Assessing Student Knowledge: Going to the Next Level

1. Assessing Student Knowledge:Going to the Next Level

2. Knowledge Network of Experiences  Social Studies Idea Meaningful Social Studies instruction, “enables individuals to personally explain relationships and decide how to encounter social events in ways that are consistent with their values and those of their culture…memorizing facts does not encourage students to find meaning in what they are learning, nor does it help them make and test decisions.” Sunal & Hass. A Constructivist Approach to Social Studies, 2005

3. How to Evaluate and Create Quality Assessment Items • This training will introduce the basics of aligning and evaluating assessment items. Using Blooms II and the research of James Popham, Hilda Taba and others, participants will learn how to align knowledge and cognitive levels and use them to identify and develop quality assessment items.

4. A Note about Test Banks • Not all test items are created equally • Socials Studies textbook test banks are predominantly (90%+)made up of lower level questions. • Why? • Most nationally produced banks are include a majority of lower level questions

6. Which of the following cognitive levels is best aligned to the learning objective below. 6.9B Identify problems and issues that may arise when one or more of the assessments that students receive is not aligned to the learning objective and explain how this might effect a student’s academic success. Identify explain • Remember • Understand • Apply • Analyze

7. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl

8. Assessment Alignment Read the TEKS SEs and Plot it on the taxonomy chart • Read the corresponding question, plot it, and then decide whether or not the assessment item is aligned to the TEKS SE.

9. 1.6A Identify and describe the physical characteristics of places such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather Identify and describe Identify and describe Physical Charac.

10. 1st Grade Assessment Item The picture shows a – • Plain • Valley • Mountain • Forest

11. 1.6A Identify and describe the physical characteristics of places such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather Identify and describe Identify and describe Physical Charac. ITEM

12. 3.2B Compare ways in which people in the local community and communities around the world meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation, over time and in the present Compare Compare Need Gov, Ed. Com., etc.

13. 3rd Grade Assessment Item • In 1900, people traveling far from • home could stay in touch with friends • using a __________, but after 1980, • they could use a __________. • A. computer; pay phone • B. newspaper; telegram • C. radio; walkie-talkie • D. telegram; cell phone

14. 3.2B Compare ways in which people in the local community and communities around the world meet their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation, over time and in the present Compare Compare ITEM Need Gov, Ed. Com., etc.

15. 5.6B Translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps. Geographic Data Translate Translate Geographic Data Translate

16. 5th Grade Assessment Item The elevation at the western edge of the Caspian Sea is below sea level. The elevation of the Himalayas is 4000 meters and above. Which map indicates this information? A. I B. II C. III D. IV

17. 5.6B Translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps. Geographic Data Translate Translate ITEM Geographic Data Translate

18. 6.3(B. pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for selected world regions and countries shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases Understand data Geographic distributions- regions Pose questions Geographic distributions- regions Pose questions Map, chart skills Pose questions

19. 6th Grade Assessment Item Which of the following is a question a geographer might ask about tea production in Sri Lanka to find information that is not on the map? A. How many oceans surround Sri Lanka? B. What other crops are grown in Sri Lanka? C. How far is Sri Lanka from the equator? D. What are the natural features of central Sri Lanka?

20. 6.3(B. pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for selected world regions and countries shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases Understand data ITEM Geographic distributions- regions Pose questions Geographic distributions- regions Pose questions Map, chart skills Pose questions

21. 8.4 A analyze causes of the American Revolution, including mercantilism and British economic policies following the French and Indian War Analyze causes: mercantilism

22. 8th Grade Assessment Item Which of the following was NOT part of the mercantilist policy of England? A. Regulating colonial trade by taxation B. Requiring colonial businesses to trade with England C. Increasing exports of manufactured goods to the colonies D. Decreasing use of natural resources from the colonies

23. 8.4 A analyze causes of the American Revolution, including mercantilism and British economic policies following the French and Indian War ITEM Analyze causes: mercantilism

24. WH1(D. explain the significance of the following dates: 1066, 1215, 1492, 1789, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945. Explain significance of date Sig. of date-assess

25. World History Assessment Item The events of 1914 to 1918 marked the first time in history that — A. the Western European nations fought as allies B. nations from five continents fought in a single conflict C. the United States took part in a war outside its territory D. nations forced men to fight by setting up military drafts

26. WH1(D. explain the significance of the following dates: 1066, 1215, 1492, 1789, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945. Explain significance of date Sig. of date-assess ITEM

27. Learning Objective: Blooms II • It is not important which taxonomy that you use but that you use one • If you do not know the knowledge and cognitive levels of your learning objective then you cannot effectively align your instruction, assessment and questioning to it L. Anderson, D. Krathwohl, Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, A: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, (2001..

