Chapter 7: Assessment

Group Work – Key points 1. Role of assessment, who does it? (pp ) 2. Components of assessments (pp ) 3. Keys to assessment, important terms and parental involvement (pp. 188, 189, 190) 4. Alternative assessments & issues of formal tests (pp ) 5. IEP, IEP form, trouble spots and parental involvement (pp.198, 199, 202, 204) 6. IEP steps # (pp ) 7. In-School Team and how teachers collaborate (pp ) 8. Case studies and formal case study (pp. 184, 193, 194) 9. Case studies (pp. 197, 201, 206)

Role of assessment (pp.75-77) reveals insight into abilities, intelligence, strengths, needs, and behaviours of the students in question reveals insight into abilities, intelligence, strengths, needs, and behaviours of the students in question collects information into an exceptionality and influences future of the program/ instruction collects information into an exceptionality and influences future of the program/ instruction assessment happens everyday (e.g. monitoring behaviour, observing, tests) assessment happens everyday (e.g. monitoring behaviour, observing, tests)

Role of assessment (pp ) assessments should identify needs and strengths and special needs students assessments should identify needs and strengths and special needs students assessment information is collected through a number of sources and a variety of assessment strategies assessment information is collected through a number of sources and a variety of assessment strategies The process for assessing student with special needs is more extensive and thorough, producing IEPs The process for assessing student with special needs is more extensive and thorough, producing IEPs

Who does it? (pp. 77) Assessments should be done by teachers and continues throughout school career Assessments should be done by teachers and continues throughout school career other people who assess students include: special education teachers, psychologist, speech pathologist etc. other people who assess students include: special education teachers, psychologist, speech pathologist etc.

Components of assessments (pp ) Assessment information collected includes Assessment information collected includes What the student has been doing? (by classroom observations) What the student has been doing? (by classroom observations) Systematic collection of student work Systematic collection of student work Discussion and information sharing with key person, e.g. parents, other teachers Discussion and information sharing with key person, e.g. parents, other teachers Testing Testing Informal tests (by teachers), e.g. observations, rating scales and checklists Informal tests (by teachers), e.g. observations, rating scales and checklists

Components of assessments (pp ) Formal Tests Formal Tests assessment battery - formal assessment assessment battery - formal assessment intelligent (IQ) tests (WISC IV) intelligent (IQ) tests (WISC IV) projective tests – psychological test - inner feelings, e.g. InKblot test (what you see) projective tests – psychological test - inner feelings, e.g. InKblot test (what you see) academic achievement test (by teachers), used as screening test in special education academic achievement test (by teachers), used as screening test in special education diagnostic tests – suggest areas of remediation, pre-test for a unit diagnostic tests – suggest areas of remediation, pre-test for a unit Test of cognitive ability (memory, problem solving, and reasoning) Test of cognitive ability (memory, problem solving, and reasoning)

Components of assessments (pp ) Developmental and readiness tests to determine the ability, e.g. to screen gifted Developmental and readiness tests to determine the ability, e.g. to screen gifted Rating scales, inventories, and checklists Rating scales, inventories, and checklists for attitudes, self-esteem, behaviour, learning skills, etc. Interviews/ Informal Commentary Interviews/ Informal Commentary teachers and parents- face to face, - anecdotal teachers and parents- face to face, - anecdotal current/ intimate information current/ intimate information Medical Information – from doctor Medical Information – from doctor - identifies special needs, hard to attain - privacy - identifies special needs, hard to attain - privacy Reports by other Professionals -psychologist Reports by other Professionals -psychologist

Keys to Assessment (p. 80) Keys to Assessment (p. 80) 1. Has the assessment used a broad spectrum of sources (e.g. Parents, teachers and OSR) 2. If test instruments have been used, are they valid (test what it is intended) and reliable? 3. Is the examiner properly trained in the administer and interpret tests? 4. Was the assessment individually tailored? (student’s culture, language, age and/or physical abilities)

Keys to Assessment (p. 80) Keys to Assessment (p. 80) 5.Was the assessment ecological? It must examine the student in relation to whole environment or situation (classroom, home). 6.Does the assessment imply or recommend responses, e.g. remediation or enrichment? 7.Do key people in the life of the student (e.g. parents) acknowledge that the assessment has sampled genuinely representative factors? 1. 1.

Parental Involvement (p. 81) Questions for parent interview: What are your concerns regarding your child’s learning/behaviour at school? What are your concerns regarding your child’s learning/behaviour at school? How does what we do at school affect him at home? How does what we do at school affect him at home? Has she had particular success in the past with a strategy or program? Has she had particular success in the past with a strategy or program? What other reports do you have that we may need to be aware of? What other reports do you have that we may need to be aware of? What goals do you have for your child? What goals do you have for your child? Method of communication? Method of communication?

Alternative assessments (pp ) Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA) -measuring students performance according to curricular expectations -measuring students performance according to curricular expectations -make sure that they achieve basic academic skills and content knowledge outlined in curriculum -make sure that they achieve basic academic skills and content knowledge outlined in curriculum Authentic Assessment collection of data based on real situations where students are engaged in an interactive fashion collection of data based on real situations where students are engaged in an interactive fashion allow for integration of information learned allow for integration of information learned

Alternative assessments (pp ) Portfolio Assessment collection of students work that represents growth and development collection of students work that represents growth and development Ecological Assessment examine context in which a student learns examine context in which a student learns Learning Style Assessment how a student learns how a student learns Dynamic Assessment what and how a student can be taught and what strategies to use what and how a student can be taught and what strategies to use

Issues in using formal tests (pp ) power of test mystique power of test mystique aging of published tests (1940s and 1950s). aging of published tests (1940s and 1950s). bias and tacit discrimination against lower socio-economic groups, diverse cultures bias and tacit discrimination against lower socio-economic groups, diverse cultures group tests are meant to be a machine score group tests are meant to be a machine score potential for misinterpretation potential for misinterpretation tests are usually timed, hard for deep/slow thinkers tests are usually timed, hard for deep/slow thinkers misunderstanding “standardized” misunderstanding “standardized” generalized test results generalized test results