Assessment design can be the hardest part of the design process for me. In reading the strategies to build the assessment items, it was perhaps the analysis of the completed assessment that intrigued me most. It was also interesting to ready the differences in the types of tests that should be used for given situations. Usually I formatively assess students' entry level skills and unit skills within my warm-ups, I don't necessarily offer these students an entry level skill analysis, or pre-test, until I have already developed their unit of instruction. Making a shift to implement these items prior to the start of the unit would help to manage my instructional strategies to benefit student learning. The practice test was something I never thought about using throughout the unit. I certainly use them at the end of the year to prepare students for state testing, however use throughout the unit would set my students up for more successes throughout the year. The post-assessment written from the objectives, instead of the standards is also a far more efficient way to write a test.
Using the information from this unit, I looked at one of my Algebra units. The unit was based on slope and writing equations of a line, and is a unit that will be prominent on the EOC test. Students will need to show proficiency at the end of the year on all skills, but this unit is woven throughout the year and is a cornerstone of Algebra. I decided in the middle of the unit to offer an entry level skills assessment. Since knowing how to work with fractions is a primary skill for students, I made sure to have operations with fractions on the entry skills quiz. Pulling the students who struggled with this quiz, and working on operations with fractions, gave them much needed remediation and set them up for more success. I knew that parts of the unit were familiar to students, but other parts of the unit were foreign, and had not been introduced in other grade levels. I formulated a pre-test and gave it to students to see how they did, as expected some students showed mastery, and others did not.
For this unit, I did something I have never done before. I printed three different versions of the same test. I then gave version one in sections based on skills and used them throughout the unit as practice tests. At the end of the unit, during our review day, students were given the choice to review with me, or to take a unit practice test (version two). If they scored a 93 or better they could keep their score and have a digital learning day on test day. Students who scored 93 or better (there were 6) felt like they didn't have to take a test and were excited. Other students knew specifically what skills they needed more help with. The next day during Gator Time, I worked with a small group and the six students who didn't have to take the test each worked with a group of two to three other students who were close to showing mastery. During class students took the test (version three). It was the most successful unit I have ever taught, based on assessment data. It took a lot more time to develop, however it was very much worth it.
Using the table below to create the assessment items was crucial in developing the assessments for this unit.
Using the information from this unit, I looked at one of my Algebra units. The unit was based on slope and writing equations of a line, and is a unit that will be prominent on the EOC test. Students will need to show proficiency at the end of the year on all skills, but this unit is woven throughout the year and is a cornerstone of Algebra. I decided in the middle of the unit to offer an entry level skills assessment. Since knowing how to work with fractions is a primary skill for students, I made sure to have operations with fractions on the entry skills quiz. Pulling the students who struggled with this quiz, and working on operations with fractions, gave them much needed remediation and set them up for more success. I knew that parts of the unit were familiar to students, but other parts of the unit were foreign, and had not been introduced in other grade levels. I formulated a pre-test and gave it to students to see how they did, as expected some students showed mastery, and others did not.
For this unit, I did something I have never done before. I printed three different versions of the same test. I then gave version one in sections based on skills and used them throughout the unit as practice tests. At the end of the unit, during our review day, students were given the choice to review with me, or to take a unit practice test (version two). If they scored a 93 or better they could keep their score and have a digital learning day on test day. Students who scored 93 or better (there were 6) felt like they didn't have to take a test and were excited. Other students knew specifically what skills they needed more help with. The next day during Gator Time, I worked with a small group and the six students who didn't have to take the test each worked with a group of two to three other students who were close to showing mastery. During class students took the test (version three). It was the most successful unit I have ever taught, based on assessment data. It took a lot more time to develop, however it was very much worth it.
Using the table below to create the assessment items was crucial in developing the assessments for this unit.