Due June 6th:
Look at the assessments you use over a day, a week, a month and a semester.
Share which assessments provide you with data that informs and modifies your instruction.
Are there any you can choose not to give or can adapt to make more meaningful?
This is my third post for Chapter 10. They won't stay, hopefully third time's the charm.
ReplyDeleteAssessment is a tricky one. We all have to do the state and local assessments that the districts take, but like chapter 10 states "The results of a standardized test or the number or level from a computerized end-of-book test will not help us in our day-to-day teaching."
The assessments that I use that are the most meaningful are running records and informal observations. Both of these are sitting down with a student and listening how a student is reading what are the patterns for that student's mistakes and this is what needs to drive our instruction. If I know that a student is continually reading the sound for sh as ch, then I know what to work on.
It is pretty simple. We find where the holes are and we try to fix them.
I agree. Reading tests for phonics are pretty easy. I like the QPS they gave us. I like the way it breaks down skills and has nonsense words and words in context. Comprehension assessment is harder.
ReplyDeleteAs I said in Ch. 9 discussion, we read the same book all week a few times last year. On the first and last days we summarized, but the rest of the days I composed tests. This was hard. I tried to ask questions on a theme (characters, setting, etc.) but I also wanted to look at questioning levels so I had to keep the list (Blooms) with me as well. Then, almost hate to say it, I also tried to remember how the state test asks about comprehension. These were consistently revised assessments. Each book quiz changed with what the kids were struggling with (individually). It's a lot of tweaking for differentiation, but good results.
Daily assessments, for me, consist of a lot of observation to see how they are doing. I guess weekly assessments are sometimes a pretest for sounds or sight words, practice during the week and then a post test at the end of the week. Then I know which words to keep and which ones to put in review. Comprehension is a bit harder. I often write my own tests to go with the SpellRead books so I can target specific goals. We often take a month to work on a concept and I use pre and post tests. I like the study island site for this because it has quite a few complete lesson plans, which include pretest, learning activities and post tests.
ReplyDeleteRae Lynn it is getting more like you. This is the second time to try and get this to run. Not my summer. Had computer crash at home, so finally at school to get caught up. Sorry about the delay.
ReplyDeleteRae Lynn thought you first blog was exactly what I would have said. So ditto.
I think I like running records for daily. I think it is almost embedded into the lessons. You do intro, with check to see where student is at, pre-testing. During lessons have stop checks to see if still on same page and at the end the post test. Then before going on the next day or lesson, check if they still have it. So works.
I do periodically use the reading recovery concepts, letter, writing and vocab and Ohio word to get a big picture.
Susan I like the referencing to the Blooms. I was thinking about it when reading chapter 9.
Wow daily assessment! I think the first thing that I definately use with my students is obeservation. I have my students read to me everyday. I also like using the QPS also Susan it gives you a good idea of the sounds that students do and do not know. I also use a weekly test with my students on comprehension of the weekly book. This gives me a good idea of what concepts my student do and do not know. In our school we also use study island. They offer some pretty good things on there also.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kim in that a standardized test does not help with day to day teaching. At times these tests are not even a good representation of student ability. To quote a school psych I used to work with when he was giving IQ test results at meetings, "This test is a snapshot of what the student could do during one moment in time on one day."
ReplyDeleteI use running records and also testing data that covers the 5 big areas of reading. Utilizing both of these allows me to plan instruction that will be tailored to students needs.
ReplyDeleteI believe that instruction without data being the driving force behind it is not instruction. It is only following a script and going through the motions. Even when teaching a scripted reading program (like the grade school I work in does) we can adapt and modify things to focus on student need. By using our data and changing our focus or utilizing different strategies we are able to meet students where they are and give them the best opportunity for growth.