Assessment of Student Performance in
Alternative and Correctional Education Facilities

| Understanding | Essential Questions | Module Themes & Sessions |

Assessment of student performance is an essential component of education. Too often assessment is viewed as being separate from teaching. Yet, quality assessment can give teachers the knowledge to better instruct their students.  The time spent assessing student progress formatively and summatively can lead to increased student instructional growth.

The information in this module provides teachers with a foundation in assessment.  Formal and informal assessment methods are described.  Practical and efficient assessment procedures for teachers are indicated.  Information about using assessment for identification and placement of students is denoted.  Critical issues related to assessment practices and its implications are also provided.   

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Imagine going to your physician for a serious physical ailment.  She performs no tests and doesn’t examine you.  She suggests you take a medication she happened to hear about at a medical conference.  She says it is the latest treatment and “feels” that it will work for you.  Would you take her advice?  Do you think she is exhibiting professional and ethical behavior?  Might her actions result in a deadly outcome?

A parallel between the doctor’s behavior and educators who do not adequately assess their students can be made.  The lack of quality assessment that leads to a prescribed “treatment” might be equated with “educational malpractice.”  Without the appropriate data, teachers are left to teach what “feels” right even if it is instructionally inappropriate. 

Conversely, physicians can perform an endless array of tests.  Too many tests can be costly in time, money, and energy.  The patient may be left weary of extensive and needless assessment.  This is analogous to an educational system that over assesses.  Too much assessment diminishes the potential positive educational impact of assessment.  A balance between too little and too much assessment must be reached if we are to meet the instructional needs of students.

This assessment balance is exceedingly important for students placed in alternative education environments.  It is well documented that these students have serious instructional needs.  To use the medical analogy again, these students are in the emergency room.  The diagnosis of their “instructional injury” must be made efficiently and effectively if they are to survive.  Teachers in alternative educational settings need appropriate and practical tools to successfully “treat” these students.  Using the correct assessment procedures and instrumentation will allow teachers to better plan for instruction.

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1.  Why is effective and efficient instructional assessment important?

2.  How can teachers provide effective and efficient instructional assessment?

3.  How can teachers involve students and parents in the assessment process?

4.  Why is it important that teachers know about special education assessment procedures?

5.  How can teachers use diversity to strengthen assessment procedures?

| Top of Section | Top of Page | Module Themes & Sessions |

There are five (5) sessions contained in this module. Each session has information and activities designed to last from 1-5 hours. Sessions can be modified and expanded to meet the specific objectives of the instructor.

The expected knowledge, skills, and outcomes are provided for each session. The selection of specific levels of behavioral outcome is left to the discretion of the instructor using the module. Instructional content is included for each session along with student activities, references, and resources.

This module uses the Internet as a resource for instructor and the student.  The instructor is strongly encouraged to peruse the Internet cites indicated prior to providing instruction.  While many Internet links change, several resources are relatively constant.  One such link is the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (http://ericae.net/).  This clearinghouse is one of 16 subject-oriented clearinghouses operated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. It is an excellent means of gaining assessment information.  Of particular interest is their online journal, Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation (http://ericae.net/pare/). It is a searchable database of referred articles.  Permission is granted to distribute articles for nonprofit, educational purposes if they are copied in their entirety and the journal is credited.  In addition to the online journal, a National Education Association (NEA) document entitled “What teachers need to know about assessment” (Rudner & Schafer, 2002) is used.  Free online versions are available through the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (http://ericae.net/books/nea/).  The book was developed by the National Education Association (NEA) to be used by educators as a single wide-spectrum work on student assessment.  Finally, another major source of information comes from the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).  These materials are also free and may be copied in their entirety as long as they are cited properly.  Documents from the NCEO are available at http://education.umn.edu/nceo/default.html.

These resources are excellent sources that can be used by the instructor as a resource for lectures and/or to make reading assignments.  Much of the PowerPoint presentations use the information from these sources.  Additionally, instructors should refer to the reference page of this module.  Resources that should be downloaded or accessed are asterisked (*).  Of course, the decision of how and when to use these resources is up to individual users. 

