1. High-Quality Assessments
Tindley Accelerated Schools 2014

2. Session Overview Objectives
Review characteristics of a quality unit assessment.
Revise and edit a standards aligned summative assessment.
Groups need to be broken up by content area.

3. Summative vs. Formative
Summative (high stakes)
Evaluate student learning; Sums up student learning over a given period of time
Based on a standard or a benchmark
Examples
State-mandated tests
Chapter or unit tests
Semester/final exams
Formative (low stakes)
identify students strengths and weaknesses; forms future planning/instruction
Use information to drive instruction
Examples
Pre-tests
Exit tickets
Individual whiteboard activities
Think, pair, share

4. Formal vs. Informal Informal (content/performance driven)
Standard scores not given
Teacher uses results to tailor instruction
Examples
Logs/Journals
Games
Observation
Exit Slips
Formal (scored/graded)
Students are compared to other peers within the population
Percentiles or standard scores are most commonly used
Examples
Standardized tests
Summative Assessments
Exams

5. What Type? Informal or Formal?

6. What Type? Informal or Formal?

7. What Type? Informal or Formal?

8. Common Mistakes Questions/Tasks are not aligned to a unit standard.
Questions do not represent/align with the unit knowledge and skills.
Questions/Tasks are not as rigorous as they could be (focus on INCCS).
Assessments do not adequately prepare students for success on standardized or rigorous future tests.
Lack of developed exemplars and rubrics for open-ended questions/tasks.
Each table is assigned one of the “issues”. They must discuss the reflection questions. Then, each person must identify which issue they think fall under the most. Give 4 minutes then share out.
In this session, we’ll be tackling all of these issues. You’ll have a chance to create strong questions as well as evaluate them. This will prepare you to revise your assessments and improve them for the coming year so they can guide your lesson plan revisions.

9. Writing Aligned Questions
Consider your options for question types:
Multiple choice/Matching
Short Response/Fill in the Blank
+ More efficient, easy to scaffold, objective and quick scoring
─ potential for guessing/cheating, formatted for lower-level thinking
Extended Response
Essay/Performance Task
+ Can cover depth and breadth, easy to see student knowledge, encourages critical thought and expression
─ time-consuming, difficult to cover large amounts of material
Ask for any other input on the pros/cons through their experience.

10. Practice with Sample Test
1. Partner Critique:
Do the questions align to the standard?
Can you identify which knowledge and skills are providing the basis of the questions?
Provide feedback

11. Checking Questions for Bloom’s Alignment
4 minute table and/or partner talk. Have them refer to the bloom’s taxonomy handout. What’s your reaction? DO you think these questions are on the same level, above, or below the standard rigor? Knowing that increased assessment rigor is my goal for the year, what would your recommend as my next steps? Stay the same, rephrase a question to “amp it up”, add questions, etc.

12. Practice with Sample Test
Identify which level of Bloom’s each of your questions fits.
Determine whether it is appropriately aligned and where you can “amp up” your rigor.
Record your notes on the handout.
Here I’d like for them to work alongside their partners at the table so they can get feedback and work through the “leveling” together.

13. Rubric-Based Questions/Tasks/Assessments
In some courses or for some units, you may decide to use a project or performance assessment as the summative unit assessment. In this case, a standards-aligned rubric and exemplar are necessary. When creating a rubric, it’s essential that you align the components of the rubric with standards, skills, and knowledge.
Reminder from reflection activity earlier: This will hold you accountable for daily instruction and allow you to analyze student results.

14. Application Align questions with standards/knowledge/skills
Pull out your unit assessment and quality check handout. Go through the entire assessment:
Align questions with standards/knowledge/skills
Identify questions that need to be removed/revised
Identify standards/knowledge/skills that aren’t represented and need questions added
Rewrite questions to make sure they are rigorous
Check ratio (too many or too few of one type of question)
Refer to Quality Checklist in binder.
Note that we will do a scheduled peer review at a specific time (give time), so they should have a few questions that are ready for a deep critique.

15. Quality Check Questions
Yes or No
Does this question align to a standard? If so, Which?
Does this question align to identified knowledge and skills? If so, which?
Does this question align to the Bloom’s level of rigor?
Does this question prepare students for success on standardized tests and summative finals?
Is there a rubric included?

16. Key Takeaways
Share out something you’re taking away from this session:
What is one thing you learned/revised/improved in your approach to planning assessments?
What is something you want to remember when planning future assessments?