Spring 2006
KEAN UNIVERSITY
Union, New Jersey
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN THE URBAN SCHOOLS
AND
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Course Number: EDD 6103
Semester Hours: Three
Prerequisites: Educational Research (EL 5030) or similar course or by permission
of the program coordinator.
Limitations on Enrollment: 25
Required: For Ed.D. candidates
Catalog Description:
Develop an understanding of the principles of assessment with an emphasis on the context and format of standardized tests and standards-based alternative qualitative strategies. Systematically analyze assessment data to facilitate evidence based educational decision-making.
N.B. In order to insure full class participation, any student with a disability condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorder, special adaptive equipment, special note taking or test taking procedures) is strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the beginning of the course.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN THE URBAN SCHOOLS
AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
(EDD 6103)
I. Course Objectives
Students will achieve growth towards becoming informed, dynamic, professionals through knowledge acquisition, skill application and development of dispositions, as evidenced by demonstration of the ability to:
A. demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of assessment in general and standards-based assessment in particular. (2.2.2; 2.3.4) (Knowledge/Skills/Dispositions)
B. apply quantitative and qualitative data in order to facilitate educational and community based decision-making.(2.2.2) (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
C. develop and apply a variety of appropriate research methodologies in order to explore and solve problems relating to student achievement and development. (2.3.4) (Knowledge/Skills)
D. apply data, technology and information systems to develop a long-range plan that assesses a school district’s or community agency’s improvement and accountability. (2.2.2) (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions).
E. design and implement appropriate research strategies to profile student performance in a school district or community based program. (2.3.4)(Knowledge/Skills)
F. analyze and distinguish differences among subgroups with both standardized assessment results and qualitative measures. (2.3.4) (Knowledge/Skills)
G. decide how assessment data can best be used to inform the planning and design of curriculum, instruction, and community-based practices. (2.2.2; 2.3.4) (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
H. evaluate and choose assessment data that facilitates student success and achievement, as well as goal setting for individuals with special needs. (2.2.2) (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
I. design strategies for communicating the importance and impact of standardized assessment and other assessment data with students, parents, and other community stakeholders. (2.2.2) (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
J. examine the limitations to standardized assessment and review the value of alternative assessment options as a basis for educational decision making. (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
II. Course Content
A. Standards-based assessment
1. Introduction
a. Terminology
i. Norm referenced
ii. Criterion referenced
iii. State mandated assessments
iv. District selected diagnostic assessments
v. Validity of standards-based assessments
vi. Reliability of standards-based assessments
vii. Deconstructing score reports
b. Participants
i. Students
ii. Teachers
iii. Parents
iv. Administrators
c. Common applications
i. Data driven decision making
ii. Curriculum mapping
d. Educational assessment in the 21st century
2. Significance to educational leaders
a. Traditional assessment methodology
b. Alternative assessment methodology
3. Interpreting norm referenced & criterion referenced scores
a. Percentile ranks
b. Grade equivalent scores
c. Standardized score
d. Normal curve equivalent
e. Stanines
B. Quantitative & qualitative data informed decision-making
1. Content standards and student achievement
2. Item analysis and performance assessment
a. Quantitative item analysis - selected response analysis
b. Qualitative item analysis - constructed response analysis
c. Using item analysis to inform classroom practices
3. Performance assessment
a. Components
b. Preparing
c. Specifying outcomes
d. Authenticity
e. Methods of observing, recoding and scoring
- Insuring inter-rater reliability
4. Portfolio assessment
a. Advantages
b. Planning
c. Evaluating
i. Grading rubrics
ii. Insuring inter-rater reliability
C. Student achievement & development issues
1. Systems thinking as a way to school improvement and increased student learning
2. Define reality through data analysis
a. Standards-based
b. Alternative
3. Team planning
a. Grade level articulation
b. District level articulation
4. Support from the learning community
a. School based
b. District based
c. Community based
d. County support services
5. Case studies
6. Action Research
a. Systematic analysis of an issue
b. Development of the action plan
D. Evaluation approaches for improvement and accountability
1. Objective-oriented
a. Content standards
b. Performance standards
2. Consumer-oriented
a. Parents
b. Students
c. Community members
3. Management-oriented
4. Expertise-oriented
5. Participant-oriented
6. Alternative
7. Technology-oriented
a. Market-based IT (Information Technologies) systems
b. District-based IT systems
c. Priority-based IT systems
8. Short range benchmarks
9. Long range benchmarks
10. Developing district wide multiple assessment plans
11. Developing district wide staff development programs
E. Student/Client performance profiles
1. Linking classroom instruction to assessment and content standards
a. Performance evidence
b. Test construction
2. Connecting assessment to the K-12 curriculum
a. Performance mastery
b. Curriculum concept mapping
3. Evidence centered teaching
a. Student artifacts
b. Rubrics
4. Reflecting on attitudes about students, teaching, the community and assessment
a. Individual Student Improvement Plans (ISIP)
