No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 2002 - CORRECT ANSWER -is a government mandate to schools and states
to have ALL children up to grade level with their peers. It set unrealistic goals and penalized schools that
did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The act also required all teachers become "highly
qualified". With these new benchmarks and changes to the ways states' addressed education, came
increased accountability. Failure could mean a decrease in funding or dissolution of a school/district.
Achievement was linked to standardized testing done grades 3-8 and at least one year during high
school. Tied achievement to annual standardized tests. These tests are administered to grades 3-8 and
at least one year between 9-12th grades.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1994 (ESEA). Reauthorized - CORRECT ANSWER -Challenging
standards were set for student achievement and to develop and administered to "all" students and
required that all schools make "Adequate Yearly Practice". It also included "special needs students" in
the definition of all students. States were required to set challenging standards for student
achievement, and develop and administer assessments to measure student progress towards those
standards. Federal laws such as ESEA and IDEA can be seen as legislated attempts to 'raise the bar.'
Instruction is most effective when - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Directed toward a clearly defined set of
intended learning outcomes.
2. The methods and materials of instruction are congruent with the outcomes to be achieved.
3. The instruction is designed to fit the characteristics and needs of the students.
4. Instructional decisions are based on information that is meaningful, dependable, and relevant.
5. Students are periodically informed concerning their learning progress.
6. Remediation is provided for students not achieving the intended learning.
7. Instructional effectiveness is periodically reviewed and the intended learning outcomes and
instruction modified as needed.
,Assessment is most effective when - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Designed to assess a clearly defined set of
intended learning outcomes.
2. The nature and function of the assessments are congruent with the outcomes to be assessed.
3. The assessments are designed to fit the relevant student characteristics and are fair to everyone.
4. Assessments provide information that is meaningful, dependable, and relevant.
5. Provision is made for giving the students early feedback of assessment results.
6. Specific learning weaknesses are revealed by the assessment results.
7. Assessment results provide information useful for evaluating the appropriateness of the objectives,
the methods, and the materials of instruction.
Achievement Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -achievement assessment is a broad category that
includes all of the various methods for determining the extent to which students are achieving the
intended learning outcomes of instruction
Content standards - CORRECT ANSWER -describe what students should know and be able to do at the
end of a specified period of learning (e.g., a grade or series of grades). They provide a framework for
curriculum development, instruction, and the assessment of student achievement. Various professional
organizations have also developed sets of content standards in their particular subject areas. It is hoped
that the use of such standards will raise achievement expectations, increase the quality of public
education, provide a better informed citizenship, and make the country more competitive with other
countries.
Performance-Based Tasks - CORRECT ANSWER -may also be useful for determining entry skills. In the
area of writing, for example, obtaining writing samples at the beginning of instruction can establish a
base for later assessments of progress. This type of preassessment would be especially valuable if
portfolios of student work were to be maintained during the instruction.
Bloom's taxonomy - CORRECT ANSWER -6. Creating- Putting information together in an innovative way.
5. Evaluating- Making judgments based on a set of guidelines.
4. Analysis- Breaking the concept into parts and understanding
3. Applying- Use knowledge gained in new ways.how each part is related to one another.
2. Understanding- making sense of what you have learned.
1. Remembering- recalling relevant knowledge from long term memory.
,Teachers' Standards for Student Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Teachers should be skilled in
choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. Skill in choosing appropriate,
useful, administratively convenient, technically adequate, and fair assessment methods are prerequisite
to good use of information to support instructional decisions.
2. Teachers should be skilled in developing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions.
While teachers often use published or other external assessment tools, the bulk of the assessment
information they use for decision making comes from approaches they create and implement.
3. The teacher should be skilled in administering, scoring, and interpreting the results of both externally
produced and teacher-produced assessment methods. It is not enough that teachers are able to select
and develop good assessment methods; they must also be able to apply them properly.
4. Teachers should be skilled in using assessment results when making decisions about individual
students, planning teaching, developing curriculum, and school improvement. Assessment results are
used to make educational decisions at several levels: in the classroom about students, in the community
about a school and a school district, and in society, generally, about the purposes and outcomes of the
educational enterprise. Teachers play a vital role when participating in decision making at each of these
levels and must be able to use assessment results effectively.
5. Teachers should be skilled in developing valid pupil grading procedures that use pupil assessments.
Grading students is an important part of professional practice for teachers. Grading is defined as
indicating both a student's level of performance and a teacher's valuing of that performance. The
principles for using assessments to obtain valid grades are known and teachers should employ
Selected Response Tests - CORRECT ANSWER -we can obtain a comprehensive coverage of a content
domain, and can administer, score, and interpret it easily, but we sacrifice realism and some types of
complexity (students are selecting the response: multiple choice, matching, and true/false items)
Guidelines for Effective Student Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Effective assessment requires a
clear conception of all intended learning outcomes.
