8th Grade Georgia Studies

Multiple Choice Assessment

New South Era
Standard SS8H7:
Explain the roles of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, John and Lugenia Burns Hope,
and Alonzo Herndon.

Objective:
Students will be able to identify the key roles and accomplishments of prominent African
Americans during the New South Era in Georgia.

1. Which of the following did W. E. B. Du Bois consider MOST important in the

struggle for civil rights for African Americans?
A.greater political representation
B.improved economic opportunities
C.reliable police protection of minorities
D.increased access to higher education

2. How did Alonzo Herndon seek to improve the lives of African Americans in
Atlanta?
A.by providing employment opportunities for college-educated members of the
community
B.by working to improve living conditions in the city's poorest segregated neighborhoods
C.by funding health education campaigns to improve the well-being of the city's residents
D.by organizing sit-ins and boycotts of Atlanta businesses that refused to serve African
Americans

3. Why was the Neighborhood Union, established by Lugenia Burns Hope in Atlanta,
important to the city's African American community?
A. The organization coordinated protests that called attention to racial injustice and
police brutality.
B. The organization worked with white politicians to pass legislation that improved
working conditions for the city's poor.
C. The organization fought to improve conditions in African American schools and
developed programs to educate people on health issues.
D. The organization founded technical schools to provide young African Americans with
the skills necessary to find employment.
Assessment Plan:

Improving item reliability: According to Nitko and Brookhart (2015), reliability is the degree
to which students results remain consistent over replications of an assessment procedure. I
believe that the reliability of my test is as strong as it can be when used in the form of multiple
choice questions. The questions and answer choices will leave little room form misunderstanding
and confusion in regards to what the correct answers are. The questions are a direct reflection of
standards and objectives that the students are being asked understand.

Improving Item Validity: As stated in the text (Brookhart & Hart, 2015), validity means that
the assessment items measure what they are intended to measure. I believe that my questions
have as valid a they can be. In order to ensure that my test questions are accurate and are aligned
to the information that the students are required to understand, I will refer to the Georgia
Performance Teachers Notes for Georgia Studies as my main resource. These notes not only list
the standards but also includes the informational text required to ensure the standards is properly
taught.

Along with that, data from the test will help drive further instruction in the classroom. If students
perform efficiently than mastery of the standard can be confirmed. However, if the students for
less than satisfactory, then the assessment will help given enlightenment on what need to be
retaught and focused on going forward.

Differentiation of instruction:
Differentiated instruction is the use of different instruction practices to meet the needs, abilities,
interest, and motivations of students regardless of differences in abilities (Nitko & Brookhart
2015)

In regards to differentiation my questions do not have any. Some of the things that could be
altered consist of; removing a answer choice, rewording some of the text in regards to simplicity,
as well as highlighting key words. However, the 8th Grade Social Studies GMAS, which is used
to gaged a student's knowledge of material, does not use modifications for students. Therefore it
is in the interest of the students to keep all questioning as is. Because of this type of test, I use the
results to help me as teacher better understand where my typically differentiated students are,
and how I can help them going forward.

Improving Student Learning: It is of the utmost importance that I give my students timely
feedback. The Data from the test will help drive further instruction in the classroom. If students
perform efficiently than mastery of the standard can be confirmed. However, if the students for
less than satisfactory, then the assessment will help given enlightenment on what needs to be
retaught and focused on going forward.

Future Assessments: In regards to improving future assessments, I believe that there is not
much that can be changed in regards to my multiple choice questions. These questions are made
with the highest possible level of New Blooms Taxonomy while still using the multiple-choice
assessment type.

Short Answer and Essay

8th Grade Social Studies

SS8H7: The student will evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred
in Georgia between 1877 and 1918

Objectives: Level and Type Short Answer

Evaluate the impact of Understand Explain how of the Bourbon Triumvirate and
Bourbon Triumvirate, Conceptual Henry Grady influenced the economy of Georgia
Henry Grady Knowledge during the late 1800s

Explain the roles of Remember Name the ways in which the African Americans
W.E.B DuBois and Factual were disenfranchised
Booker T. Washington. Knowledge

Evaluate the impact of Understand Explain how Rebecca Latimer Felton aimed to to
Rebecca Latimer Felton Conceptual help women.
Knowledge

Essay Questions

Evaluate the impact

Henry Grady had on the Understand How is Henry Grady linked to the
racial violence Conceptual disenfranchisement of African Americans and
experienced by Knowledge Jews? Explain your reason.
minorities during the late
1800s

Explain the roles of Understand Which one of the prominent African American
W.E.B DuBois, John Conceptual leaders was John Hope most influenced by?
Hope, and Booker T. Knowledge Explain your reasoning.
Washington.

