Basics

Clarifying the Purposes of Formative and Summative Assessment

• Formative assessment is conducted during the course of instruction for the purposes of fine-tuning to move students forward in their learning. It is assessment for learning. (Shepard, L., 2000)
• Summative assessment is administered at the end of a unit or the year to determine what students ultimately learned and to assign them grades. It is assessment of learning. (Furtak, E., et al., 2016)

Chef Analogy

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Formative: Chef tasting food as it cooks to make it better

Summative: Final taste before it is served to customers for feedback

ACT Aspire vs. ATLAS Science Summative

Science Standards & Assessment

• All standards in grades 3-8 and Biology Integrated course will be assessed.
• Students on accelerated pathways will take grade level test.
• Students will take biology test when they take biology credit course.
• Reporting categories will be Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science.
• Engineering and Technology standards will be embedded.
• Questions are in cluster and stand alone format, and are 3D.

ATLAS: Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System

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• Science: Grades 3-8 & Biology EOC
• All standards will be assessed in each grade level/course
• Reporting categories: LS, PS & ESS in grades 3-8
• Reporting categories: LS & ESS in Biology EOC
• Engineering (ETS) will be embedded in (*) standards
• Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)

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Adaptive Assessment vs. Fixed Form

Fixed Form Test

• Forms are pre-assembled according to the test blueprint
• Every student receives the same form with the exact same items

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Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)

• Adaptive within the grade-level
• Forms are assembled in real time and customized for each student�
• The algorithm selects questions that fit the blueprint to give more precise information about what students know

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Item Difficulty in Adaptive Testing

The algorithm minimizes the measurement error by choosing appropriate questions (proper difficulty) for each student where they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

Advantages of Adaptive Testing

• Better use of the entire item pool providing a unique form for each student
• Better coverage of standards across students
• More fine-grained reporting at aggregate levels is possible
• Enhanced test security
• Every test is assembled to provide maximal information of a student’s ability
• Better testing experience, avoiding items that are either too easy or too hard

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Foundation Boxes

(National Research Council, 2012)

3-D assessing means you are assessing blue, orange, and green

What is 3 Dimensional Science?

3-D versus 2-D Assessments/Instruction

Test Format

Clusters-mostly 3D

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Stand Alone Items-2D

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AND

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Cluster:

set of questions related to a performance expectation related to the stimulus

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Stimulus:

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phenomena or scenario that introduces the question set (cluster)

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Structure of Clusters

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Clusters

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• One phenomenon
• Information or data that extends the phenomenon
• A cluster task statement
• What will student accomplish by the time they are done?
• Several individual interactions
• Aligned to all 3 dimensions
• Checkpoint system currently does not support clusters, we’re working on it

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A cluster should take around 10 minutes to complete

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Stimulus on the left, Interactions on the right

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Structure of Clusters

Standalones

Standalones aligned to standards include:

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• Alignment to at least 2 dimensions (DCI and SEP, usually)

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• A phenomenon

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• Information or data that extends the phenomenon

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• 1-2 interactions

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Classroom Tool Powerpoint Guide

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Create a Test with Test Generator Wizard slide 37

Schedule for support.

Grade level teams

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Individual support

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PLCs

Amber Cobb-

amber.cobb@wscstarfish.com

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