Assessment

=Spring 2015 = In Blackboard, on the Assignments page, this is the **"Assessment Wiki Project"** step #1 that is due by Saturday, April 25, 2015. Posting the summaries of your 5 research articles below the line below by following these steps:
 * 1) Click on the "Edit" button above this page
 * 2) Click on the page and add your name
 * 3) Click on the "File" button above
 * 4) Click on the blue "+Upload Files" and choose the document from your computer
 * 5) After you've verified that your name and the file are listed on the page, click on "Save" in the upper right corner

Emily Barrett, EDCI 5360 Spring 2015 Dawn Heneghan, EDCI 5360 Spring 2015 Katie Harris, EDCI 5360 Spring 2015 Jose Berrios EDCI 5360 Spring 2015 (uploaded file) Ann Blackman EDCI 5360 Spring 2015 (click on the words in blue on this line to go Ann's article summaries - sorry! I was trying to create an anchor to jump down on this page and I accidentally created a page instead. The problem is I'm not a system admin so I can create pages but not delete them).
 * Christopher M. Ashlock, EDCI 5360 Spring 2015**


 * What are formative assessments? Watch the following video by Dylan Wiliam to find out:**

ww.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/formativeassessmentdylanwiliam.asp


 * Types of Formative Assessments:**


 * 1) Exit Ticket** - One popular and effective form of formative assessment is the Exit Ticket. The purpose of a formative assessment is to quickly measure and assess whether or not your students have mastered the concept, idea, or formula of your lesson. The idea behind the Exit Ticket is to gather this information at the end of the lesson before students leave the classroom, hence the name "Exit" Ticket. According to Ben Curran, an educator, it is better to create your Exit Ticket before designing your lesson. Curran states, "Beginning with the end in mind isn't a new idea, but it is a valuable one" (Curran, Teaching Secrets). One Exit Ticket design that is quite popular, is the 3-2-1 Ticket. The 3 is for three things I've learned today, the 2 is for two things I found interesting, and 1 is for one question I still have. This 3-2-1 model encompasses the all the ingredients behind the purpose of a formative assessment, and most importantly, it can be applied to any subject area.

Curran, B. (2013, November 1). Teaching Secrets: Start With the Exit Ticket. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/11/12/ctq_curran.html


 * 2) Visual Representations (Graphic Organizers)** - Sometimes simply writing can be misleading when comes time for a teacher assess whether or not a student has grasped a concept or not. In order to guide and scaffold learning while also assessing whether or not a student is grasping a certain concept or not, is to ask students to complete or fill-in visual representations or graphic organizers. Many times a student can fill in a graphic organizer to to demonstrate a key concept or term. English teachers can use graphic organizers for vocabulary or to plan an essay. Science teachers can use a graphic organizer to explore a key idea such as photosynthesis. Graphic organizers are just another way for teachers to quickly assess whether or not a student is understanding the material being taught to him/her.

Visual Representations. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/VisualRepresentations.html


 * 3) Questioning** - It would seem that simply asking questions and having students answer would be easy and straight forward; however, many experts on formative assessments argue that although having students answer questions verbally is good practice, it does matter what kind of questions you ask. In other words, a teacher;'s questions must be thoughtful and thought-provoking. With that said, sometimes these type of questions can be rather simple. One educator introduced the idea of 5 Powerful Questions Teachers can ask, which are: 1) What do you think? 2) Why do you think that? 3) How do you know this? 4) Can you tell me more? and 5) What questions do you still have? Although these questions are simple, they are thought-provoking, and more importantly, it forces the student to do all the work. In addition to asking questions framed like the ones above, it is equally important for educators to not be afraid of giving students time to think -- wait time is important regardless of how awkward it might seem. Allow students to think about the question and don't be afraid to provide that time.

