If there are times when you feel you may not be smarter than a 5th grader take heart; that may not be as bad as it sounds. As states are beginning to release results from the spring 2015 administration of the Smarter Balanced tests we are learning that the score needed to reach Level 3Continue reading “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
Category Archives: Assessment
One in a Million, A Million to One
Interpreting Individual Student Performance on a Large-scale Assessment This is the third, and final, installment in a series of three posts based on a workshop presented in April 2015 at the annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization. Across the land, there is a call for state assessments to provide more, better, andContinue reading “One in a Million, A Million to One”
What’s In A Name?
Aligning achievement levels and assessments This is the second of three posts based on a workshop presented in April 2015 at the annual conference of the New England Educational Research Organization. Proficient. The passing of NCLB made it a national goal that 100% of students would be Proficient by 2014; and the law made itContinue reading “What’s In A Name?”
Shall we dance? The final steps in implementing a new assessment program
Charlie DePascale As Smarter Balanced, PARCC, and the other new college- and career-ready assessments proceed through their first operational administration, one might assume that all of the difficult design and development decisions are well behind them. In reality, we are entering the final, and often most harrowing phase of the test design process. Despite allContinue reading “Shall we dance? The final steps in implementing a new assessment program”
Psychometrician, Do No Harm
Charlie DePascale (Prepared for presentation on April 18, 2015 at the NCME annual conference in Chicago, IL) Last fall, I was asked to participate in a panel discussion, responding to questions from teachers on the broad topic of making use of assessments and data from assessments in the classroom. Over the course of the winter andContinue reading “Psychometrician, Do No Harm”
Standard Setting v. Setting Standards
Charles DePascale, Center for Assessment (NCIEA) January 2014 Over the next two years, Smarter Balanced (summer 2014) and PARCC (summer 2015) will engage in standard setting activities to determine the scores on their tests that classify student performance into a particular achievement level. By all accounts, those standard setting efforts will be massive, complex, andContinue reading “Standard Setting v. Setting Standards”
Taylor Swift, Headbanging, Summative Assessment & Actionable Information
Charlie DePascale, January 2014 Immediately following Taylor Swift’s performance during the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, Twitter exploded with reaction to Taylor’s emotional ‘headbanging’ while performing her ballad All Too Well. The hullaballoo made its way through internet news sites on Monday and should reach NBC News sometime next week or whenever Atlanta thaws outContinue reading “Taylor Swift, Headbanging, Summative Assessment & Actionable Information”
