Classroom Assessment: Concepts and Applications Chapter 5: Summative Assessments

In This Chapter We Will Cover the Following: n Formative and Summative Assessments n The Logic of Summative Assessments n Planning a Summative Assessment n Preparing Students for Official Assessments

What are Summative and Formative Assessment? If we think of our children as plants … If we think of our children as plants … Summative assessment of the plants is the process of simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare and analyze measurements but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the plants. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their needs - directly affecting their growth. The garden analogy:

Summative Assessments n These formal assessments are used to evaluate (“measure”) the outcomes of instruction and take the form of: –Tests –Projects –Term papers –Final exams Three Phases of Classroom Assessment

Early Assessment Instructional Assessment Summative Assessment Purpose Provide quick, perceptions & practical knowledge 1-gather information 2-identify special needs Constantly assess the progress and success of instruction in order to modify it if necessary Evaluate outcomes of instruction Timing First 2 weeks of schoolDaily throughout the school year Evidence- gathering method *Largely informal observation *school records, test scores, observations, comments from other teacher Formal observation and student papers for planning; Informal observation for monitoring Tests, projects, term papers, mid-term and final exams, report card grades, state-wide assessments Type of evidence gathered *Cognitive, affective, & psychomotor *behavior, academic work, attitude, relationships Largely cognitive and affective Record keeping Mental—few written records Written lesson plans, monitoring information not written down

6 Formative Assessments Formative Assessments Page 123 n These informal assessments are used to “form,” alter, or improve (“feed and water”) instruction while it is in progress. n They provide information when it is still possible to influence or “form” the teaching processes.

Three Phases of Classroom Assessment Early Assessment Instructional Assessment Summative Assessment Purpose Provide quick, perceptions & practical knowledge 1-gather information 2-identify special needs Constantly assess the progress and success of instruction in order to modify it if necessary Evaluate outcomes of instruction Timing First 2 weeks of schoolDaily throughout the school year Evidence- gathering method *Largely informal observation *school records, test scores, observations, comments from other teacher Formal observation and student papers for planning; Informal observation for monitoring Tests, projects, term papers, final exams Type of evidence gathered *Cognitive, affective, & psychomotor *behavior, academic work, attitude, relationships Largely cognitive and affective Record keeping Mental—few written records Written lesson plans, monitoring information not written down Add, “form, alter, or improve instruction in progress

Good vs. Effective Teaching n GOOD n EFFECTIVE n Refers to what teachers do during instruction *provides review at the start of a new lesson *states reasonable objectives *maintains an appropriate level of lesson difficulty *engages students in the learning process *emphasizes important points during instruction *gives students practice doing what they are supposed to learn *maintains a classroom environment conducive to learning n Refers to the outcomes of instruction n Focuses on what the students actually learn. n Goes one step beyond teaching Utilizes summative assessments linked to objectives activities instruction to evaluate teaching effectiveness

Planning a Summative Assessment n What should be tested? n What type of assessment items or tasks should be used? n How long should the assessment take? n Should a teacher-made or textbook assessment be used? ? ? ?

Mr. Wysocki: 7 th Grade English Unit Test Unit Objectives: n The student will name the three stages of the writing process (i.e., prewriting, writing, and editing). (knowledge) n The student will explain in his or her own words the purpose of the three stages of the writing process. (comprehension) n The student will write a topic sentence for a given descriptive writing topic. (application) n The student will select the topic sentences in given descriptive paragraphs. (analysis) n The student will write a descriptive paragraph with a topic sentence, descriptive detail, and a concluding statement. (synthesis) Content Dimension KnowledgeComprehensionApplicationAnalysisSynthesisEvaluation Stages of Writing X (L) X(M) Topic Sentence X(M)X(L) Writing Essay X(H) Process Dimension L=Low M=Middle H=High Simple Memorization Low Explanation Middle Write a topic sentence Application of a procedure Middle An analysis that differentiates topic sentence from other sentences Low Synthesis of the 3 stages of descriptive writing High Table of Specifications

11 Steps Mr. Wysoci Took: 1. Wrote objectives based on earlier assessment, the students’ previous English curriculum, the textbook, and other resources available 2. Built a Table of Specifications 3. Developed Lesson Plans nPlanned activities to give students practice in each objective nConsulted the Table of Specifications to remind him that the unit needed both remembering and explaining activities to attain the first two objectives 4. Instructed students with revisions as needed 5. Administered a formal summative assessment

Questions Mr. Wysocki Asked Himself as He Planned the Summative Assessment: Questions Mr. Wysocki Asked Himself as He Planned the Summative Assessment: Page What should be tested? 2. What type of assessment items or tasks should be used? 3. How long should the assessment take? 4. Should a teacher-made or textbook assessment be used? used? 1/6 Objectives and what was actually taught The comprehending, applying, and synthesizing processes are best assessed by supply items Analyzing is best assessed by selection items. Remembering can be assessed by either supply or selection items. Depends on age of students, frequency of tests, time frame available, and number of questions. The number of questions depends on the instructional time spent on each objective and its importance. Whatever is decided, there is a basic validity issue: Do the items match the instruction provided to the students?

Preparing Students for Testing

1. Teach students the general skills, knowledge, and processes needed for the test 2. Teach students the answers to specific questions that will appear on the test 3. Review content of the test before testing 4. Provide pretest practice with new types of question and answer formats. 5. Avoid testing on days when sports events are scheduled, the first day after a long vacation, a day the teacher is absent, etc. 6. Require all students to demonstrate their learning in the same way. 7. Tell students what types of questions a test will contain, how much the test will count, and how long it will take. 8. Use test results to retain students. 9. Notify students when a test is to be given

Matching questions n Matching questions consist of a column of key words presented on the left side of the page and a column of options placed on the right side of the page. Students are required to match the options associated with a given key word(s).

Strengths n Simple to construct. n Short reading and response time, allowing more content to be included in a given set of matching questions. n Highly reliable exam scores. n Well-suited to measure associations between facts. n Reduces the effects of guessing.

Limitations n Difficult to measure learning objectives requiring more than simple recall of information. n Difficult to construct due to the problem of selecting a common set of key words and options. n If options cannot be used more than once, the questions are not mutually exclusive; therefore, getting one answer incorrect automatically means a second question is incorrect

Tips for writing matching questions n Provide more possible options than questions. n Use longer phrases as questions and shorter phrases as options. n Keep questions and options short and homogeneous. n Avoid verbal cues and specific determiners (e.g., the, a, an). n Number each question and use alphabetical letters for the options. n Number each question and use alphabetical letters for the options. n Specify in the directions the basis for matching and whether or not responses can be used more than once. n Make all questions and all options the same type (e.g., a list of events to be matched with a list of dates).