Explain reasons for Understand Explain how the decision of the Plessy v. Ferguson
World War I and Conceptual court case increased the legitimacy of Jim Crow
 describe Georgias Knowledge laws.
contributions

Assessment Plan

This assessment was meant to be given at the end of a unit of Georgia during the New South era.
During this unit students were able to able to analyze and evaluate the key political figures,
social and racial norms, and influential African American during the New South era. Along with
this, students also analyzed the reason for World War One as well as Georgia contributions to the
war effort. The short answer and essay questions will help me evaluate my students mastery of
the standard. This evaluation will then help me determine if any section of the standard needs to
be retaught.

Improving item reliability:

According to Nitko and Brookhart (2015), reliability is the degree to which students results
remain consistent over replications of an assessment procedure. In order to ensure the reliability
of my restricted-response items a scoring guide should be added to ensure that students
understand exactly what it is that they are being asked to do. However even with that addition of
a scoring guide, there will still be some difficulty in reliably scoring the extended responses. The
addition of rubrics and or checklist can hopefully lower these issues.

Improving item validity:

According to Nitko and Brookhart (2015), validity means that the assessment items measure
what they are intended to measure. In regards to my validity, I believe it is strong because the
assessment items align directly to the objective of the Georgia Studies Performance Standards. In
addition to this, the list of multiple assessment items allow for the me to graded the students on
multiple essay questions rather than just a single written response.

Differentiation of Instruction:
Differentiated instruction is the use of different instruction practices to meet the needs, abilities,
interest, and motivations of students regardless of differences in abilities (Nitko & Brookhart
2015)
 Depending on the IEPs of my SPED students, modifications will be made to the test. For some
of my students this will include having me read the assessment items aloud to them, why for
other this may include extended time. For ESOL students and other who struggle with their
writing, the use of technology to complete their written assessments will be allowed.

Improving Student Learning:

The results from the assessment items will help allow me to asses where my students are. I will
use the results to determine if there are any major misconceptions or unmastered sections of the
standard that needs to be retaught. If there are any of the following they can be retaught during
ELT (Extend Learning Time).

Improving Future Assessments:

The item analyzes of the test will be used to see if there were particular test questions that were
missed consistently amongst the test takers. Those items will then be analyzed during content
planning meetings to determine if there was anything misleading about the question. One issue
that tends to come up during these discussions are the use of non-content related vocabulary that
is considered culturally biased, and causes the test taker to miss the questions. This and other
factors will be looked at and if it is deemed that the question is unfair it will then be edited on
erased from any future test.

Higher Order Thinking

Objective: Explain the importance of key issues and events that led to the Civil War; include slavery,
states rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform,
Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of 1860, the debate over secession in Georgia, and
the role of Alexander Stephens.

Question 1:
The information shows the differences in the percentages of slaves from 1790 to 1860
Using the map above, explain how economics of the North and South influenced their ideas in
regards to slavery? (Evaluate Factual Knowledge)

Question Two:
Causes of the Civil War

Missouri Compromise The Georgia Platform

Dred Scott Case The Compromise of 1850

Slavery Kansas-Nebraska Act

Election of 1860 State Rights

Nullification

Above are the causes of the Civil War. Analyze the list and determine which two are that main
causes for the Civil War and how they caused the rest of them. (Evaluate Factual Knowledge)
Question Three:
California applied and was granted statehood in in 1850. Explain the political and legal issues that
this caused, including what was done about it. (Conceptual Knowledge)

Assessment Plan:
The information required to answer these questions can not be fully understood before the end of the
unit. The assessment questions are meant to be given at the completion of the unit, or as a review for
a final.
Improving item Reliability:
According to (Nitko & Brookhart, 2015) reliability is the degree in which students results are
consistent over replications of an assessment procedure. In order to ensure that my students capable
of answering this question, I will occasionally during the lesson and ask questions (checks for
understanding) to make sure that my students have received that knowledge required to answer these
questions. Other issues that may arise include grading, because of the fact that these open-end items
and there is not a specific answer. In order to combat this checklist will be used so that students are
sure of what it is that are being asked to do.

