Jenna Jenkins

Fall 2017

FRIT 7236
Technology-Based Assessment and Data Analysis
Key Assessment

Stage 1
Objectives and Multiple-Choice Questions

QUIZ LINK

Objective 1: (Grade 3 Social Studies)

When given a list of regions, the student will be able to identify the type of shelter American
Indians built for each region with 100% accuracy.
(Students are required to remember factual knowledge)

Question 1: In which of the following regions did American Indians use igloos for shelter?

A. The Northwest Region

B. The Plains
C. The Arctic Region
D. The Southwest Region

Objective 2: (Grade 3 Social Studies)

When given choices, the student will be able to describe how American Indians continue to
contribute to American life with 100% accuracy.
(Students are required to remember factual knowledge).

Question 2: What is one way American Indians contribute to American life?

A. American Indians invented sunglass to protect their eyes from the sun.
B. American Indians invented irrigation canals to water crops.
C. American Indians invented the bow and arrow for hunting.
D. American Indians invented boots to keep your feet warm and dry in the winter.

Objective 3: When given an example, the student will be able to compare and contrast how
American Indians in each region used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter
with 100% accuracy. (Students are required to understand conceptual knowledge)?
Question 3: What may an American Indian use for clothing if they lived in the Northwest
region in comparison to the Northeast region?

A. They would wear soften cedar wood in the Northwest region and deerskin in the
Northeast region.
B. They would wear deerskin in the Northwest region and wool from sheep in the Northeast
region.
C. They would wear seal skin in the Northwest region and caribou skin in the Northeast
region.
D. They would wear wool from sheep in the Northwest region and seal skin in the Northeast
region.

Assessment Plan

Improving item reliability:

Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). To improve scoring reliability with multiple
choice items, teachers should refer to the checklist to guide them in creating high quality
multiple choice items. In addition, scoring criteria should be communicated to students before
they start an assignment. Reliability will improve by testing students frequently throughout the
unit using formative assessments, tickets out the door, and the end of unit assessment. I will
compare student results to determine if students have mastered the content and ensure that the
test items are reliable.

Improving item validity:

Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results
(Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). In order to improve validity of an assessment, teachers need to
research a variety of resources to gain a full understanding of the standards and expectations.
This will help them create valid test questions that align with learning objectives and standards.
Student results should also be evaluated to determine when additional support is needed and if
instruction should be adjusted.

Differentiation of instruction:
Differentiated instruction refers to instructional practices that are altered to meet the needs,
abilities, interests, and motivations of students (Nitko & Brookhart 2015). Students will be
presented information in a variety of ways such as videos, PowerPoints, images, lectures, anchor
charts, articles, and textbook readings. Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge
through graphic organizers, presentations, class discussions, formative assessments, and written
responses.

Improving student learning:

To improve student learning, I will provide enrichment and/or support based on each student’s
individual needs. Students that score low on formative assessments will meet with me for direct
feedback as well as small group review and practice of the content. Students that excel will have
the opportunity to work on an enrichment activity provided on a choice board. I will use
formative assessment results to determine if adjustments need to be made to teaching or the
assessment questions. I will use data to drive my instruction so all students are successful in
mastering the learning objectives.

Improving future assessments:

Assessments can be improved by collaborating with coworkers to discuss assessment questions,
validity, reliability, and student responses. Students can also complete a survey to provide
feedback about assessments. For example, did they feel prepared for the test, did the questions
make sense, did the questions assess the content learned in class, etc. Additionally, teachers
should update assessments to ensure they align with the standards.

Short Answer and Essay

3rd Grade Science
GSE – Georgia Standards of Excellence
S3L1: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the similarities and
differences between plants, animals, and habitats found within geographic regions of
Georgia. (Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plains, Valley and Ridge, and
Appalachian Plateau).

