Session 2: Foundations of Assessment Part 1

Foundations of Assessment Part 1

• Review purposes for assessment
• Define different types of assessment
  • Summative versus formative assessment
  • Informal versus formal
  • Norm- versus criterion- referenced
• Review how to Interpret Norm Referenced Test Scores
  • Scores of relative standing
  • Developmental scores
• Explain problems interpreting developmental scores
• Practice interpreting standard scores and percentile ranks

Materials

• University of Florida Literacy Initiative: Introduction to Reading Assessment
• Southeast Psych Standard Scores
• PowerPoint Slides for Session 2: Foundations of Assessment Part 1
• Competency 3 Session 2 Activity Sheet 1

Define Session Goals

• Explain the different purposes of assessment.
• Define and distinguish between formative and summative assessment.
• Define and distinguish between formal and informal assessment.
• Define and distinguish between norm- and criterion- referenced assessment.
• Explain how assessments may be used for screening, diagnosis, progress monitoring, and outcomes.
• Interpret scores of relative standing and developmental scores.
• Identify problems associated with developmental scores.

Purposes of Assessment

Application Activity

• After reviewing the following slides and video conduct a think, pair and share with the group.
  • Review slides 4 through 7.
    • Purposes for Assessment
    • Two Categories of Assessment
    • Types of Assessment
  • Play the video on the Let’s Review Slide 8.
    • University of Florida Literacy Initiative: Introduction to Reading Assessment
• Handout Session 2 Activity Sheet 1
• Using think, pair and share
  • Have groups explain how they use various reading assessments for the following purposes:
    • Screening
    • Diagnostic
    • Progress Monitoring
    • Outcomes
  • Ask pairs to join another pair (creating a group of 4) and share their responses. Ask them to note if anyone uses the same assessments for different purposes.
  • After 2 minutes, ask the groups of 4 to review the information about Eve and identify:
    • The purpose of the classwide assessment conducted.
    • What Eve’s teacher should do next?
    • How Eve’s teacher should use the information gathered from the next step of the assessment process?
• Whole group discussion
  • Ask groups to share how they use assessment for different purposes.
  • Ask groups to share their decision making for Eve.
  • Explain that gathering additional diagnostic information can help Eve’s teacher pinpoint a particular area in which Eve needs more instruction.
  • Then, discuss what would follow including targeted instruction to address Eve’s goals and progress monitoring to determine if the targeted instruction is working.

Interpreting Test Scores

• Review slides comparing scores of relative standing with developmental scores (slides 9 & 10).
  • Interpreting Norm Referenced Tests
  • A Few Example Problems with Developmental Scores
  • Emphasize that developmental scores are often easily misinterpreted and misunderstood and that professional organizations advocate scores of relative standing.
• Review slide on the purpose of norm-referenced tests (slide 11).
  • Share the video on norm-referenced tests and what the scores mean Southeast.
    • Psych Standard Scores
  • Ask teachers to turn to a partner and explain the purpose of norm-referenced tests using the information presented in the video.
  • Explain that the purpose is to determine how a student performs, but instead how a student performs compared to a norm group.
• Review interpretation of standard scores and percentile ranks (slides 12-14).
  • Review standard scores with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15 (slide 12) and have participants chorally respond to the questions.
  • Discuss which scores are easier to explain and interpret (slide 13).
  • Ask participants to turn to the person next to them and explain the standard and percentile ranks (slide 14).
    • Review as a whole group.