WGU- EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
EXAM WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 2002 -ANSis 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 -
ANSChallenging 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSachievement 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 -ANSdescribe 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 -ANSmay 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 -ANS6. 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSwe 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSAssessment 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 -ANSEssentially 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 -ANSAssessment 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 -ANSPrincipal 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 -ANSPrincipal 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.
Nature of Test Plan-Detailed domain specifications are favored.
Item Selection Procedures-Includes all items needed to adequately describe
performance. No attempt is made to alter item difficulty or to eliminate easy items to
increase the spread of scores.
Performance Standards-Level of performance is commonly determined by absolute
standards (e.g., demonstrates mastery by defining 90 percent of the technical terms).
according to a specified domain of clearly fined learning tasks
a test or other type of assessment designed to provide a measure of performance that
is interpretable in terms of a clearly defined and delimited domain of learning tasks.
Other terms that are less often used but have meanings similar to criterion referenced:
standards based
objective referenced
content referenced
domain referenced
universe referenced.
Supply Response -ANSare higher in realism and the complexity of tasks they can
measure (e.g., ability to originate, integrate, and express ideas) than selected-response
tests, but they are more time consuming to use and more difficult to score. (students are
supply the response: short answer items and essay items)
Standard -ANSa broad statement that describes what students should learn. Provide
the framework for curriculum development.
Benchmark -ANSStatements that follow a standard and clarify in broad terms what the
standard means.
EXAM WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 2002 -ANSis 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 -
ANSChallenging 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSachievement 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 -ANSdescribe 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 -ANSmay 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 -ANS6. 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSwe 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 -ANS1. 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 -ANSAssessment 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 -ANSEssentially 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 -ANSAssessment 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 -ANSPrincipal 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 -ANSPrincipal 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.
Nature of Test Plan-Detailed domain specifications are favored.
Item Selection Procedures-Includes all items needed to adequately describe
performance. No attempt is made to alter item difficulty or to eliminate easy items to
increase the spread of scores.
Performance Standards-Level of performance is commonly determined by absolute
standards (e.g., demonstrates mastery by defining 90 percent of the technical terms).
according to a specified domain of clearly fined learning tasks
a test or other type of assessment designed to provide a measure of performance that
is interpretable in terms of a clearly defined and delimited domain of learning tasks.
Other terms that are less often used but have meanings similar to criterion referenced:
standards based
objective referenced
content referenced
domain referenced
universe referenced.
Supply Response -ANSare higher in realism and the complexity of tasks they can
measure (e.g., ability to originate, integrate, and express ideas) than selected-response
tests, but they are more time consuming to use and more difficult to score. (students are
supply the response: short answer items and essay items)
Standard -ANSa broad statement that describes what students should learn. Provide
the framework for curriculum development.
Benchmark -ANSStatements that follow a standard and clarify in broad terms what the
standard means.