b. Student/teacher contracts
c. School-wide incentive goals and plans
F. Subgroup differences in standardized assessment results and general assessments
1. Disaggregating standardized score reports
a. Ethnic
b. Socio-economic status
c. Gender
d. Grade level
e. Limited language proficiency
f. Students with special needs
2. The “achievement gap.”
3. Action plans that respond to assessment data analysis
a. Primary areas of concern
b. Secondary areas of concern
4. Enlist community support for dissemination of assessment information
a. PTA
b. Board of Education
c. Community based Early-childhood programs (pre-school, etc,)
d. Community based youth programs
e. Media
G. Curriculum, instruction and community-based practices
1. Individual student score reports
a. Interpret
b. Relate to aggregate reports
2. Educational community information
a. Taxonomy of educational objectives
b. Behavioral and non-behavioral objectives
c. Write/edit educational objectives
d. Plan alternative methods of assessment - formative and summative
3. Aligning curriculum
a. Curriculum mapping
b. Aligning content
c. Teaching the curriculum, not “to the test”
i. Curriculum-as-planned
ii. Curriculum-as-taught
iii. Curriculum-as-learned
iv. Curriculum-as-tested
H. Facilitating student success and goal setting for students with special needs
1. Deconstruct individual student scores reports
a. By grade level cluster
b. By content cluster
2. The impact of legislation
a. Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
b. Section 504
c. Strategies for accommodations
d. Modified assessments
e. Individual Educational Plans (IEPs)
3. Address LLP/ELL student’s needs
4. Best practices
a. Summarizing and note taking
b. Homework & practice
c. Nonlinguistic representations
a. Cooperative learning
b. Setting objectives and providing feedback
c. Cues, questions and advanced organizers
d. Interactive learning
e. Authentic learning & assessment
f. Jigsaw approaches
g. Technology integration
I. Communicating the impact of assessment
1. The significance of standardized assessments
a. School community
b. Community at large
c. Board of Education
2. District testing initiatives
a. Measure competency
b. Inform practice
3. Test administration
a. Testing dates
b. Test security
c. Parental support
4. Reporting of test results
a. The school community
b. Local media
5. Parent/teacher dynamic in the reporting of standardized results
a. Teacher training
b. Building level and central office administrative support
6. Assessment literacy programs for teachers and administrators
7. Assessment literacy programs for parents and the community
8. Parent Action groups
9. Teacher action groups
10. Parent/Teacher action groups
J. Standardized assessment limitations and the value of alternative assessment
1. Consequences of high stakes testing
a. Misdirected pressures on educators
b. Misidentification of inferior and superior schools
c. Curricular reductionism
d. “Drill and kill”
e. Cheating
f. Preoccupation with achievement and not learning
g. Extrinsic motivation to learning as opposed to intrinsic
2. Alternative and/or supplemental assessment
a. Performance based
b. Authentic
c. Mastery
d. Project based
e. Problem based
III. Methods of Instruction
A. Discussion groups
B. Assigned readings
C. Socratic dialectic
D. Individual student projects/written assignments
E. Lecture/Demonstrations
F. Cooperative learning projects & activities
G. Differentiated instructional projects
H. Problem-based learning activities
I. Simulations
J. Computer lab activities and projects
IV. Methods of Evaluation
A. Examinations & quizzes (Knowledge/Skills)
B. Final assessment evaluation project (Knowledge/Skills/Dispositions)
C. Computer analysis activities (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
D. Small group participation & projects (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
E. Class participation, written assignments and presentation of projects (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)
V. Recommended Text(s)
Reynolds, C. R., Livingston, R.,& Willson, V. (2005). Measurement and assessment in
education. New York, NY: Pearson and Allyn & Bacon.
Educational Testing Services. (2004) Understanding standards-based assessment.
Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Services.
VI. Bibliography – (Current)
Anderson, L.W. & Bourke, S.F. (2000). Assessing effective characteristics in the schools
(2nded.). Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ary, D. (2002). Introduction to research in education (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Chen, E., Heritage, M. & Lee, J. (2005). Identifying and monitoring students’ learning
needs with technology. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10 (3),
272-287.
Coghlan, D. & Brannick, T. (2000). Doing action research in your own organization. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Creighton, T.B. (2001). Schools and data: The educator’s guide for using data to improve decision making. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
Danielson, C. & McGreal, T.L. (2000). Teacher evaluation to enhance professional practice. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Fisher, R. (2002). Raising standards in literacy. New York, NY: Routledge Farmer.
Fitzpatrick, J.L., Sanders, J.R. & Worthen, B.R. (2004). Program evaluation: Alternative
approaches and practical guidelines, (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson and
Allyn & Bacon.
Gall, M., et al. (2002) Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn
and Bacon.
Gronlund, N.E. (2005). Assessment of student achievement (8th ed.). New York, NY:
Pearson and Allyn & Bacon.
