Developing Pre and Post Assessments

A Step by Step Guide for TeachersInformation from the WSWHE BOCES Assessment Development

Workshop Presented August 23, 2012 by Katie Jones and Christine Barry

1. Giving an assessment of student skills at the start of any course is good practice.

2. Information from assessments should guide our instructional practice - do some students need a concept retaught before progressing to the next topic?

3. The pre-assessment scores will be used as a baseline for teachers SLOs that measure student growth.

4. Assessments ensure that our students have mastered the information and skills that have been taught.

Why do we need assessments?

Pre and Post Assessments are needed for each grade/subject covered by an SLO.

The Regional Assessment Forum will provide all pre- and post- assessments except in the areas of: Secondary Math, Secondary Science, Secondary Social Studies, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, Agriculture, Health, and Technology.

The subjects listed above will need to develop their own pre- assessments. Information on post-assessments will be provided during the school year.

In What Subjects/Grades are Pre and Post Assessments Needed?

1. Determine the PRIORITY content for your course. What content is essential for students to master?

2. Select the best type of assessment tools to measure this learning. Multiple choice? Short Answer? Performance?

3. Develop test items to match your content priorities taking care to avoid copyright infringement.

4. Review your assessment with others to ensure validity and reliability.

5. Submit assessment, professional agreement, and validity/reliability form to the Curriculum Office prior to administering your assessment.

Recipe for Pre-Test Development

If a Regents is given as part of your course, obtain the Regents priority content chart from Kate to determine what content should be included.

If no Regents is provided, work from your content standards and common core standards to identify priority content.

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.html#HPEFCS – NYS Standards Page

http://engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-standards/ - Common Core Standards

Step 1: Identifying Priority Content

See “Bloom’s Taxonomy Question and Task Design Wheel” on the Curriculum Webpage to identify key words to include in items to vary difficulty level.

Test format options include some or all of the following: ◦ Multiple Choice◦ Constructed Response*◦ Performance Event*

*Starred item types require a grading rubric.

Step 2: Selecting Assessment Questions to Measure Priority Content

Multiple Choice Items –Ensure the stem is clear and concise, and response options are consistent, plausible, and includes one correct/best answer. See Curriculum Webpage Multiple Choice Guidelines.

Ensure the item set has a balance of difficulty, and the items are independent of each other.

Expect students will need 2 minutes per multiple choice item. ◦ Information paraphrased from the ETS Multiple Choice

Guidelines and BOCES RAD Assessment Development Powerpoint

Multiple Choice Questions

When selecting a performance event, will the event be administered individually or as a group? How much time will be needed to administer?

When asking students to read text from sources and write constructed responses, ensure the text is not copyright protected, or obtain permission to use the text from the author.

Develop a rubric so that an unfamiliar teacher may grade these responses.

Constructed Response and Performance Events

Will the rubric be analytic or holistic, or task specific vs. general (Arter and Chappuis, 2006).

Excellent rubrics are: continuous, parallel, highly descriptive, and coherent (www.pals.sri/com/guide/scoringdetail.html).

If your subject area has a rubric used to grade Regents exams, consider using the Regents rubric for scoring your constructed response or performance items.

Rubrics may be developed and stored online at www.Rubistar4teachers.org

Rubric Guidelines

Use item map template (on curriculum page) to ensure all content standards are included, and list the correct answer and points for scoring.

Ensure that text, maps, and any other stimulus material is not copyright protected, or gain permission for use. For public domain resources, go to http://www.wswheboces.org/SSS.cfm?subpage=596 or http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/home

3. Develop Test Items

Use the Assessment Development Process Form (on the curriculum webpage) to track the development and review of your assessment.

Work with your colleagues to have others read your assessment and your scoring rubrics to improve validity. Is every priority standard measured?

If possible, have multiple individuals practice scoring a sample with your developed rubric to ensure reliability.

4. Ensure validity and reliability.

Blank Professional Agreement form may be found on the curriculum webpage, and available in the curriculum office.

Include your “Assessment Development” form and “Evidence of Rigor” Certificate with your packet.

5. Hand a copy of your assessment and rubrics into the curriculum office.

If test accommodations are needed, sign up for a time slot in the CSE office for support to administer your assessment.

Administer, Score, and Input pre-test scores in your SLO!

6. Schedule a time to Administer your Pre-Assessment!