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Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
Mathematics and Science

Chapter 6: Assessment

Purpose of the Assessment Chapter
This chapter of the Mathematics and Science Framework primarily addresses only one of the major purposes of assessment: to help teachers understand student mastery of concepts, skills and attitudes, diagnose assistance where needed, and alter instruction. The chapter provides a summary of the major considerations that school district teams should discuss as they determine curriculum and assessment approaches for their districts. It describes and gives examples of a wide variety of assessment strategies and refers readers to further sources of information, many of them in the Reference Kit.

Assessment Considerations outlines several key issues to consider :
A. Diversity and Assessment
B. Technology and Assessment
C. Assessments and Collaborative Learning

How Assessment Strategies Relate to the Alaska Content Standards and Instructional Considerations gives general suggestions on assessments to use for each of the Alaska Content Standards in Mathematics and Science.

A Collection of Assessment Strategies provides examples of a variety of assessment approaches and provides Alaska-specific examples, all of which conform to the principles of innovative assessment. The section also contains references offering a variety of examples and formats for assessment.

Criteria for Performance Tasks provides criteria for rich and engaging performance tasks. Performance tasks typically are designed to be administered to larger groups of students and scored in scoring conferences of teachers. This process allows students to demonstrate their skills through rich tasks rather than pencil and paper tests and allows teachers to compare and contrast their norms. The performance activities are open-ended and require students to reveal their reasoning through drawings, written explanations, and justifications for their work. Other than this brief description of criteria, this chapter does not address the assessment practices that school districts and the state will develop to fulfill their responsibilities for public accountability. (See Grant Wiggin's Assessing Student Performance chapter on Accountability: Standards not Standardization.)

Instructional assessment should be a process that allows teachers to continuously adjust instruction to match the needs of their students. Assessment is instruction.

Assessment Considerations

Appropriate instructional assessment practices place a high value on:

• assessment that helps communicate what students know, instead of highlighting what they don't know.
• varied assessment practices that can capture students' diverse ways of knowing.
• assessment feedback that communicates helpful information to 1) improve students' understanding and 2) guide instruction.
• assessment that demonstrates the attainment of state standards.

Each topic in this section includes a brief introduction, a list of considerations, and further references on the topic.

A. Diversity and Assessment

Appropriate instructional strategies shift the focus from a single instructional style to a diverse set of experiences to match the unique needs of each student. Similarly, appropriate assessment strategies shift the focus from a single test to a variety of indicators that demonstrate student growth and achievement. Diverse assessment practices will provide more options for diverse students to demonstrate what they understand.

Considerations:

Reduce gender, cultural, and linguistic biases.

Provide assessments that reflect the instructional methods and learning styles generally used in the classroom.

Accommodate the special needs of your students.

Good decisions about student performance are based on a variety of indicators or assessments, both formal and informal.

For more information:

National Research Council, Mathematical Sciences Education Board. (1993). Measuring What Counts: A Conceptual Guide for Mathematics Assessment. Washington DC: National Academy Press. See pg. 201-219

B. Technology and Assessment

Technology has an important role to play in assessment. It can be used to assist with grading and record keeping, journals, self evaluations, performance tasks and portfolios. Technology has helped to launch a revolution in the ways that students demonstrate their learning. Technology is helping to create new ways of thinking, communicating, teaching and assessing.

Considerations:

Consider using technology (personal digital assistants, bar code readers) to record learning and behavioral observations in the classroom.

Technology (calculators, computers, touch-screen monitors) can help all students succeed in problem solving tasks by allowing them to bypass certain neuro-motor frustrations. Allow the use of these technologies in testing situations.

Consider computer software that emphasizes conjecture and discovery in math and science. Telecommunications options allow students to share what they and others are learning.

Electronic portfolios and gradesheets allow teachers to improve their communication of assessment feedback to the students and parents throughout the semester, not just at reporting times.

C. Assessments and Collaborative Learning

Much of the work we do in life is done in groups or teams, thus assessment may include appropriate evaluation of group work or of individual contributions to group products.

Cooperative group instruction is used for a number of different reasons:

• to develop collaborative behaviors,
• to improve content understanding through peer interactions,
• to create a product that is large in scale and requires teams working simultaneously on different components, and
• to capitalize on the natural social tendencies of our students.

Considerations:

Provide a balance of individual and group accountability. Some students may become frustrated with too much emphasis on one or the other.

One way to combine individual and group accountability is to ask students to learn a skill or content through a group process, assess each student individually, but continue to hold the group responsible for the success of all of the students in their group. This provides an incentive for peer tutoring.

Cohen, E. (1994). Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom. Williston, NY: Teacher's College Press. This provides step-by-step approaaches to successful planning, implementation, and evaluation of groupwork activities.

How Assessment Strategies Relate to Alaska Content Standards

The following section contains lists of assessment strategies that effectively document that students are attaining the Alaska Content Standards. Section 6-3 contains specific examples of each of the assessment strategies listed in the right-hand column.

SCIENCE STANDARDS
Alaska Content Standards	Assessment Strategies (See descriptions on following pages)
Science Standard A: All Alaska students will understand scientific facts, concepts, principles and theories.	Graphic Organizers Interviews Observations Performance Tasks Creative Performances and Exhibitions Journals and Learning Logs Contracts Familiar Assessment Tools: Tests Scoring Guides Portfolios
Science Standard B. All Alaska students will understand and develop the skills of scientific inquiry	Graphic Organizers Observations Performance Tasks Creative Performances and Exhibitions Self- and Peer-Evaluations Journals and Learning Logs Contracts Scoring Guides Portfolios
Science Standard C. All Alaska students will understand the nature and history of science.	Interviews Creative Performances and Exhibitions Self- and Peer-Evaluations Journals and Learning Logs Portfolios
Science Standard D. All Alaska students will apply scientific knowledge and skills to make reasoned decisions about the use of science and scientific innovations.	Interviews Observations Performance Tasks Creative Performances and Exhibitions Self- and Peer-Evaluations Journals and Learning Logs Contracts Scoring Guides Portfolios

MATH STANDARDS
Alaska Content Standards	Assessment Strategies (See descriptions on following pages)
Math Standard A: All Alaska students will understand mathematical facts, concepts, principles and theories.	Graphic Organizers Interviews Observations Performance Tasks Journals and Learning Logs Contracts Familiar Assessment Tools: Tests Scoring Guides
Math Standard B: All Alaska students will understand, select and use a variety of problem-solving strategies.	Graphic Organizers Interviews Observations Performance Tasks Self- and Peer-Evaluations Journals and Learning Logs Scoring Guides
Math Standard C: All Alaska students will understand, form and use appropriate methods to define and explain mathematical relationships.	Graphic Organizers Interviews Performance Tasks Creative Performances and Exhibitions Journals and Learning Logs Scoring Guides Portfolios Reporting: Student Conferences
Math Standard D: All Alaska students will use logic and reason to solve mathematical problems.	Graphic Organizers Interviews Observations Performance Tasks Creative Performances Journals and Learning Logs Scoring Guides
Math Standard E: All Alaska students will apply mathematical concepts and processes to situations within and outside of school.	Graphic Organizers Observations Performance Tasks Creative Performances Journals and Learning Logs Contracts Familiar Assessment Tools: Tests Scoring Guides Portfolios

Last modified on: Sun, Jun 16, 1996.