Objectives: Level and Short Answer Questions

Type (Measures content + thinking skills)

Students will Understand Explain why a plant that lives under water can’t survive in
explain why some Conceptual a forest.
organisms are able Knowledge
to thrive in some
habitats, but not
others.

Students will Remember Name the animals that live in the Piedmont region.
identify the Factual
different organisms Knowledge
that live in
different areas in
Georgia.

Students will Understand Explain the relationship between Georgia’s wetlands and
explain the Conceptual the other regions of Georgia.
similarities and Knowledge
differences
between Georgia
habitats.

Essay Questions

Students will Understand Explain the adaptations that help eagles survive in its
explain the Conceptual environment. Would the eagle’s adaptations help it
features of an Knowledge survive in the water? Explain your reasoning.
animal that help it
survive in its
habitat.

Students will Understand Describe the factors that influence Georgia’s mountain
explain the factors Conceptual region (temperature, weather, soil, elevation). Construct
that influence the Knowledge an explanation about how those factors play a role on the
regions and how types of plants and animals that live in that region.
those factors
determine the
types of plants and
animals that live in
those regions.

Students will Understand How is the coastal plain different from the mountains and
explain the Conceptual the piedmont? Explain your reasoning.
similarities and Knowledge
differences
between Georgia
habitats.

Assessment Plan

Improving item reliability:

Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). In order to improve item reliability of these
tests, teachers should use detailed rubrics or rating scales. This will help communicate
expectations to students so they know exactly what they are being scored on. This will also help
teachers be consistent in scoring student responses if they all use the same detailed rubrics and
rating scales. They should take some time to practice scoring a few sample questions together to
ensure scoring is consistent across the board. They should also score all students on the first
question before moving on to the next questions to improve consistency. Students will have
many opportunities to practice and apply their new knowledge through class discussions,
experiments, formative assessments and writing CERs (claim, response, and reasoning) before
taking the assessment.

Improving item validity:

Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results
(Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). In order to improve item validity, I aligned the questions with the
third grade Georgia Standards of Excellence using similar terms from the essential questions
addressed throughout the unit.

Differentiation of Instruction:
Differentiated instruction refers to instructional practices that are altered to meet the needs,
abilities, interests, and motivations of students (Nitko & Brookhart 2015).
Students will learn new Science content through class discussions, textbook and article readings,
website research, experiments, vocabulary, videos, and pictures. Students will also practice
making a claim and providing evidence through CERs. Higher level students will complete all
three parts: claim, evidence, and reasoning. Lower level students will focus on mastering claim
and evidence before moving onto reasoning. Throughout the unit, students with learning
disabilities or language barriers will have the questions read to them and a teacher can record
their oral response. Another option is to provide an alternative test with multiple-choice, cut and
paste, or picture responses. Any students with an IEP may have additional modifications that
must be met as well.

Improving Student Learning:

Throughout the unit, the teacher will observe student responses ….to ensure that students
understand the content. Formative assessment scores will be used to determine if students need
additional support and remediation or if the teacher needs to adjust and reteach a lesson. Students
that do not perform well on the unit test will have the opportunity to recover their grade after
remediation.

Improving Future Assessments:

Teachers should meet to evaluate student responses and success. If the questions are misleading
or unclear, modifications should be made to the test. Students can provide feedback about the
assessment through an online survey created by the teacher. Teachers should also use a variety of
resources to keep test questions up to date with the Georgia Standards of Excellence.

Higher-Order Thinking
Objective:
After completing this unit, the student will be able analyze and evaluate early American Indian
cultures and their development in North America with 100% accuracy or as measured by a
rubric.

Question 1:
The picture below shows some of the items the Arctic people used to survive.