28. Break

29. Determining Difficulty Level

30. Determining Difficulty Level • There are two different difficulty levels that we are looking at with any assessment item: • Cognitive Difficulty • Procedural Difficulty

31. Determining Difficulty Level Cognitive Difficulty • This is basically: How hard is question based on Blooms Taxonomy? • No question on a test should be above the level of the learning objective (TEKS SE) ** • It is OK to have questions that are lower **Unless you have a stated learning objective that has been clearly expressed to the students and taught.

32. Determining Difficulty Level Cognitive Difficulty • EASY • Remember • Understand • MEDIUM • Apply • Analyze • HARD • Evaluate • Create

35. Determining Difficulty Level Procedural Difficulty • This is basically: How many mental processing steps does the student have to go through to answer the question? • The greater the number of processing steps the higher the difficulty level

36. Determining Difficulty Level Procedural Difficulty • EASY • The item includes only the stem and the answer choices • MEDIUM • The item includes a graphic, short reading selection, map etc. (Stimulus piece) The student only has to interpret the stimulus or pull information from it to select the correct answer. • HARD • The item includes a graphic, short reading selection, map etc. (Stimulus piece) The student has to infer, analyze, summarize, etc. and apply that to the stem or answer choices to select the correct answer.

37. What does the student have to “do” to answer the question?

38. What does the student have to “do” to answer the question?

39. What does the student have to “do” to answer the question?

40. Specificity Difficulty • We DO NOT want to use specificity to increase the difficulty level of the question! 5.2(A) identify the contributions of significant individuals during the revolutionary period, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington; George Washington was in charge of which army during the American Revolution? • American, German, Chinese, Russian • Revolutionary, Continental, Virginia Regulars, American George Washington defeated the British in which battle that ended the Revolutionary War? • Yorktown, Saratoga, Trenton, Cowpens George Washington credited some of his ability to win the battle of Yorktown to his horse - • Faithful, Liberty, Constitution, Magnolia

41. Specificity Difficulty • Choices and Distracters 5.2(A) identify the contributions of significant individuals during the revolutionary period, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington; Thomas Jefferson wrote which important historical document - • Declaration of Independence, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Bible, Quran • Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Mayflower Compact, Gettysburg Address • Wall of separation letter, Manual of Military Practice, Constitution for Virginia, Virginia Resolutions of 1798

42. How to Evaluate and Create Quality Assessment Items • Questions

43. Question Alignment Application • Move to your grade level group • Read the selected student expectation • Create at least two appropriate questions that target the level of thinking required by the TEKS • Create one lower level question • Create one question at a higher level than the TEKS SE Page 1 & 2

44. Processing Info Each grade level will share their work

45. Social Studies Item Review Process • Paper work: • Read and fill out Oath of Test Security Form and return it to the coordinator.

46. Item Review: • Make any corrections or comments directly on the test. • Check to see if the item is properly aligned to COL for the units covered during this benchmark period. (Pacing Guide) • Check for content alignment

47. Item Review: • Check to make sure that the item TEKS SE is on the Blueprint • Check to see if the item is aligned to the TEKS SE. • Check for content alignment • If the TEKS SE is focused on content then be sure that the item tests that particular content.

48. Item Review: • Check to see if the item is aligned to the TEKS SE. • Check for alignment to the “verb” in the SE. • The item can test at a higher level than the verb, but not a lower level. • Check for skill alignment • If the TEKS SE is asking for a specific skill to be used make sure that that skill is what is being tested. • Some items will test both skills and content as is the case on TAKS. Again, check for alignment to the SE.

49. Item Review: • Check for correct answer on key. (Last Page) • Check for “Level” on the answer key. (If you have question please let me know. • Check for typos and grammar problems.

50. Item Review: • Check for “unreadable” graphics. • Check to make sure that graphics and reading selections are at the appropriate level. • Note: Formatting for all tests will follow TAKS social studies based on the 8th grade test.