Classroom Assessment

Description

Assessment is a daily, ongoing, integral part of teaching and learning. Classroom Assessment: Concepts and Applications explores how assessment is a key component of all aspects of the instructional process, including organizing and creating a classroom culture, planning lessons, delivering instruction, and examining how students have grown as result of instruction. The text also introduces pre-service teachers to new tools and approaches to classroom assessment that result from the infusion of computer-based technologies in schools. This is the most teacher-friendly assessment textbook available--one that will inform a teacher's assessment practices for years to come. Title Contents 1 THE BREADTH OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT: HOW HAS ASSESSMENT CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? PURPOSES OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT Establishing a Classroom That Supports Learning Planning and Conducting Instruction Placing Students Providing Feedback Diagnosing Student Problems and Disabilities Summarizing and Grading Academic Learning and Progress PHASES OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT, TESTING, MEASURING, AND EVALUATION THREE GENERAL WAYS TO COLLECT DATA: STUDENT PRODUCTS, OBSERVATIONS, AND ORAL QUESTIONING Student Products Observation Techniques Oral Questioning Techniques STANDARDIZED AND NONSTANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS Standardized Assessments Nonstandardized Assessments Administration in Groups Standards-Based Testing Additional Sources of Information APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENTS: VALID AND RELIABLE Validity Key Assessment Tools 1.1: Key Aspects of Assessment Validity Reliability Key Assessment Tools 1.2: Key Aspects of Assessment Reliability ETHICAL ISSUES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Fairness in Accommodating Special Needs Ethical Issues and Assessment Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 2 LEARNING ABOUT STUDENTS: EARLY ASSESSMENT GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS FORMING STUDENT DESCRIPTIONS CONCERNS ABOUT ACCURACY AND VALIDITY The General Problem The Problem in Terms of Validity and Reliability Threats to Validity Threats to Reliability Key Assessment Tools 2.1: Threats to the Validity and Reliability of Early Assessments IDENTIFYING SPECIAL NEEDS Legal Issues Key Assessment Tools 2.2: Required Contents of an Individual Education Plan IMPROVING EARLY ASSESSMENTS Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 3 LESSON PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING Student Characteristics Teacher Characteristics Instructional Resources THREE LEVELS OF TEACHING OBJECTIVES THREE DOMAINS OF OBJECTIVES The Cognitive Domain Bloom’s Taxonomy The Affective Domain The Psychomotor Domain STATING AND CONSTRUCTING OBJECTIVES Essential Elements of the Statement Developing Complete and Precise Statements Some Examples of Well-Stated Objectives Key Assessment Tools 3.1: Criteria for Successful Objectives Questions Often Asked about Instructional Objectives LESSON PLANS Key Assessment Tools 3.2: Components of a Lesson Plan Many Instructional Approaches Planning Formative and Summative Assessment Activities Writing a Plan TEXTBOOK OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENTS Evaluating Textbook Objectives and Lesson Plans Evaluating Textbook Assessment Instruments Key Assessment Tools 3.3: Basic Factors to Consider When Examining Textbook Objectives and Lesson Plans STATE CONTENT STANDARDS PLANNING, SPECIAL NEEDS, AND ACCOMMODATIONS IMPROVING THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT Key Assessment Tools 3.4: Guidelines in Planning Instruction Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 4 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT INFORMAL ASSESSMENT DURING INSTRUCTION Informal Assessment Indicators during Instruction Teachers’ Thinking during Instruction Assessing Abnormal and Normal Behavior VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY IN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENT Problems That Affect Validity of Informal Assessments Objectivity of the Teacher as an Observer Incompleteness of Informal Indicators Problems That Affect Instructional Reliability Key Assessment Tools 4.1: Validity and Reliability Problems of Instructional Assessment FORMAL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES Effective Questioning Feedback to Students Peer and Self-Assessment Purposes and Types of Questioning Key Assessment Tools 4.2: Encouraging Student Questioning Skills and Self-Assessment of Learning Questioning Strategies ACCOMMODATIONS DURING INSTRUCTION Common Disabilities and Accommodations Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 5 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS THE LOGIC OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS PLANNING A SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Using a Table of Specifications Decisions in Planning a Test Key Assessment Tools 5.1: Key Points to Consider in Judging Textbook Tests Key Assessment Tools 5.2: Common Problems in Developing or Selecting Tests to Assess Student Achievement PREPARING STUDENTS FOR OFFICIAL ASSESSMENTS Issues of Test Preparation Key Assessment Tools 5.3: “Do No Harm” Testing Practices Provide Good Instruction Review before Testing Ensure Familiarity with Question Formats Scheduling the Test Giving Students Information about the Test Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activity Review Questions References 6 DESIGNING, ADMINISTERING, AND SCORING ACHIEVEMENT TESTS SELECTION AND SUPPLY TEST ITEMS Selection Items Supply Items Comparing Selection and Supply Items HIGHER-LEVEL QUESTIONS Interpretive Questions GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND CRITIQUING TEST ITEMS Cover Important Objectives Review Items before Testing Key Assessment Tools 6.1: Writing Test Items ASSEMBLING TESTS Key Assessment Tools 6.2: Guidelines for Assembling a Test ISSUES OF CHEATING Types of Cheating on Tests Plagiarizing Deterring Cheating