The Arctic people had to get all their resources from nature rather than the super market. Assess
the picture above and explain how the Inuit people used their environment to obtain food,
clothing, and shelter. (5A Evaluate Factual Knowledge)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________

Question 2:
Why did the arrival of the European explorers cause a decrease in the population of American
Indians? Provide at least two reasons in your explanation. (4A Analyze Factual Knowledge)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Question 3:
Write a paragraph explaining in your opinion which region would be the best region to live in for
an Early American Indian. Justify your opinion with at least five facts. (4B Evaluate
Conceptual Knowledge)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Assessment Plan
Improving Item Reliability:
Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). To improve reliability, students will have the
opportunity to practice responding to higher-order- thinking questions. They should learn how to
support their thoughts and ideas with facts and information from the unit. Teacher should also
assess students’ understanding of the content through class discussions, formative assessments,
and open-ended questions. Detailed rubrics or rating scales should be provided to students so
they understand what is expected of them. This will help students maintain focus when
responding to higher-order thinking questions as well as guide teachers in the scoring process
which will result in scoring consistency.

Improving Item Validity:

Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results
(Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). In order to improve item validity, I aligned the questions with the
third grade Georgia Standards of Excellence using similar terms from the essential questions
addressed throughout the unit. Rubrics or rating scales will be used for scoring and teachers
should take some time to practice scoring a few higher-order- thinking questions together to
ensure scoring is consistent across the board.

Differentiation of Instruction:
Differentiated instruction refers to instructional practices that are altered to meet the needs,
abilities, interests, and motivations of students (Nitko & Brookhart 2015). Students will learn
new Social Studies content through class discussions, textbook and article readings, website
research, presentations, vocabulary, and pictures. Students will practice responding to higher-
order- thinking questions using facts from articles and class notes. Throughout the unit, students
with learning disabilities or language barriers will have the questions read to them and a teacher
can record their oral response. Another option is to allow lower level students take an open
book/notes test. Any students with an IEP may have additional modifications that must be met as
well.

Improving Student Learning:

To improve student learning, I will make sure class discussions and assignments are centered
around the standards and learning objectives. I will communicate expectations, learning goals,
and provide rubrics whenever necessary. I will observe student responses to ensure that students
understand the content and provide feedback to clarify any misconceptions. Formative
assessment scores will be used to determine if students need additional support and remediation
or if I need to adjust and reteach a lesson. Students that do not perform well on the unit test will
have the opportunity to recover their grade after remediation.

Improving Future Assessments:

To improve future assessments, teachers should meet to evaluate student responses and success.
If the questions are misleading or unclear, modifications should be made to the test. Teachers
should use Bloom’s Taxonomy levels as a reference for writing higher-level- thinking questions.
They should also use a variety of resources to keep test questions up to date with the Georgia
Standards of Excellence. Students can provide feedback about the assessment through an online
survey created by the teacher.

Performance
Objective: Students will locate the regions where American Indians settled in North
America and identify how they used their environment in each region to obtain food,
clothing, and shelter. (3rd Grade Social Studies)

1. Performance Assessment: (Factual Knowledge, Create)

Students will choose to create a PowerPoint on one of the 6 regions (Arctic, Northwest,
Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Plains) that Native Americans settled in the U.S. The
project should include information on how Native Americans used their environment to
obtain food, clothing, and shelter. Students should include a minimum of one illustration/
picture for each section. They need to describe the region and explain how the climate
effects the resources available. Refer to the rubric for expectations and an overview of
points possible.
.
My region is _____________________
1. Research your region for the following categories:
a. Type of shelter
b. Clothing
c. Food
d. Weapons/tools/crafts
2. Create your PowerPoint. For each category:
a. Write the title of your region.
b. Label each category.
c. Write 2-3 complete sentences about each one.
d. Provide an image.
3. Explain how the climate of that region affects the resources available.

Objective: Students will determine the central message, lesson, or moral of fables and
explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. (3rd Grade Reading)

2. Performance Assessment: (Factual Knowledge, Create)

Students will create a fable that presents a clear moral message throughout the story.
Their fable must include a minimum of two characters that are animals with human
characteristics. Their fable should be organized into a beginning, middle, and end.
Capitalization and punctuation should be used correctly throughout the fable. The rubric
provides a checklist for students and points available for each task.

