Raising
SOL Test Scores Through Improved Classroom Assessment
Curriculum
FROM
•Management
of schools like factories to
maximize efficiency
•Ability
tracking and differentiated curriculum
•Sequential
small steps
•Detailed
specification of objectives
•Time
constant; learning varies
TO
•Backward
instructional design
•All
students can learn
•Higher
standards
•Learning
constant; time and approach vary
•Emphasis
on deep understanding, thinking and problem solving
•Equal
opportunity to diverse learners
•Authenticity
in learning
Assessment
FROM
•Isolated
skills and facts
•Recall
knowledge and simple understanding
•Objective,
paper and pencil tests
•Single
correct answer
•Secret
standards and criteria
•Summative
•Sporadic
with little feedback
TO
•Integrated
knowledge and skills
•Deep
understanding, application and problem solving
•Performance
assessments
•Public
standards and criteria
•Formative
•Student
self-evaluation
•Continual
with specific feedback
 Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Knowledge
- Characteristics
-
Examples
- know, list, state, recite, name
 This
thinking skill tells you that a student can recall or recognize information,
concepts, and ideas in the approximate form in which they were learned.
Comprehension
-
Characteristics
- translate,
put in own words, summarize
-
- Examples
- Translate,
put in own words, summarize
This thinking skill tells you that a student
can grasp and interpret prior learning. The student can tell it in his/her own
words.
 Application
- Characteristics
- use in a NEW setting; simulate, role play
- Examples
- use, make, produce, prove
This
thinking skill tells you that a student can transfer selected information to a
life problem or a new task with a minimum of direction.
Analysis
- Characteristics
- take apart, identify relationships
- Examples
- predict,
infer, discriminate, hypothesize
Synthesis
·
Create NEW
- Examples
- Compile,
formulate, produce, reconstruct organize
This thinking skill tells you that a student
can originate, combine, and integrate parts or prior knowledge into a product,
plan or proposal that is new.
Evaluation
- Characteristics
-
Examples
- argue, conclude, defend, justify, validate
This thinking skill tells you that a student
can appraise, assess, or criticize on the basis of specific standards and
criteria.
An Audience Test
While Bloom’s Taxonomy has six levels, the nature of
level five and six, synthesis and evaluation do not lend them to multiple choice
questions. Which of the following
four “levels” of cognition are required to answer each of the following test
items:
A. Knowledge
(recognize information previously learned)
B. Comprehension (grasp
& interprets prior learning)
C. Application (transfer
info. to a new life problem)
D. Analysis (classify,
predict, and draw conclusions)
SOL 4.4a
The student will describe the social and
political life of Virginians between the Revolutionary War and the end of the
Civil War, with emphasis on:
contributions of Virginians to the establishment of the U.S Constitution and
Bill of Rights, and the success of the new national government.
Question 1
A. Knowledge,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
Who was president of the Constitutional Convention?
A James Madison
B Thomas Jefferson
C George Washington
D John Adams
Question 2
A. Knowledge,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
Which U.S. Constitutional
Amendment was based on the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom?
A
the First Amendment
B
the Second Amendment
C
the Fourth Amendment
D the Tenth Amendment
Question 3
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
Which
of the following was not a result of the Louisiana
Purchase?
A
the U.S. doubled in size.
B
the U.S. made a great deal with France.
C
the U.S. gained control of the Mississippi River.
D
the U.S. made a great deal with Spain.
Question 4
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
The Bill of Rights was based on which document written by George Mason
A
The Virginia Constitution
B
The Virginia Plan
C
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
D
The Virginia Compromise
SOL 4.1b
The student will explain the impact of geographic factors in the expansion and
development of Virginia with emphasis on the location and growth of cities in
relation to the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, major rivers, the fall
line/fall zone, and the Shenandoah Valley.
Question 5
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
Which of the following is not a reason the English
settled at the mouth of the James River?
A
It was rich in natural resources.
B
It had a good harbor.
C
It had rich gold deposits.
D
It was easy to defend.
 Question
6
Which of the following cities is located on the fall line?
A Chesapeake
B Richmond
C Roanoke
D Newport
News
SOL 4.2d
The student will use the concepts of absolute location and relative location to
construct physical maps and three-dimensional models that include the essential
map elements and the geographic regions of Virginia and the United States.
Question 7
The coastal plain, one of the geographic
regions of the United States, is equivalent to what geographic region in
Virginia?
A Tidewater
B
Piedmont
C
Ridge and Valley
D
Allegheny Plateau
Parts of Multiple Choice Item
Which of the following is the name of the "Father of the
Constitution"? (Stem)
A James Madison
(Keyed Correct Answer)
B George
Washington (Distracter)
C James
Monroe (Distracter)
D George
Mason (Distracter)
(A-D are also referred to as
Options)
Guidelines for a
Good Multiple-Choice Item
•Test
item measures taught material.
•Test
item difficulty reflects difficulty/complexity of learning outcome.
•Problem
is stated clearly.
•Stem
is states as a question.
•Stem
is worded positively.
•Options
appear in logical order.
•Options
are listed vertically.
•Stem
contains the central idea of item.
•Negative wording is controlled
(avoided if possible).
•Options are consistent in length.
•Only one item is the correct answer.
•“None of the above” and “All of
the above” are used carefully (not over-used).
•Distracters must be plausible.
•Four options are used (if desire to
match SOL items).
•Position of correct answer is balanced
(close to the same number of a, b, etc. answers).
(REMEMBER standardized text designers use C most frequently).
IMPORTANT!!!
n
Content Validity—the test item should match the content that was
taught.
n
Test items should engage higher order thinking (comprehension to
evaluation). Avoid just testing for
memorization of facts. Try to get
to application and preferably analysis.
n
Reliability—the design of the test should support gathering
information about what the learners actually know.
Steps to Good Assessment
•
WHAT--Organized curriculum to be taught
•
HOW--Strategies that implement measurable objectives
•
SO WHAT--Assessment that links the curriculum or “what” and the
instructional methods or “how” to determine the learning taking place
Strategies for
Testing
Strategies
•Teach and test at the analysis level.
•Teach precision vocabulary.
•Teach decoding skills.
Decode cartoon, pictures, documents, written word.
•Teach good use of time.
•Practice interpretation and organization
of information.
•Teach isolation and the use of known
information.
•Help students build and use a broad base
of knowledge and skills.
•Teach higher order thinking skills.
Empower students to think!
Strategies
that Make a Difference
Strategy
Percentile Gain
Identifying similarities and differences
45
Summarizing note taking
34
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
29
Assigning homework and practice
28
Generating non-linguistic representations
27
Using cooperative learning
27
Setting objectives and providing feedback
23
Generating and testing hypothesis
25
Providing cues, questions, and advanced
organizers
22
Based on research of Robert Marzano et
al, http://www.mcrel.org
He
who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and
climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.
~Friedrich Nietzsche
Sources
•
Mulligan, Dan. “Remediation
and the SOL.” PowerPoint, 2000.
•
Roland, Pam. “Bloom’s
Taxonomy.” Teaching for Standards
Mastery, UVA. PowerPoint, January, 2000.
| 
Fly