ED 254   Educational Assessment: Practice and Policy

Multiple Subject Section

Summer Quarter

T TH 2-5 pm

Merrill 102

 

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, T TH  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: 

• The history of US school tests and testing programs
• The statistical properties and techniques underlying educational assessments
• Proper construct- and supply-response test construction
• The concepts of reliability and validity
• The processes and concepts behind alternative assessment
• The differences and purposes of aptitude and achievement assessment
• Assessment for special learners
• The broad use and misuse of tests and assessments in US schools

 

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 10^th 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

 

 

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

 

One 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 

Note: Assignments 1 and 2 collapsed to one.  Now due on last day of class.  

Assignment

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

 

Date	Reading Assignment/Activity	Topic
T June 18 All courses meet  2-5 pm		Historical overview; Naming the assessment domain
TH June 20	Sattler, Historical survey and theories of intelligence	History, theory, examples of aptitude tests.
T June 25	Popham, Validity of assessment-based interpretations	What teachers need to know about assessment validity.
Th June 27		Validity Measuring language achievement, CELDT Training
TU July 2	Popham, Reliability of assessment devices	Norrmal curve What teachers need to know about reliability
TH July 4	No class	Group work on projects on July 6th
T July 9	Chapter 11 (Popham)	“Authentic Assessment”: Use of Portfolios in K-12; Performance Assessment   Guest Speaker:  Christina Castengetta, SLV USD Speech Therapist
TH July 11	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.
T July 16	Sattler, Assessment of learning disabilities   CRESST web site.	Assessment of special learners.   Select-and Supply-response assessment construction
TH July 18	Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, &Kulik   Mehrens, W.A. & Kaminski	Standardized tests—Purpose, Practice, Misuse API: STAR testing.  Assignment Due  Project Due

 

Other information

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

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