monitoring performance

Question 1

Some assessment occurs before instruction even begins.

Answer 1

It is helpful for teachers to have an idea of both what students already know and can do and their knowledge and skill gaps before trying to teach them something new. This way teachers will really know how to target their instruction to meet students’ needs.

Question 2

Universal screener

Answer 2

used to gather data on all students. the purpose of is typically to put student into groups, such as intervention groups.

Question 3

Diagnostic assessment,

Answer 3

Sometimes known as pre-assessment, is used to identify students’ specific strengths and weaknesses.

Question 4

Assessments can be

Answer 4

informal or formal

Question 5

informal assessments

Answer 5

happen throughout instruction. While teachers do plan to infromally assess their students during instruction, these are flexible assessments that can be easily adjusted to fit the flow of the lesson.

Question 6

A lot of informal assessments occurs through

Answer 6

observation

Question 7

Teachers may notice students’

Answer 7

facial expressions and comments during instruction to ascertain their understanding of the material.

Question 8

Teachers may also prompt students to respond to questions using signals, such as

Answer 8

thumbs up or thumbs down, or by recording and displaying answers on individual whiteboards for a quick check

Question 9

Formal assessments can happen both

Answer 9

during and after an instructional unit. they are planned ahead of time and involve some type of set scoring guidelines. They include things like quizzes, tests, and projects or writing assignments scored with some kind of scale or rubric.

Question 10

Formative assessments are

Answer 10

assessments of learning. They are used to guide instruction meaning they’re administered to assess students’ progress toward meeting a learning objective so teachers can adjust instruction as needed. They help teachers answer the question, “What do I teach next?”

Question 11

Summative assessments are assessments

Answer 11

of learning. They are used to gauge instruction by determining whether or not students mastered a learning objective. Teachers use them to answer the question, “What did my students learn?” meaning what do they know now or what are they able to do.

Question 12

Formative assessment

Answer 12

informs instruction toward the learning objective

Question 13

Summative assessment

Answer 13

sums up students’ performance on the learning objective

Question 14

Criterion-referenced assessments

Answer 14

compare student performance to a predetermined standard, which is a criterion. Scores on these types of tests come in the form of a percentage. Tests administered at the end of an instructional unit and state achievement tests are common examples.

Question 15

Norm-referenced assessments

Answer 15

compare students to each other and rank them according to performance. Scores on these types of tests come in the form of a percentile, grade-level equivalency, or stanine using a normal bell-shaped curve. Common examples include Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests.

Question 16

criterion-referenced assessments look

Answer 16

at how students perform against a set criteria

Question 17

norm-referenced assessmetns looks

Answer 17

at how students perform against the normal curve.

Question 18

It is important to note that these assessment terms are not mutually exclusive.

Answer 18

Diagnostic tests are typically both formal and formative. Summative assessments

Question 19

If an assessment terms appear in questions on your exam, determine the purpose of the assessment to guide you to the best answer. Ask yourself:

Answer 19

What is the goal of the assessment? What does it need to accomplish?

Question 20

Progress monitoring

Answer 20

periodic assessments given to keep track of student growth toward a specific goal or objective

Question 21

Curriculum-Based assessment

Answer 21

measures student progress using materials taken directly from the curriculum

Question 22

performance-based assessments

Answer 22

students apply knowledge or skills to complete a process or create a product.
Typically requires higher order thinking and is usually scored with a rubric or checklist.

Question 23

Portfolio

Answer 23

collection of student work to show growth over time. Students often select their own pieces and include self-reflection. typically scored with rubric or checklist

Question 24

Exit Slip

Answer 24

short response completed and submitted at the end of a lesson

Question 25

Norm-referenced assessment can be used to

Answer 25

identify which students may need additional academic support.

Question 26

Data gained from an assessment is only as good

Answer 26

as the assessment itself

Question 27

Teachers should be careful when designing assessments to ensure that

Answer 27

students are given the best possible chance to show their understanding of the material.

Question 28

Assessments are fair if

Answer 28

they measure student learning appropriately

Question 29

To ensure assessments are fair, teachers should focus on these 4 key points

Answer 29

validity, reliability, clear, and free of bias

Question 30

Validity

Answer 30

assessments should measure what they intend to measure. Should assess what has been taught. They should be assessed at the same level at which they were taught.

Question 31

Assessment congruence is

Answer 31

associated with validity. Instruction is congruent when teachers assure that learning objectives outlined at the beginning of an instructional unit align with how students will be assessed.

Question 32

Reliability

Answer 32

Assessments should produce consistent results that can be replicated. When given a reliable test, students should produce the same score when given the same test in similar conditions

Question 33

Clarity of language

Answer 33

the language used should be at an appropriate vocabulary level, and slang terms should be avoided. Students shouldn’t get the question wrong because they can’t figure out what is being asked. Students should have a clear understanding of what to do to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic.

Question 34

The test should not offend or penalize students due to their

Answer 34

background or culture. Considering student diversity is essential when considering potential bias in an assessment. Teachers cannot assume students have the background knowledge needed to fully understand questions they encounter.

