CHAPTER 11: Assessing Academic Achievement: General Strategies Assessing Students with Special Needs Fifth Edition John J. Venn University of North Florida © 2014, 2007, 2004 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Overview Definition Curriculum-Based Strategies Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA) Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Norm-Referenced Tests

Overview Measuring academic learning is a central aspect of teaching students with learning problems. Teachers use a diverse array of tools, techniques, and strategies to assess student achievement. Widely used assessments include informal, curriculum-based strategies and formal, standardized tests.

Definition Academic achievement is student performance after instruction Includes reading, mathematics, and written expression Academic areas subdivide into specific skills Reading includes word identification, word attack, comprehension, and oral reading skills

Why Do We Assess Achievement? Definition Why Do We Assess Achievement? To screen students who may have deficits To identify students with disabilities To determine present levels of academic performance To develop IEPs To plan instructional programs and develop intervention activities To evaluate student progress To monitor program effectiveness

Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA) A variety of approaches for measuring performance based on student progress in the curriculum Also referred to as authentic assessment or performance assessment Relies on teacher-made tests, checklists, rubrics, classwork, homework assignments, and teacher impressions

Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA) Directly links assessment with instruction Examples Tests, exams, quizzes Portfolios Games Presentations Rubrics

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) Helps determine what students think about a class and how well they are learning the material Focus on the effectiveness of the curriculum rather than student performance Examples Chain notes Exam evaluations Minute papers Student-generated test questions

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Repeatedly measures student progress in meeting instructional objectives Key characteristics Quick and easy to give; accurate Brief probes (tests) given often (e.g. weekly) Uses standardized probes with benchmarks Graphing of data to show progress over time and to help make instructional decisions

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Progress Monitoring Steps (1-3) School-wide screening (3 times a year) Identifying at-risk students who need progress monitoring Ongoing progress monitoring for at-risk students

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) Progress Monitoring Steps (4-6) 4. Review data and make assessment decisions 5. Implement instructional changes 6. Continue to monitor progress

Sample Progress Monitoring Graph

Norm-Referenced Tests Hundreds of available tests including Group screening tests and individual diagnostic tests Multiple skill (e.g. reading, math, and writing) and single skill (e.g. reading only) tests Common characteristics Fixed set of test items Standardized administration and scoring protocols Norms developed from representative groups of students

Norm-Referenced Tests Group tests Brief screening tests for groups of students Results provide an overview of achievement Usually machine scored, multiple-choice tests May be difficult for students from diverse backgrounds and students with disabilities

Norm-Referenced Tests Individually-Administered, Multiple-Skill Tests Frequently used by teachers, diagnosticians, and psychologists with students from kindergarten through high school Widely used tests include the Peabody Individual Achievement Test—Revised/Normative Update (PIAT-R/NU) Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition (KTEA-II) Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-II)

Norm-Referenced Tests PIAT-R/NU Measures general information, reading recognition, reading comprehension, mathematics, spelling, and written expression KTEA-II Measures reading decoding, reading comprehension, spelling, mathematics computation, and mathematics applications WIAT-III Measures oral language, reading, written expression, and mathematics

Summary One of the most important and diverse elements of assessing students with special needs Includes Assessment of students from kindergarten through adulthood Three major strands: reading, math, written language Large assortment of available assessment procedures and tests Informal, curriculum-based and formal, norm-referenced Students with disabilities Often have difficulties learning academics Require a variety of measures to meet individual and unique learning needs