1 TEKS-Based Assessment

2 In this next session, we will be talking about assessing the TEKS, and the types of things you may do in the classroom to measure how well a child has learned TEKS content.

3 As a group, talk about the different types of assessments currently used in your classrooms. After everyone has shared the assessments they use, summarize the types of assessments used by the collective group on page of your packet

4 Which assessments were identified by your group ?

5 Did your group identify… Before the lesson (diagnostic) assessment? Before the lesson (diagnostic) assessment? During the lesson (formative) assessment? During the lesson (formative) assessment? After the lesson (summative) assessment? After the lesson (summative) assessment?

6 Categorize the assessments your group listed on page of your packet. Which type of assessment do you use most frequently in your classroom, diagnostic, formative or summative?

7 This section of the TEKS training will introduce how diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments may be used in your classroom.

8 Why should we focus on TEKS-based assessment?

9 Within Texas Education Code, the Texas Legislature has identified a common curriculum (TEKS) for every student in the state, and a common assessment (TAKS, TAKS-Alt, or TAKS-I) beginning at grade three.

10 § REQUIRED CURRICULUM. (a) Each school district that offers kindergarten through grade 12 shall offer, as a required curriculum: (1) a foundation curriculum that includes: (A) English language arts; (B) mathematics; (C) science; and (D) social studies, consisting of Texas, United States, and world history, government, and geography

11 TAC § (a) The goal of the statewide assessment program is to provide all eligible Texas students an appropriate statewide assessment that measures and supports their achievement of the essential knowledge and skills of the state- mandated curriculum. TAC § (a) The goal of the statewide assessment program is to provide all eligible Texas students an appropriate statewide assessment that measures and supports their achievement of the essential knowledge and skills of the state- mandated curriculum.

12 TEC § ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS. (f) The assessment instruments shall be designed to include assessment of a student's problem- solving ability and complex-thinking skills using a method of assessing those abilities and skills that is demonstrated to be highly reliable.

13 SECTION I

14 Section I: Diagnostic Assessment

15 Everyone in this room knows that kindergarten through grade two students are not tested on state mandated assessments in mathematics. What does the law require educators to measure in grades K-2?

16 The 79th Texas Legislature has appropriated funding for schools to provide accelerated reading and math intervention for struggling students in Grades K-6 during the school year. -TEA, 2005

17 District-wide mathematics diagnostics, such as the Texas Math Diagnostic System, should be used to identify students with mathematics difficulties. -TEA, 2005

18 Unfortunately TMDS is designed for grade three and over, and many districts have not created diagnostic assessments for students in grades K-2, and few assessments are available for purchase.

19 So if instruction must meet students’ needs, how must we evaluate those needs prior to instruction?

20 Why use diagnostic assessment? Required by law, struggling students must be identified and served prior to failing the grade five mathematics TAKS Required by law, struggling students must be identified and served prior to failing the grade five mathematics TAKS This type of assessment helps us evaluate the knowledge students have retained from prior instruction, or learned at home This type of assessment helps us evaluate the knowledge students have retained from prior instruction, or learned at home Diagnostic assessment can help educators tailor instruction within a unit based on student need Diagnostic assessment can help educators tailor instruction within a unit based on student need

21 Diagnostic assessments do not need to be graded, but should be used by the teacher to determine which TEKS student expectation statements should be emphasized within a unit of study.

22 Please note: Diagnostic assessments should be open- ended in nature and allow for many types of student responses Diagnostic assessments should be open- ended in nature and allow for many types of student responses Include items that require students to communicate their thinking Include items that require students to communicate their thinking Include items that require students to use multiple representations Include items that require students to use multiple representations Multiple choice questions should NOT be used in this type of assessment Multiple choice questions should NOT be used in this type of assessment

23 Pretend you are a first grade teacher. What concepts and skills would you expect your students to know about fractions? List these concepts and skills on page number of your packet.

24 Use the TEKS as your Guide (K.3)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student recognizes that there are quantities less than a whole. The student is expected to: (K.3)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student recognizes that there are quantities less than a whole. The student is expected to: (A)share a whole by separating it into two equal parts; and (A)share a whole by separating it into two equal parts; and (B)explain why a given part is half of the whole. (B)explain why a given part is half of the whole.

25 What content related to fractions are you required to teach in first grade? Record your responses on page of your packet.