Link: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-powerful-questions-teachers-ask-students-rebecca-alber

Alber, R. (2013, October 31). 5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-powerful-questions-teachers-ask-students-rebecca-alber


 * What are Summative Assessments? Watch the following video by Rick Wormeli to find out: **

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJxFXjfB_B4


 * 4) Better Understanding the Purpose of Summative Assessments** - According to education researchers Yu and Li, the goal of summative assessments is to "measure and communicate pupil performance for the purpose of certification and accountability" (Yu & Li, 2014, 841). In other words, the purpose of a summative assessment is to hold students accountable for their learning by having them demonstrate their knowledge that warrants critical examination, usually in the form of grades.There remains great debate on whether or not formative assessments and summative assessments should be separated, but based on the purpose and definition of the two, it would lead one to believe they should be separated. For one, formative assessments are used to give feedback to a students in order to support and guide learning toward a pre-determined objective. On the other hand, summative assessments offer less feeback and are given at the end when the objective should be mastered. Understanding the purpose and design of these two forms of assessments is key to essential to learning within the classroom.

Link: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2087/docview/1519975990/fulltextPDF/D1911335DF274DAEPQ/1?accountid=7113

Yu, H., & Li, H. (2014). Group-Based Formative Assessment: A Successful Way to Make Summative Assessments Effective. //Theory and Practice in Language Studies, // //4 //(4), 839-844


 * 5) Making Summative Assessments Useful -** It is common for teachers to test a student's knowledge about specific content at the end of a unit. This is usually in the form of a test, or what teacher's may call a summative assessment. Although summative assessments are important to gauge learning and curriculum design, it is equally important for teachers to tack summative assessment data in order to influence future instruction. Hoover and Adams are researchers that have concluded that "[although] limited, empirical research on the formative use of summative assessment data has shown positive instructional impacts" (Hoover & Adams, 2013, 220). In addition to choosing appropriate summative assessments to gauge student learning, it is also important that teachers reflect on their data collected from the summative assessments in order to enhance and improve future learning. Similar to daily lessons in which teachers are continually working toward perfecting their lessons, the same remains true for the actual assessments.

Link: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=32bb4b36-99c0-443a-a260-aae1cc684d10%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=120

Hoover, N., & Abrams, L. (2013). Teacher's Instructional Use of Summative Student Assessment Data. //Applied Measurement in Education//, 26, 219-231.

=__** Formative Assessment: Simply, No Additives **__=

Roskos, K., & Neuman, S. B. (2012). Formative Assessment: Simply, No Additives. Reading Teacher, 65(8), 534-538.

=== Formative assessment is important to monitor students reading comprehension. This article defines formative assessment and discusses how formative assessment can be used as a way to identify the gaps that students have in reading comprehension. Roskos and Neuman discuss five steps to help begin the process of formative assessment in real time. These steps include putting basic learning activities at the center of the formative assessment process, embedding key concepts and skills into the activity, determining success criteria, planning for assessment, and implementing the basic reading activities that will constitute formative assessment in your classroom. In order to effectively implement formative assessment in reading instruction, Roskos and Neuman suggest a learning oriented classroom culture that needs to be created. ===

[|http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/detail/detail?sid=0901f7d5-fc55-44d7-b57f-5c803f9e19a0%40sessionmgr198&vid=0&hid=117&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=tfh&AN=74690787] = = =__ Exploring Teacher Questioning as a Formative Assessment Strategy __=

Jiang, Y. (2014). Exploring Teacher Questioning as a Formative Assessment Strategy. RELCjournal, 45(3), 287-304.

=== This research article examines questioning as a formative assessment strategy. The research questioned what types of questions teachers formed, what type of responses teachers elicited, and what actions in response to answers teachers used to promote learning. Classroom observations and interviews with students and teachers were used to collect data. This study showed that higher order questions stimulated thinking and encouraged students to be more active in class. When convergent and divergent questions were given no response, it gave teachers an opportunity to identify a deficiency in learning and adjust to it. This research gives further evidence to the idea that quality questioning can be an integral part of classroom assessment. ===

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=**__ Exploring Formative Assessment in Primary School Classrooms: Developing a Framework of Actions and Strategies __**=

