DoDEA Med District Local Assessments in Math

Problem: How can we make assessments that are real, with value to all and help guide our instruction in a timely manner?

Concept: Triple value One assessment that will serve as diagnostic (BOY), semester final exam, local assessment per course/grade that can be administered online, graded electronically and provide useful analytical reports.

Objectives: To add value to all assessments used in the school, to provide teachers and students with immediate feedback to inform instruction, and to provide examples of expected learner outcomes so that there is a balance between the procedural and the conceptual.

How it Works: (Exam View) For the BOY, the student will take the previous course/grade semester 2 final exam. For example, Algebra II students are expected to take the EOY Semester 2 Algebra I Finals. This will serve as a diagnostic. Each question has the standards and objectives so the EV performance summary reports for the class and the individual ones for the students will provide the strengths and weaknesses of the class/student.

How it Works (cont.): The first semester (MOY) has all of the semester 1 standards. The second semester (EOY) has all of the semester 2 standards plus some crucial standards from semester 1. The second semester is therefore a little longer. Students are expected to remember semester 1 standards because of the cumulative nature of the subject.

How it Works (cont.): All high school assessments are divided into Part A, procedural and Part B, conceptual: All Part Bs have a constructed response question that needs to be graded manually and is worth double the number of points. When the results are collected, the grades will be in red. The teacher needs to double click and the constructed response from the student shows up for manual grading. Only Part B will be used for the local assessment, measuring problem solving and number sense. Parts A and B will be part of the final. Teachers can delete questions for standards not taught. Level of rigor, however, should be maintained.

Exam results can be exported to a spreadsheet. Exams can also be exported for use with Smart Response. Multiple versions of each test with different values can be created to provide for study guides. Most questions can also be toggled from multiple choice to short response format.

Note: All exams are being created/vetted by teachers and are works in progress. Feedback is invited.  Completed exams: 6 th, 7 th, 8 th grades, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Financial Literacy, Algebraic Modeling, Math Analysis, AP Calculus 2 nd semester.  Pending Fall 2014: Advanced Functions, Engineering Applications AP Calculus Semester 1 (will vary according to teacher AP Syllabus).

End product: Triple value as diagnostic, semester final assessment and local assessment on a per grade/course level. Instant grading Instant data analysis for individual student and class to suggest differentiation and next steps. Formative assessment of standards Balance between conceptual and procedural and built in level of rigor. Student empowerment from digital feedback. Diagnostic tests at BOY Examples of expected learner outcomes for backwards design. Authentic and relevant. Note: These assessments are not meant to replace student performance tasks and can be supplemental to these alternative assessments.

“Black and Wiliam found that student gains impacted by formative assessment practices were “among the largest ever reported for educational interventions…. teachers given supports to implement formative assessment techniques were able to rapidly close student achievement gaps by 50 percent” - Dylan Wiliam and Paul Black (1998) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment Creating the habit of using the formative assessment data to guide instructional practice engages and empowers the students, and positively impacts student performance.