The Assessment Investigation

Sue Taylor-Foley

Consultant for Research, Planning and Technology

South Shore District School Board

Assessment is like solving a puzzle. You need to collect all

the pieces so that you can evaluate the whole picture.

Agenda

What is assessment?

What is Evaluation?

How do teachers use these to inform inform instruction?

What is the Grade 6 Literacy Assessment?

How can this be used in context of classroom assessments?

Others here will likely have no problem with reading this…K

K3 *P2tog, YO*P2tog, K3 (33st)

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K3 *inc1, K1*inc 1, K3 (47 st)

Still others will understand this without any difficulty.

IM :-ll PCM L8R I CNT SPK IM @ WRK NW

THNQ S.

But, what if you didn’t understand those???

Does it mean you are not literate?

What does it mean?

“The longer I write and read, the more I learn; writing and

reading are lifelong apprenticeships…”

By Donald M. Murray

Student literacy

Reflects previous years of schooling

Experiences at Home

Communities Experiences

Varied background experiences

Teachers address learning strengths and needs in the

classroom.

They use curriculum guides that are based on outcomes.They assess and evaluate students to inform their instruction.They build on student strengths and teach to develop their areas of need.

What is Assessment?

Assessment is the process of gathering information on student learning.

What is evaluation?

The process of analyzing, reflecting upon and summarizing assessment information and making judgments and/or decisions based on the information collected.

Assessment and Evaluation are not an issue of trial and error but one of informed decision making by looking at the whole student in a variety of ways.

Assessment + Evaluation (of outcomes being taught) = Informed Instruction

Your task during this presentation

Is to put the pieces together.

Evaluate each new piece of information that you gather to make an informed decision.

Keep track of your observations on the record sheet provided.

Variety of methods that teachers use to assess student literacy

PortfoliosAnecdotal RecordsTeacher made testsChecklistsOutcomes trackingAnalysis of written workRunning recordsMiscue analysisConferencesDemonstrationsJournalsPresentations

RubicsObservationStage of reading developmentStage of writing developmentBenchmark materialsSelf-assessmentsSurveysQuestionnairesVideo/audio tapesProjects

We also use…

Standardized testing information when available.

Grade 6 Literacy AssessmentOctober 14-17/03

-measured selected grade 5 Language Arts Outcomes

For 10 of the grade 5 LA Outcomes

Language Arts Outcomes in the Grade 6 Guide

34

Language Arts Outcomes

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Gr. 6Assess.

Total

Purpose of Assessment

To monitor progress of students in meeting selected reading/viewing and writing outcomes from the ELA curriculum

To identify struggling students so that support can be provided

Also “assessing education system… let’s us know if system is working as we expect”

Who took the assessment?

All grade 6 students in Nova Scotia

Exception- students who have documented Individual Program Plans in Language Arts

Students on Modified Programs did write with modifications noted on student response sheet

What was provided by the Department prior to the assessment?

an information pamphlet to take home to their parents prior to testingA practice test and practice scantron sheet to complete ( on one poem section) the week prior to the assessment

An information meeting (attended in June or on Oct. 6)A teacher information guide received in Sept.A practice test to use with students the week prior to testingWebsite on the Dept of Ed. for assessment

For Students For Teachers

Test format- referenced to specific outcomes

Reading and Viewing section (6 parts)

Short story Information text (e.g. following instructions) Visual media text Information text (e.g. non-fiction) Poetry Information text (e.g.. Table of contents) Questions are at Comprehension and Analysis

levels This section was answered on the scantron sheet

provided

SpecificallyStudents answered questions about a story they read about a Baby-SitterStudents answered informational questions about the inform found on a box of Kraft DinnerStudents answered questions about an advertisement from a Zoological Society on Giant PandasStudents answered questions on a pamphlet about BatsStudents answered questions on a poem also about Bats

Writing

Transactional writing (e.g.. Letter)

Ideas Organization Matters of

correctness

Literary Prose (e.g.. Narrative story)

Ideas Organization Matters of

correctness

Specifically

Students had a letter writing task they were given information to read before writing planning to write wrote a first draft used a checklist to review their first draft wrote their second and final draft used a checklist to review their final draft

Students were also asked to write a creative writing piece (some supports and guidelines were also given for this)

Now what happens?In November there was a marking session for the two writing sections. These were marked by grade 6 teachers from around the province. A computer at the Department of Education will mark the Scantron section of the Assessment.In the new year, it is expected that the results will arrive at schools.Teachers will receive an outcome by outcome report.It is expected that Parents will receive a report that indicates if their child has met expectations or not in reading and viewing and in writing in February 2004.

Outcomes measured by Grade 6 Literacy Assessment

Provides an additional piece of information

Results can be used with other assessment information the teacher has collected

Can be used when assisting students to reflect on and assess their own learning

Data can be used to help reflect on ways to continuously improve the school program

May identify students who are struggling.

Items to consider

Classroom assessment is not based on a single test or measureTest results for the Grade 6 Literacy Assessment are received at least 4 months after students have taken the assessment and are based on outcomes from Grade 5Only selected items that can be measured in this type of assessment are includedStudent results will be reported in limited terms.

This student has…

Met the expectations in Reading and Viewing.

Met the expectation in Writing.

Not met the expectations in Reading and Viewing.

Not met the expectations in Writing.

Supports for Struggling Students-

Support is to begin/continue in Grade 6

Support is to continue in junior high

Assessment

Evaluation

Instruction

What is happening currently to support

readers and writers at your school?

Reading Recovery in Grade 1Reduced class size in early gradesIn depth training on teaching reading in P-3 (AYR) Training in reading and writing teaching in 4-6 (AYR & WIA)Implementation of Active Readers in Junior HighNovember Inservice focused on assessment, and the reading and writing connections.

Additional classroom resources received from Province to support teacher professional growth and classroom reading collections.

Literacy MentorConsultant of Program SupportOver 50 teachers involved in Leadership TeamsTechnology Mentors in most Elementary Schools

Those supports are in addition to…

What your child’s teacher is doing to support learning on a daily basis in the classroom.

What supports do you want for…

Literacy Assessment

StaffStudents

Parents

Inform your school community about student assessment

Include assessment information in--school and classroom communication plans-classroom letters-school newsletters-parent / teacher conferences-discuss this topic at SAC and H&S meetings-look at your school improvement plan-discuss ways that parents can support their children

What have you decided after looking at all the puzzle

pieces?