26 Use the TEKS as your Guide (1.2)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student uses pairs of whole numbers to describe fractional parts of whole objects or sets of objects. The student is expected to: (1.2)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student uses pairs of whole numbers to describe fractional parts of whole objects or sets of objects. The student is expected to: (A)separate [share] a whole [by separating it] into two, three, or four equal parts and use appropriate language to describe the parts such as three out of four equal parts; and (A)separate [share] a whole [by separating it] into two, three, or four equal parts and use appropriate language to describe the parts such as three out of four equal parts; and (B)use appropriate language to describe part of a set such as three out of the eight crayons are red. (B)use appropriate language to describe part of a set such as three out of the eight crayons are red.

27 The diagnostic assessment used should require students to access and communicate prior learning. This will help the teacher identify patterns in what students (individual and whole class) know about fractions prior to instruction.

28 Ideally, the diagnostic assessment created would also help the teacher identify student readiness to learn about dividing objects and sets into thirds and fourths using fair shares.

29 A first grade teacher developed the diagnostic assessment included in your packet. With the help of your group, evaluate the students’ work on pages through and answer the questions on page

30 Search for Evidence Does this student understand how a fraction is created and named? Does this student understand how a fraction is created and named? Does this student understand that equal sections are required when creating a fraction? Does this student understand that equal sections are required when creating a fraction? Does this student understand how to name a fraction that is a part of a set? Does this student understand how to name a fraction that is a part of a set?

31 After answering these questions, what would you do instructionally to meet the needs of this student?

32 Debrief Instructional Modifications

33 SECTION II

34 Section II: Assessment During the Lesson

35 In the past, teachers have relied heavily on homework to evaluate student learning. This section will discuss formative assessment methods teachers may use during the lesson to evaluate student thinking in “real time”.

36 Read the following TEKS knowledge and skill and student expectation statements.

37 (1.3)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student recognizes and solves problems in addition and subtraction situations. The student is expected to: (1.3)Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The student recognizes and solves problems in addition and subtraction situations. The student is expected to: (A)model and create addition and subtraction problem situations with concrete objects and write corresponding number sentences; (A)model and create addition and subtraction problem situations with concrete objects and write corresponding number sentences;

38 Find a partner in the room. Discuss how you would assess student learning on this topic.

39 Share assessment ideas that you and your table partner discussed.

40 Knowledge-including mathematical knowledge- is now being seen as socially constructed. -Silver, et. All, 1990

41 Students learn mathematics through communication. Students need opportunities not just to listen, but to speak mathematics themselves-to discuss what they have observed, why procedures appear to work, or why they think their solution is correct. -Silver, et. All, 1990

42 Students must construct their own mathematical understanding. Teachers have to pose questions and provide opportunities for students to apply and communicate what they are learning.

43 Posing questions where the answer becomes the question opens up the social “space” in the classroom. This allows all students the opportunity to participate, and makes them accountable for the content they are learning.

44 Assessment opportunities may be open-ended to capture multiple responses from students. Think about the assessment ideas you discussed with your partner for TEKS statement 1.3A.

45 In an open-response assessment, a teacher might ask students to identify three addition or subtraction sentences with “11” as the answer (solution).

46 This task would allow students to participate in the assessment regardless of their cognitive level.

47 Review the student work found on pages – Which students have a firm understanding of composing and decomposing numbers? Which students are in the initial stages of developing number sense? Record your answer on page of your packet.

48 Once students have developed equations, the teacher can begin recording students’ answers. This will allow many different equations to be shared with the class and help the teacher identify students that need additional support.

49 After this activity, teachers may pair students together and ask them to think about a problem situation that would have 11 as the solution. How would you pair the students in your classroom?

50 Assessing measurement

51 Given the changes in the measurement strand of the elementary TEKS, teachers will now be responsible for teaching more content to students in grades K-2.

52 Linear measurement is an important concept that will be developed throughout grades K-2

53 Which TEKS statements in grades K-2 develop the concept of linear measure? Record your answer on page of your packet.

54 What formative assessments might be used to assess student understanding of linear measurement? Record your ideas on page of your packet.

55 Things to keep in mind Measurement is a number that indicates a comparison between the attribute of the object being measured and the same attribute of a given unit of measure. Measurement is a number that indicates a comparison between the attribute of the object being measured and the same attribute of a given unit of measure. To accomplish this, kindergarteners and first graders should engage in tasks where they directly compare the lengths of various objects. To accomplish this, kindergarteners and first graders should engage in tasks where they directly compare the lengths of various objects.

56 John Van de Walle (1998) lists several activities that may be used to develop this measurement concept.

57 Sorting Station Make a sorting-by-length station at which students sort objects as longer, shorter, or about the same as a specified object. Change the reference item in order to create different sorts. Students may then order objects from longest to shortest or vice versa.

