District Assessment Program

Transcription

1 In order to provide a well-balanced view of students individual growth, the district uses multiple measures to assess student progress toward specific learning goals, analyze student areas of strength and challenge, and make powerful teaching decisions. To this end, teachers use a variety of formal and informal assessment techniques on a continuous basis. This ongoing authentic assessment provides a comprehensive portrait of a students academic development. Teachers use this assessment data to determine their students overall performance during the course of a marking period, which translates into a grade (or stage of development in the primary grades). The chart below represents many of the assessment tools/strategies that are utilized in the. General Assessments Tools and Strategies: Tool/Strategy Anecdotal Records Checklists Conferences Interviews/Surveys Math Windows Description This structure organizes data, notes, etc. that summarize and keep track of students performances, attitudes, and habits. A checklist is constructed to target skills and provide a systematic record for each student s performance. This checklist may list behaviors, skills or perceptions, and may have point values assigned to specific behaviors being assessed. This procedure involves both structured and non-structured meetings between teacher and student. Conference time can be used for sharing and discussing student work, providing minilessons on a particular skill, or assessing students progress on a particular task. The teacher and student interact in a dialogue about the concept being explored using a predetermined set of criteria. Math Windows are four-pane instructional tools developed by the district to reinforce or preview mathematical concept. Teachers receive monthly templates which can be differentiated to meet the needs of various students. After students have had repeated exposure/practice with the skills in each Window, the Math Windows can be used as an assessment to inform instruction.

2 Models Tool/Strategy Observations Open-ended Response Oral Presentations or Demonstrations Portfolio Problem Based Investigations Project/Performance Tasks Questioning District Assessment Program Description Using various materials, students will create models either individually or cooperatively, using a predetermined set of criteria to demonstrate understanding of concepts. The teacher observes students in a learning situation, checks for evidence of understanding, and analyzes the information so that instructional decisions can be made. An open-ended problem is posed in which the student is given a situation and is asked to write a response. This strategy requires the student to demonstrate his/her understanding of the process and the solution. This written response is evaluated according to a predetermined set of criteria. Presentations provide students with opportunities to demonstrate understanding of key concepts. These can be formal or informal, and involve using a rubric or checklist reflecting criteria being assessed. This structure includes collections of an individual student s work gathered over a period of time to present a picture of each student s performance and progress. Portfolios may include pieces of writing, responses to reading, self-reflections, checklists, rubrics, etc. A problem is posed which has multiple solutions. Students develop appropriate methods to solve the problem. They may work individually or within a group. The teacher can observe, question, or interview students as they work. Students are expected to generate a product, such as a drawing, display, model, table, graph, or written explanation. This product is shared upon completion of the investigation. A specific task is assigned or developed with students to apply concepts or acquire knowledge using a predetermined set of criteria. Students may work individually or in a group. Examples of project/performance tasks include creating posters, reports, book projects, speeches, plays, etc. Questions are asked to evaluate students thinking and reasoning. The questions must require students to explain key concepts and support their reasoning.

3 Tool/Strategy Retellings Rubric Running Records Tests Work Samples District Assessment Program Description This assessment tool involves students recalling what they remember either orally or in writing, following a reading or listening activity. Retellings give insights into student thinking, organization, use of literary language and general understanding of text as well as the message of the author. Also referred to as a rating scale, this procedure provides a set of clear guidelines or acceptable responses for the completion of a task to which a score point is assigned. Unlike checklists, rubrics describe the overall quality of student work at each of several score points. The rubric is a shorthand reminder of the essential characteristics of each level of quality. Rubrics can be effectively used to assess most areas of development as well as to model appropriate behaviors. Rubrics can be developed with the students or shared before the assignment so that students are clearly aware of the objectives to be met. In this individually-administered assessment, students read a sample of text (usually between words) and teachers record their performance, using Marie Clay s note-taking conventions. All miscues and self-corrections are recorded. Teaches use the running records to assess a student s reading level and to get a picture of the kinds of strategies students employ or neglect when they read. Running Records are further analyzed using a miscue analysis to identify patterns of error and plan instruction. The following tests/quizzes may be used to assess student learning: Appropriate teacher-made tests Student-made tests Designated tests/quizzes accompanying adopted programs (e.g., Math in Focus Assessments, Open Responses, etc.) These include journal entries, pictorial records of tasks completed, lab reports, data conclusions, analysis, etc.

4 District-Wide Assessments* Benchmark Reading Assessment Creative Curriculum Gold Assessment District Writing Sample DRA2 The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Reading Assessment is an individually-administered literacy assessment. It consists of a number of leveled texts in both the fiction and nonfiction genres. Teachers evaluate a student's reading accuracy and fluency and then have a "comprehension conversation" with the student to assess their reading comprehension. Three areas of comprehension are scored: Within the Text, Beyond the Text, and About the Text. The teacher then determines the student's instructional reading level based on their accuracy and comprehension scores. Teachers can then use this information to inform their instruction including referring to a continuum that outlines what a student needs to be able to do at a specific level prior to moving up to the next level of difficulty. The Benchmark is used by grade 1-5 teachers, as well as special education teachers in grades 6-8. Gold is an authentic, ongoing online observational system for assessing preschool students. It is based on 38 research-based objectives that are part of the Creative Curriculum program. It is aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, NJ Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. The system includes special features including research summaries, progressions of development and learning, online portfolios, and state-of-the art reports. Students in grades 3-8 are given two reading passages, along with a response-to-reading prompt to which they must respond in a designated time period. This assessment requires the students to demonstrate their reading comprehension and general proficiency in writing, while utilizing text evidence. The writing sample is evaluated according to the condensed scoring rubric. This assessment is used to inform instruction, while also giving students experience in a tested situation prior to PARCC Assessment. The Developmental Reading Assessment consists of a number of leveled texts and scripted comprehension and reading interest questions for teachers to use to assess a student s reading level and process. An important piece of the DRA is the continuum of reading behaviors it outlines. The DRA is used in the district by kindergarten teachers in the winter and spring. This assessment is also utilized for entry/exit into supplemental literacy groups and may also be recommended for I & RS purposes.