James, M., & Antoniou, P. (2014). Exploring Formative Assessment in Primary School Classrooms: Developing a Framework of Actions and Strategies. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 26(2), 153-176. Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2152/article/10.1007/s11092-013-9188-4

=== There are many different definitions and characteristics of formative assessment given in literature which can lead to a misunderstanding and ineffective implementation. This study aims to examine the different way that teachers understand and implement effective formative assessment. This study explores what teachers do that counts as formative assessment practices. It attempts to understand teachers rationale of actions and attitudes towards formative assessment, and develops a framework of processes for the analysis of formative assessment. Four third and fourth grade teachers in Cyprus participated. The study included interviews, observations, and documented children’s work or written responses. They reported that teachers have positive views of formative assessment and see it as an important part of promoting effective teaching and learning. It also revealed weaknesses in formative assessment practices such as lack of quality criteria and no techniques being used for students to engage in self-assessment. This study gives implications for future research using the framework developed in this research for identifying weaknesses and priorities for improvement. ===

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=__** Formative Use of Summative Tests: Using Test Preparation to Promote Performance and Self-Regulation **__=

Lam, R. (2013). Formative use of summative tests: Using test preparation to promote performance and self-regulation. The Asia - Pacific Education Researcher, 22(1), 69-78. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40299-012-0026-0

=== This study investigates students and teachers perspective on using summative assessments in a formative (i.e. test preparation) way by using a case study approach. The researcher administered interviews and observed lessons where test preparation strategies were used in two teachers classrooms. Findings suggest that the reported test preparation strategies, such as self-assessment, progress checks, and peer editing could improve student performance and promote self-regulated learning. Implications for teachers to adopt these pre-test preparation strategies are also discussed. ===

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=**__ Making Assessment a Meaningful Part of Instruction __**=

Gilman, D. A., Andrew, R., & Rafferty, C. D. (1995). Making assessment a meaningful part of instruction. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 79(573), 20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216041968?accountid=7113

=== This article discusses the several criticisms of standardized testing. If used effectively, standardized testing could be helpful in education. Unfortunately, standardized testing is often not used properly. This article suggests that portfolios could be used as an alternative form of assessment. Portfolios could demonstrate students’ mastery of material as well as their ability to integrate that material with other knowledge. They can also be a good representation of student growth and encourage student reflection of work when deciding what to include in their portfolios. If used effectively, portfolios could help create a meaningful and relevant form of summative assessment. ===

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Sheard, M. K., & Chambers, B. (2014, December). A case of technology-enhanced formative assessment and achievement in primary grammar: How is quality assurance of formative assessment assured? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 43, 14-23. doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2014.02.001

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Assessment Connection to Instruction: Teachers and student responded favorably to technology-based assessment. Students appreciated the flexibility that the assessment provided in instruction. Teacher benefited from having immediate feedback to better guide instruction.

This study investigated how a technology-enhanced approach to formative assessment enriches student learning. This study asks the following questions: How effective is Questions for Learning (QfL), a technology-enhanced assessment tool, in enhancing pupils’ grammatical knowledge? Do effects of QfL transfer to pupils’ writing? Is the intervention more effective for high-, average-, or low-achieving students? What are teachers and pupils perceptions of using this strategy? This study utilized teacher and student surveys, intervention and control groups, and a pre- and post-test. Teacher and student interviews and surveys indicated that QfL had a positive effect in students’ writing and overall subject knowledge. According to the pre- and post-tests there was evidence that QfL enhances student knowledge. In high-achieving students there were no significant effects. In average and low-achieving students there were positive effects. The formative assessment structure of QfL promoted active learning and allowed teacher to combine different kinds of data to inform decisions about students’ learning and achievement.

__** Applying The Multiple Dimension of Reading Fluency to Assessment **__

Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Trivedi, P., Olson, E., Gould, L., Hiramatsu, S.,. . . York Westhaggen, S. (2010). Applying the multiple dimension of reading fluency to assessment. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(1), 3-18. doi:10.1177/0734282909336083

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Assessment Connection to Instruction: Results from reading assessments may identify relevant skills to include in instructional intervention and progress monitoring for students with reading fluency problems.

