Evan Leuenberger 1

TE 498

Assessment Assignment
Purpose of Assessment:
Assessment is a complicated word for educators, now perhaps more
than ever. The word has become politicized, and tends to put teachers on
edge. It can be used to determine whether they are allowed to remain in the
classroom, or it can refer to the results of their students state mandated
testing results, which again corresponds to whether theyre allowed to
remain in the classroom. For the day to day work of educators however,
assessment can mean something else entirely. Put simply, assessment is
the measurement of what students are learning (Ronan 2015). While we
lecture and present students with new information, assessment can be a way
of gaging how much information a student is taking away from the class.
While typically thought of exclusively as synonymous with testing, in
reality assessment comes in a number of different shapes and sizes. Two of
the more popular types of assessments are formative and summative
assessments. Formative assessments are activities in which you monitor
student progress, so that both teacher and student can determine strengths,
weakness, and areas that a can do better in. Formative assignments are
usually low stakes, and might include exit tickets after class or a brief page
summary of how the chapter ties into the ideas of the course overall.
Summative assessments on the other hand are meant to evaluate student
knowledge and are typically more high stakes than formative assessments.
This is where tests and assigned projects come in (Carnegie Mellon). No
matter which type of assessment used however, all deal with the similar goal
of measuring student learning.

Evaluate Bens Objective Assessment:

Overall Bens Chapter 9 test covers most of the important components
of the chapter. There are questions about the domestic and the international
problems faced by the new nation. The test also emphasis the divide
between Federalists and Republicans that is a defining characteristic of the
Federalist Era. Once critique might be that the test does not emphasize the
connected nature of the XYZ Affair, the Alien and Sedition Act, and the end of
Adams political career which is important to understanding this time period.

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In terms of skills, Bens Chapter 9 test asks students to develop a

number of skills important for historians. One major skill covered by the test
is the importance to chronological order, present in the Chronology part of
the assessment. While asking students to memorize specific dates might be
asking a little too much, especially at the middle school level, asking that
students remember events in the order in which they occurred gives
students a better handle on the information in the section. Similarly, the
cause and effect section of the test is another important skill that should be
developed in students. The idea that events in history had direct
consequences is key to students understanding of the subject, and as such it
should be covered in history assessments. Both skills also speak to students
development into members of a democracy. It is important that students
learn the importance of historical order, and that actions had deliberate
consequences. These skills will help them when it comes time for them to
vote. In terms of other aspects of the test, it also teaches critical thinking in
the last part of the test about comparing Federalists and Republicans.
Instead of memorizing both partys stances on each issue, if a student
understands generally that Federalists wanted a stronger federal
government and that Republicans wanted stronger state government, that
would allow the student to do well on that part of the test.
There are a number of concerns I have for individual questions on the
test that might prove detrimental for student success. One problem is in
reference to the use of analogies on the test. Specifically the shoots himself
in the foot and finishing the rest of the house are both based upon stories
Ben told in class to help students understand the material. This might prove
confusing for students who missed that particular day in class however. In
the Chronology section of the test too I question whether the Native
American option fits well with the other options, all specifically dealing with
the political transitions in the Federalist Era.
The class distributions for the Chapter 9 test were 81, 79, 69, 65.
Therefore the class averages indicate that the first two hours were more
successful at demonstrating what theyd learned from chapter 9 than the
latter two hours. My own teaching philosophy is that the class average
should be around 70-80. As such, I wouldnt be as concerned about the first
two hours as I would be about the latter two. I think as the instructor it is the
teachers responsibility to look back on where specifically students are
struggling on their tests. For example, if students are struggling on the
Cause and Effect portion on the test than the teacher should clarify the

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connected nature of those events in future lessons, and perhaps offer

handouts or assignments meant specifically to remedy that particular deficit.
I tend to favor offering the opportunity for retakes, though I would most likely
change the questions around or vary them so that they still test on the
information in the chapter, but not exactly the same information that the first
test did. To do otherwise I think, opens the door for cheating which helps
neither the teacher not the student in the long run. I would tread lightly
when it comes to grade distribution. In the case of Chapter 9 for example, I
wouldnt change grades from the typical 90% = A, 80% = B scheme because
the tests are relatively close to average. If the class average was significantly
lower however, I certainly would consider it, because of a mismatch between
teacher expectation and student performance. I would take a grade at or
near of the top of student performance and make that the new A, allowing
students more of a chance to make up points.

Extend Bens Project Assessment:

The purpose for chapter projects is to provide students an opportunity
to extend their knowledge of the chapters materials in new and more
dynamic ways. The textbook gives a brief glimpse into a variety of subjects,
but projects give you a chance to learn more about a topic that interests you.
For chapter nine, the optional project is to write a diary entry or letter
about subject matter covered in the chapter. The purpose of this assignment
is to demonstrate creativity as well as your mastery of the information
covered in chapter nine. For the purposes of this assignment, a dairy/letter
entry should be written in first person. It is up to you if you want to write
from the narrative of a historical figure, or from your own point of view if you
traveled back in time. A good diary/letter shows originality and incorporates
information covered in the chapter in thought provoking ways. You should
aim for including at least three specific facts in the letter, all of which should
be underlined. Typical length should be at least two pages if handwritten,
one if typed out (single space, 12 font). An example might be a letter from
Lewis and Clark to President Jefferson detailing who the duo encounters on
their trip and where theyre headed.

