STUDENT ASSESSMENT

WHO USES ASSESSMENT?

• Students

• Parents

• Teachers

• Administrators

• District

• State/Federal agencies and lawmakers

WHY?

Traditional purposes of assessment

• Know students strengths/weaknesses

• Monitor student progress

• Assign grades

• See if you are teaching effectively

New purposes of assessment

• To meet NCLB guidelines

• To influence public perception

• To know what to teach/emphasize for high stakes tests

• To help evaluate teachers and determine who gets merit pay

Formative Assessment(Assessment FOR learning)

Formal and informal assessment procedures used by teachers during the learning process to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student learning.

Formative assessment can also be diagnostic to identify and remediate group or individual deficiencies.

Summative

Formative assessments include:

• Observation

• Questioning

• Discussion

• Homework

• Learning logs

• One minute papers

• Exit tickets

• Quizzes and tests

Summative Assessment(Assessment OF Learning)

Summative assessments are cumulative and are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and do not know.

Summative assessments include:

• Chapter or unit tests

• End of semester exams

• Standardized tests – district or state

Problems with assessment

• Perception

• Time consuming

• It is inherently subjective

• No one method works well for all purposes

Basic Types of Assessment

• Selected Response (tests/quizzes) True-False (Binary) Matching Multiple choice

• Constructed Response Short answer/ fill in the blank Essay

• Performance Assessment (authentic assessment)

• Portfolio Assessment

What types of tests do you enjoy taking? Why?

Selected response – Pros and cons?

Constructed response – Pros and cons?

Performance assessment – Pros and cons?

Issue Selected Constructed

Exam construction time Long Short

Grading time short long

Content coverage Wider sample Greater depth

Higher level thinking No Yes

Feedback to instructor and student

Limited but fast Thorough but slow

Length of exam (time to complete)

Short Long

Size of class Larger Smaller

Test reusability High Low

Prevention of cheating Low High

Be sure that your directions and questions

are clear

True-False

1. The Roosevelt Corollary is an example of the U.S. attempt to establish hegemony in the western hemisphere.

2. Former confederates disliked northern carpetbaggers because of their attitudes towards the newly freed slaves.

3. The Tet Offensive did not contribute to the decline in support for the war in Vietnam.

4. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of anti-semitism in Europe were

important factors that led to the Nazi’s rise to power in Germany.

Multiple choice

The form of government where power rests with one person or a small group of people is an:A. Democracy

B. Republic

C. Autocracy

D. Patriarchy

Which of the following Presidents were democrats?

A. Clinton

B. Obama

C. Wilson

D. All of the above

Which of the following was the most important factor in the U.S. decision to enter WWI?

A. the Zimmerman telegram

B. to fight imperialism

C. Germany’s refusal to honor freedom of the seas by continuing to wage unrestricted submarine warfare on U.S. trading ships.

D. to support democracy

Short answer

• A ____ vote is required to impeach the President.

• The ____ was blown up in Havana harbor in 1898 and resulted in the U.S. declaring war on Spain.

• In the year ____, a civil rights demonstration in ____, protesting ____, resulted in Sheriff ____ turning fire hoses on protestors.

• The second and third Presidents of the U.S. were ____ and _______________.

Essay

Discuss the state of the economy in the U.S. today.

Test Giving Tips

• Don’t assess what you haven’t taught

• Give students enough time to finish test

• Give clear directions

• Keep the reading level simple

• Don’t use trick questions

• Don’t give clues or answers in other parts of the test (or on the board)

• Avoid giving before or after vacations

Preventing Cheating

Make sure all items/papers are put away Keep students apart (in rows) Circulate Use more than one version of a test Provide them with scratch paper No leaving the room until they are done No talking until all students are finished Cell phones out of sight

Alternative Assessments

Product – student creates a work sample

Portfolio Report Journal Model Brochure Poster Media

Alternative Assessments

Performance – student demonstrates skill

Music Physical Education/Dance Drama Skit Debate Presentation

Why use alternative assessment?

PROS

• Can track progress over time

• Students take ownership and responsibility

• Helps students reflect

• Provides life skills

CONS

• Time consuming

• Very subjective – hard to grade!!!

The answer … Rubrics

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

Some last advice on grading…

• If all/most students fail a test - you have failed

• Whether you keep grades on paper or electronically, always have a back-up

• While you can grade on participation, you cannot legally lower a grade (deduct points) due to misbehavior

• Gradebooks are a legal document

• Due to FERPA, do not post or announce grades with names attached