Improving item Validity:

As stated in the text (Brookhart & Hart, 2015), validity means that the assessment items measure
what they are intended to measure. The purpose of the standard as written by the Georgia
Performance Standards Commission is to ensure that 8th Grade Georgia Studies students understand
the important issues and events that lead to the Civil War.

Differentiation of Instruction:
Differentiated instruction is the use of different instruction practices to meet the needs, abilities,
interest, and motivations of students regardless of differences in abilities (Nitko & Brookhart 2015)

ESOL and/or SPED students may have the questions read aloud to them and be given extra time to
answer the questions depending on the service they have been given in their IEP. The standard is a
knowledge based standard, therefore, focus should be on the understanding of the concept, therefore,
students with issue writing will not be penalized if they are able to show mastery of the concept.

Improving Student Learning:

After all the test items have been graded they will be analyzed to see if there are any continuously
missed questions. If so those questions will be reviewed to determine what, if any confusions that
could have led to incorrect answers being picked. If it is deem such those questions will be removed
from grades and will be edited or replaced in the future. If it is deemed that the reasons for missed
questions was from a lack of knowledge rather than confusion, then the unit will be retaught before
moving forward.

Improving future assessments:

A evaluation of the students test scores will help determine what sections of the standards need to be
focused on in ELT (extended learning times). In ELT, students will be retaught the sections of the
unit that were deemed unsatisfactory before being given a retake of the unit test.

Performance Assessment
8th Grade Georgia Studies

Objective One: Explain the Lawmaking Process and how each branch of state government uses
checks and balances to ensure that the best interest of the people are is always adhered to. (A6
Factual Knowledge, Create)
Evaluate how the legislative branch fulfills its role as the lawmaking body for the State of Georgia

Use the political cartoon above to explain which lawmaking process is taking place. In
your response, explain the power being enacted by the Executive Branch. Also, explain
how the Legislative Branch checks the Executive Branch.

Objective Two: The student will evaluate key political, social, and economic changes
that occurred in. Georgia between 1877 and 1918.

Task One (A6 Factual Knowledge, Create): Students will create a foldable in which
they are to complete the following:
1. Discuss the individuals of the New South era who are responsible for setting up
an environment in that made it difficult for African Americans and other minorities
to succeed in the south
2. Students will explain the different events that transpired during the New South
Era that impeded on the rights and abilities of minorities in the south
3. Explain the roles that significant African Americans who fought against the
disenfranchisement of black people.
Task Two (A6 Factual Knowledge, Create): Students will create an essay in which
they will; examine the individuals and events that impeded the post reconstruction
success efforts of African Americans in the south. Students will also discuss the
attempts of prominent African American leaders to combat that the disenfranchisement
suffered by African Americans in the New South ear. Extra Credit: Find another
individual in history who also fought against the injustice of minorities in a different era
of American history.

Assessment Plan

Reliability
Reliability it the degree to which students results remain consistent over replications of
an assessment procedure (Nitko & Brookhart 2015)

In order for my performance task to be done properly a rubric, which includes scoring
chart will be given to each student. The rubric brings consistency to the grading
because it will explain; what is to be create in each section of the foldable, what is
create section is to include, and how many points each task is worth. This will ensure
that students fully understand what is being expected of them in each assignment. All of
the Performance Task were given to the students after completion of the unit to ensure
that each students had the proper background knowledge necessary for the to
successfully complete the assessments.

Validity

Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students assessment

results (Nitko & Brookhart 2015)

Each of the Performance task were created using the Georgia Performance Standards
for 8th grade Georgia Studies. This along with the rubric given to the students before
the start of these assignments. I will take the same rubric and and use it as a guide as I
grade every individual performance task to ensure that grading is consistent.

Differentiation

Differentiated instruction is the use of different instruction practices to meet the needs,
abilities, interest, and motivations of students regardless of differences in abilities (Nitko
& Brookhart 2015)

Students will be given differentiated lessons based on their IEPs. For some students
this may include; small group, extend time for activities, instructions read aloud to them
multiple times, have students focus on the concepts being asked and less on the legnth
of their writing, and or visual aides such as examples and templates.

Improving Student Learning

The results of the Performance task will help me to further understand what it my
students do and don't understand. As I grade the performance task I will lookout for
errors happening continuously throughout the classes.
Improving future Assessments

If they do exist I will analyze them to determine if there were any possible
misunderstandings or lack of teaching on my part. If either persist they would be
brought during ELT (extend learning time) and retaught in an effort to ensure that they
do not happen going forward.