Below is an overview of the sessions for module nine.  Each session has specific participant objectives.

Overview of Sessions 1-5

Session One:  An overview of assessment

Session one outline

A.  What is assessment?

B.  Why do we assess students?

C.  What are some fundamental assessment principles?

D.  What are some fundamental types of assessments?

E.  What are some fundamental types of test scores?

F.  How can teachers use state standards and assessments to improve instruction?

Session one objectives

Objective 9.1.1:  Students will define assessment.

Objective 9.1.2:  Students will list rationales for why we assess students.

Objective 9.1.3:  Students will identify fundamental assessment principles.

Objective 9.1.4:  Students will identify fundamental characteristics of different types of assessment.

Objective 9.1.5:  Students will discriminate between the different types of test scores.

Objective 9.1.6:  Students will identify steps teachers can use to connect state standards with classroom instruction

Session Two:  Classroom-based assessment practices

Session two outline

A.  What is the overall process of assessing students to improve classroom instruction?

B.  How can teachers write behavioral objectives to improve instruction?

C.  What are some overall methods of observing students in class?

Students list factors involved in developing effective grading procedures.

D.  How can teachers develop effective grading procedures?

E.  What are the best methods of writing multiple-choice test items?

F.  How can performance assessment be used in the classroom?

G.  How can the teacher create and use quality rubrics?

H.  How can the teacher ask good classroom questions?

I.  How can the teacher effectively write comments on report cards?

J.  How can teachers effectively use curriculum-based assessment in their classroom?

Session two objectives

Objective 9.2.1:  Students will describe the relationship between teaching and assessment.

Objective 9.2.2:  Students will write behavioral objectives necessary for assessment.

Objective 9.2.3:  Students will identify the overall methods of observing students in class.

Objective 9.2.4:  Students will list factors involved in developing effective grading procedures.

Objective 9.2.5:  Students will write quality multiple-choice test items.

Objective 9.2.6:  Students will identify how to appropriately use performance assessment.

Objective 9.2.7:  Students will develop a quality rubric.

Objective 9.2.8:  Students will identify how to ask quality classroom questions.

Objective 9.2.9:  Students will identify the elements of student report card comments that promote student growth.

Objective 9.2.10:  Students will demonstrate the ability to use curriculum-based assessment.

Session Three:  Assessment information for students and parents

Session three outline

A.  How can teachers best prepare students to take tests?

B.  How can teachers work with parents to prepare students to take tests?

Session three objectives

Objective 9.3.1:  Students will identify test-wise behaviors for students in alternative settings. 

Objective 9.3.2:  Students will describe methods teachers can use to increase the parental knowledge of test taking.

Session Four:  Assessing students with disabilities

Session four outline

A.  What is special education?

B.  Why is assessing students with disabilities so important?

C.  What is the eligibility process for students with disabilities?

D.  How can assessments be adapted for students with disabilities?

E.  How can assessments be modified for students with disabilities?

F. What are some principles and characteristics of inclusive assessment and accountability systems?

Session four objectives

Objective 9.4.1:  Students will identify the principles of special education.

Objective 9.4.2:  Students will describe reasons why it is important for teachers to be aware of the assessment needs of students with disabilities.

Objective 9.4.3:  Students will describe the eligibility process for students with disabilities.

Objective 9.4.4:  Students will list typical methods of adapting assessments for students with disabilities.

Objective 9.4.5:  Students will identify typical methods of modifying assessments for students with disabilities (i.e., alternative assessment).

Objective 9.4.6:  Students will identify the principles and characteristics of inclusive assessment and accountability systems.

Session Five:  Issues in assessment

Session five outline

A.  How can students with limited English proficiency be included in the assessment process?

B.  How might universally designed assessments impact the assessment process?

C.  Why are testing standards important?

Session five Objectives

9.5.1:  Students will identify how students with limited English proficiency can be included in the assessment process.

9.5.2:  Students will compare and contrast current assessment principles with universal designed assessment principles. 

9.5.3:  Students will identify important testing standards.

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