CT 854: Assessment and Evaluation in Science & Mathematics Welcome! Purpose of Course – conceptual understanding of issues related to assessment in science and mathematics Assessment of student, teachers & schools Both traditional & non-traditional methods Controversial issues in assessment like large-scale standardized testing, bias, equity, etc. For educational leaders, not only teachers. For k-12+ education Some technical skill development, but more emphasis on concepts. Learn about different methods, discuss issues, and develop new methods that you can use in your own educational settings.

Today’s Agenda Introductions Prior views & experience activity Overview of issues and perspectives in the field Go over syllabus

Views of Assessment What is the “best” assessment you have ever taken? What made it best? What was the purpose? What was the “worst” assessment you have ever taken? What made it worst?

Amorphous Definitions… What is the difference between testing, measurement, assessment & evaluation? Popham = a process by which educators use students’ responses to a specially created stimuli in order to make inferences about knowledge, skills or affective status. Measurement = systematic collection, quantification, and ordering or information (e.g. measure the height of a person) Testing = a particular type of measurement using an instrument or task situation (e.g. essay test) Evaluation –making judgments based upon information. (e.g. evaluate the performance of a school) Assessment = interpretive integration of measurement, testing and evaluation to collect information for decision-making purposes and communication. (e.g. assess student achievement)

testing ASSESSMENT measurement evaluation

Views of Assessment How do you currently assess? brainstorm list of all the assessment techniques you currently use in your own workplace. Can be broad list. Why do you use certain techniques? (history, context, beliefs, rationale)

What Educators Need to Know about Assessment (Popham p. 11-14) Indicators of educational effectiveness Student tests are being used as indicators of educational effectiveness at all levels of the system. Given the emphasis on accountability, it’s essential that all educators understand the in’s and out’s of assessment Assessment and Impact on Instruction The role of assessment on instruction Assessment for more than grading; assessment for diagnostic purposes, formative assessment, summative assessment, inform instruction, help improve instruction, help improve all aspects fo the educational system. Overall, a systemic view of assessment and education.

The National Science Education Standards Vision of Assessment Less Emphasis on.. What is easily measured 2) Paper and pencil assessment 3) Discrete bits of knowledge End of Unit assessment Large scale assessment 6) Assessment of students for grading purposes More Emphasis on… What is highly valued 2) Multiple forms of assessment 3) Rich, well-structured, deep authentic knowledge 4) Scientific knowledge AND reasoning 5) Student performance 6)Ongoing assessment to monitor student growth 7) Assessment to help student construct understanding of science 8) Students engaged in self-assessment of their own work and others

The National Mathematics Standards Vision of Assessment Purposes Monitoring Students' Progress Evaluating Students' Achievement Making Instructional Decisions Evaluating Programs More Emphasis on… Shifts in making instructional decisions toward: integrating assessment with instruction using evidence from a variety of assessments Shifts in monitoring student’ progress toward: communicating with students about performance in a continuous, comprehensive manner using multiple and complex assessment tools students learning to assess their own progress Shifts in Assessing to Evaluate Students’ Achievement toward: comparing students’ performance with performance criteria assessing progress toward mathematical power

Brief History of Testing The history of testing is related to the historical views of teaching & learning Curriculum of Social Efficiency (i.e. factory model) Scientific management of schools like factories Educational objectives based on job analysis Academic content for an elite few; not for everyone Differentiated curriculum based on social class Behaviorist Learning Theory Learning as a stimulus-response Accumulate bits and pieces of information New knowledge easily replaces old knowledge Learning tightly sequences and hierarchical Instructional model: teach, test, teach, test, etc. etc.

Brief History of Testing Hereditarian Theory of Intelligence IQ as an innate fixed concept. IQ can be measured, quantified, and compared. Scientific Measurement The concept was originally used in the U.S. by the military to sort out military recruits according to their intellectual abilities. The standardized test became the model for sorting students in schools by ability. The sorting was used to determine who could take academic courses and who could not. Intelligence viewed as fixed and innate. An elitist system to sort the classes.

Traditional Dominant Paradigm 1900’s-2000 Social Efficiency Curriculum IQ Theory Behaviorist View Of Learning Scientific Measurement

Reform Paradigm Cognitive & Constructivist Views of Learning Intellectual abilities are learned and can change Multiple views of intelligence (Howard Gardner) Learners construct knowledge within a social context New learning is shaped by prior knowledge Value of deep knowledge, higher ordered thinking and problem solving vs. bits and pieces of information or basic computations skills Constructivist Curriculum All students can learn, not just the elite Challenging subject matter aimed at developing students’ problem solving and thinking skills. Learning is a social process, not just individual (Vygotsky) Authenticity between the real world and what is learned in schools

Reform Paradigm Authentic Assessment Challenging, complex assessment tasks to elicit higher ordered thinking. Multiple forms of assessment, not just paper & pencil Used formatively to help both teachers and students judge their understanding Used to evaluate teaching as well as student learning

Cognitive & Constructivist Emergent Paradigm 2000+ Cognitive & Constructivist Views of Learning Authentic Assessment Constructivist Curriculum

Views of Assessment How would you define the ideal assessment in an 8th grade mathematics/science classroom? How have your own assessment practices changed in recent years? Diagnostic assessment? Formative assessment to alter and improve instruction? Summative assessment, grading practices? Sharing assessment results with students & parents? Using standards?

Cognitive & Constructivist Authentic Instruction Current State: Disconnected Paradigm Shift? Cognitive & Constructivist Views of Learning Authentic Instruction Traditional Scientific Views of Testing

The Disconnect Traditional views of assessment dominate accountability movement The new standards advocate complex and in-depth curriculum & instruction. In the end, assessment methods used to judge schools do not match the goals in the standards. At the state and national level the tests appear inadequate to thoroughly measure complex math and science skills and understanding. Tests also appear to be distal measures of school quality and performance. The field still needs to develop methods that could fairly and accurate assess teaching, learning and schools.

The Big Question How does one explain the disconnect between modern day authentic & performance assessment recommendations in the National Science Education Standards and NCTM Standards and the traditional testing view of assessment that drives education today?

Initial Course Feedback What do you want to know about assessment? What questions do you have about assessment?