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Letter/ Diary Project Rubric

Structure/
Form
3
pts.

Content/Histo
rical Accuracy
9 pts.

Novice
Not formatted
correctly, i.e.
missing salutation
or date at the start,
not in first person
(1 pt.)

Adequate
The letter or
diary entry
contains few
mistakes in terms
of structure (2
pts.)

Facts are missing,

incorrect, or do not
pertain to the
chapter covered in
the project. (3 pts.)

Some facts are

included but
there are
problems with
the content
included in them
(6 pts.)

Excellent
Contains no
mistakes in terms
of structure. It
has the
appropriate
salutations at the
start and closes
correctly. First
person
throughout (3
pts.)
Contains at least
three underlined,
specific facts, all
relating to the
chapter.
Demonstrates
research outside
of class (9 pts.)

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Grammar/Spel
ling 3 pts.

Spelling and
grammar mistakes
throughout, difficult
to read (1 pt.)

Creativity
pts.

Contains little or no
new information, is
copied from the
book or plagiarized
(2 pts.)

A few spelling or
grammar
mistakes, needs
to be proof-read
more clearly
(2
pts.)
The diary or
letter shows the
student moving
away from the
book somewhat,
but is still not
engaging. (4
pts.)

Very few spelling

or grammar
mistakes, clearly
proof-read
(3
pts.)
Demonstrates
that the student
is thinking about
the material in
new and exciting
ways. (6 pts.)

Score:
points

/21

Look at the Student Work Samples: Student Z

On their first time taking the test Student Z received a 68 percent. One
of the areas the student did best in was with the chronology portion of the
test. On that section the student had the correct answer for all four,
demonstrating that the student was successful in cognitively ordering the
events covered in chapter nine. The student also did pretty well with the
matching of cause and effect, earning seven out of ten on that portion. That
demonstrates that the student is able to understand the connected nature of
the material covered in the chapter. Student Z also got both of the short
answers correct.
Some of the areas Student Z struggled in were the double weighted
short answer and the matching portion about Federalists and Republicans.
For the short answer question 7/8 the student seems to have misinterpreted
the question based upon their response. In the future the student should
read the question more carefully or raise their hand to ask for clarification.
The student also struggled most with differentiating between Federalists and
Republicans in the matching section. In the future it might be advantageous
for the student to construct a graphic organizer with both parties and their
unique characteristics.

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Student Zs retake doesnt seem to improve the students chances for

making up points. Despite the directions asking that students provide
specific detail and their being 15 points each, the student responded to
complex questions with around four to six words (in questions one through
four for example). This points to either Student Z not taking the time to
properly read directions, or their lack of the proper knowledge to answer the
questions more thoroughly.
While the student might have struggled at times on the test, their
project does little to further their understanding of the Chapter 9 material.
Student Zs project consists of a word web from Chapter 9. While the student
was supposed to write a description of their project, Student Z wrote two
sentences describing their process of picking the words for the assignment.
According to the student, they went through their notes to pick through
words that they deemed important to the chapter. Unlike Student X however,
Student Z did not include any further explanation for why they chose the
words they did or how those words tied into the larger narrative of the
chapter. As such, the project does not aid the instructor in understanding
what the student did or did not learn. The project further highlights the same
weaknesses as does the test and retake. Once again, the student erred more
on the side of writing not enough to adequately address the question or
assignment. Unlike the test however, the project offers much less
opportunity to demonstrate new knowledge. Therefore the test is the better
indicator of what the student learned in Chapter 9.
In terms of their test, I would encourage Student Z to look up which
answers they got wrong and give them the opportunity to correct their
mistakes. By having them write out on another piece of paper what the
question is, what the correct answer is, and the page number they found the
correct answer on, it teaches students an important skill about using
textbooks in general, and the ability to search a document for important
information as well. I would also incorporate more writing assignments into
the course to see if Student Z struggles with their writing as that could
explain both their retake and their project.

My feedback for Student Zs project:

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This is a good start Student Z. I like how you seem to have

thought critically about the word choice for which words you
would use in your web. Next time I need to see a more clear
explanation about why you chose the specific words that you did.
Try to tie each word into the theme of the chapter, or into the
course overall. You had a good number of different words, they
just needed more explanation.
For further instruction, I would take a number of different steps to
better aid Student Z achieve a higher grade on their assessments. For one, I
would incorporate more writing based assignments into the course overall.
That would help me gage which students are most struggling with their
writing, and in which areas they are struggling. Once I know what the
problem areas are I can scaffold those areas into a whole-class lecture to
help everyone improve their social studies writing skills. I would also
emphasize to students that if they feel that they dont entirely know what a
test question is looking for they can raise their hand and the teacher can
clarify what the question is really looking for. Finally I would distribute
graphic organizers for future lessons where a visual guide might better help
students keep information straight. With those steps Student Z might just
find themselves with a student A.

Sources
"Formative vs Summative Assessment - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation Carnegie Mellon University." Carnegie Mellon University, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
<https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html>.
Ronan, Amanda. "Every Teacher's Guide to Assessment." Edudemic, 29 Apr. 2015. Web.
08 Nov. 2015. &lt;http://www.edudemic.com/summative-and-formativeassessments/&gt;.