2. Effective assessment requires that a variety of assessment procedures be used.
3. Effective assessment requires that the instructional relevance of the procedures be considered.
4. Effective assessment requires an adequate sample of student performance.
5. Effective assessment requires that the procedures be fair to everyone
6. Effective assessment requires the specifications of criteria for judging successful performance.
7. Effective assessment requires feedback to students that emphasizes strengths of performance and
weaknesses to be corrected.
, 8. Effective assessment must be supported by a comprehensive grading and reporting system
Domain-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Assessment results are interpreted in terms of
a relevant and clearly defined set of related tasks (called a domain). Meaning is similar to criterion-
referenced interpretation but the term is less used, even though it is a more descriptive term.
Content-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Essentially the same meaning as domain-
referenced interpretation when the content domain is broadly defined to include tasks representing
both content and process (i.e., reactions to the content). This term is declining in use and being replaced
by criterion-referenced interpretation.
Objective-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Assessment results are interpreted in terms
of each specific objective that a set of test items represents. This is frequently called criterion-
referenced interpretation, but the more limited designation is preferable where interpretation is limited
to each separate objective.
Norm-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Principal Use-Survey testing.
Major Emphasis-Measures individual differences in achievement.
Interpretation of Results-Compares performance to that of other individuals.
Content Coverage-Typically covers a broad area of achievement.
Nature of Test Plan-Table of specifications is commonly used.
Item Selection Procedures-Items are selected that provide maximum discrimination among individuals
(to obtain a reliable ranking). Easy items are typically eliminated from the test.
Performance Standards-Level of performance is determined by relative position in some known group
(e.g., ranks fifth in a group of 20).
according to relative position in some known group
a test or other type of assessment designed to provide a measure of performance that is interpretable in
terms of an individual's relative standing in some known group.
Criterion-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Principal Use-Mastery testing.
Major Emphasis-Describes tasks students can perform.
Interpretation of Results-Compares performance to a clearly specified achievement domain.
Content Coverage-Typically focuses on a limited set of learning tasks.
to have ALL children up to grade level with their peers. It set unrealistic goals and penalized schools that
did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The act also required all teachers become "highly
qualified". With these new benchmarks and changes to the ways states' addressed education, came
increased accountability. Failure could mean a decrease in funding or dissolution of a school/district.
Achievement was linked to standardized testing done grades 3-8 and at least one year during high
school. Tied achievement to annual standardized tests. These tests are administered to grades 3-8 and
at least one year between 9-12th grades.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1994 (ESEA). Reauthorized - CORRECT ANSWER -Challenging
standards were set for student achievement and to develop and administered to "all" students and
required that all schools make "Adequate Yearly Practice". It also included "special needs students" in
the definition of all students. States were required to set challenging standards for student
achievement, and develop and administer assessments to measure student progress towards those
standards. Federal laws such as ESEA and IDEA can be seen as legislated attempts to 'raise the bar.'
Instruction is most effective when - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Directed toward a clearly defined set of
intended learning outcomes.
2. The methods and materials of instruction are congruent with the outcomes to be achieved.
3. The instruction is designed to fit the characteristics and needs of the students.
4. Instructional decisions are based on information that is meaningful, dependable, and relevant.
5. Students are periodically informed concerning their learning progress.
6. Remediation is provided for students not achieving the intended learning.
7. Instructional effectiveness is periodically reviewed and the intended learning outcomes and
instruction modified as needed.
,Assessment is most effective when - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Designed to assess a clearly defined set of
intended learning outcomes.
2. The nature and function of the assessments are congruent with the outcomes to be assessed.
3. The assessments are designed to fit the relevant student characteristics and are fair to everyone.
4. Assessments provide information that is meaningful, dependable, and relevant.
5. Provision is made for giving the students early feedback of assessment results.
6. Specific learning weaknesses are revealed by the assessment results.
7. Assessment results provide information useful for evaluating the appropriateness of the objectives,
the methods, and the materials of instruction.
Achievement Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -achievement assessment is a broad category that
includes all of the various methods for determining the extent to which students are achieving the
intended learning outcomes of instruction
Content standards - CORRECT ANSWER -describe what students should know and be able to do at the
end of a specified period of learning (e.g., a grade or series of grades). They provide a framework for
curriculum development, instruction, and the assessment of student achievement. Various professional
organizations have also developed sets of content standards in their particular subject areas. It is hoped
that the use of such standards will raise achievement expectations, increase the quality of public
education, provide a better informed citizenship, and make the country more competitive with other
countries.