Did you…. Points It’s Worth Points You Earned

Write a fable with a 10
beginning, middle, and
end?
Write a fable that has 5
a clear moral meaning
throughout the story?
Write your moral at 5
the end of the fable?
Include two or more 5
characters with
 human
characteristics?
Create a creative 5
illustration that
provides a visual of
your fable?
Include a capital letter 5
and ending
punctuation on
sentences?

TOTAL 35

Objective: Students will research the lives of historical Americans who expanded people’s
rights and freedoms in a democracy. (Grades 3-5 Writing & Social Studies)
3. Performance Assessment: (Factual Knowledge, Create)
Students will research a Famous American and write an informational speech explaining
the primary importance of that famous American. The speech should include an
introduction, maintain focus, and have a sense of closure. It should also include many
facts explaining why the famous American is important. If time allows, teacher may
designate a day for students to dress up as their Famous American and present their
speech to parents, teachers, and peers.
Students should include the following information in their Famous American speech:
● Important places that are related to the Famous American
● Birthplace
● Relevant information about childhood, family, and education that shapes the life
of the Famous American
● A struggle or challenge to the Famous American and how he/she overcame this
obstacle
● Any historical events that happened during their lifetime
 ● Contributions the historical figure made towards our country
● How he/she became famous
● Awards or recognition that he/she may have received
● Character traits that the Famous American portrays

Assessment Plan

Improving Item Reliability:

Reliability is the degree to which students’ results remain consistent over replications of an
assessment procedure (Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). To improve reliability, each performance
assessment will have a rubric or checklist to help communicate expectations. The teacher will
review the rubric with students when assigning the performance assessments and answer any
questions students may have. The rubrics will help with grading consistency since students use
them as a guide to maintain focus and ensure they are including all the important parts of their
assignment. Teacher should also assess students’ understanding of the content through class
discussions, hands-on activities and partner/ group work.

Improving Item Validity:

Validity is the soundness of your interpretations and uses of students’ assessment results
(Bookhart & Nitko, 2015). In order to improve item validity, the performance assessments were
created to align with the third grade Georgia Standards of Excellence using similar terms from
the essential questions addressed throughout the unit. Rubrics or rating scales will be used for
scoring and teachers should take some time to practice scoring a few performance assessments
together to ensure scoring is consistent across the board.

Differentiation of Instruction:
Differentiated instruction refers to instructional practices that are altered to meet the needs,
abilities, interests, and motivations of students (Nitko & Brookhart 2015). Students with learning
disabilities or language barriers will have the following accommodations:
1) Students will be provided with facts on food, clothing, and shelter for a region of their
choice. Students will use this information to create a poster. They may cut and clue the
titles, facts and pictures on the poster.
2) Students will use a graphic organizer to select characters, setting, problem, solution, and
moral from a list provided. Students will use this information to create their fable. If they
are unable to write, they may orally tell their story to the teacher and the teacher will
write their story for them. Another option is to create a picture book to tell their story.
3) A teacher will help students research a famous American and find facts about why they
are important. Students can create a poster on their famous American rather than type a
report. Teacher will provide pictures and facts for students to use on their poster.
Any students with an IEP may have additional modifications that must be met as well.

Improving Student Learning:

To improve student learning, I will make sure class discussions and assignments are centered
around the standards and learning objectives. I will communicate expectations, learning goals,
and provide rubrics. I will monitor student progress to ensure they are completing the tasks
correctly and provide feedback to clarify any misconceptions.

Improving Future Assessments:

To improve future performance assessments, teachers should meet to evaluate student success. If
the rubrics are misleading or unclear, modifications should be made. Teachers should also use a
variety of resources to ensure assessments align with the Georgia Standards of Excellence.
Students can provide feedback about the performance assessments through an online survey
created by the teacher.