Criteria for Valid Assessment Items

1. Criteria for Valid Assessment Items Assessment items can tell us if a student understands a GLCE only if the items meet certain criteria:

2. Does the content of the item match the content of the GLCE? Is the content both necessary and sufficient for answering the question?

3. Content Match? N.ME.03.16 – Understand that fractions may represent a portion of a whole unit that has been partitioned [divided, cut] into parts of equal area or length; use the terms “numerator” and “denominator.” What is the fraction for the shaded part of this set? a. 3/8 b. 3/4 c. 3/7

4. 2. Does the performance required by the item match the verb(s) and domain of the GLCE? Does the method used by the item (m.c. or c.r.) align with the performance indicated by the GLCE?

5. Performance Match? Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. 4.OA.5 Fill in the missing numbers below that will complete the number pattern and describe the rule. 2, 4, ____, 16, ____, 64, ____

6. Performance Match? Measure surface area of cubes and rectangular prisms by covering and countingarea of the faces. M.TE.04.04 John has a cube, 3 inches on each side. What is its surface area? a. 54 in3 b. 27 in3 c. 54 in2 d. 36 in2 Techniques and formulas for measurement (TE) Problem solving involving measurement (PS)

7. Performance Match? Identify, describe, build and classify familiar three-dimensional solids, e.g., cube, rectangular prism, sphere, pyramid, cone, based on their component parts (faces, surfaces, bases, edges, vertices). G.GS.03.06 How many vertices are in the cube? • 8 vertices b. 6 vertices c. 12 vertices

8. 3. Are there no alternative approaches to solving the problem that bi-pass the knowledge implied by the GLCE? Explain example of heat (thermal energy) transfer • A thermometer shows that the outside air temperature is colder than the temperature at which water turns to ice. However, ice on the sidewalk melts. • What probably caused this? • The air heating the sidewalk • The sidewalk reflecting sunlight into the air • The wind causing the ice on the sidewalk to melt • The sunlight making the sidewalk warmer than the air

9. 4. Is knowledge of the goal sufficient for answering the item? Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities 3.OA.3 Mrs. Johnson’s class of 30 students had a pizza party. Ten pizzas were cut into 8 equal pieces. After each student took 2 pieces, how many pizzas were left? a. 20/80 b. 20/30 c. 2 d. 2 1/2

10. 5. Can the item be solved by test-wiseness rather than by knowing the GLCE? Farmers often need to water their corn crops. Which of the following is NOT a source of water for the farmer’s crop of corn? • A slow moving river • Freshwater from a lake • Underground water • A swimming pool

11. 6. Are the foils appropriate and probing of potential misconceptions? To keep a heavy box sliding across a carpeted floor at constant speed, a person must continually exert a force on the box. This force is used primarily to overcome which of the following forces? • Air resistance • The weight of the box • The frictional force exerted by the floor on the box • The gravitational force exerted by the Earth on the box

12. 6 cm 12 cm 7. Is the context appropriate and engaging, but not misleading, distracting or culturally-biased? What is the perimeter of this rectangle? a. 18 cm b. 30 cm c. 36 cm d. 72 cm OR Sally wants to put a wallpaper border all the way around her room. Her room is a rectangle. She measures the sides of her room and finds that the short side is 6 feet and the long side is 12 feet. How many feet of wallpaper border will she need? a. 18 ft b. 30 ft c. 36 ft d. 72 ft

13. What context would be appropriate, but not overwhelming? What is the range and median number for this set of data? {2, 2, 3, 5, 10, 10, 12} a. range is 7, median is 5 b. range is 7, median is 6 c. range is 10, median is 7 d. range is 10, median is 5

14. Distracting context? Bobby bought 3 3/5 ice cream cones. Jose bought 5 1/3 ice cream cones. How many ice cream cones did they buy together?a.  8 6/8 ice cream conesb.  8 3/4 ice cream conesc.  9 1/15 ice cream conesd.  8 14/15 ice cream cones

15. Content MatchPerformance MatchNo Alternative Approaches Learning Goal is SufficientNot Solvable with Test-wisenessFoils HelpfulContext Appropriate

16. Use of Constructed Response When people buy groceries, they may have their groceries packed in plastic bags, paper bags, or cloth bags they bring with them. Which type of grocery bag is best to use to help protect the environment? • Plastic • Paper • Cloth Explain why your choice helps protect the environment.

17. Two identical cups contain water at 30°C. Cup A contains 20 grams (g) of water, and Cup B contains 40 grams of water, as shown in the diagram below. Which cup of water will release more thermal energy when it is allowed to reach the room temperature of 25°C? • Cup A • Cup B • Both cups will release the same amount of thermal energy. Explain your reasoning.

18. Scaffolded Items How much bigger is the large rectangular region than the small one? My estimate is _________________. Use a ruler to measure the sides of each rectangle. Write the numbers next to the sides of the rectangles. What is the area of each? Write it inside the rectangle. How much bigger is the large rectangle?______________________.

19. Issues • Many good problems require synthesis of knowledge and skills from more than one GLCE. • The level of difficulty, or depth of reasoning, is not addressed. • Others?