Common Assessments Social Studies

Objectives: Create common assessments that measure student learning and determine the effectiveness of the Parkway social studies curriculum Prepare an action plan for implementing and scoring the common assessments Explore DOK, GLEs and the OCG as part of creation process

Agenda Review the purpose of the Common Assessments Look at the PD days and determine the testing window Grade level teams determine the content to be included on each test Terminology for Common Assessments (talking the talk) Determine Test Format Review of best practice for writing assessments Grade level teams divide questions and content to create test items for the Common Assessment (walking the walk) Create test items and scoring guide Peer review of test items

Common Assessments in Social Studies Multiple Purposes Determine if the social studies curriculum is aligned with the GLEs Evaluate the benefits of the new curriculum Determine the concepts or skills that appear to challenge students Use the information to make changes

Professional Development Days August 29 th Assessing the Assessments October 3 rd Common Assessment Evaluation (6 th and 8 th) Writing Second Common Assessment (7 th Grade) Reviewing Student Work January 5 th Common Assessment Evaluation (7 th Grade) Writing Second Common Assessment (6 th and 8 th Grade) April 24 th Grading Common Assessments Assessing the Assessments Summer Workshop (two days) Refine Assessment Refine Answer Sheer

Testing Window Duration (How long will it last?) Dates for testing window

What content should be on the test? Step 1 – Review the OCG to determine what units will be taught prior to each test. Step 2 – Review the Missouri Grade Level Expectations highlight the items that would be taught before the first window and, in a different color, what would be taught before the second window Step 3 – With the grade level group select the items you deem testable for each test

Talking the Talk: The Vocabulary of Assessment GLE DOK OCG EOC EU and EQ Distracter Multiple Choice Constructed Response Performance Event

DOK – Depth of Knowledge What does it mean and why should we care?

Multiple-choice Multiple-choice items present students with a question followed by four or five response options, one of which is correct. The advantages of these items are: 1) they are effective in measuring students’ breadth of content knowledge; and 2) a large number of these items can be administered and scored in a short amount of time. The major limitation of multiple-choice items is that they do not adequately measure students’ ability to apply what they know. The survey portion of TerraNova, a nationally norm-referenced test developed by CTB/McGraw-Hill, will be used as the multiplechoice component of the MAP in mathematics, communication arts, science, and social studies.

Constructed Response Constructed-response items require students to supply (rather than select) an appropriate response. Students might be asked to provide a one-word answer, complete a sentence or show their work in solving a problem. In addition to measuring students’ content knowledge, constructed-response items can provide some information about how students arrived at their answers. These items are more time consuming than multiple- choice items to administer and score; however, they provide more information about students’ understanding and thinking.

Performance Event Performance events measure students’ knowledge, and their ability to apply that knowledge in problem situations. The performance events used in MAP may require students to work through a complex problem or present a written argument. Depending upon its demands, students might be expected to take up to 45 minutes to complete a performance event. Performance events generally allow for more than one approach to arriving at a correct solution. The advantage of this type of assessment item is that it provides insight into students’ ability to apply knowledge and understanding in various situations. The disadvantage is that performance events are time consuming and costly to produce, administer, and score.

Writing the Test Grade Level Teams Divide Content and Skills Write Questions Write Answer Keys