ASSESSMENT

A Dr. Production...
Pre-assessment assessment

What is assessment?

When should assessment occur?

 Assessment Objectives &
Outcomes
• What essential questions do you have
about assessment?

• What enduring understandings do you

want to have about assessment?
 “Assessment for Learning”
Objectives
Students will understand...
1. The reason why assessment is Stage 2 in the Standards-
Based Education process.
2. The purpose of assessment in the classroom.
3. The differences between assessment types and assessment
formats.
4. How to determine which assessment methods would be
most appropriate at various times to increase student
learning, given specific standard
5. How to determine guidelines for constructing performance
assessments and rubrics.
6. The differences between assessment and grading.
7. How to create a balanced assessment plan for a unit,
including examples of performance tasks, rubrics, and
constructed response items.
 Essential Questions
• What does assessment look like in a
performance-based science classroom?
• How do I determine appropriate and
acceptable evidence of learning?
• How will I know whether my students
have acquired the requisite
knowledge, skills, and
understandings?
 Standards Based Education Model
Stage
Stage1:
1:
Identify
IdentifyDesired
DesiredResults
Results
What
Whatdo doIIwant
wantmymystudents
students
totoknow
know and be abletotodo?
and be able do?
Big Ideas  Enduring Understandings
Big Ideas  Enduring Understandings 
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
GPS
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Skills and Knowledge

Stage
Stage2:
2:
Determine
DetermineAcceptable
AcceptableEvidence
Evidence
(Design
(DesignBalanced
BalancedAssessments)
Assessments)
How
How will I know whether mystudents
will I know whether my studentshave
haveacquired
acquired
the requisite knowledge, skills, and understandings?
the requisite knowledge, skills, and understandings?
(to
(toassess
assessstudent
studentprogress
progresstoward
towarddesired
desiredresults)
results)

Stage
Stage3:
3:
Plan
PlanLearning
LearningExperiences
Experiencesand
andInstruction
Instruction
What
Whatwill
willneed
needtotobe
bedone
donetotoprovide
providemy
mystudents
studentswith
with
multiple opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills,
multiple opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills,
and
andunderstandings?
understandings?
(to
(to support studentsuccess
support student successon onassessments,
assessments,
leading to desired results)
leading to desired results)
 The Process of Instructional Planning

Traditional Practice Standards-based Practice

Select standards from among those
Select a topic from the curriculum students need to know

Design instructional activities Design an assessment through which

students will have an opportunity to
Design and give an assessment demonstrate those things

Give grade or feedback Decide what learning opportunities

students will need to learn those things
Move onto new topic and plan appropriate instruction to
assure that each student has adequate
opportunities to learn

Use data from assessment to give

feedback, reteach or move to next
level
 Stephen Covey Quote

“To begin with the end in mind means to

start with a clear understanding of your
destination. It means to know where you’re
going so that you better understand where
you are now and so that the steps you take
are always in the right direction.”
 What is assessment?

Assessment is the systematic

observation and evaluation of
student performance.

The process of gathering information

about students--what they know
and what they can do
Assessment asks these questions...
• Do students know? Are they able to
complete processes and demonstrate skills?
Do they understand?
• How well do students know? How well are
they able to complete processes and
demonstrate skills? How well do they
understand?
• What do students not know? What are they
not yet able to do? What don’t they
understand?
How is this performed at
the state and national
level?
 The Montillation of Traxoline
It is very important that you learn about
traxoline. Traxoline is a new form of zionter. It
is montilled in Ceristanna. The Ceristannians
gristerlate large amounts of fevon and then
brachter it to quasel traxoline. Traxoline may
well be one of our most lukized snezlaus in the
future because of our zionter lescelidge.
 
