KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION COLLEGE OF EDUCATION I. Course Description Title: EDU 523 Assessment: Issues and Concerns for Educators 3 c. h., 3 s. h With the current emphasis on accountability and data-driven instruction, this course will provide in-service teachers the opportunity to study an area of personal relevance to their classroom and school/institution. It will emphasize the critical role of assessment in the instructional process and the importance of using valid assessments to guide and influence instruction. In keeping with Kutztown s model of teacher as lifelong learner, the course is structured to provide pedagogical foundations, demonstrate various strategies, and examine exemplary materials for use in professional teaching and classroom implementation. II. Rationale There are many stakeholders in the education arena especially when considering the assessment and evaluation process. Teachers, students, parents, administrators, along with district, state, federal, and international institutions are of varying degrees are all interested in the results. It is imperative that instructional leaders know how to effectively incorporate sound assessment procedures in the classroom. This is critical as evaluation processes and activities are now impacting most, if not all, of the curricular decisions of the school. As learning communities work toward developing new instructional delivery systems, the assessment program must also reflect current research about learning and evaluation of the learner. Product oriented materials, such as standardized tests scores and traditional forms of tests, are sources that provide authentic numbers that reflect achievement. However, with the emphasis on process learning, new methods and strategies must be employed in the evaluation of students. This expanded approach to assessment will enhance instruction and improve student learning. 1
III. Course Objectives Upon the successful completion of this course, the learner should be able to: 1. Analyze the historical, social and legal context of assessment as it relates to our educational system. 2. Identify the problems, advantages, and applications that the assessment process provides for parents, pupils, teachers, and administrators. 3. Apply the essential elements of validity and reliability to specific assessment procedures and the broader instructional-assessment relation. 4. Specify appropriate methods for relating testing and non-testing procedures to specific learning outcomes as stated in performance objective. 5. Identify the various formats of assessment and their appropriate use for making educational decisions. 6. Explain and apply basic statistical concepts and procedures of test interpretation, including the following: raw scores, age, grade, percentile norms, z-scores, T-scores, stanines, mean, median and mode. 7. Identify and evaluate the data-driven instructional strategies employed by various school districts. 8. Utilize and apply the Pennsylvania Department of Education s Standards Aligned System (SAS) to support student achievement. 9. Articulate personal values, beliefs and perceptions regarding assessment and evaluation. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION A combination of lectures, class discussion, class debates and personal exploration will be used to meet the objectives of this course. IV. Assessment Assessment of student achievement with reference to course objectives will be based on the following: 1. Three one-page reaction papers on the role of assessment in the education process 2
2. Creation of various assessment formats and evaluation instruments related to grade and courses. 3. Participation in class discussions and debates 4. Two reflection papers on personal philosophy toward assessment 5. Research project and presentation on the use and application of standardized assessments 6. Presentation on application of data-driven instruction V. Course Outline A. The role of assessment in the instructional process 1. Definitions of assessment from various citations 2. Tests, measurements and evaluation definitions 3. Basic principles of assessment 4. Types and use of testing and evaluation. B. The social context of assessment in the educational system 1. Historical underpinnings 2. Federal legislation 3. National, State and Local curriculum C. Validity and Reliability 1. Considerations in assessment validity 2. Correlations 3. Nature of reliability 4. Standard error of measurement D. Assessment formats and categories 1. Planning a valid assessment 2. Selecting appropriate assessment or evaluative types a. Formative, summative, diagnostic b. Formal vs. informal 3. Considerations of relevant items and tasks E. Planning and Construction of an Objective Classroom Assessment 1. Characteristics of Simple forms a. short answer, true or false, matching 2. Characteristics of Multiple Choice F. Planning and Construction of an Subjective Classroom Assessment 1. Characteristics of Essay questions a. Restricted response or Extended response 2. Characteristics of Performance-based assessments 3. Selecting appropriate scoring instruments a. Rubrics, rating scales or checklists 3
G. Data-Driven Instruction 1. Definition and attributes of data-driven instruction 2. The role of data in the educational system H. Data tools in PDE s Standard Aligned System (SAS) 1. Elements of the SAS 2. Effective application of SAS tools for student achievement I. Standardized Assessments 1. Characteristics of achievement assessments 2. The creation and marketing of standardized assessments 3. Identifying and utilization of standardized assessments J. Personal Values and Beliefs toward Assessment 1. Identifying personal bias toward assessment 2. Articulate individual philosophy of the assessment process Instructional Resources Airasian, P.W. & Russell, M.K. (2008). Classroom assessment: Concepts and applications. NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Brookhart, S. (2010). How to assess higher-order thinking skill in your classroom. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Brookhart, S. (2004). Grading. Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Burke, K. (1994). The mindful school: How to assess authentic learning. Palatine, IL: IRI/Skylight Training and Publishing, Inc. California Mathematics Council. (1996). Constructive assessment in mathematics. San Diego, CA: California Mathematics Council. Dick, W., & Carey, L. (1990). The systematic design of instruction, 3rd ed. Harper Collins. Farr, R., & Tone, B. (1994). Portfolio and performance assessment: Helping students evaluate their progress as readers and writers. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. Griffin, P., Smith, P., & Burrill, L. (1995). The American literacy profile scales: A framework for authentic assessment. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Gronlund, N.E. (2006). Assessment of Student Achievement. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 4
Guskey, T. (1996). Communicating student learning: ASCD year book 1996. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Isaac, S. & Michael, W. (1990). Handbook in research and evaluation, 2nd ed. San Diego, CA: EdITS Publishers. Kubiszyn, T. & Borich, G. (1993). Educational testing and measurement: Classroom application and practice, 4th ed. NY: Harper Collins. Meisels, S., Harrington, H, McMahon, P., Dichtelmiller, M, & Jablon, J. (2002) Thinking like a teacher: Using observational assessment to improve teaching and learning. Allyn & Bacon, Boston. Miller, D.M., Linn, R.L. & Gronlund, N.E. (2009). Measurement and assessment in teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Moss, C.M. & Brookhart, S.M. (2009). Advancing formative assessment in every classroom: A guide for instructional leaders. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Oosterhof, A. (2003). Developing and using classroom assessments. Person Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Payne, D. (2003). Applied educational assessment, 2 nd ed. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, Belmont, CA. Popham, W.J. (2008). Transformative assessment. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Popham, W.J. (2005). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know, 4 th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Rhodes, L. (1993). Literacy assessment: A handbook of instruments. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Stiggins, R.J. (2008). An introduction to student-involved assessment FOR learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Tchudi, S. (1991). Planning and assessing the curriculum in English language arts. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Webb, N. & Coxford, A. (1993). Assessment in the mathematics classroom. Reston, VA: NCTM. Wollman-Bonilla, J. (1991). Response journals. NY: Scholastic Professional Books. 5