This study evaluated three kinds of reading fluency to see how they contributed to reading comprehension in second and fourth grades. The first research goal is to evaluate individual differences in each kind of fluency to find the effects on reading comprehension. The second research focus is to examine whether automatic word reading, decoding, oral vocabulary and reading comprehension each contribute to each kind of reading fluency. Measures used were assessments in word reading, word decoding, oral vocabulary and reading comprehension accuracy. Results included oral reading rate contributes to comprehension accuracy at both grades. In the second part of the study all four predictors contributes to one or more reading fluency outcomes. An implication for assessment it is desirable to assess each individual student’s fluency to determine what kind of instructional approach would best benefit the student. In planning instruction for students with problems in comprehension, assessments should be done in comprehension accuracy and automaticity of single word reading and decoding.

__** Exploring Teacher Questioning as a Formative Assessment **__

Jiang, Y. (2014). Exploring teacher questioning as a formative assessment strategy. RELC Journal, 45(3), 287-304. doi:10.1177/0033688214546962

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Assessment Connection to Instruction: Teacher questioning is a widely-used formative assessment strategy that allows teachers to make better instructional decisions. In order to gain understanding of students’ thinking, teachers need to consider higher-order questioning, group discussions and establishing a trusting environment.

This study investigated teacher questioning as a formative assessment strategy. This study asks: What types of questions are posed by the teachers and to what extent do they seem to benefit learning? What types of responses are elicited by teacher’s questions and do they represent student thinking? What actions are taken by the teachers upon receiving responses and to what extent do they appear to promote learning? Classroom observations and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The questions raised most frequently were convergent questions, followed by procedural questions, and then divergent questions. There is evidence that divergent questions benefited learning. Responses produced after group discussions were more likely to reflect students’ actual thinking and demonstrate ideas of both the individual and the group. This study suggested that teachers need to work to increase higher order questioning to encourage thinking. Group discussions and a trusting environment should be implemented in order to elicit responses from students that drive instruction.

__** Specially Designed Instruction for Children Who Have Not Responded Adequately to Reading Intervention **__

Knutson, J. S., Simmons, D. C., Good III, R., & McDonagh, S. H. (2004). Specially designed assessment and instruction for children who have not responded adequately to reading intervention. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 29(4), 47-58.

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Assessment Connection to Instruction: Formative assessment greatly benefits students who struggle academically by providing regular assessment of student performance, data-based problem solving, feedback for modification of instruction, and individualized instruction designed to meet the needs of each student.

This study concentrated on two pedagogical features to guide the individualization of instruction and assist reading growth: formative assessment and mastery learning. This case study followed two second graders who are eligible for special education services. Both students are participating in a longitudinal study investigating factors that contribute to positive and continual growth in early reading. Data was collected on these two students to determine their mastery of oral language fluency. The most significant outcome of this study was that the reading skills of the students were flexible to treatment. There is evidence that students that struggle academically respond to instruction can and do change when appropriate intervention is provided. Reducing group size allows more time for individualized corrective feedback and greater coverage of the curriculum. This led to individualized instruction and considerable reading fluency growth. Significant academic outcomes are supported by early interventions and support.

__** The Development of Competent Questioning **__

Weiland, I. S., Hudson, R. A., & Amador, J. M. (2014). Preservice formative assessment interviews: The development of competent questioning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12, 329-352. doi:10.1007/s10763-013-9402-3

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Assessment Connection to Instruction: Questioning is used as an assessment for student thinking, allowing teachers to modify their instruction based on student needs. The ability to proficiently question a student is an important strategy that must be developed through practice and support.

The purpose of this study was to examine the change in questioning techniques used by preservice teachers over time. This case study follows two preservice teachers as they develop their questioning practice and their ability to notice student thinking. This study focuses on the following questions: How do preservice teachers develop their questioning practice and ability to notice students’ thinking about mathematical and science concepts? How can these questioning practices be further developed? Interviews and video recordings of the lessons were used to collect data. The types of questions teachers ask can influence what students learn about content. The practice of questioning provides insight into student thinking, allowing teachers to modify their instruction based on student needs. Field experience offered opportunities for preservice teachers to develop the core practice of questioning. Given appropriate scaffolding preservice teachers can adapt their questioning techniques throughout the course of a semester.


