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Teacher Tools
Easy to use instructional tools created to assist teachers in the implementation of
research-based best practices in the classroom. Teachers are able to create
products for use in the classroom and have the ability to store them in a
personal portfolio.
Curriculum Based Assessment/Measurement
Developed by: David C. Rogers, Ph.D., St. Cloud University
- Using Curriculum-Based Measurement
CBM is a way of measuring student performance using a simple set of procedures for repeated measurement of growth. It provides information on how the student's behavior changes on a task of constant difficulty. A goal is identified and interventions are implemented to improve student performance.
- Creating Baselines and Aimlines
A baseline represents a student's performance at the onset of the problem solving process, and an aimline represents the expected rate of academic growth for a student. Determining a baseline and recording an aimline on a graph provide a visual reminder of the expected goal and weekly progress. This also gives the teacher an opportunity to revise the instructional plan at any time.
- Writing IEP Goals and Objectives
Measurable IEP goals and objectives can be written that are compatible with the use of CBM by following identified formulas.
- Using Instructional Planning Forms
Teachers can use specific instructional planning forms and the CBM data they collect to consider a student's academic progress and how it might be improved with changes in instruction.
- Using Data
Data utilization strategies have been developed to help teachers in making instructional changes. They include the goal-based strategy, the intervention oriented strategy, and the goal/intervention approach.
Data-Based Decision Making
Developed by: Rachel Freeman, Ph.D., Marie Tieghi-Benet, M.S., University of Kansas
- Permanent Product Measurement
Permanent products refer to the real or concrete objects or outcomes that result from a behavior and are used by teachers in a variety of ways. Written homework assignments, art projects, and in-class quizzes are examples related to academic behavior. Permanent product recording can also monitor the occurrence of problem behavior.
- Event Recording
Event recording is a process for documenting the number of times a behavior occurs.
- Momentary Time Sample Recording
Momentary time sample recording is an interval recording method that involves observing whether a behavior occurs or does not occur during specified time periods. Once the length of an observation is identified, the time is broken down into smaller intervals of equal length. The observer records whether the behavior occurs or does not occur at the very end of each interval.
- Partial Interval Recording
Partial interval recording is a strategy that involves observing whether a behavior occurs or does not occur during specified time periods. Once the length of an observation is identified, the time is broken down into smaller intervals of equal length. The observer records whether a behavior occurs any time during the interval.
- Whole Interval Recording
Whole interval recording is a strategy that involves observing whether a behavior occurs or does not occur during specified time periods. Once the length of an observation is identified, the time is broken down into smaller intervals of equal length. The observer records whether the behavior occurs throughout the entire interval.
- Latency Recording
Latency recording is a type duration recording that involves an observer measuring how long it takes for a behavior to begin after a specific verbal demand or event has occurred.
- Duration Recording
Duration recording is used to document the amount of time a student spends engaging in a behavior that has a clear beginning and ending.
- Graphing
Graphs provide quick and easy visual summaries that allow teachers to determine patterns of behavior, evaluate the results of new teaching strategies, and establish whether or not interventions are having the desired effects.
Performance Based Assessment
- What is performance assessment?
Performance assessment is the demonstration of specific skills or competencies by performing or producing something. Alternative assessment, authentic assessment, performance tasks, and portfolios suggest more critically defined attributes of performance assessment.
- When can performance assessments be used?
Performance assessments can be used at the state level, district level, or in individual classrooms. Because a high degree of validity, reliability, and absence of bias are especially important in the construction of tests at the state and district level, this module will focus on performance assessments in the classroom.
- What are examples of performance assessments?
Performance assessments may include singing, playing an instrument, playing a game, building a model, writing a poem or screenplay, designing and carrying out experiments, creating a sculpture, and designing software, videotapes, collages, or maps. Assessments should be aligned with instruction and be appropriate to the developmental characteristics of the students. Discipline-related examples of performance and grade-span examples of performance are discussed in the module.
- How do I design performance assessment?
The steps used when designing performance assessments include: planning the assessment, developing the assessment, reviewing the assessment, assessing the students, and revising the assessment if necessary. Eight basic principles of assessment design should be considered when choosing assessment strategies. Criteria or rubrics are also an integral part of performance assessment.
- Considerations in Using Performance Assessment
Performance assessments can be adapted to meet the needs of all students, including students with special needs. Time, amount, difficulty, instruction, format, manipulatives, support, and curriculum are examples of adaptations. When developing performance assessments, teachers should also consider students’ learning styles and their inclinations of the multiple intelligences.