5 Hearing Sounds in Words Literacy & Mathematical Tasks Nonfiction Literacy Assessment Mid- and End-of-Year Math Assessments Specialized Assessments Teachers College Reading Assessment This subtest of Marie Clay s Observation Survey is a group administered dictation task given in September to first grade students. Students are scored individually based on the number of correct corresponding sounds they write. Information regarding beginning concepts about print (spacing, word concept, letter formation) as well as encoding concepts (how accurately students can spell or represent the sounds they hear) is gathered as a baseline for both Word Study and Writing instruction. Developmentally appropriate assessment tasks in the area of literacy and mathematics are utilized at key intervals during kindergarten to determine students acquisition of knowledge in relation to early literacy and mathematical concepts (e.g., Letter and Number Identification). The Non-Fiction Literacy Assessment is a group administered assessment that requires students to read appropriately leveled texts and then respond to document-based comprehension questions about the text. Additionally, students are required to write an essay that demonstrates comprehension, analysis and synthesis of the ideas presented. The Mid- and End-of-Year Math Assessments are specifically designed to align with the instructional program, Math in Focus. The assessments at each grade level are cumulative and include multiple choice, short answer, and extended response items. These assessments are used at all grade levels, 1-8, throughout the district. Kindergarten utilizes only an end-of-year math assessment. The district uses additional assessment tools for entry and exit from specialized services that are needed to address individual student needs, such as Supplemental Reading and/or Math Support, Reading Recovery, Special Education, Gifted and Talented, etc. The Teachers College Reading Assessments are informal reading inventories for narrative text which correlate to the Fountas and Pinnell system for leveling books. These assessments are utilized where needed at middle school to determine growth in independent reading ability. In order to determine a student s independent reading level, three factors are assessed: Accuracy and self corrections Comprehension Fluency and Expression

6 Words Their Way Developmental Spelling Inventory (DSI) Writing Portfolio District Assessment Program Spelling inventories consist of lists of words specially chosen to represent a variety of spelling features or patterns at increasing levels of difficulty. The words and the inventories are designed to assess students knowledge of key spelling features that relate to different spelling stages of development. The DSI is used in the district in Grades 1-8 to get a picture of student spelling development, and as a basis for word study instruction. In grades K-8, there are three required writing units of study: narrative, opinion/persuasive, and informational. Each unit includes multiple opportunities for writing within the genre and are utilized to document progress and plan for instruction within and beyond the unit. Teachers are encouraged to keep a writing portfolio to demonstrate growth throughout the school year. In grades 2-8, each unit of study includes a pre and post writing task. These tasks require the student to demonstrate his/her general proficiencies in writing in each of the genres. The post writing task is evaluated according to the NJ Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric. Special education teachers in grades 2-8 will annually report scores for post writing tasks in Genesis and IEP Direct in an effort to document growth throughout the year. *Primarily literacy and math district-wide assessments are defined in the above table. Additional common assessments are administered throughout the course of the school year in various related arts and specialty areas district-wide.

7 Standardized Assessments: PARCC Assessment Algebra & Geometry PARCC Assessments NJASK APA/DLM The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a consortium of states that developed assessments to measure student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The PARCC assessments are based on the learning standards contained in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for grades 3-8 and high school. These new state-mandated 21st Century assessments are computerbased to make use of innovative technology. The PARCC test is administered annually usually in April or May. The Algebra and Geometry PARCC Assessments are alternatives to the regular grade 8 math portion of the PARCC assessment for students who have completed the high school level of Algebra I and Geometry at middle school. The New Jersey Assessment of skills and Knowledge is a state-mandated annual assessment administered to all students in grades 4 & 8. Assessments are designed to evaluate student proficiency in meeting the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) in the area of Science. The Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA) is a portfolio based assessment that measures achievement of the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) specifically designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The APA will be used to demonstrate a student s performance of knowledge and skills in the science content area at grades 4 and 8. The Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) is the on-line alternate assessment companion to the new PARCC assessment. Similar to the PARCC assessments, the DLM assesses the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics. The DLM utilizes Essential Elements to reflect the CCSS at an appropriate level for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

8 CogATs SAGES IAAT The Cognitive Abilities Tests are nationally-normed assessments administered in grades 3, 5, and 7 annually. These tests measure a students aptitude in the areas of verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning and are typically administered in March. The SAGES-2 (Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Middle School Students- Second Edition) is a group-administered assessment used to identify students who should be formally screened for eligibility in the district's Tier III Gifted and Talented program. This assessment is administered to all sixth grade students in the fall and all second grade students typically in March. The SAGES-2 consists of three subtests: Mathematics/Science, Language Arts/Social Studies, and Reasoning. The items on the subtests are presented in either a multiple choice or analogy format. The Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test is administered to students in seventh grade to assess their readiness for Algebra I. It is designed and developed according to NCTM standards and includes four parts: Pre-Algebraic Number Skills and Concepts, Interpreting Mathematical Information, Representing Relationships and Using Symbols.