Test Item Analysis: A Tool to Drive Instructional Alignment

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Test Item AnalysisA Tool to Drive Instructional
Alignment

• Purpose
• To carefully align instruction with the Standards
  (i.e., concepts and skills) from which a released
  standardized test item was derived.

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• Standards Correlation
• Content Clarification
• Strand Map (Science)

• Item Analysis
• Standardized Test Item
• Test Item Type
• Test Item Structure
• Embedded Content and Skills

• Instructional Alignment
• Next Generation Tools

Test Item Analysis Glossary
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1. Select a Standardized Test Item

• What released test item do you intend to
  analyze?
• Use the Released Test Item Finder to locate a
  test item.
• Copy and paste this Test Item here.

Next Generation Tools
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2. Characterize the Test Item

• What type of test item is this?
• Multiple Choice
• Enhanced Multiple Choice
• Scenario Analysis
• Extended Response
• Constructed Response
• Essay
• Open-Ended Question
• Performance Task

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Glossary
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3. Analyze the Test Items Structure

• For Multiple Choice Test Items
• Stem
• Diagram
• Distractors
• Correct answer choice
• What makes this the correct choice?
• Extended Response information, Performance
• Assessment breakdown, etc.

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Glossary
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4. Identify Embedded Concepts Process
Skills

• - What major Concepts and Big Ideas do students
  need to know to successfully complete this test
  item?
• - What are the major Skill requirements for
  students?
• - What is Webbs Knowledge Levels for this item?
• 1. Recall 2.
  Skill/Concept
• 3. Strategic Thinking 4. Extended
  Thinking
• - If test taking data is available, what does
  this information reveal about this item?

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Glossary
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5. Connect Test Item to Standards

• What is the connection between the Test Item and
  the state and national Content Standards?
• Use the State Standards Locator to find the
  appropriate state content standard(s). Enter
  here.
• Use the Content Crosswalk to find the
  corresponding national content standard(s).
  Enter here.

Next Generation Tools
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Glossary
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6. Complete a Content Clarification or Topic
Study

• Use the Content Clarification Builder to
• investigate content implications and research
• about student learning and teaching.
• Enter your findings here.
• Or, complete a relevant Topic Study.

Next Generation Tools
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Glossary
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7. Optional for Science Reference a Strand
Map

• Identify the appropriate Strand Map
• from the Atlas of Science Literacy (download or
  scan)
• Enter the relevant Strand Map section here.

Next Generation Tools
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Glossary
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8. Develop Instructional Plan Aligned with
Test Item Information

• What do students need to know or be able to do?
• Search the Next Generation Tools CD to identify
  curriculum and assessment tools for developing an
  instructional plan aligned with your Test Item
  Analysis data.

Next Generation Tools
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Next Generation Toolkit

• Click on any of the tools listed below to
  help complete the Test Item Analysis
• Standardized Test Item Finder
• State Standards Locator
• Content Crosswalk
• Content Clarification
• Assessment Collection
• Lesson Builder Collection

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Test Item Analysis Glossary

• Alignment degree to which the components of an
  instructional plan work together to achieve the
  desired goals for students.
• Cognitive demand level of thinking required to
  solve a problem, complete a task, or answer a
  question.
• Constructed response student-created answer to
  a test item as in an essay.
• Content crosswalk method for examining
  correlations between different sets of standards.
• Content clarification process for researching a
  standard from the perspectives of the content
  knowledge base and factors that influence
  teaching and learning.
• Distractor incorrect option within a test item.
• Embedded science concept implicit idea that
  needs to be understood to successfully complete a
  test item.
• Enhanced multiple choice question that elicits
  prior knowledge, integrates knowledge and process
  skills, and uses an enhancement such as a map,
  graph, speech excerpt.
• Essay relatively short prose composition on a
  limited topic.
• Open-ended question prompt that allows
  test-takers to respond in their own words
• Extended response open-ended question that
  allows students to provide detailed written
  answers.
• Multiple choice question in which the test-taker
  selects a response from several possible
  alternatives.

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Test Item Analysis Glossary

• Performance task direct, systematic observation
  of a student action or product that is scored
  according to pre-established criteria.
• Released test item previously used standardized
  test question or task that have been made
  available to the public.
• Scenario analysis students respond to a task
  centered on an image or set of circumstances.
• Standardized test item finder tool that
  identifies websites that contain test items
  released by state departments of education or
  national agencies.
• State standards locator tool with direct links
  to websites that contain state standards.
• Stem statement or question used to frame a
  multiple-choice item.
• Strand maps visual representation of how
  concepts develop over time. See Atlas of Science
  Literacy.
• Test item analysis process for designing
  instruction that is mindful of standardized
• testing.
• Topic study careful analysis of a concept that
  examines the requisite content knowledge base and
  issues associated with teaching and learning.
• Webbs depth of knowledge level hierarchical
  scale used to measure the cognitive complexity of
  a learning expectation.

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