Questions to Ask/Materials Needed

Handout #1

Planning for your Assessment

Questions to Ask/Materials Needed:

1. What type of data you will be loading (ie: benchmark assessment, progress monitoring, placement, etc.) and how often will you be loading it each year?

1. How is the test scored – Numeric or Letter Score, Pass-Fail, or Met-NotMet?

If scored (number and/or letter), what is the minimum and maximum possible scores?

Will these minimum and maximum scores change from year to year? This will affect your naming conventions.

What is the minimum passing score (threshold)?

1. Does your assessment have performance levels?

If yes,

1. What is the minimum and maximumor cut scores for each level?
2. What color scheme and names do you want for each level?

Will these minimum and maximum scores change from year to year? Again, this will affect your naming conventions.

1. Does your assessment have strands? For example: You may be loading data for a reading benchmark that will have an overall (or composite) score, plus vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency scores. Or-you may have a math assessment with scores that are tied to specific/individual standards.

If yes, each of the strands are considered a separate test by the system so you’ll need to ask the same (question 2 and 3) for each of the strands.

Will these strands be tied to a parent assessment (or overall score)?

1. What naming convention will you use for your assessment? Does your district already have It’s own (established) standards for naming conventions?

1. What Group (or Family) should this assessment be added to?

1. What will the scope of your assessment be (ie: District, School, or Class)?

1. Will this test structure be used for the ‘User Defined’ Assessments in Homeroom?

Materials Checklist:

Assessment and/or Strand Parameters:

Assessment Type/Content

Strand Names (if applicable)

Score Types, Minimum/Maximum Ranges, and Minimum Passing Score

Scope

Family/Assessment Group

Performance Level and/or Strand Names, Minimum/Maximum Ranges, and colors (if applicable)

Administration Frequency

Administration Grade Level(s)

Naming Convention Structure - see “Naming Conventions Tips and Tricks” & “Naming Conventions – Sample Test Name, Label, and Score File Name” (sample sheets 1 & 2)

Scoringand/or Performance Band Chart(s) - see “Sample-CutpointsFromDIBELSNextBenchmarkGoals” (sample sheet 5)

List of Assessment Strands (ie: Letter Names, Letter Sounds, MCRC, etc)

Chronological Ordinal Chart (sample sheet 3)

 Hex Color Code Chart (sample sheet 4)

Q & A – Notes

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School Data Solutions, August 2014