Balanced Assessment Revised

HS MASS II – Sessions 3 & 4

Balanced Assessment

Formative vs. Summative

• In groups of 3, list three differences between formative and summative assessments.

• Compare your responses to “Comparing Assessment for and of learning”.

• In your group, take one minute to discuss your responses vs. handout.

• Three questions educators and students will be able to answer through the use of formative assessment:

– Where am I going?– Where am I now?– How can I close the gap?

Keys to Quality Classroom Assessments

• Key 1: Clear Purpose

– Do the assessment authors have a clear picture of how the assessment results will be used and by whom?


• Key 2: Clear Targets

– Do the assessment authors have a clear picture of what they are trying to measure?

Key 2: Clear Targets

Find the hexagon (6 sided figure) in the pattern at left.


• Does this help?


• How about this? Does this make it easier to find the hexagon?


“Teachers and students can hit any target they can see and will hold still.”

Rick Stiggins

What is the relationship

between this statement

and the establishment of

clear targets?



• Key 3: Sound Design

– Have the assessment developers translated the learning targets into high-quality assessments that will yield accurate results?


• Key 4: Effective Communication

– Have the assessment developers planned for adequately managing information from the assessment and reporting it in ways that will meet users’ needs?

According to Harvard Researcher John Hattie

“..feedback is the most powerful single innovation that enhances student achievement.”


• Key 5: Student Involvement

– Are students involved in the assessment?

Student Self Assessment Activity

• Let’s look at ways in which students can be actively involved in the formative assessment process.

• Middle school example: You Be George

• Secondary example

Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning

– Question 1:

– Where am I going?• Strategy # 1: Provide clear and understandable

vision of the learning target.• Strategy # 2: Use and post student

examples/models (anonymous weak & strong)


– Question 2:

– Where am I now?• Strategy # 3: Offer students frequent, descriptive

feedback.• Strategy # 4: Teach Students to Self Assess and

set Goals


– Question 3:

– How can I close the gap? • Strategy # 5: Design lessons that focus on one

learning target at a time• Strategy # 6: Teach students focused self-revision• Strategy # 7: Engage students in self-reflection;

allow for student record keeping.

A closer look at Good Design

• Once a target has been identified; What type of target is it?

– Knowledge / Understanding– Reasoning– Skills– Products

Key 3: Good Design

• Which assessment method would best fit the target?– Selected response– Extended written response– Performance assessment– Personal communication

Key 3: Good Design

Assessment MethodsT

arge

t to

be

Ass

esse

d

Assessment MethodsT

arge

t to

be

Ass

esse

d

Good Match Good Match

Good Match Good Match Good Match

Good Match

Good Match

Partial Match

Partial Match

Partial Match

Partial MatchNot a Good

Match

Not a Good Match

Not a Good Match

Not a Good Match

Not a Good Match

General Guidelines for Test Question Design

• Keep wording simple and focused. Aim for the lowest possible reading level.

• Ask a full question in the stem.• Eliminate clues to the correct answer either within the

question or across questions within a test.• Do not make the correct answer obvious to students who

have not studied the material.• Highlight critical, easily overlooked words. Examples:

most, not, least, except.• Have a qualified colleague read your items to ensure

appropriateness.• Double check the scoring key for accuracy before scoring.

Guidelines for Multiple Choice• Ask a complete question to get the item started (if you

can).• Do not repeat the same words within each response.

Instead, reword the item stem.• Be sure there is only one correct or best answer.• Word response options as briefly as possible and be sure

they are grammatically parallel.• Make all response items the same length.• Don’t use all of the above or none of the above merely to

fill space.• Use always or never in your answer choices with caution.• It is OK to vary the number of response options presented

as appropriate to pose the problem you want your students to solve.

Biology…

Used with permission from HS Biology teacher, Fall 2007

Math

E) 5

D) 4

C) 3

B) 2

A) 1

1. The remainder when a number n is divided by 7 is 2. Which of the following is the remainder when 2n + 1 is divided by 7?

Source: NAEP, 2005

Biology• In the investigation of body fluids a

scientist compared the concentrations of certain ions in saliva and blood plasma. These graphs show the results.

5. According to the graphs,

g. the concentration of chlorine ion in saliva and plasma are approximately equal.

h. the concentration of potassium ion in saliva and plasma are approximately equal.

i. the concentration of bicarbonate ion in saliva is much less than that in plasma.

j. the concentration of sodium ion in saliva and potassium ion in plasma are approximately equal.

Saliva

Na

Cl

KHCO

1

Conc

entra

tion

Plasma

NaCl

K

HCOCo

ncen

tratio

n

Used with permission from HS Biology teacher, Fall 2007

1. What might this be a graph of? Put titles and numbers on the graph to show what you mean.

2. Write down everything you know from your graph.

Math

Assessment Question Activity

• Using one of your targets from the Session 2 activity, work in groups of 4 to generate a multiple choice assessment question. Limit possible answers to a maximum of four.

• Once generated, write it on poster paper and hang on wall.

• Each group will now start at their own question, move clockwise and review each question.

• Leave comments on each regarding bias, clarity and focus.

Technology

Balanced Assessment Revised