1. What is traxoline?
2. Where is traxoline montilled?
3. How is traxoline quaselled?
4. Why is it important to know about traxoline?
 Types of Assessments
Brainstorm all the types of assessments
that can be used in a science classroom

Now, how would/could you group those

into “types” of assessments?
Are We Speaking the same language?
Create your own definition for each of the
following terms related to assessment.
(See next slide.)
Find a partner to check on agreement or
disagreement of the meaning(s) of each
term.
Share findings with your group and be ready
to prepare findings and
implications.
 Defining Terms
• Benchmarks
• Assessment
• Formative vs.
• Evaluation
Summative assessment
• Content Standards
• Performance
• Performance Assessment
Standards
• Authentic Assessment
• Characteristics of
• Rubric
Science Standards
• Assessment for • Checklist
learning • Feedback-adjustment
• Assessment of process
learning • Progress Monitoring
 Assessment vs. Grading
continuous process a means of assigning
numerical or alphabetical
provides feedback to grade to a student’s work
improve student
achievement usually summative
may be formative or
summative often represented as an
average
provides a means of
collecting evidence of
student mastery of the may not represent an
content standards adequate pictures of a
provides a photo album of student’s growth or
student progress through progress towards the
which we can observe a learning goals
student’s growth
Formative
Assessment

Summative
Assessment
 Please tell me...
…how do I get to your
house?
In order to give
directions “to” a place,
you must know “from”
where one is coming
How do
you
know?
 Assessment Formats
• Selected Response
• Constructed Response
• Performance Assessment
• Informal and Self-Assessment

Adapted from Marzano, Stiggins, UbD

Classroom Assessment Strategies
Selected Constructed Performance Informal
Response Response Assessment Assessment

• Multiple • Fill-in-the- • Presentation • Oral

Choice blank (words, • Movement questioning
• True-False phrases) • Science lab • Observation
• Matching • Essay • Athletic skill • Interview
• Short answer • Dramatization • Conference
(sentences, • Enactment • Process
paragraphs) • Project description
• Diagram • Debate • Checklist
• Web • Model • Rating scale
• Concept Map • Exhibition • Journal
• Flowchart • Recital sharing
• Graph • Song • Thinking aloud
• Table a process
• Matrix • Student self-
• Illustration assessment
• Peer review
 Group Assessment Formats
You will make a group presentation on one of the four
assessment formats on a piece of chart paper. It will be
graded as follows:

• /2pts At the top, label the chart with the kind of assessment
your group is presenting.
• /4pts Divide the remaining paper into four sections, and
label them: Key points, Examples, Advantages (when is it
best used), Disadvantages (when is it not the best to use).
• /8pts For each of the 4 sections, give at least 2 supporting
items for that section.
• /3pts Make sure writing is large*, legible and grammatically
correct
• /2pts Poster is interesting, alluring with pertinent
artwork
Chart for Assessment Formats

Assessment Type
Key Points Examples

Advantages Disadvantages
Achievement Target Types

• Knowledge/Information
• Skills/Processes
• Thinking and Reasoning
• Communication

Adapted from Marzano

 Knowledge and Skills

Facts
Skills
Concepts
Procedures
Generalizations
Processes
Rules, laws, procedures

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
(declarative) (procedural)
 Thinking and Reasoning
• Comparison and • Deduction
contrast • Experimental
• Analysis of inquiry
relationships • Investigation
• Classification • Problem solving
• Argumentation • Decision making
• Induction
-Marzano
Communication
 Critical Filters
What type of evidence is required to assess the
standard? (e.g., recall of knowledge, understanding
of content, ability to demonstrate process, thinking,
reasoning, or communication skills)
What assessment method will provide the type of
evidence needed?
Will the task (assessment method) provide enough
evidence to determine whether students have met
the standard?
Is the task developmentally appropriate?
Will the assessment provide students with various
options for showing what they know?
 Matching Assessments with
Standards
ASSESSMENT FORMAT

ACHIEVEMENT Selected Constructed Performance Informal & Self-

TARGET Response Response Tasks Assessment

Knowledge/ Can assess mastery Not a good choice for Teacher can ask
Short answers allow
Informational of specific elements this target; other questions, evaluate
students to apply
of content options preferred answers, and infer
content knowledge
knowledge mastery; but this may not
Skills/Processes be time-efficient

