1. Bursting the assessment mythology: A discussion of key concepts
Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Research, Roche Center for Catholic Education
TWIN-CS Academy
June 27, 2018

2. Overview
1. Learn key concepts in education assessment 2. Discuss assessments being used across TWIN-CS schools 3. Explore ways to use assessment results to inform practice

3. Types of assessment Formative: Assessment for Learning
Activities that students and teachers undertake to get information about students’ learning
Involves teachers focusing on how students learn and how to scaffold their learning
Allows teachers to adapt teaching practice to meet student needs
Involves teachers and students setting and monitoring student progress against learning goals
Involves teachers sharing explicit assessment criteria with student

4. Types of assessment Summative Assessments: Assessment of Learning
Assessment designed to be used to determine grades or marks
Enables students to demonstrate what they know and can do
Describes the extent to which a student has achieved the learning goals, or benchmarks established by your school district, or state, or other (depending on test)
Formative and Summative assessments should complement each other

5. Some Key Terms
Reliable-the consistency of the results, the uniformity of interpretation from rater to rater
Validity-the extent to which a test matches its stated purpose

6. Norm-referenced
Norm-referencing allows you to sort students across a range of abilities or aptitudes.
Individual learning is evaluated and graded by judging each student’s performance against that of a larger group of people in the same age group, state, or level of learning. The larger group is known as the “norm” or normative group.
Usually reported as a percentage or percentile ranking
Usually based on some form of national standards

7. How might norm-referenced tests and scores be used?
Determine a young child’s readiness for preschool or kindergarten
Evaluate basic reading, writing, and math skills. Test results can be used for measuring academic progress, determining readiness for grade promotion, making course assignments, or identifying the need for academic support
Make program-eligibility or college admissions decisions (SAT or ACT)
To determine relative standing of a student across this broad domain of content? How does the student compare to other similar students?

8. Criterion-referenced
Each student’s performance is compared to a pre-defined set of criteria or a standard. The goal with these tests is to determine whether or not the student has demonstrated the mastery of a certain skill.
Test results are often based on the number of correct answers provided by students and scores might be expressed as a percentage of the total possible number of correct answers.
Interpretation of these scores is not based on statistical analyses; rather on cut scores.
Can help to answer these questions: what does this student know, what can this student do?, what content has the student mastered?

9. Differences between criterion- and norm- referenced tests?
Norm -referenced test, the score would reflect how many more or fewer correct answers a student gave in comparison to other students
Norm -referenced cannot measure the learning achievement or progress of an entire group of students, but only relative performance of individuals within a group.
Criterion-referenced tests are used to measure whole-group performance
Most state exams are criterion-referenced tests because the goal is to determine whether schools are successfully teaching students what they are expected to learn

10. Standardization
“Means only that the test is uniform…that all examinees face the same tasks, administered in the same manner and scored in the same way.”
Koretz, D. M. (2008). Measuring up. Harvard University Press

11. Achievement tests
Measure how much students have learned in specific, clearly defined content area
Can be used to determine eligibility for special education services, identify the need for remedial services, or evaluate effectiveness of curricula
Can consist of a battery of tests or used to measure only an individual subject or skill area
Examples include: TerraNova, Stanford Achievement Tests, Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage.

12. Aptitude Test
Used to determine a student’s cognitive ability such as one’s capacity to learn (historically referred to as intelligence tests)
Used for predicting achievement, describing learning disabilities
Measures both in-school and out-of-school experiences
Usually administered by a trained examiner to one student at a time
Examples include: Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Otis-Lennon School Ability test
Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage.

13. Diagnostic Test Specialized version of an achievement test
Main purpose is to identify the specific area/s of weakness the student may be encountering
Analysis of subtest scores can provide insight into strengths and weakness for student
Examples: Metropolitan Reaching Diagnostic Test, Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test
Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage

14. State-Mandated Tests
Usually developed either by state department of education or testing companies with the intention of only being administered by school districts within that particular state
Usually developed and implemented to meet some legislative mandate within a particular state and usually implemented for accountability purposes. They are achievement tests.
Most states have statewide content standards and these are used to guide instruction and assessment
Examples include: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, New York State Level Assessments, Florida Comprehensive Assessment

15. What do you do when you receive assessment data?
When do you receive it?
Do you receive individual or group level data?
What process do you follow?

16. Source:Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Sage

17. Group Activity What are the summative assessments your school uses?
How is the information/data from these used?
What are some other ways in which this data can be used?

18. Thank you!
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