Target -Method Match Selecting The Right Assessment

Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment Clear Purposes Why Assess? What’s the purpose? Who will use results? Clear Targets Assess What? What are the learning targets? Are they clear? Are they good? Good Design Assess How? What method? Sampled how? Avoid bias how? Sound Communication Communicate How? How manage information? How report? Accurate Assessment Effectively Used Student Involvement Students are users, too. Students need to understand learning targets, too. Students can participate in the assessment process, too. Students can track progress and communicate, too.

Today’s Outcomes Review target types Learn the different assessment methods Be able to match assessment methods to target types Begin matching assessment methods to essential curriculum target types

Review of 4 types of Learning Targets Knowledge Reasoning Performance/Skill Product (Remember: the pink sheet has a list of verbs that will help you determine the target type)

Relationship of Targets Standard (target) typeUnderpinning Learning Targets ProductProduct + S + R + K SkillSkill + R + K ReasoningReasoning + K Knowledge

Review: Why It’s Important to Determine Target Type Know if the assessment adequately covers what we taught Correctly identify what students know and don’t know Keep track of student learning target by target or standard by standard Helps determine HOW to assess (method)

Clear Targets: Benefit to Students According to Marzano, “Students who could identify their learning (I can statements) scored 27 percentile points higher than those who could not. Students can hit any target they can see that holds still for them.

Target -Method Match: What is it? A way to design assessments that cover our targets Answers “ASSESS HOW?”

Methods: Types of Assessment Methods Selected response & short answer Extended written response Performance assessment Personal communication

Selected Response (SR) Students select correct or best response from a list provided Students’ scores are figured as the number or proportion of questions answered correctly Formats include: Multiple choice True/false Matching Short answer Fill-in questions

Extended Written Response (EWR) Requires students to construct a written answer in response to a question or task (not select one from a list) extended = several sentences in length Examples: Compare pieces of literature Solve a math problem, show & explain work Interpret music, scientific info. or polling data Analyze artwork Describe in detail an economics process

Extended Written Response Correctness judged by: Giving points for specific info. present OR Use of a rubric Scores can be: Percentage of points attained OR Rubric scores

Performance Assessment (PA) Based on observation & judgment Judgment made on quality Examples: Playing instrument; speaking in foreign language; working in a group (the doing/process is impt) Creating products like a lab report, term paper, work of art (quality of product is impt)

Performance Assessment 2 parts: Performance task or exercise Scoring guide/Rubric Scoring guide: Can award points for specific features of performance or product Can take form of rubric: levels of quality described Scores could be number or percent of points earned or a rubric score

Personal Communication (PC) Find out what students have learned through interacting with them Often an informal assessment, but if clear & accurate info. is gathered, can be used for feedback to students, self-reflection for students, goal setting Examples: Oral examinations Interviewing students in conferences Looking at & responding to students’ comments in journals and logs

Personal Communication Student responses evaluated in 2 ways: Correct/incorrect (for short, simple answers; parallels scoring of written selected response questions) Evaluate quality (for longer, more complex; parallels to extended written response) Could use a rubric to score or scoring guide

Matching Target and Assessment Methods Accuracy in the classroom assessment revolves around matching the different target TYPES with the appropriate form of assessment METHODS

Which METHOD would you use to assess the following? 1. Ability to write clearly and coherently Performance assessment 2. Group discussion proficiency Performance assessment 3. Reading comprehension SR, EWR or PC (not PA b/c it’s a reasoning target) 4. Proficiency using specified math procedures Could be knowledge or reasoning: SR, EWR, PC 5. Proficiency conducting investigations in science Performance assessment