 * Martone, A., & Sireci, S. G. (2009, December). Evaluating Alignment between Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. Review of Educational Research, 79(4), 1332-1361. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40469099 **

This article discusses the issues of keeping curriculum, instruction and assessment all on the same page, specifically going over the Webb, Achieve and Surveys of Enactive Curriculum methods of alignment research. This review discusses the similarities and differences of using these methods to evaluate alignment. The point of this article was to bring to light the need for more alignment research to see how we as educators can better serve the children we teach.

In talking about instruction, the best type of alignment evaluation methodology would be surveys of enactive curriculum. Using this methodology, there is the possibility to align everything across textbooks, development tools for teachers and many other pieces to the educational system. The writers of this article state that they are interested in seeing more studies that look into how state-mandated curriculum frameworks and assessments have impacted instruction.


 * Sternberg, R. (2007, Feb). Culture, Instruction and Assessment. Comparative Education, 43(1), 5-22. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/29727813 **

This article discusses different ways that culture needs to be addressed in instruction and assessment. Through use of studies, this article defines 10 different lessons using multiple different cultures to explain what the lessons mean and how to best use them. Cultures from Jamaica, native Alaska, Kenya, China, and Brazil to name a few were discussed in different ways that assessment correctly or incorrectly measure learning and intelligence.

To be specific about how this influences instruction, one of the lessons (Lesson 4) discusses being culturally meaningful in your curriculum choices so that children are more likely to learn. Using culturally significant items to teach a lesson are more likely to stick in that child’s mind than using something that has no significance to them.


 * Newmann, F., King, M., & Carmichael, D. (2007). Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Common Standards for Rigor and Relevance in Teaching Academic Subjects (p. 1-105). Des Moines, IA. **

This ‘blue book’ as it is called discusses and researches the creation of authentic intellectual work from students when it comes to their school. The three main pieces required to create authentic intellectual work are construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school. To help make sure that these things are in place to have the best product created, the schools must provide the correct atmosphere and community to allow the students to work to their full potential.

In this research article, there is an entire dedicated chapter to instruction. The model used to create the deep knowledge necessary to allow for the best construction of knowledge is the inquiry model. Allowing the students to find the information through their own experiences and experimentation allows for that deep knowledge and understanding of the materials.


 * Wolf, Patrick J. (2007). Academic Improvement through Regular Assessment. Peabody Journal of Education, 82(4), 690-702. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25594766 **

In this article, the author argues that heavy use of testing is beneficial to students through the elementary and secondary education system. This author believes that through testing, teachers are able to better understand the needs of the students they work with, especially at an early age when special needs can be caught before causing the student any undue stress and early reading acquisition can begin.

This article discusses assessment as scaffolding for instruction creation, especially diagnostically. With the knowledge of how well the child learned, teachers can decide to go back through a lesson or to move forward with other material.


 * Davison, Chris and Leung, Constant (2009). Current Issues in English Language Teacher-Based Assessment. TESOL Quarterly, 43(3), 393-415. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785027 **

This Australian-based article discusses teacher-based assessment in English language learner classrooms and how teachers are required to create their own measurements and procedures to define learning. There hasn’t been enough research to help TBA as it is called and instead research points toward larger-scale standardized assessment to define a student’s level of learning a second language. The biggest issue is that what research has been done for TBA shows a lack of regulation and an issue of variability of accuracy.


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 * CLICK HERE to access Previous Semesters Work **

Related Video Links
Assessment video with Rick Wormeli []

Formative Asessment []

Unpacking Formative Assessment []

Hamilton, S. (2010). Assessment-based instruction. U.S. Army Medical Department Jounal, 00, 63. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from the Gale database.

Informative video on the foundations of assessments []

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