58 Length Hunt Give partners a strip of yarn, or cardstock with a given length. Ask students to find five things in the room that are shorter than or longer than or about the same as their object. They may draw pictures or write the names of things they find.

59 With your table group, identify two other linear measure assessments that you might use with your students.

60 SECTION III

61 This section will focus on summative assessment of the TEKS.

62 Myth Myth Students must be given selected response items in grades K-2 to prepare them for the third grade TAKS. Students must be given selected response items in grades K-2 to prepare them for the third grade TAKS.

63 Reality Students must retain the TEKS content they are learning each year, it is longitudinal content knowledge that prepares students for the third grade assessment, not test- taking strategies. Students must retain the TEKS content they are learning each year, it is longitudinal content knowledge that prepares students for the third grade assessment, not test- taking strategies.

64 Types of Summative Assessment (Stiggins, 1997) Selected response Selected response Essay Essay Performance assessment Performance assessment Personal communication Personal communication

65 This section will highlight three of the summative assessments mentioned by Stiggins, selected response, performance assessment and personal communication.

66 Selected Response Questions are developed to determine if a student can reason effectively in order to select the “best” or most appropriate answer. Questions are developed to determine if a student can reason effectively in order to select the “best” or most appropriate answer. Examples: Examples: Yes/no Yes/no True/false True/false Fill in the blank Fill in the blank Multiple choice Multiple choice Matching Matching All of the above/None of the above All of the above/None of the above

67 Identify a TEKS statement in 1st Grade that may be assessed using a selected response method. List that TEKS statement on page of your packet.

68 Review the open-response item provided on page of your packet, what is wrong with the way this item is constructed? How would you modify the item? Record your answer on page of your packet.

69 Performance Assessment With performance assessments, we observe students while they are performing or we examine the products they create, and judge the level of proficiency demonstrated on a given task. We compare student performance to predetermined measures, usually with the assistance of a teacher-created rubric. With performance assessments, we observe students while they are performing or we examine the products they create, and judge the level of proficiency demonstrated on a given task. We compare student performance to predetermined measures, usually with the assistance of a teacher-created rubric.

70 Identify a TEKS statement in 2 nd grade that may be assessed using a performance assessment

71 Review the teacher and student rubrics found on page and of your packet.

72 Student Work is Judged Based on: Conceptual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge Does the student know the content? Does the student know the content? Procedural Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Does the student know the process to solve the problem? Does the student know the process to solve the problem? Communication Communication How does the student communicate what they know about the problem and how do they communicate the steps used to solve the problem? How does the student communicate what they know about the problem and how do they communicate the steps used to solve the problem?

73 ESC, Region IV (2003) (3 rd Grade Measurement) The third grade class picnic will begin at 2:00 p.m. on the last day of school. Mrs. Curry told the third graders they only had 40 minutes to eat and play with their friends. When the students looked at the outside clock they saw this time (below). Is the picnic over, or do they still have time to play? Explain your process.

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75 Look at the student work found on pages through of your packet. Answer the questions on page of your packet.

76 Sample Performance Task I Alex has 5 cookies, Hunter has 2, and Erin has 4. They want to share them equally. How will they do it? Draw a picture and help explain your answer.

77 Sample Performance Task II If you didn’t know the answer to 18-9, what are some ways you could find the answer?

78 Personal Communication Teachers are able to gather a lot of information from students by talking to them. Teachers are able to gather a lot of information from students by talking to them. Teachers may: Teachers may: Conduct conferences Conduct conferences Conduct oral exams to assess mastery of content Conduct oral exams to assess mastery of content Ask students to journal Ask students to journal Ask students to talk or write about content with peers Ask students to talk or write about content with peers

79 Identify a TEKS statement in 1st grade that may be assessed using personal communication. Record why you selected this TEKS statement on page of your packet.

80 Things to remember when designing TEKS-Based Assessments The TEKS should be the focus of the assessment, keep the assessment on grade level The TEKS should be the focus of the assessment, keep the assessment on grade level Search for the appropriate rigor and application in the assessment items/tasks used with students Search for the appropriate rigor and application in the assessment items/tasks used with students Make sure the assessment created aligns with the processes used in instruction Make sure the assessment created aligns with the processes used in instruction Never see an assessment as an endpoint, but a process that will yield information and inform next steps Never see an assessment as an endpoint, but a process that will yield information and inform next steps

81 “A quality assessment provides a clear, accurate, and timely picture of what a student has learned, while at the same time spelling out which achievement expectations have not yet been met.” -Stiggins & Knight, 1997

82 The Assessment Principle Assessment should become a routine part of the ongoing classroom activity rather than an interruption. NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000)