Thinking and
Reasoning

Communication

Other:
 Matching Assessments with Standards
ASSESSMENT FORMAT

ACHIEVEMENT Selected Constructed Performance Informal & Self-

TARGET Response Response Tasks Assessment

Knowledge/ Teacher can ask questions,

Can assess mastery of Short answers allow Not a good choice for
evaluate answers, and infer
Informational specific elements of students to apply this target; other
mastery; but this may not
content knowledge content knowledge options preferred
be time-efficient

Skills/Process Can assess under-

Not a good choice for Can observe and Can be a strong match
standing of the steps of
this target; other evaluate skills as they
a process, but not a
options preferred. are being performed
good choice for
evaluating most skills
Thinking and Written descriptions of Can watch students solve Can ask students to “think
Can assess application
Reasoning complex problem solutions some problems or examine aloud” or can ask follow-
of some patterns of
can provide insight into some products and infer up questions to probe
reasoning
reasoning proficiency. reasoning proficiency reasoning

Communication Not a good choice for Not a good choice for Can observe and Strong match with
this target; other this target; other evaluate oral & written some communication
options preferred options preferred communication portions skills, especially oral
of performance tasks. communication

Other:

-Adapted from Marzano and Stiggins

How to Make Great
Assessments
Multiple (Guess) Choice
Essay/Free Response
Portfolio
Learning Logs & Journals
Performance Tasks
 Small group discussion:
What has to happen?
• If you know what a student must
understand, how do you check to see if that
student understands?
• What evidence will you use to evaluate the
level of understanding?
• What will you do in your classroom based
on the evidence you collect?
 Alternative vs Authentic
Assessment
What have you heard? What do you want to know?
Authentic Assessment: GRASPS

G Real-world GOAL
R Real-world ROLE
A Real-world Audience
S Real-world Situation
P Real-world Products or Performances
S Standards
A Sample G.R.A.S.P.S Culminating Project
You are a member of a team of scientists
investigation deforestation of the Amazon rain
forest.
You are responsible for gathering scientific data
(including such visual evidence as photographs)
and producing a scientific report in which you
summarize current conditions, possible future
trends, and their implications for both the
Amazon itself and its broader influence on our
planet.
Your report, which you will present to a United
Nations subcommittee, should include detailed
and fully-supported recommendations for an
action plan which are clear and complete.
RUBRICS
What are they?
Why use them?
When use them?
A rubric is a set of rules that
• Shows levels of quality
• Communicates standards
• Tells students expectations for assessment
task
• Is NOT a checklist (yes or no answers)
• Includes dimensions (criteria), indicators
and a rating scale.
Advantages of Using a Rubric

• Lowers students’ anxiety about what is

expected of them
• Provides specific feedback about the
quality of their work
• Provides a way to communicate
expectations and progress
• Ensures all student work is judged by the
same standard
• Disengages the “halo” effect and its
reverse
• Leads students toward quality work.
 Basic Rubric Template
Scale

Criteria

Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator

Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator

Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator

 Ugly Rubrics
• Too wordy so that no one can understand
the dimensions or indicators, let alone use
them for a fair grade
• Checklists – Have it, don’t have it
• Judge each work against other items of
work
• Judge the wrong thing so student can just
jump through hoops to get a good grade.
 Good Rubrics
• Are tools
• Show level of quality of a performance or
task
• Communicate standards clearly and
specifically (students can calculate grade)
• Are given to students to set expectations
• Show what to avoid and addresses
misconceptions
• Are consistent and reliable
• Use content that matches standards and
instructional emphasis
 Characteristics of Exemplary
Assessment
• Emphasizes learning process as well as product
• Requires active construction of meaning
• Assesses interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary
skills
• Helps students self monitor
• Gives specific expectations for students
• Emphasizes the application and use of
knowledge
• Has meaning and relevance to students
• Emphasizes complex skills
• Makes standards public and known in advance
 How did I do?