Jacobs, H.H. (2004). Getting results with curriculum mapping. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Kohn, A. (2000). The schools our children deserve: Moving beyond traditional
classrooms and “tougher standards.” New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
Lambert, L. (2003). Leadership capacity for lasting school improvement. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.
Loughran, J, & Russell, T. (2002). Improving teacher education practice through
self-study. New York, NY: Allyn & Bacon.
Linn, R.L. (2000). Assessments and accountability. Educational Researcher, 29(2), 4-16.
Marzano, R. J. (2003) What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD.
Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J. & Pollock, J.E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works:
Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.
McMillan, J.H. (2001). Classroom assessment: Principles and practices for effective
instruction (2nd ed.). Boston, MA” Allyn & Bacon.
Mills,G. E. (2000). Action research: A guide for teacher researchers. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Merrill.
Parsons, R. & Brown, K. (2002). Teacher as reflective practitioner and action researcher. Belmont CA: Wadsworth.
Popham, W.J. (2000). Modern educational measurement: Practical guidelines for educational leaders (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Popham, W.J. (2001). The truth about testing: An educator’s call to action. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD.
Popham, W.J. (2006). Assessment for educational leaders. New York, NY: Pearson and
Allyn & Bacon.
Sagor, R. (2000). Guiding school improvement with action research. Alexandria VA:
ASCD.
Sanders, J. R. (2000). Evaluating school programs: An educator’s guide. Newberry Park,
Ca: Corwin Press.
Schostak, J. (2002). Understanding, designing and conducting qualitative
research in education. New York, NY: Routledge Farmer.
Smidt, S. (2002). Guide to early years practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
Routledge Farmer
Sugrue, C. & Day, C. (2002). Developing teachers and teaching practice:
International research perspective. New York, NY: Routledge Farmer
Tucker, P.D. & Stronge, J.H. (2005) Linking teacher evaluation and student learning.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Weedon, P. & Winter, J. (2001). Assessment: What’s in it for schools? New
York, NY: Routledge Farmer.
Wragg, E.C. (2001). Assessment and learning in the primary schools.
New York, NY: Routledge Farmer
Zmuda, A., Kuklis, R. & Kline, E. (2004). Transforming schools: Creating a culture of
continuous improvement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
VII. Bibliography – (Seminal)
Airasian, P.W. (1997). Classroom assessment (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Arney, W. R. (1990). Understanding statistics in the social sciences. New York, NY:
Freeman.
Bernstein, D.K. (1989). Assessing children with limited English proficiency: Current
perspectives. Topics in Language Disorders, 9(3), 15-20.
Best, J. (1996). Research in education (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Bogdan, R. & Bilkin, S. (1992). Qualitative research for education: An
introduction to theory and methods (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon
Burgess, R. (1995). Essays in educational ethnography. San Francisco, CA: Falmer.
Carspecken, P. (1995). Critical ethnography in educational research. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Cochran-Smith, M. & Lytle, S.L. (1993). Inside/outside: Teacher research and
knowledge. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Conner, R. (Ed.) (1991). Methodological advances in evaluation research. Beverly Hills,
CA: Sage.
Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Darling-Hammond, L. (1996). The quiet revolution: Rethinking teacher
development. Educational Leadership, 53(6), 4-10.
Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Beverly Hills,
CA: Sage.
Donahue, Z. et al (eds.) (1996). Research in the classroom: Talk, texts, and
inquiry. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Ferguson, G. A. (1981). Statistical analysis in psychology and education. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Gross, L. (1994). Interrater reliability reconsidered: Performance assessment using one
examiner per candidate. Evaluations and the Health Professions, 17(4), 465-484.
Henning-Stout, M. (1994). Responsive academic assessment: Guidelines and potential
barriers. Special Services in the Schools, 9(1), 1-23.
Hopkins, D. (1993). A teacher's guide to classroom research (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.
Hubbard, R.S. & Power B.M. (1993). The art of classroom inquiry. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann Publishers.
Huberman, M. (1996). Moving mainstream: Taking a closer look at teacher
research. Language Arts, 73, 124-140.
Jones, R. A. (1996). Research methods in the social and behavioral sciences. MA:
Sinauer.
Kanji, G. K. (1993). 100 statistical tests. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Leedy, P. (1993). Practical research: Planning and design (5th ed.). New York, NY:
John Wiley.
Lieberman, A. (1996). Creating intentional learning communities. Educational
Leadership, 54(3), 51-55.
Linn, R.L. (1986). Educational testing and assessment: Research needs and policy issues.
American Psychologist, 41(10), 1153-1160.
Lytle, S.L. (1988). From the inside out: Reinventing assessment. Focus on Basics, 2(1),
1-4.
Marchese, T.J. (1987). Assessment update: Third down, ten years to go. AAHE Bulletin.
Miles, M. & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded
source book (3rd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Foundation.