Performance-Based Tasks - CORRECT ANSWER -may also be useful for determining entry skills. In the
area of writing, for example, obtaining writing samples at the beginning of instruction can establish a
base for later assessments of progress. This type of preassessment would be especially valuable if
portfolios of student work were to be maintained during the instruction.
Bloom's taxonomy - CORRECT ANSWER -6. Creating- Putting information together in an innovative way.
5. Evaluating- Making judgments based on a set of guidelines.
4. Analysis- Breaking the concept into parts and understanding
3. Applying- Use knowledge gained in new ways.how each part is related to one another.
2. Understanding- making sense of what you have learned.
1. Remembering- recalling relevant knowledge from long term memory.
,Teachers' Standards for Student Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Teachers should be skilled in
choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. Skill in choosing appropriate,
useful, administratively convenient, technically adequate, and fair assessment methods are prerequisite
to good use of information to support instructional decisions.
2. Teachers should be skilled in developing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions.
While teachers often use published or other external assessment tools, the bulk of the assessment
information they use for decision making comes from approaches they create and implement.
3. The teacher should be skilled in administering, scoring, and interpreting the results of both externally
produced and teacher-produced assessment methods. It is not enough that teachers are able to select
and develop good assessment methods; they must also be able to apply them properly.
4. Teachers should be skilled in using assessment results when making decisions about individual
students, planning teaching, developing curriculum, and school improvement. Assessment results are
used to make educational decisions at several levels: in the classroom about students, in the community
about a school and a school district, and in society, generally, about the purposes and outcomes of the
educational enterprise. Teachers play a vital role when participating in decision making at each of these
levels and must be able to use assessment results effectively.
5. Teachers should be skilled in developing valid pupil grading procedures that use pupil assessments.
Grading students is an important part of professional practice for teachers. Grading is defined as
indicating both a student's level of performance and a teacher's valuing of that performance. The
principles for using assessments to obtain valid grades are known and teachers should employ
Selected Response Tests - CORRECT ANSWER -we can obtain a comprehensive coverage of a content
domain, and can administer, score, and interpret it easily, but we sacrifice realism and some types of
complexity (students are selecting the response: multiple choice, matching, and true/false items)
Guidelines for Effective Student Assessment - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Effective assessment requires a
clear conception of all intended learning outcomes.
2. Effective assessment requires that a variety of assessment procedures be used.
3. Effective assessment requires that the instructional relevance of the procedures be considered.
4. Effective assessment requires an adequate sample of student performance.
5. Effective assessment requires that the procedures be fair to everyone
6. Effective assessment requires the specifications of criteria for judging successful performance.
7. Effective assessment requires feedback to students that emphasizes strengths of performance and
weaknesses to be corrected.
, 8. Effective assessment must be supported by a comprehensive grading and reporting system
Domain-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Assessment results are interpreted in terms of
a relevant and clearly defined set of related tasks (called a domain). Meaning is similar to criterion-
referenced interpretation but the term is less used, even though it is a more descriptive term.
Content-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Essentially the same meaning as domain-
referenced interpretation when the content domain is broadly defined to include tasks representing
both content and process (i.e., reactions to the content). This term is declining in use and being replaced
by criterion-referenced interpretation.
Objective-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Assessment results are interpreted in terms
of each specific objective that a set of test items represents. This is frequently called criterion-
referenced interpretation, but the more limited designation is preferable where interpretation is limited
to each separate objective.
Norm-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Principal Use-Survey testing.
Major Emphasis-Measures individual differences in achievement.
Interpretation of Results-Compares performance to that of other individuals.
Content Coverage-Typically covers a broad area of achievement.
Nature of Test Plan-Table of specifications is commonly used.
Item Selection Procedures-Items are selected that provide maximum discrimination among individuals
(to obtain a reliable ranking). Easy items are typically eliminated from the test.
Performance Standards-Level of performance is determined by relative position in some known group
(e.g., ranks fifth in a group of 20).
according to relative position in some known group
a test or other type of assessment designed to provide a measure of performance that is interpretable in
terms of an individual's relative standing in some known group.
Criterion-Referenced Interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER -Principal Use-Mastery testing.
Major Emphasis-Describes tasks students can perform.
Interpretation of Results-Compares performance to a clearly specified achievement domain.
Content Coverage-Typically focuses on a limited set of learning tasks.
