DDI and Assessments in ELA Designing Assessments that Provide Meaningful Data David Abel, Fellow for Curriculum and Assessment/ELA EngageNY.org

Session Objectives We will learn… About the elements of a high-quality Common Core-aligned ELA assessment How to create and choose assessment tasks that are rigorous, measure the standards and give comprehensive information about students at all levels Engageny.org

Why do we assess…? Engageny.org

Let’s begin… Take 10 minutes to read the 6th grade passage (Sweet Science Comes Baked In), annotated test item, and student work samples 1-3 and answer this question … Given the standard the question is measuring, what can we say we know about the students in student responses #1-3? Engageny.org

The question MEASURES CCSS RI.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. HOW THIS QUESTION MEASURES RI.6.5: This question measures RI.6.5 because it asks students to analyze how a particular sentence fits into the overall structure and meaning of the text. More than one response may be correct, but a correct response will focus on Morgan’s background and family experience with baking science, as well as her aspirations. Engageny.org

Student Response #1 What do we know about this student, based on this response? What DON’T we know about based on this response? Engageny.org

Student Response #2 What do we know about this student, based on this response? What DON’T we know about based on this response? Engageny.org

Student Response #3 What do we know about this student, based on this response? What DON’T we know about based on this response? Engageny.org

The Known Unknown When working with open- response questions that require COMPREHENSION and ANALYSIS as demanded by the standards, student responses such as #1 and, to an extent, #3 do not give you information about whether students didn’t perform well because they couldn’t meet the demands of the standard or because they couldn’t comprehend the complex text. “... there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know.” Engageny.org

The formative assessment advantage Formative assessments can yield student work that gives richer information, given that they can be administered  Without the same time constraints/security/pressure that accompany the 3-8 ELA test (that this sample was drawn from)  In a manner that connects directly to targeted instruction Engageny.org

Common Core-aligned ELA assessment What are the elements of a high-quality Common Core-aligned ELA assessment?  The CCSS for ELA/Literacy require comprehension, analysis and communication (writing/speaking) using evidence from text(s)  Open response writing items and/or performance tasks are the types of assessment questions that best provide a means for communication using evidence from text(s) Engageny.org

Common Core-aligned ELA assessment  Grade-level standards add specific demands to the skills and knowledge of students on track for college and careers  Therefore, given the emphasis on textual evidence and the specific demands of grade-level standards, you need to use texts that can support measurement of the grade-level standards. Example: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI Engageny.org

TEXT SELECTION IS THE FOUNDATION OF CCSS ELA ASSESSMENT Texts at grade-level complexity Questions that measure the CCSS rubrics Engageny.org

Or to put it another way… The crucial components of CCSS ELA assessment are:  Texts that can support questions that measure the CCSS  Questions that measure the CCSS  Rubrics that give you good and actionable info about student performance Engageny.org

Selecting texts Regents guidance documents begin on page 10 of your packet and include:  Text Complexity Form: Quantitative and Qualitative Review  Text Review Form  Guidelines for Text Selection Engageny.org

Features of a Complex Text Subtle and/or frequent transitions Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes Density of information Unfamiliar settings, topics or events Lack of repetition, overlap of similarity in words and sentences Complex sentences Uncommon vocabulary Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student Longer paragraphs Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures EngageNY.org Engageny.org

Take out your Homework… Does the text you used in your assessment meet the demands articulated in these review docs? How about text #1? #2? #3? Which text would be better to measure the CCLS ? (pages 26-30) Discuss with a partner Engageny.org

Questions that measure the CCSS Claim + evidence short response questions  Depending on the text, you can progress through the reading standards … from high-level comprehension/what is a central idea of this text/(R2) … to the more granular (R2-3)… to craft and structure (R4-6)… and, if using multiple texts, integration of knowledge and ideas (R7-9)… All requiring a set number of details (at least 2) in support of the claim. Once in this place, you can build on this to assess other standards (Writing, S&L, Language) with extended response questions and performance tasks Engageny.org

Questions that measure the CCSS How to write these questions? Don’t do the analyzing for the kids in your efforts to be specific, but... Don’t be so broad that nearly anything (or almost nothing) answers the question! Engageny.org

Questions that measure the CCSS Examples: (using Text #3) -What do lines 2-5 reveal about the narrator? -How do the second and third paragraphs develop a central idea in the text? Non-examples: (using Text #3) -How do you know the narrator is crazy? -Describe the point of view in this text Engageny.org

Take out your Homework… Do your questions measure the CCSS(pages 26-30) ? Do they provide actionable information about student ability to comprehend and analyze complex texts? What are the strengths or weaknesses of your questions? Discuss with a partner Engageny.org

Rubrics Form follows function! How much information do you need? Do you want a quick view of the student’s ability to display comprehension and analysis and mostly measure reading standards? Go holistic a la the Grade 9 modules Do you want to measure an extended writing assignment that can measure the reading, writing, and language standards? Use an analytic rubric and get granular.  Sample rubrics on page Engageny.org

Return to the student work packet…and student #1 Next steps could be:  Referring to an earlier close reading lesson/unit in which scaffolded instruction has happened targeting and assessing that standard If the student struggled with the culminating assessment aligned to that standard, then it is possible the student is struggling with the standard If the student performed well on the assessment, then it is possible that the student is struggling with comprehension of complex text Engageny.org

Return to the student work packet…and student #1 Next steps could be:  Administering an assessment targeting the same standards via a read aloud to see if the student can meet the standard via speaking and listening Students who are not reading on grade level are often capable of making inferences and conducting sophisticated analyses!  Targeted skills and comprehension strategy work with differentiated groups, followed by claim and evidence style questions to monitor comprehension Students’ reading levels must be built up, via targeted interventions and a volume of independent reading. Engageny.org

But! But you will need to make time to overwhelm the problem! Without this the data will just tell you what you may already know….running in place. Engageny.org

Partner Practice With a neighbor, think about how you might need to adjust your assessment with students who are struggling to comprehend grade-level complex texts?  Do you need to select a new text? Revise the questions? Both?  What else can you do to get good data? Engageny.org

SUMMING UP Text selection matters The standards can not be met without comprehension This is challenging and time-consuming…But worth it! Engageny.org

THANK YOU David Abel exams Engageny.org