Pre-Post Assessment NDTAC April 2006

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Pre-Post Assessment Why focus on pre-post assessment? –Assessment is an integral part of any student’s educational experience, especially for youth who are neglected or delinquent –Assessment helps : teachers to individualize instruction ensure that students master all aspects of the curriculum document students’ academic progress –Assessment data: provides administrators with valuable information on the status of their education programs helps to identify effective practices helps direct resources and interventions to those students, teachers, and/or facilities with the greatest needs

In the Spotlight NDTAC’s A Brief Guide to Selecting and Using Pre-Post Assessments This guide summarizes the “how” and “why” of selecting an appropriate pre-post test, describes key concepts such as reliability and validity, and provides a checklist of questions for the test publisher. The guide is intended as a resource for those who are interested in selecting a new pre-post assessment, or who wish to reevaluate their current testing procedures, and may help administrators select an instrument that best meets the needs of their programs.

In the Spotlight The Toolkit featured this month was designed to help State administrators and local program managers track and improve their academic assessment procedures and results. The toolkit provides an overview of the benefits of collecting and using academic assessment data and includes resources designed to help programs improve assessment procedures. Especially exciting are the resources for data collection, which provide program managers with the opportunity to track their program’s progress over time by using electronic data tables and graphs. NDTAC's Assessment Toolkit: Measuring Academic Performance

State Administrator’s Toolkit- Web Snapshot: Administrator’s Toolkit for collecting Assessment Data *Web only All Assessment Toolkits are available on the NDTAC Website in the April Spotlight.

Program Manager’s Toolkit- Excel Snapshot: Program Manager’s Toolkit *Excel Table Features: Track progress over 1 or more Review Periods Easy, 1-click navigation

Program Manager’s Toolkit- Graphs Snapshot: Program Manager’s Toolkit *Excel Graph More Features: Interactive Automatically produces presentation- friendly graphs from data you enter into Tables

Program Manager’s Toolkit- PDF Snapshot: Program Manager’s Toolkit *PDF version Features: In-depth review “Next Steps” section to set Goals for next Review Period Printer-friendly

Reading List Rabinowitz and Ananda’s Balancing Local Assessment with Statewide Testing: Building a Program that Meets Student Needs (2000) This article outlines the role of State and local assessment and the steps local stakeholders should consider when developing assessment systems. The authors map out eight key steps to developing local assessment systems that, when properly planned, can yield valuable student achievement information. These steps include: identifying and prioritizing needs and goals meeting with state assessment officials identifying resources convening development teams providing necessary professional development piloting tasks and reports revising tasks based on pilot studies implementing and monitoring

Assessment and Data Systems Library Updated this month, this library page is one of eight that the Center has to offer. Other library pages include: Curriculum & Literacy Monitoring & Compliance Neglected Youth Special Education State Plans, Collaboration & Family Involvement Teacher Quality & Professional Development Transition, Re-entry & Aftercare Each page contains strategies, models, and innovations; legal requirements and legislation; events and presentations; tools; and additional readings and resources UPDATED!

In the Spotlight A Look at Legislation: Common Pre-Post Assessments This article examines two States and their move toward common, State-approved pre-post tests. We explore how the process unfolded in each State, provide examples of State legislation mandating a common test, and talk about why some local facilities actually pushed for this to happen. Contributors: Karen Denbroeder, Senior Educational Program Director for the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Robert Bakke, Consultant for the California Department of Education’s Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Education Division’s Educational Options Office

Common Assessment in Florida’s Juvenile Justice Education System Karen Denbroeder, Senior Educational Program Director for the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services In February 2006, Florida Chancellor of K-12 Public Schools, Dr. Cheri Pierson Yecke, announced the selection of the Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI) as the common assessment instrument for all incarcerated students across the State. But how did they get there?