Write a letter or memo to stakeholders with references to preparations that are needed
ASSESSMENT PREP FOR STAKEHOLDERS
Sometimes organizational stakeholders feel left out of the loop about standardized assessments. Communicating the assessment process, including results, and the purpose of the assessment will help increase buy-in and transparency
Write a letter or memo to stakeholders with references to preparations that are needed for an upcoming assessment.
Address the following points:
The three different phases (proper preparation before the testing, what is being tested and when, what to do if an individual misses a testing date).
What has been done with respect to cultural diversity and/or test bias?
How will results be communicated?
What type of enclosures/attachments would you include with your letter?
There are several examples of reporting information in the Required Studies.
Consider the audience and use proper letter or memo formatting and voice for your organization.
ASSESSMENT PREP FOR FACILITATORS AND STAKEHOLDERS
The collection and interpretation of data is critical to learning. There are times when standardized test scores are misused in education and, therefore, do more to hinder a student than to help. Some examples of misuse of standardized tests are teachers using scores for basing student grades, using a single assessment to make a specific decision involving a student’s education, such as placing a student in a remedial program, and finally, “common misinterpretation of the norms for a given standardized test” (Mertler, 2007, p. 24).
Standardized tests may be helpful in describing individual student’s learning abilities, as well as the educational levels that students have attained (Linn & Miller, 2005). Using data correctly can efficiently guide the modifications necessary to meet large groups of students’ needs in an area of instruction. For example, norm-referenced tests can point out general areas of strengths and weaknesses. Summative assessments may also be used to measure organizational wellness when coupled with growth.
The following is a list of appropriate uses of standardized testing in education:
For individual students, standardized test results can:
Efficiently describe an individual’s learning abilities and levels of achievement;
Guide modifications or adaptions of instruction to meet individual needs;
Identify general areas of strengths and weaknesses;
Initially identify various needs of exceptional learners;
Pinpoint specific problems of learning and development; and,
Provide a useful supplement to the instructor’s measures of academic progress.
For groups of stakeholders, standardized test results can:
Provide a good indication of general ability levels prior to instruction;
Establish reasonable classroom goals;
Help shape the nature of instruction and supplemental instructional materials;
Identify areas of instructional strengths and weaknesses across classes, grade levels, or school buildings; and,
Provide one source of data about the effectiveness of instruction (Mertler, 2007, p. 23).
Although standardized tests can contain a great deal of helpful data, there are also many criticisms and shortcomings (limitations) to standardized tests. Educators often find standardized test results helpful to instruction and classroom-based assessments, as well as to students’ learning and achievement, as long as the data is used with an understanding of its limitations (Mertler, 2007).
Considering the growth in technology and use of computer adaptive assessments, simulations, and tools that provide just-in-time feedback to learners, it is reasonable to predict that the use of such assessments will grow in validity. Corporations have begun to use information and communication technologies to stimulate sophisticated, media rich, interactive education and training to drive outcomes (Clarke, 2001). Scenario-based education and online workforce learning is ‘blurring the lines’ between instruction and assessment and had been demonstrated to deliver results through the delivery of training in the workplace (Clark, 2012). The use of data and information to drive education is slowly permeating the fabric of institutions of learning.
This week, you will examine data interpretation and its uses with stakeholders and assessment facilitators within your organization. You will need to review and interpret assessment data from your organization. It is important that there is a general understanding of the goal of summative assessments in your classroom or workplace. For example, the approach that the facilitator uses to administer the test may impact the final results of the test. Thus, we will review procedures in preparing stakeholders for such a test. After your study this week, you should have a much better understanding of data, standardized tests, and their place in your organization.
References
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2012). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for
online workforce learning. John Wiley & Sons.
Clarke, T., & Hermens, A. (2001). Corporate developments and strategic alliances in e-
learning. Education+ Training, 43(4/5), 256-267.
Linn, R.L., & Miller, M. D. (2005). Measurement and assessment in teaching (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Mertler, C. A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
WEEKLY OBJECTIVES
Through participation in the following activities, the candidate will:
Demonstrate assessment literacy, think critically, and communicate about decisions
Assessment Prep for Stakeholders
Assessment Prep for Facilitators
Assessment Preparation
Perform basic statistical methods used in analyzing assessment results
Assessment Prep for Facilitators
Assessment Preparation
Communicate assessment information and results effectively and accurately
Assessment Prep for Stakeholders
Assessment Prep for Facilitators
Assessment Preparation
Differentiate between assessment validity and reliability
Assessment Preparation
HEADS UP
In Week 5, you will further develop your project plan and assessment by exploring the historical context of your organization. This will require you to review historical documents, and reference conversations with colleagues to better understand and interpret the historical context of your school or workplace.
In Week 6, you will develop learning contracts that will seek to hold individuals accountable and begin to develop a systematic accountability structure for different types of assessments and evaluations to find their place and purpose in the organization.
As we culminate our course in Weeks 7 and 8, you will reflect on scenarios and assemble a Project Presentation to report your observations and reflections regarding assessment for learning in your organization.
REQUIRED STUDIES
The following materials are required studies for this week. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week and save these weekly materials for future use.
Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know (Popham, 2017)
Chapter 2: Deciding What to Assess
Chapter 13: Making Sense of Standardized Test Scores
Chapter 14. Appropriate and Inappropriate Test-Preparation Practices
Read
Reporting Assessment Results to Parents (Cruz & Petersen, 2002) [Web page]
Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making (Institute of Education Sciences, 2009) [Web page]
View
Sharing Assessment Data With Students (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d.) [Video] [Transcript]
Working With Students to Develop Their Next Learning Steps (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d.) [Video] [Transcript]
Scenario-Based e-Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Workforce Learning (Clark & Mayer, 2013) [Web page]
Note: Focus on examples provided on the topic “What Scenario-Based e-Learning Is Not.”
Review
Parent’s Guide to Standardized Achievement Testing (Lane Education Service District, n.d.) [Web page]
Assessing Learning for Student Achievement (Zientara, 2014) [PDF]
Communicating Achievement Test Results With Parents (Clark & Smitherman, 2013) [Web page]
RECOMMENDED STUDIES
These resources are provided to enhance your overall learning experience. For deeper understanding of the weekly concepts, review these optional resources.
Clark, T., & Berge, Z. (2005). Virtual schools and e-learning: Planning for success. Paper presented at the 19th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, Madison, WI. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c949/3f2687230bbc…
Mertler, C.A. (2007). Interpreting standardized test scores: Strategies for data-driven instructional decision making. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Michael, D. R., & Chen, S. L. (2005). Serious games: Games that educate, train, and inform. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Nguyen, F., & Clark, R. C. (2005). Efficiency in e-learning: Proven instructional methods for faster, better, online learning. Learning Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/245/…
Sinek, S. (2009). Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. New York, NY: Penguin.
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