ASSESSMENT TERMS Need to make decisions about students on a continual basis – sometimes HIGH STAKES (important and difficult to change), often LOW STAKES (easy to change) Need to make the best decisions possible Need good data to make good decisions Need to feel confident in the decisions made

Assessment Terms Assessment (collecting/analyzing) Evaluation (decision making) Measurement (numerical/quantitative) Test (sample of behavior)

Assessment Terms  EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE Placement (prior to instruction for either planning or placement) Formative (during instruction to assess learning) Summative (after instruction to determine who meet objectives OR to assign grades) Diagnostic (diagnose and solve learning concerns)

Assessment Terms  Point of comparison Norm-referenced (group is reference) Criterion-referenced (outcome is reference)

PurposeDifficultyBreadth NRRank students Medium to hard Wide not deep CRIdentify who met outcome Depends on outcome Deep not wide

Other Assessment Issues  Fairness  Usability  Validity  Reliability

Formal Place Setting  1. Napkin  2. Fish Fork  3. Dinner or Main Course Fork  4. Salad Fork  5. Soup Bowl & Plate  6. Dinner Plate  7. Dinner Knife  8. Fish Knife  9. Soup Spoon  10. Bread & Butter Plate  11. Butter Knife  12. Dessert Spoon and Cake - Dessert Fork  13. Sterling Water Goblet  14. Red Wine Goblet  15. White Wine Goblet

Formal Setting Contains:  Dinner knife, short handle  Dinner fork  Dinner spoon  Dessert spoon  Luncheon knife, short handle  Luncheon fork  Fish knife  Fish fork  Pastry fork  Child / Large Tea spoon  Coffee spoon

Validity How appropriate are the interpretations of the results of this test? How confident am I in the INTERPRETATIONS of the test’s results (for a group or an individual)? How accurate or useful is the test? Does the test measure what it supposed to measure?

Validity  Is not really about the test but the decisions we make based on the test  Is a matter of degree  Is for a particular purpose  Is inferred rather than measured

Curriculum Content

Test Content

Validity Can I be comfortable interpreting the results of the test? Can I make good decisions based on this data?

 CONTENT EVIDENCE FOR VALIDITY does the test match/measure the curriculum’s outcomes? how does the teacher ascertain that what is assessed reflects what was actually taught

Threats to Validity  Use inappropriate information to make decisions  Lack of objectivity  Assessment does not reflect the decisions being made

Reliability  Consistency of the test results Especially under different conditions Considers human error issues

Improving Reliability  Adequate sample of behavior (in multiple settings)  Clearly stated assessments (items and grading)  READ THE BOOK!

TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS  Builds validity  Links assessment to curriculum  Provides “test blueprint” for teacher  See table of specifications handout for class