assessing development and learning in young children. Retrieved from
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