Column 1 Column 2

Write down when I modeled

this type of assessment.
Write down the
different types of
assessments that we
discussed during
this strand.
 Put it into Practice

Backwards Design and Unpacking

the standards
 Standards Based Education
Model
Stage 1
Identify Desired Results
(one or more)
(Big Ideas) Enduring Understandings 
Standards
Essential Questions 

Above, plus Skills and Knowledge

Elements
GPS
 Big Ideas
• What are the big ideas and core processes at
the heart of this standard?
• What do I want to concentrate on and
emphasize in this unit?
 Looking for Big Ideas
• Big Ideas are key concepts. Look for ideas
in key terms found in the standards.
 You Know It’s a Big Idea If…
· It is important for students to remember 10
years from now
· It is a phrase or few words
· It can be underlined from part of the
standard
· It is addressed in more than one standard or
unit
· Students can continue to uncover it’s
relevance in the real world
 Enduring Understandings:
Overarching and Topical—Need
Both!
• Overarching: More abstract and
general; relate to many units of
study
• Topical: More specific; related to a
single unit
 Enduring Understandings:
Format
• NO: “Students will understand rocks.

• NO: “Students will know how to classify

rocks
• NO: “Explain how to classify rocks.”

• YES: “Students will understand that rocks

are classified according to properties that
you can observe and/or test.
 You know it’s an Enduring
Understanding If…
· It begins “The student will understand
that…”
· It is overarching (relating to multiple
themes)
Enduring Understandings: Bad to
Best
“Students will understand the cell.”
– Bad: what should they understand?

“Students will understand the organelles of the

cell.”
– Better: narrows the focus but still does not state what insights we
want students to leave with.
“Students will understand that organelles are
structures in the cell and have specific
functions.
– Best: Summarizes intended insight, helps students and teachers
realize what types of learning activities are needed to support the
understanding.
Resources for Enduring Understandings
• Remember that the Georgia Performance Standards
in Science were based on Benchmarks for Science
Literacy and National Science Education
Standards. Both of these books provide the
guidelines of what a student should understand. If
you are unsure of the depth of understanding or
want further clarification, you can refer to either of
these for help.

• Benchmarks for Science Literacy On-line:

http://www.project2061.org/tools/benchol/bolintro.htm

• National Science Education Standards On-line:

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/
Developing Essential Questions
Essential Questions:
• Are open-ended and/or topic-related
• Examine how (process) and/or why (cause
and effect)
• Consider various levels in Bloom’s
taxonomy
• Use language appropriate to students
• Can be used as organizers for the unit
• Should be shared with other teachers
From Understandings to Questions
S7L3. Students will recognize how biological
traits are passed on to successive generations.
• Students will understand that genes are the basic
unit of heredity. There is a process of inheriting
traits or characteristics from parents to offspring
through genes.
-- Essential Question: How are characteristics of
living things passed on through generations?
From Understandings to Questions
SB2. Students will analyze how biological traits
are passed on to successive generations.
b. Explain the role of DNA in storing and transmitting
cellular information.
• Students understand that…
¨ DNA is responsible for storing the information needed
for cell reproduction and survival.
• Essential Question: Why is DNA a critical
component to modern biology?
What Students Should Know and

Begroups
• Work in small Ablenot tomore
Do than 3.
• Choose a standard and element(s) to
unpack.
• Determine the big ideas, enduring
understandings and essential questions key
for understanding that standard.
• Pick an understanding and write various
assessments that a teacher could use to find
evidence of the student’s understanding.
“Unpacking is an
ongoing and continual
dialogue.” John Brown, ASCD
 Testing Resources
Georgia Department of Education—Testing
 http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/index.asp
Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)
– http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/crct.asp
End of Course Test (EOCT)
– http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/eoct.asp
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
– http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/naep.asp
Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT)
– http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/ghsgt.asp
 Web Resources
• Alternative Strategies for Science Teaching and Assessment:
http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/support/strategy.html
• Forms of Alternative Assessment:
http://www.miamisci.org/ph/lpdefine.html
• Bloom’s Taxonomy:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm
• Relationship Between Formative & Summative Assessment:
http://books.nap.edu/html/classroom_assessment/ch4.html
• Assessment Matters:
http://members.tripod.com/~ozpk/assess.html