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 5.2
The student will trace the
routes and evaluate early explorations of the American, in terms of the
motivations, obstacles, and accomplishments of sponsors and leaders of key
expeditions from Spain, France, Portugal, and England.l
Question 1
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
French exploration and settlement in
North America is show by the set of arrows marked---
A A
B B
C C
D D
SOL 5.6
The student will
describe growth and change in America from 1801 to 1861, with emphasis on
Territorial
exploration, expansion, and settlement, including the Louisiana Purchase,
the Lewis and Clark expedition, the acquisition of Florida, Texas, Oregon,
and California.
Question 2
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
Timeline
of the Westward Movement
1803
President Jefferson buys Louisiana from France; He sends Lewis and
Clark to explore it.
1821
Americans begin settling in Texas
1834
Americans begin moving to Oregon Country
1836
Texas becomes independent from Mexico
1846
United States and Britain divide Oregon Country;
was with Mexico begins
1848
Mexican War ends; the Unites States receives California and much of
the Southwest
"Remember the Alamo!" was a
famous battle cry during the years in which Americans were moving west. It was
first heard in ---
A 1803
B 1821
C 1836
D 1848
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.
SOL 6.5
The student will explain
the Great Depression and its effects with emphasis on
The New Deal and its
impact on the Depression, the future role of government in the economy; and
Personalities and
leaders of the period, including …Franklin Roosevelt…
Question 4
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
The cards in the cartoon refer to
A The New Deal
B Branches of Government
C Checks and Balances
D Congress
SOL 7.4
The student will compare the policy-making process at the local, state, and
national levels of government, with emphasis on the functions of departments,
agencies, and regulatory bodies.
Question 5
A. Recall,
B. Comprehension,
C. Application,
D. Analysis
American bills have the words
"In God We Trust" written on them. In what agency do we trust to
control our money supply?
A Congress.
B Federal Reserve System.
C American Bankers’ Association.
D U.S. Treasury.
Question 6
A political machine is ---
A another term for "political
party"
B a device used to count votes on
election day
C a group of bills passed by
Congress
D an organization with strong
control over a city’s government
Question 7
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 8
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
The Parts of Multiple Choice Question
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.
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Fly