Question 35

Bias can lead to

Answer 35

different knowledge being measured than intended and can lead students to being unclear about what is being asked. Certain language can also be offensive or triggering to students, interfering with their performance on the assessment.

Question 36

Fair assessments are

Answer 36

valid, reliable, clear, and free of bias.

Question 37

The purpose of feedback is

Answer 37

to support students’ academic growth.

Question 38

for feedback to be effective, there are key factors to keep in mind:

Answer 38

Balanced, specific, and timely

Question 39

Balanced feedback

Answer 39

Students need to know both what they did well, and what needs to be improved. While positive feedback is encouraging and should help students from feeling defeated, it serves a greater purpose too. Students need to know what they did right so they will know to do it again.

Question 40

Specific feedback

Answer 40

students need to specifically understand what is right or wrong, or strong or weak regarding their work or performance. They also need to be clear in their understanding of what to do about it. Teachers should be specific about the next steps for improvement

Question 41

Timely feedback

Answer 41

Students must have time to apply feedback they receive. Specific feedback is not helpful to students if they’ve already moved on to something else! Also, the sooner a teacher can correct a misconception, the better.

Question 42

Both verbal and written feedback can be effective, but there is a possibility

Answer 42

students might need to conference with you to fully understand their written feedback.

Question 43

Rubrics are scoring guides based on specific criteria. They can be helpful tools to use to

Answer 43

help students understand their written feedback

Question 44

Effective feedback motivates students.

Answer 44

Knowing both strengths and weaknesses, understanding specifically what the issue is and what to do next, and receiving the information with ample time to apply it is all much more motivating than just seeing a mark on top of a paper at the end of a grading unit.

Question 45

Keep your feedback

Answer 45

balanced, specific, and timely to be optimally effective for your students

Question 46

When it comes to instruction, the most important considerations is

Answer 46

how effective it is for students

Question 47

Observations can be used to

Answer 47

guide instructional adjustments from year-to-year.

Question 48

Basing decisions based on data

Answer 48

should not be overlooked

Question 49

Action research refers to

Answer 49

a cycle teachers work through to evaluate their own effectiveness

Question 50

For action research cycle teachers:

Answer 50

Plan instruction
take action by implementing it
collect and analyze data
reflect and draw a conclusion about the instruction effectiveness

Question 51

If an instructional practice does not yield the desired results immediately, it does not necessarily mean it should be thrown out

Answer 51

Teachers should commit to strategies and use them with fidelity to truly evaluate effectiveness. However, if over time it proves to be broken, again and again, it’s probably time to fix it

Question 52

Teachers can evaluate their instructional effectiveness through both

Answer 52

observation and data, use the action research cycle in collaborative groups and find a balance between throwing instructional practices out too fast and holding on too long.

Question 53

Teachers must be flexible and adjust their lessons to meet students’ needs

Answer 53

in real-time. In fact, some of the most authentic teaching happens when the lesson gets “off track”

Question 54

Teachable moment

Answer 54

unexpected opportunity to teach something new. Teachers could capitalize on these. Teachable moments could come in the form of a student question, or in response to something unexpected like a typo in a news article.

Question 55

Teachable moments are powerful because

Answer 55

they present authentic learning opportunities that are immediately meaningful and relevant to students.

Question 56

More considerations for instructional flexibility

Answer 56

Pacing and questioning, and engagment in addition to teachable moments

Question 57

Pacing

Answer 57

may need adjustment. You should slow down to provide more examples or opportunities for practice if students aren’t grasping something, or speed up if students demonstrate mastery sooner than expected.

Question 58

Questioning

Answer 58

you may need to adjust your questioning throughout a lesson. If students don’t have an answer to the first question, ask in a different, more specific, or simpler way.

Question 59

Engagement

Answer 59

if the lesson is not going according to plan due to a lack of engagement, find a way to incorporate student interests! relate what students have been talking about or thing you know they like to the lesson.

Question 60

Teachers are flexible in their instruction when they embrace teachable moments and are willing and able to

Answer 60

adjust their lessons in response to student response

Question 61

One of the best ways to advance student learning is to teach students how to

Answer 61

self-assess. Encourage students to reflect on their work and self-identify areas for improvement.

Question 62

In order for students to self-assess successfully, they must thoroughly understand

Answer 62

the objectives of the assignment and learning goal for the day.

Question 63

Before turning in an assignment, students should be able to

Answer 63

clearly understand how their grade will be calculated - whether through the use of a rubric, scoring guide, or percentages.

Question 64

Rubrics are a helpful tool for students working on self-assessment skills.

Answer 64

A well-written rubric facilitates self-assessment because it helps students identify which specific objectives they have and have not met. Students can proactively use that information to seek further understanding even before the teacher has had the opportunity to provide formal feedback

Question 65

Learning logs help students

Answer 65

track what they have learned. Help students reflect on their success in the class overall.

Question 66

When students learn how to improve their learning on their own,

Answer 66

the learning process will extend far beyond the classroom.

Question 67

It is always important for students to reflect and examine their work and understand how to

Answer 67

implement improvement