Unit 1: Understanding, Designing, and Administering Assessmentsr

Project Description

Overview 

To be an effective educator, you must frequently check for student understanding. Such checks are called formative assessments. Formative assessments may take many forms and apply in in-person and online learning environments. Understanding different assessment forms before beginning your program's clinical portion will enable you to efficiently incorporate formative assessment into your planning and practice. 

Learning objectives

• Candidates design and modify formative assessments to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. 

What will you do?

1. In the Virtual Class,

• collaborate with your cohort about assessment tools and strategies you have utilized or observed.

     2.  Individually, 

• Watch one online or one in-person lesson video from the activity resources that is closest to your grade band and submit a written or recorded reflection of the video that focuses on the following areas:

  • What information or ideas were evaluated during the assessment? 

  • What activity or technology did students use to demonstrate their knowledge or skills? 

  • How might you make this accessible to students with language barriers and those with special needs? Assume at least one ELL student and one student with special needs is in the classroom. 

  • How might you gather and record data from this assessment? 

  • How might you use the data to inform instruction?

     3.  As a group,

• Each member will equally contribute to completing the Literacy Guide for Module 5 by providing definitions and additional information for each term. 

Candidate assignments

• Written or Recorded Reflection on Assessments

• Literacy Guide (To be submitted during the final unit of this module)

Reminder: to maintain academic integrity, you must cite any information, ideas, text, or images used in this activity by identifying the source.

Content specific methods requirements

Method Subject: English as a Second Language

As per your certification area, after completing the video observation for this activity, also complete the following: 

• Use the resources, the Moreland University Library, and other online sources to learn about administrative considerations, accessibility features, and accommodations for ELLs taking standardized tests such as yearly state assessments, MAP testing, and more.  

• Find information about policies regarding the inclusion of ELLs in standardized testing for your state of licensure.  

• Using Canva or another presentation tool, create a visually appealing 1-page handout that outlines state-specific policies regarding standardized testing considerations, accessibility features, and accommodations offered to ELLs. 

• Download your 1-page handout as a .jpg or .png and upload it to the ED505 page of your e-portfolio. 

• Submit the link to your e-portfolio along with your other link in the submission box for this activity.

Project Description

Overview   

Identifying and implementing formal and informal literacy assessments enables teachers to meet students' needs better. Literacy is essential in all grades and subject areas. Understanding how to use data gathered from literacy assessments to enhance the development of word-level fluency and comprehension in domain-specific texts allows us to provide each student with the support they need to be successful in the classroom. 

Learning objectives

• Candidates identify formal and informal literacy assessments.

• Candidates administer formal and informal literacy assessments with a small group of students.

• Candidates use assessment data to develop a plan to enhance word-level automaticity and fluency, improving their comprehension of domain-specific text.

What will you do?

1. During the Virtual Class,

• Discuss formal and informal literacy assessments.  Use the resources located in the Activity Resources as a starting point and continue your research utilizing the Moreland Library. You can utilize easyCBM- Lite Version to assist with assessments.

• Recognize formal and informal assessments in the following areas: Comprehension, Fluency, Oral Language, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Vocabulary.

• Watch the Methods Video as a cohort and review the resources in the assignment for this week. 

     2.  Independently,

• make a copy of the Formal and Informal Literacy Assessment Template in the Activity Resources. 

• use the template to list two formal and two informal assessments for each literacy area, including Comprehension, Fluency, Oral Language, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Vocabulary.

• choose one formal and one informal assessment to administer to a small group of students in your classroom. (Note: if you are not teaching now, you may administer this assessment to family, friends, or cohort members.)

• indicate which assessments you are administering on the template. (You may use the easyCBM within the resources. Once you are on the page, choose Lite - Get Started Now).

• reflect upon the assessment you applied in a small group. How effective was the assessment? What data did you gather? Fill out this information on the template. 

• on the template, create a plan to use one evidence-based best practice to develop fluency to enhance comprehension in domain-specific (grade and subject-specific) texts utilizing summarizing, extended text discussions, or student questioning. 

  • Example: Based on the data gathered, I can see that comprehension is lacking, likely due to choppy reading. I plan to practice summarizing with my students in a small group.  We will begin with repeating the vocabulary words and then focus on choral and repeated reading.  Once we have read the paragraph together multiple times, I will ask students to take turns summarizing the paragraph.  We will examine our level of comprehension based on the accuracy of the summaries presented by each student.

Candidate assignment

• Complete Formal and Informal Literacy Assessment Template

Note: All assignment descriptions are written for Proficient. You should carefully examine the criteria for an Outstanding score if you want to aim for Outstanding.

Content specific methods requirements

Method Subject: English as a Second Language

As per your certification area, while planning for and completing this activity, address the following:  

• Administer the assessments on ELLs at at least two different WIDA levels of language proficiency.

• Reflect on your ELLs' performance in the assessments you implemented.  

• Describe the results of the assessments, including analysis of individual students' strengths and weaknesses.  

• Select and describe instructional strategies you use to improve the weaknesses and/or build on the strengths of the focus students and on the entire class.  

• Highlight the connection between your data analysis and instructional decisions.