Foundational Work usingEvidence-Centered Design

Evidence-centered Design andUniversal Design for Learning• How do we judge what students know and

what they can do?– Make explicit what knowledge or skills are the

target– Identify non-target but required knowledge and

skills – Generate the kinds of observations that provide

evidence of a student having the target knowledge– Determine the kinds of stimuli and work products

needed to gather the evidence

• Argument based on EvidenceBased on SRI International Work

with NCSC

Designing Items

• Graduated Complexity– Systematic Use of Variable Features– Scaffolding

Math Example• Item 4 assesses content that is closest to grade level and includes minimal use of non-

construct relevant scaffolds.

• Item 3, relative to Item 4, assesses content that is less complex but is still close to grade level (e.g., reduce number of data points, reduce magnitude of numbers used), includes non-construct relevant scaffolds, and most typically uses a start-to-finish demonstration using data not included in the item.

• Item 2, relative to Items 3 and 4, assesses content that is less complex than Item 3 (e.g., further reduction in number of data points, magnitude of numbers used), includes non-construct relevant scaffolds, and most typically uses a step-by-step demonstration using data not included in the item

• Item 1 contains the least complex content (e.g., greater reduction in number of data points or magnitude of numbers used) in addition to non-construct relevant scaffolds, such as the use of concrete materials and limited use of symbols. Item 1 targets the lowest ability students within the population.

Cognitive Background AKSAs and Variable Features Used to Support Them

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AKSAsVariable Features

Item 4 Item 3 Item 2 Item 1

Knowledge ofwhat orderedpairs represent

No demonstrationof plotting theordered pair

Shown orderedpair and teacherdemonstratesplotting

Teacherdemonstratesdetermining the ordered pair by using a ruler aligned from thepoint to the x-axis and to the y-axis

NA--Aligned toEssentialUnderstanding

Knowledge ofgraphingconventions

Teacher points to origin, x-axis, y-axis and points to a previouslyplotted point

Teacher points to origin, x-axis, and y-axis

X- and y-axes are identified

NA--Aligned toEssentialUnderstanding

Based on SRI International Work with NCSC

AKSAs Associated with Cognitive and Executive Functioning UDL Categories and Variable Features

UDL AKSAsVariable Features

Item 4 Item 3 Item 2 Item 1

Cognitive:Response formats

Constructedresponse

Constructedresponse

Selectedresponse: 3response options

Selectedresponse: 2response options

Cognitive:MultipleRepresentations

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;No explanationby teacher

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;Teacher explainsplotting pointsfrom providedordered pair

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;Teacher explainsdetermining theordered pair from plotted point

Graphicrepresentationonly to minimizevisual stimuli insupport of thedichotomouschoice

ExecutiveFunctioning:Number of ItemParts

Two parts Two parts One part One part

Sample Item -- 4Test Administrator "You are going to plot points on this graph.”

Test Administrator "This is the x-axis.“

Test Administrator "This is the y-axis."

Test Administrator "This is the origin where the x and y-axes meet. Its ordered pair is zero, zero."

Test Administrator "One point is already plotted on the graph. It is located at two, four. The ordered pair is two, four. Now it's your turn to plot a point."

Question 1 - "Plot a point at one, three on this graph."

Question 2 - "Now, plot a point at seven, five on this graph."

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Sample Item -- 2Test Administrator (TA) -- "You are going find what ordered pair was used to plot this point <TA points to point (2,4) on graph>. First follow the line down to the x-axis <TA draws a straight line with a ruler from the point (2,4) down to the point (2,0)>. This number two <points to the 2 on the x-axis> is the first number of the ordered pair."

TA presents student with a note card with the order pair template and writes '2' in the blank ordered pair template and says, "This is how we write an ordered pair. The two is the first number in this ordered pair. It comes from the x-axis." TA returns to Stimulus Material 1 and says, "Then we go back to the point on the graph. Follow the line across to the y-axis axis <TA draws a straight line with the ruler from the point (2,4) across to the point (0,4)>. This number four on the y-axis is the second number of the ordered pair. The second number of the ordered pair is placed here <TA writes '4' in the ordered pair template>."

TA removes Stimulus Materials 1 and 2, and presents student with another graph (Stimulus Material 3) and says, Question -- "What was the ordered pair that was used to plot this point <TA points to the point>?"

A. "one, three" B. "two, four or" C. "three, one?"

AKSAs Associated with Cognitive and Executive Functioning UDL Categories and Variable Features

UDL AKSAsVariable Features

Item 4 Item 3 Item 2 Item 1

Cognitive:Response formats

Constructedresponse

Constructedresponse

Selectedresponse: 3response options

Selectedresponse: 2response options

Cognitive:MultipleRepresentations

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;No explanationby teacher

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;Teacher explainsplotting pointsfrom providedordered pair

Text-basedrepresentation;Graphicrepresentation;Teacher explainsdetermining theordered pair from plotted point

Graphicrepresentationonly to minimizevisual stimuli insupport of thedichotomouschoice

ExecutiveFunctioning:Number of ItemParts

Two parts Two parts One part One part

Reading Items

• Passages with Items– Varied by word count and Lexiles– Level of Scaffolding– Visual Supports– Level of Inferences– Varied Text Structure– Language Features (e.g., simple

sentences)

ELA: Average P-values by Tiers

Grade Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4

3 .79 (.11) .55 (.14) .54 (.14) .47 (.17)

4 .77 (.08) .53 (.14) .52 (.14) .46 (.14)

5 .78 (.07) .53 (.14) .51 (.13) .47 (.12)

6 .80 (.07) .60 (.12) .52 (.13) .48 (.11)

7 .76 (.09) .52 (.15) .51 (.13) .48 (.13)

8 .77 (.09) .55 (.13) .51 (.12) .48 (.13)

11 .81 (.09) .58 (.15) .54 (.14) .49 (.14)

Math: Average P-values by TiersGrade Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4

3 .67 (.10) .50 (.12) .42 (.11) .42 (.11)

4 .66 (.14) .40 (.14) .37 (.12) .30 (.11)

5 .67 (.11) .40 (.11) .34 (.11) .33 (.10)

6 .70 (.10) .54 (.13) .48 (.10) .42 (.13)

7 .69 (.10) .47 (.11) .43 (.08) .38 (.12)

8 .65 (.13) .45 (.12) .44 (.11) .42 (.10)

11 .65 (.15) .47 (.10) .41 (.11) .38 (.12)