Assessment

Day One

Jamie Uva & Sarah Schlessinger

Summer 2015

Agenda
10:00-10:30: Community Circle
10:30-11:00: Assessment Overview
11:00-11:30: Formal Assessment
11:30-11:50: BREAK
11:50-12:00: Reflection
12:00-12:50: Small/Whole Group Discussion
12:50-1:00pm: Wrap Up/Questions/Closing

Purpose
Turn & Talk to a Partner/Think/Write:
What are the various purposes of assessment and
evaluation?

Think of an assessment that youve taken and found

appropriate and/or helpful. What made it appropriate
and/or helpful?

Now think of an assessment that youve taken and found

inappropriate and/or particularly unhelpful? What made it
that way?

Purpose
Different types of assessments are designed to fulfill
primarily different purposessome to reveal
information about students strengths, interests, and
unique ways of learning (what do they know); some
to offer evidence of achieving proficiency in a skill or
content area as a result of a specific instructional
experience (how well do they know it); some to shed
light on individual and group progress in order to
address public questions about accountability
(achievement as a demonstration of equity) (Falk,
2000, p. 40).

Consequences for Students

Every classroom act of
encouragement and
discouragement is an act of
morality that has resounding
ramifications in the lives of
children (Fennimore, 1997, p.
250).

Assessment vs. Evaluation

Assessment as Evaluation: proves
standards and equity have been
met (summative)

Assessment as Learning: assists

teachers in what/how to teach
next (formative)

Types of Assessment
Diagnostic- Initial assessment to understand what
students know before teaching

Formative- Hows the teaching going?

Summative/Evaluative: What did students learn by
the end?

*These can be used interchangeably.

Context

Terms to Know
CCSS (Common Core)- The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic
standards in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) (
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards).

NYS Regents: To graduate high school in New York State, you must take and pass
certain classes and exams
(https://www.hesc.ny.gov/prepare-for-college/your-high-school-path-to-college/
regents-requirements.html).
Regents Diploma
Regents Diploma with Advanced Distinction

MOSL (Measures of Student Learning): NYCDOE uses a variety of assessments to

measure student learning, with the aim that schools and teachers use data driven
instruction to drive instructional decision-making (
http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/advance/About+Advance/studentlearning/
default.htm).

(PAs) Periodic Assessments: Students take Periodic Assessments several times

throughout the school year to give teachers more information about what students
have learned. Teachers use these assessmentsalong with other school work and
what they see in classto learn where students need more help and plan targeted
instruction (http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/resources/assessments/
default.htm).

NYSED Secondary Assessments

Name

Grades/Subject

Who

State ELA/Math

Grades 3-8

All, but
exempt

Science Exam

Grades 4 & 8

Regents Exams

Secondary
*varies on subject

NYSAA (New York State

Alternative Assessment)

What

When/
How

Why

CCSS exams

Spring/2-3
days

Accountability

All, but
exempt

Written &
Performance

Spring

Accountability

All

Written &
performance

Varies

Accountability/
Graduation
*Note: Diploma
depends on passing
level.

Grades 3-12

Students with
severe
disabilities

Portfolioesque

Spring

Accountability and
performance/growth

NYSITELL (New York

State Identification Test
for English Language
Learners)

New entrants to NYSED

system

Foreign born
students or
students who
speak a
language other
than English

Listening/
Reading/
Writing/
Speaking

Initial
Assessment

Placement in ESL/
Bilingual/Dual
Language

NYSESLAT (New York

State English as a
Second Language
Achievement Test)

K-12 until Proficiency

ELLs (English
Language
Learners)

Listening/
Reading/
Writing/
Speaking

Spring

Evaluation/Placement

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/
*http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/531C5296-BC35-43E0-BD29-2D7E29BAB2C7/0/AcpolicySWD.pdf

Formal Assessment
Work Time: Choose to take and/or review the formal
assessment:

What is this asking students to do? What is the

purpose?
If you were given the results, what would you learn as
a teacher?
How might you revise this assessment?
How might you explain this assessment to colleagues?

Small Group Discussion

Discuss the assessment that your group took and/or
reviewed. Be prepared to share the following with
whole group:

1. Overview of the assessment & its various parts

2. What it is assessing and why
3. What information might be useful to a teacher
4. How you might change the assessment for your
own purposes

Closing/Wrap Up/Questions