Bursting the assessment mythology: A discussion of key concepts Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Ph.D. Associate Director for Research, Roche Center for Catholic Education TWIN-CS Academy June 27, 2018

Overview 1. Learn key concepts in education assessment 2. Discuss assessments being used across TWIN-CS schools 3. Explore ways to use assessment results to inform practice

Types of assessment Formative: Assessment for Learning Activities that students and teachers undertake to get information about students’ learning Involves teachers focusing on how students learn and how to scaffold their learning Allows teachers to adapt teaching practice to meet student needs Involves teachers and students setting and monitoring student progress against learning goals Involves teachers sharing explicit assessment criteria with student

Types of assessment Summative Assessments: Assessment of Learning Assessment designed to be used to determine grades or marks Enables students to demonstrate what they know and can do Describes the extent to which a student has achieved the learning goals, or benchmarks established by your school district, or state, or other (depending on test) Formative and Summative assessments should complement each other

Some Key Terms Reliable-the consistency of the results, the uniformity of interpretation from rater to rater Validity-the extent to which a test matches its stated purpose

Norm-referenced Norm-referencing allows you to sort students across a range of abilities or aptitudes. Individual learning is evaluated and graded by judging each student’s performance against that of a larger group of people in the same age group, state, or level of learning. The larger group is known as the “norm” or normative group. Usually reported as a percentage or percentile ranking Usually based on some form of national standards

How might norm-referenced tests and scores be used? Determine a young child’s readiness for preschool or kindergarten Evaluate basic reading, writing, and math skills. Test results can be used for measuring academic progress, determining readiness for grade promotion, making course assignments, or identifying the need for academic support Make program-eligibility or college admissions decisions (SAT or ACT) To determine relative standing of a student across this broad domain of content? How does the student compare to other similar students?

Criterion-referenced Each student’s performance is compared to a pre-defined set of criteria or a standard. The goal with these tests is to determine whether or not the student has demonstrated the mastery of a certain skill. Test results are often based on the number of correct answers provided by students and scores might be expressed as a percentage of the total possible number of correct answers. Interpretation of these scores is not based on statistical analyses; rather on cut scores. Can help to answer these questions: what does this student know, what can this student do?, what content has the student mastered?

Differences between criterion- and norm- referenced tests? Norm -referenced test, the score would reflect how many more or fewer correct answers a student gave in comparison to other students Norm -referenced cannot measure the learning achievement or progress of an entire group of students, but only relative performance of individuals within a group. Criterion-referenced tests are used to measure whole-group performance Most state exams are criterion-referenced tests because the goal is to determine whether schools are successfully teaching students what they are expected to learn

Standardization “Means only that the test is uniform…that all examinees face the same tasks, administered in the same manner and scored in the same way.” Koretz, D. M. (2008). Measuring up. Harvard University Press

Achievement tests Measure how much students have learned in specific, clearly defined content area Can be used to determine eligibility for special education services, identify the need for remedial services, or evaluate effectiveness of curricula Can consist of a battery of tests or used to measure only an individual subject or skill area Examples include: TerraNova, Stanford Achievement Tests, Iowa Test of Basic Skills Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage.

Aptitude Test Used to determine a student’s cognitive ability such as one’s capacity to learn (historically referred to as intelligence tests) Used for predicting achievement, describing learning disabilities Measures both in-school and out-of-school experiences Usually administered by a trained examiner to one student at a time Examples include: Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Otis-Lennon School Ability test Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage.

Diagnostic Test Specialized version of an achievement test Main purpose is to identify the specific area/s of weakness the student may be encountering Analysis of subtest scores can provide insight into strengths and weakness for student Examples: Metropolitan Reaching Diagnostic Test, Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage

State-Mandated Tests Usually developed either by state department of education or testing companies with the intention of only being administered by school districts within that particular state Usually developed and implemented to meet some legislative mandate within a particular state and usually implemented for accountability purposes. They are achievement tests. Most states have statewide content standards and these are used to guide instruction and assessment Examples include: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, New York State Level Assessments, Florida Comprehensive Assessment

What do you do when you receive assessment data? When do you receive it? Do you receive individual or group level data? What process do you follow?

Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage

Group Activity What are the summative assessments your school uses? How is the information/data from these used? What are some other ways in which this data can be used?

Thank you! Feel free to contact me at: rosenmy@bc.edu