Quality Test Construction
Developed by: Bruce B. Frey, Ph.D., University of Kansas
- Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's taxonomy is a classification system of educational objectives based on the level of student understanding necessary for achievement or mastery. Bloom's cognitive domains are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
- Testwiseness and Guessing
Testwiseness is any skill that allows a student to choose the correct answer on an item without knowing the correct answer. Guessing simply means random guessing. It is important to design test items that protect against testwiseness and guessing.
- Table of Specifications
A Table of Specifications is a two-way chart that describes the topics to be covered by a test and the number of items or points which will be associated with each topic. The purpose of the table is to identify the achievement domains being measured and to ensure that a fair and representative sample of questions appears on the test.
- Matching Items
Matching items are presented in groups as a series of stems or prompts that must be matched by the student to one of a group of possible answer options.
- Item Analysis
Item analysis is a process of examining class-wide performance on individual test items. The three common types of item analysis include Difficulty Index, Discrimination Index, and Analysis of Response Options.
- Multiple-Choice Questions
A multiple-choice question is one where students are presented with a question or instruction (a stem) and select the correct answer or response from a list of answer options.
Test Accommodations and Modifications
Developed by
Sandra J. Thompson, Ph.D., Research Associate, National Center on
Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota
- Response Assessment Accommodations
Response accommodations allow students to respond to test questions in different ways or to solve or organize a response using some type of assistive device or organizer. Examples of response accommodations include the following: expressing a response to a scribe through speech; sign language, pointing, or by using an assistive communication device; typing on or speaking to a word processor; typing on a Brailler; and writing in a test booklet instead of on an answer sheet.
- Setting Assessment Accommodations
Setting accommodations change the location in which an assessment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting. The testing location should be as free as possible from noise, traffic, and other interruptions, and there should be good lighting and ventilation, comfortable room temperature, and adequate space for test booklets and answer sheets on students' desks.
- Timing and Scheduling Assessment Accommodations
Timing and scheduling accommodations change the allowable length of testing time and may also change the way the time is organized. They provide students with the time and the breaks they need to complete the test. Other changes may include the particular time of day, day of the week, or number of days over which a test is administered.
- Presentation Assessment Accommodations
Presentation accommodations allow students to access test directions or content in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print. These alternate modes of access include visual, tactile, auditory, and a combination of visual and auditory. Sometimes presentation accommodations refer to test instructions only, and sometimes they are used for all or part of the test.
- Teacher Tools For Assessment Accommodations
Forms and checklists are available to assist teachers in facilitating assessment accommodations for students.- Accommodations Considerations for Assessment and Instruction
- Format to Remind Teachers About a Student's Accommodation Needs
- Planning for Test Day
- Teacher Evaluation of Assessment Accommodations
- Student Evaluation of Assessment Accommodations
- Accommodations Journal: Keeping Track of What Works
Grading
Developed by Dennis Munk, Ph.D., from Northern Illinois University
- Prioritizing Content and Related Assignments
Prioritizing content involves reviewing the content to be covered in class during the marking period, applying explicit criteria to rate or rank the content on importance, identifying assignments related to the now prioritized content, and determining the grading criteria for the prioritized assignments.
- Basing Part of Grade on Progress on IEP goals
A grading adaptation involving progress on IEP goals is designed so the student is provided opportunities to practice and improve skills targeted while participating in the general curriculum.
- Basing Part of Grade on Processes Used to complete the work
Processes are the steps, strategies, or tools students use to complete their work. Learning strategies, self-management strategies, or assistive technologies (ATs) can help students improve assignments.
- Basing part of Grade on Students effort
When teams consider a grading adaptation involving effort, they must operationally define effort as observable behaviors that can be measured.
- Basing a grade on Improvement Over Past Performance
Grading adaptations based on improvement are designed to increase student motivation. Teams must identify a performance area on which a student has achieved below expectations and be certain the student has the ability and necessary support to improve with the implementation of the adaptation.
- Changing Grading Scales or Weights
Grading adaptations may involve changing the grading scale used to convert points or percentages to letter grades or shifting the weight or proportion that a particular type of assignment counts toward the report card grade.
- Selecting the best Grading Adaptation for Your Student
Grading adaptations should be selected and designed collaboratively by the student, parents, and teachers to maximize the acceptability, fidelity of implementation, and effectiveness of the chosen adaptations. Teams should consider the procedures, potential benefits, and cautions of each type of adaptation prior to implementation.
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