What does Assessment mean to you?

Some Thoughts! Evaluation Measurement Classroom behavior Achievement Test Quizzes Grades Pass/Fail Accountability High Stakes Observations Diagnosis Portfolio Homework Standardized tests

What does Assessment mean to your students?TestsQuizzesCMTsCAPTSATs

Building Assessment into Instruction… Purpose of AssessmentMonitoring your teaching or instruction to

make instructional decisions

Monitoring student progress or to promote growth

Evaluating student achievement

Evaluating a mathematics program such as CMTs, CAPT, etc.

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Student AssessmentsCan be formal or informal butthe objective is always the same, that is to

gather information about how students are performing…

You will be data informed…if you do this

Assessments are formative or summative…

How do these assessments affect the students’ grade?Traditionally most likely only test and quizzes

count in the grade and perhaps a random check of homework

What Should Be Assessed?Concepts ProcessesDispositionsProcedures

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Mathematical Concepts or Big Ideas

A good assessment strategy will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate how they themselves understand the concepts in each content area under discussion………..

Algebra Numbers and Operations Geometry Measurement Data Analysis and Probability

Some good examples…MeasurementSheila emptied her piggy bank, wrapped her

coins, and put them in a bag to go to the bank. The bag weighed 20 pounds. How much money do you think Sheila had in coins?

You write on paper every day in school. If you were to box up all of the pieces of paper you’ve used since entering school, what fraction of the room do you think the boxes would fill?

A ball of dough is rolled out into a circle with a 12 inch diameter. How many cookies with a diameter of 2.5 inches can be made from this dough?

Mathematical Processes

Problem Solving

Student works at understanding a problem before beginning work Student uses drawings, graphs, and physical models to help solve problems Assesses the validity of answers –”makes sense”

Reasoning and Proof Student justifies solutions

Communication Student can explain their ideas in writing Student communicates their ideas clearly in class discussions

Connections Students can show purpose of activity

Representation Student can show multiple solutions

Mathematical DispositionsImportant to occasionally collect data on

students’ confidence and beliefs in their own mathematical abilities as well as likes and dislikes about mathematics

Perhaps, a math autobiography or self assessment

Mathematics ProceduresProcedural knowledge including skill

proficiency…For example, a student may be able to find a common denominator to add fractions but may have no idea why ?

They may have mastered the “rules” but cannot connect to meaning

If you change the “rules” then they cannot “do” because they have no conceptual understanding

How should Assessments be done? Test or QuizWhat is the purpose of the test or quiz?

Pretest or Posttest?Test or Quiz ConstructionPreparing itemsEnsuring Validity and ReliabilityScoring Student WorkIncluding Review ItemsLimitations to written tests or quizzes

Alternative or Authentic Assessment?JournalsOpen-ended Questions and RubricsIndividual and Team ProjectsObservations and Check ListsInterviewsSelf AssessmentPortfoliosWeb QuestPaper on history of ?

Any other thoughts?

Alternate AssessmentAssess student understanding by promoting

student discussionHow are students involved in the lesson

activity?How successful are they?

Include presentations and require that all students participate Ensure that all students take an active part in

the presentation

Alternate AssessmentInvolve students in the development of

rubricsInterview your studentsMake writing about math a routine not a

special occasionFind a way for your students to communicate

math outside of classAssign self assessments for students to

monitor their progress

RubricsA rubric is a framework that can be designed

or adapted by the teacher for a particular group of students or a particular mathematical task (Kulm, 1994).

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html

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Assessment vs. Testing1. How is assessment different than testing?2. What are at least four purposes of

assessment?3. How can a learning task or problem be an

assessment task?4. What is the difference between formative

and summative assessment?5. What is authentic or alternate

assessment? Provide some examples………

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