Assessing Students Training Session 3 PowerPoint Created by Suzanne Fitzgerald & Candice Styer info@sdesworks.com www.styer-fitzgerald.com

Training Objectives Be able to identify & assess functional academics Learn effective assessment strategies Create a plan for getting started

Process of Implementation Step 1

For this section of the training, you will need: One Student Assessment Your Assessment Teacher’s Manual & Your Assessment Testing Kit

What is the purpose of the Functional Academics Assessment? The Assessment is designed to do two things: Determine skill level Develop individual functional academic programs NOTE: The assessment does not provide a standardized score. To determine a student’s skill level in a number of areas of life skills or functional academics. To help teachers develop a functional academic program to address a student’s deficits.

What’s included in the Student Assessment book? The Student Assessment follows the student through grade levels. It provides initial and follow-up assessments. Refer to the Assessment Teacher’s Manual for instructions to guide you through the assessment process.

What’s included in the Assessment Testing Kit? Your Testing Kit provides most of the materials you will need in order to administer the assessment. Materials not included in the testing kit are: Analog/Digital clock Calculator Real Coins (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters) and bills Push-button phones (with speaker capability, if possible)

Activity 1 – Assemble Your Assessment Testing Kit Take a minute to put together each section of the Testing Kit following the provided assembly instructions. Review your easy to assemble instructions for your testing kit

The Assessment Teacher’s Manual covers: Assessment Sequence Sequenced from easiest to hardest The assessment will tell you when to stop assessing each skill area and what skills to assess next. If you suspect that your student might be at a higher skill level, continue to assess. Use your judgment.

For Example: Read the highlighted example. Make sure that your teachers understand that if the student cannot identify his or her name, they go to a completely different content area (Computer Skills).

For Example: However… some sections will instruct you to go the next section (level) in the same content area regardless of how the student scores.

The Assessment Teacher’s Manual covers: Scoring Record scores directly on the individual Student Assessment Book. After completing the assessment, review the results using the flow charts & the Present Levels of Performance (PLOP) chart. On the PLOP chart, record the level at which the student is currently performing each skill.

For Example: At the elementary level Here is an example at the elementary level Record scores directly on the individual Student Assessment Book.

For Example: At the elementary level After completing the assessment, review the results using the flow charts & the Present Levels of Performance (PLOP) chart.

For Example: At the elementary level On the PLOP chart, record the level at which the student is currently performing each skill.

For Example: At the secondary level Here is an example at the secondary level Record scores directly on the individual Student Assessment Book.

For Example: At the secondary level After completing the assessment, review the results using the flow charts & the Present Levels of Performance (PLOP) chart.

For Example: At the secondary level On the PLOP chart, record the level at which the student is currently performing each skill.

The Assessment Teacher’s Manual covers: Reinforcement Make the testing environment a positive one Use reinforcement to motivate students without reinforcing a particular answer or response.

Appropriate reinforcement: Inappropriate reinforcement: For Example: Appropriate reinforcement: “Good job paying attention,” or “You are trying very hard. That’s good.” Inappropriate reinforcement: “Yes, that is the right answer,” or “No, that’s wrong.”

The Assessment Teacher’s Manual covers: Prompting Each section of the assessment provides you with the exact prompt to use.

Verbal vs. Non-Verbal Each section of the assessment accommodates students that are both verbal & non-verbal. (Review highlighted example above)

Additional Prompting Answers should be recorded as incorrect if you need to prompt beyond the given prompt. Make sure you are testing whether the student possesses the skill, not whether the student understands the question. For example - If a student doesn’t understand the direction “Write your name in cursive” do the following: “This is how I write my name in cursive,” then show an example of your name written in cursive. This example would not be counted as incorrect or an additional prompt.

Activity 2 – Let’s Practice Find a partner. Decide who is going to give the assessment first. You will use the materials from your Assessment Testing Kit to administer the assessment. You will have the opportunity to practice several sections of the assessment. Be sure that each person has the opportunity to administer the assessment. Have your practice materials prepared. Be sure to allow time to debrief and have teachers give feedback about how easy or challenging the assessment process was.

Getting Started with Students Review each section of the assessment. Determine whether you are going to give the entire assessment to each student or break it down into parts. Determine which areas you are going to assess first. Who will administer the assessment sections/students? Determine an assessment schedule and timelines. Handout Assessment Checklist & Plan of Action & give participants time to start checklist & develop a reasonable timeline.

Continue to: Linking Assessment to Curriculum Training Session 4