ED 254   Educational Assessment: Practice and Policy

Single Subjects Section

 

Summer Quarter

MW 2-5 pm

College 8 250

had to move to Cowell 131 (The faeries made me do it!)

 

Kip Téllez, Ph.D.

Education Department

Office: (831) 459-2208

Home: (831) 335-2797

ktellez@cats.ucsc.edu

http://education.ucsc.edu/faculty/ktellez/

Office Hours: 11:00-2:00 pm, MW and by appointment any day.

 

 

The unexamined life is not worth living.

-Socrates

 

Course Précis

 

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with an opportunity to examine the concepts of assessment and evaluation in education, explore the principles underlying the assessment process, and develop the skills needed to implement evaluations wisely.  Participants will gain skills needed to develop assessment tools for use in classrooms and other applied settings.  Also included in the course is a greater understanding of the vast array of tests and assessments that exist in schools, who controls them, which are required for what purposes, how to use them in a progressive manner, and when standardized testing or teacher-developed tests are used inappropriately. 

 

Course Objectives

 

An intermediate understanding of: 

 

Reserve Readings (available at   http://eres.ucsc.edu/   Password: tellez

 

        Bangert,_Drowns, R.L., Kulik, J.A., & Kulik. C.C.  (1983).  Effects of coaching programs on achievement test performance.  Review of Educational Research 53(4), 571-585.

 

         Bracey, G.  (2000).  The 10th Bracey report on the condition of public education.  Phi Delta Kappan, 133-144.

        Hambleton R.,  & Rodgers J.H. (1995).  Item bias review.   Practical Assessment Research and Evaluation.  on-line journal. 

        Mehrens, W., & Kaminski, J.  (1989).  Methods for improving standardized test scores: Fruitful, fruitless, or fraudulent?  Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 14-22. 

        Peirce, B.N., & Stein, P.  (1995).  Why the "monkeys" passage bombed: Tests, genres, and teaching.   Harvard Education Review, 65, 50-65.  

        Popham, J.  (2000).  Modern educational measurement.  Boston: Allyn and Bacon.  Chapters titled, "Validity of assessment-based interpretations" (p. 89-118), "Reliability of assessment devices," (p. 120-142), and "Performance and portfolio assessment" (p. 278-311).   

        Sattler, J.M.  (1992).  Assessment of children.   San Diego: J.M. Sattler.  Chapters titled, “Historical survey and theories of intelligence,” (p. 37-60) Assessment of learning disabilities, ADH, …(p. 597-645), and “Assessment of mental retardation and giftedness” (p. 646-685). 

 

        Sattler, J.M.  (1998).  Children with behavioral or emotional disorders.  Clinical and forensic interviewing of children and families.  (pp. 324-345).

 

Authentic Assessment Paper

 

Guide to Writing Short Answer and Select-Response Items

 

Guide to essay questions

 

Article on AP History Test

 

Article on AP English Test

 

Web Resources  

 

 

Great site for creating rubrics at www.4teachers.org

ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation  http://www.ericae.net/

ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education  http://ericec.org/

Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing   http://cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/index.htm

California State Department of Education  http://www.cde.ca.gov

No Child Left Behind Editorials and Information 

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/schools/nochild/lemann.html

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/schools/

    http://learningfirst.org/pdfs/nochildleft.pdf

 

 

Course Requirements

Note change to one Assignment (a blend of 1 and 2).  

 

Assignment (40 points)

Each job-alike group (or individual) is invited to complete a set of problems/issues to solve/discuss.     Each assignment will be evaluated with attention to the following factors: Accuracy, Comprehensiveness, Analysis (where applicable), and Clarity. 

 

Course Project (60 points possible)--Either in a job-alike group or individually, you are invited to complete one of the following project assignments: 

 

Field Study Option: 

Each job-alike group (or individual) develops an assessment in a content area of their choosing.  The assessment must include a blueprint (test specifications), information on the assessment’s reliability and validity, and an analysis of the data after administration (e.g., reliability analysis), along with suggestions for improvements of the assessment.  Evaluation of the project is based on the project’s attention to validity and reliability, quality and coherence of the analysis, and originality of assessment domain and strategy. 

 

or

 

Research Investigation Option

Each job-alike group (or individual) chooses a theme to explore in the research literature on tests and measurements. The group then investigates research studies addressing their particular interest and submits a paper based on at least 10 articles on the chosen theme. The paper should include the following sections: (a) Overview and importance of theme; (b) Overview of articles; (c) Application of research to classroom practice; (d) Summary and implications for future research in the area. The research investigation evaluation is based on coherence of theme, challenge presented by articles, skill in understanding and interpreting research, and writing skills displayed. Please include the original research articles in your project. 

 

And please turn in all work clipped or stapled; no fancy binders please. 

 

Schedule of Activities and Assignments 

 

Assignment

 

There may be changes to the course schedule, assignments, or both.  Please check site regularly.  

 

Date

Reading Assignment/Activity

Topic

M June 17

All courses meet 

2-5 pm

 

Historical overview;

Naming the assessment domain

W June 19

Sattler, Historical survey and theories of intelligence

History, theory, examples of aptitude tests.

M June 24

  No Organized Class, Independent work on projects 

W June 26

Popham, Validity of assessment-based interpretations

What teachers need to know about assessment validity. 

Measuring language achievement, CELDT Training

M July 1

None

 

Norrmal curve

 

 

W July 3

Popham, Reliability of assessment devices

What teachers need to know about reliability

 

 

M July 8 

Chapter 11 (Popham)

 

“Authentic Assessment”: Use of Portfolios in K-12;

Performance Assessment

 

Select-and Supply-response assessment construction

 

First Assignment Due

W July 10

Hambleton & Rodgers, Item bias review and Peirce & Stein

Sattler, Assessment of mental retardation and giftedness

Test bias: What it is and how to reduce it.  

Assessment of special learners. 

Nondiscriminatory assessment practices. 

M July 15

Special Focus:

AP exams

and the CA High School Exit Exam

 

Articles on AP exam 

 

W July 17

Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, &Kulik

 

Mehrens, W.A. & Kaminski

Standardized tests—Purpose, Practice, Misuse

API: STAR testing. 

 

Second Assignment Due 

 

Project Due

 

Other information

Please include a SASE with the second Assignment and your Project if you would like them to be returned.  

 

Students with disabilities are encouraged to speak with Dr. Téllez regarding modifications to the course structure.  In addition, interested students are encouraged to contact the UCSC Disabilities Resources Center at 831-459-2089 for general assistance. 

 

Like all endeavors in the university, this course holds to the UCSC guideline for academic integrity (http://oasas.ucsc.edu/avcue/integrity/)