SCORING PAPER-AND-PENCIL TESTS Scoring Selection Items Scoring Short-Answer and Completion Items Scoring Essay Items Holistic versus Analytic Scoring Steps to Ensure Objectivity Key Assessment Tools 6.3: Guidelines for Scoring a Test ANALYZING ITEM VALIDITY The Need for After-Test Reviewing: Two Examples Selective Reviewing of Multiple-Choice Items DISCUSSING TEST RESULTS WITH STUDENTS Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 7 UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR ASSESSMENT HOW TEST ITEMS WORK Measuring a Targeted Construct ACCESSIBILITY How an Item Assesses a Construct Making Decisions about Accessibility UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AND CRITIQUING TEST ITEMS Write Clearly and Simply: Seven Rules ADMINISTERING TESTS Physical Setting Psychological Setting Key Assessment Tools 7.1: Guidelines for Administering a Test Keeping Track of Time UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND TEST ACCOMMODATIONS Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 8 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS THE GENERAL ROLE OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN SCHOOLS Performance-Oriented Subjects Early Childhood and Special Needs Students Key Assessment Tools 8.1: Early Childhood Behavior Areas DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS Define the Purpose of Assessment Identify Performance Criteria Key Assessment Tools 8.2: Examples of Performance Criteria Cautions in Developing Performance Criteria Developing Observable Performance Criteria Provide a Setting to Elicit and Observe the Performance Develop a Score to Describe the Performance ANECDOTAL RECORDS, CHECKLISTS, AND RATING SCALES Anecdotal Records Checklists Rating Scales RUBRICS Devising Rubrics Key Assessment Tools 8.3: General Steps in Preparing and Using Rubrics More Examples of Rubrics Involving Students in the Use of Rubrics Key Assessment Tools 8.4: General Rubric to Score Writing to Persuade PORTFOLIOS Key Assessment Tools 8.5: What Can Go Into a Portfolio Key Assessment Tools 8.6: Portfolio Questions Purpose of Portfolios Performance Criteria Setting Scoring Scoring the Pieces VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS Preparing Students Validity Reliability Key Assessment Tools 8.7: Improving Validity and Reliability of Performance Assessments Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References 9 GRADING RATIONALE AND DIFFICULTIES OF GRADING Why Grade? The Difficulty of Grading GRADING AS JUDGMENT FOUR TYPES OF COMPARISON FOR GRADING Norm-Referenced Grading (Comparison with Other Students) Criterion-Referenced Grading (Predefined Standards) Comparison with a Student’s Ability Comparison with Student Improvement GRADING FOR COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Grading in Cooperative Learning Grading Students with Disabilities DECIDING WHAT TO GRADE Academic Achievement Affective Performances Using Discretion When Assigning Grades SUMMARIZING VARIED TYPES OF ASSESSMENT What Should Be Included in a Grade Selecting Weights for Assessment Information Combining Different Assessment Information Validity of the Information Computing Overall Scores TWO APPROACHES TO ASSIGNING GRADES A Criterion-Referenced Example A Norm-Referenced Example Key Assessment Tools 9.1: Steps in the Grading Process Key Assessment Tools 9.2: Guidelines for Grading OTHER METHODS OF REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS Parent-Teacher Conferences Key Assessment Tools 9.3: Options for Parent-Teacher Communication Additional Reporting Methods Key Assessment Tools 9.4: Parent-Teacher Conferences Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activity Review Questions References 10 COMMERCIAL STANDARDIZED ACHIEVEMENT TESTS HOW COMMERCIAL ACHIEVEMENT TESTS ARE CREATED Test Construction ADMINISTERING THE TEST The Need for Consistent Administration Accommodations for Disabilities INTERPRETING SCORES TYPES OF STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES Percentile Rank Scores Stanine Scores Grade Equivalent Scores THREE EXAMPLES OF TEST INTERPRETATION Example 1: Student Performance Report Example 2: Class Performance Report Example 3: Summary Reports for Parents Key Assessment Tools 10.1: Reporting Standardized Test Results to Parents THE VALIDITY OF COMMERCIAL ACHIEVEMENT TESTS Appropriate Coverage Representative Norms Conditions of Administration Potential Misinterpretations Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activity Review Questions References 11 COMPUTER-BASED TECHNOLOGY AND CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT GROWTH OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY COMPUTERS AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS Defining Aspects of the Curriculum Computer-Based Instructional Tools Productivity and Communication COMPUTERS ARE TOOLBOXES COMPUTERS AND PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION Defining Learning Outcomes Developing Lesson Plans EARLY ASSESSMENT Electronic Surveys Tests and Quizzes COMPUTERS AND ASSESSMENT DURING INSTRUCTION Diagnosing Students’ Misconceptions Polling Students Formative Assessment of Writing Observing Students While They Are Working COMPUTERS AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Electronic Portfolios Performance Assessments and Scoring Rubrics Essay Grading Managing Grades CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT: SUMMING UP Collecting Assessment Information Interpreting Assessment Information: Five Guidelines Key Assessment Tools 11.1: Principles for Interpreting Assessment Information Key Assessment Tools 11.2: Guidelines for Interpreting Assessment Information Assessment: A Tool to Be Used Wisely Chapter Summary Questions for Discussion Activities Review Questions References APPENDIX A Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students APPENDIX B Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Major Categories APPENDIX C Sample Individual Education Plan APPENDIX D Statistical Applications for Classroom Assessment APPENDIX E Some Resources for Identifying Special Needs GLOSSARY CREDITS NAME INDEX SUBJECT INDEX