State and International Assessment

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State and International Assessment
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Introduction

• Assessment is measuring and evaluating students
  ability of a given task.
• Why do we assess?
• To evaluate the effectiveness of instructional
  practices to measure students achievement and to
  evaluate students mastery skills. (CBT/McGraw
  Hill)

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National Tests

• 4th grade 41 cannot read at basic level, only
  28 performed at or above the proficient level.
  (1994 NAEP)
• 8th grade, 75 do not take algebra by the end of
  8th grade. 21 scored at or above the proficient
  level. (1996 Mathematics Report Card)

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Guide for Effective Assessment

• Testing is a major force in shaping public
  perception.
• Why do we have tests?
• Monitor educational systems for public
  accountability
• Help provide information to better identify
  instructional practices.

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Guide for Effective Assessment Cont'd...

• Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional
  practices
• Measure student achievement
• Evaluate students mastery of skills.

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Kinds of Tests Used in Classrooms

• Standardized achievement tests
• Norm-referenced tests
• Criterion-referenced tests
• Multiple-choice tests
• Performance assessments

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What Educators Use Assessment For

• To help improve teaching and learning,
• To evaluate programs and schools.
• Assessment is a foundation activity in every
  school.

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New York State Regents
Established by the New York state legislature on
may 1, 1784, the regents of The University of
the State of New York formed the oldest,
continuous state education entity in America.
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The regents are Responsible for the general
Supervision of all educational Activities within
the state, presiding over the university and the
New York State Education Department.
NYS continued...
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SCIENCE

• Three years required.
• Earth Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• A regents is given for each at the end of the
  year.

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Opinions of Educators on Assessment

• This year they have been really strict about
  assessment in the classroom. I have been to two
  all day conferences on the topic. Teachers have
  to complete what the state says that needs to be
  assessed. I spend and hour each week getting my
  students ready for assessment.
• -High school teacher.

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New York References...

• Voluntary National Test available on line at
  Http//www.ed.gov/nationaltests/index.html
• Excellence in Assessment available online at
  Http//www.ctb.com/assessment_process/assess1.html
  
• Policy Information Report available online at
  www.ets.org/research

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VIRGINIA ASSESMENT

• The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) are a
  standardized curriculum outline for teachers
  which define student learning expectations.
• There are SOLs for science, history/social
  studies, math, and english.
• An assessment is given in the form of a
  standardized test to all Virginia students.

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How the SOLs are Tested ?

• Students are tested in grades three, five and
  eight as well as in high school earth science,
  biology, and chemistry.
• There is a test question for every given standard
  at each grade level. For example, third graders
  are given a test question for each third grade
  SOL.

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Student Implications

• In some areas of Virginia, promotion to grades
  four, six, and nine is contingent upon student
  performance on SOL tests.
• Graduation from high school may depend on
  students passing two of the three SOL science
  tests.
• Some school districts are required to provide
  additional academic support for students who
  perform poorly on SOL tests.

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Teacher Implications

• Virginia SOL tests affect the classroom by
  providing teachers with a template for
  instruction.
• Reactions from educators
• SOLs truly drive the curriculum. Now teachers
  teach to the standards. They even go as far as
  teaching the students test taking skills (local
  administrator)
• When asked about science SOLs, an elementary
  school teacher responded, They are neither
  traditional nor innovativethey are a return to
  rote memorization. They test facts rather than
  concepts.

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International Assessment

• The largest and most well-known international
  assessment was the TIMSS, which stands for Third
  International Mathematics and Science Study.
• the most extensive and far-reaching
  cross-national comparison study of mathematics
  and science education ever attempted (Schmidt
  et, 1999)
• A new test put out by PISA (Program for
  International Assessment) attempts to gauge
  cumulative knowledge and cross-curricular
  competencies at the high school level.

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How the TIMSS Worked

• Forty-one countries participated in comparing
  official curricula, textbooks, teacher practices
  and student achievement.
• The TIMSS data took form in 3 different ways
• achievement results
• document analysis
• responses to survey questions
• Students were tested in the third, fourth,
  seventh, and eighth grades, as well as in the
  senior year of high school.

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TIMSS Results

• Fourth Grade Findings
• In 1996, US students ranked second in science,
  outperforming students in 19 countries, and
  outperformed only by Korea.
• Eighth Grade Findings
• US students scored higher on average than
  students in France, about the same as students in
  Canada, England and Germany, and lower than
  students in Japan.
• Overall, students from the US were slightly above
  the international average.
• Twelfth Grade Findings
• US students ranked relatively poorly. They were
  outperformed by students in eleven countries, and
  outperformed only two.

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Implications of TIMSS

• International testing has proved that rigorous
  content, focused curriculum, and good teaching
  are all critical to improved national
  performance.

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Maryland State Performance Assessment Program
(MSPAP)

• Created to test individuals in cooperative
  learning groups to see if they can use background
  knowledge to solve real world problems.
• Students in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades take the
  MSPAP in May each year.
• The test takes five days with 105 minutes spent
  each day.

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MSPAP Continued . . .

• Questions are open ended and students receive a
  grade of full, partial or no credit based on
  quality of response.
• The test is designed to measure school
  improvement and not the individual student.
• However, depending on level of scores can
  determine level of funding and resources for that
  school.

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MSPAP

• The MSPAP has Six Sections
• Reading
• Writing
• Mathematics
• Language Use
• Science
• Social Studies

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Up and Downs of MSPAP Through the Eyes of a
Maryland Teacher

• The MSPAP definitely influences her instruction
  style to her curriculum.
• As a result, her classroom is majority group
  work and writing assignments.
• Consequently, Maryland students use the same
  repeated activities daily and causes them to not
  receive a well rounded education.

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Innovative Assessments

• Individual KWLs
• Scientific Drawings and Diagrams
• Student Questions
• Interviews
• Writing Prompts

• Graphic Organizers
• Individual Investigations
• Teacher Observations
• Journal Observations
• Concept Maps

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Maryland Resources

• Montgomery County Public Schools
• Assessment Strategies
• http//www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/eii/acceler
  ated_and_enriched_s.htm
• Science Process Test
• Science Process Assessments for Elementary and
  Middle School Students http//www.scienceprocesst
  est.com/
• Maryland State Department of Education
• What is the Maryland School Performance
  Assessment Program?
• http//www.mdk12.org/mspp/mspap/what-is-mspap/int
  rol.html

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Maryland Resources Continued. .

• Tulip Grove Elementary
• Maryland State Performance Assessment Program.
  http//www1.marylandweb.com/marylandweb/tulipgrove
  /MSPAPinfo.html
• Maryland State Department of Education
• Maryland State Performance Assessment Program.
• http//www.msde.state.md.us/mspap/
• Parents Guide to MSPAP http//www.carr.lib.md.us/c
  cps/mspap/sample.htm

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In Conclusion, We Compare

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Thank You

• We the students of UVA, SUNY and SSU would like
  to thank
• Dr.Juanita Jo Matkins
• Dr. Beth Kline
• Dr. Starlin Weaver
• for all your help and support throughout this
  project.

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The End