Draft

Nebraska Department of Education

Pre-Service Assessment Skills (competencies)

Modified by Ron Bonnstetter on July 31, 2003

Skill #1 : Identify and develop classroom assessments designed to meet the informational needs of specific users, uses, and contexts.

At the end of preservice preparation, candidates will :

• Identify the information needs at the classroom level (students, teachers, parents)
• Identify the information needs at the instructional level (principalos, support teachers, curriculum developers)
• Identify the information needs at the policy level (policy makers, superintendents, school board members, and state departments of education.
• Identify the informational needs of the public
• Describe how a given assessment meets the informational needs of a given group.
• Develop assessments that meet the informational needs of stakeholders.

Skill #2: Develop assessments that reflect the specific achievement targets students must master.

Indicators:

By the end of pre-service preparation teacher candidates:

1. Align lesson plans and assessments with specific subject matter standards and be traceable back to those standards.
2. Design and implement developmentally appropriate lesson plans that specify the measurable achievement target and the level of mastery required.
3. Create and employ assessments that specify the specific achievement target and the level of mastery required for each objective taught.

(These items could be included in their student work samples as well as in candidate’s self reflections regarding assessment.

General Statement: This skill requires that teachers 1. Design their lessons based on specific subject matter standards, 2. Teach to those standards, and 3. Design assessments that assess the standard and match the subject matter taught.

Examples of Learning Experiences:

Compare beginning work to exemplary work.

Create appropriate assessment criteria

Match assignment expectations (directions to assessment)

Design an assessment plan for a unit of instruction that incorporate a variety of achievement targets and related assessments.

Demonstrate curriculum development that starts with specific standards, followed by the articulation of the assessment process and then prepare the actual lesson sequence.

Skill #3: Use a variety of assessment methods to gather data within a particular context.

Indicators:

By the end of pre-service preparation teacher candidates:

Select, develop and use a variety of assessment methods to match any given context

Describe benefits and limitations of various assessments

Interpret assessment results to match informational needs.

Skill #4: Sample student achievement to draw confident conclusions about instruction and student learning (knowing how much you need to assess) .

Indicators:

By the end of pre-service preparation teacher candidates:

1. Model different sampling strategies that shape instruction and learning.

2. Select appropriate amount of summative and/or formative sampling strategies used for school, classroom, and individuals.

3. Design an assessment plan that includes assessment points as well as multiple measures of student learning.

Skill #5: Control for relevant sources of bias (knowing how to control accuracy)

Indicators

At the end of pre-service teacher preparation, candidates will:

1. Define and identify different forms of bias in assessment.

2. Recognize and reflect on bias (in general, in pedagogy, and particularly in assessment tools)

3. Describe how assessment of learning can be impacted by bias.

4. Review assessment strategies and identify potential bias.

5. Demonstrate strategies to counteract or minimize bias.

6. Design assessment strategies and construct assessment items that minimize bias.

7. Demonstrate teaching and assessment that minimize bias.

Skill #6: Use student involvement to motivate students (knowing how to involve students in the assessment process)

Indicators:

By the end of pre-service preparation teacher candidates:

1. Identify assessments that are most appropriate for student involvement.
2. Provide students with knowledge of different assessment methods.
3. Identify and practice strategies to involve students in developing criteria and performance descriptors for assessments.
4. Identify and practice strategies to involve students in assessing students’ products and performances and categorizing student performance using appropriate scoring guides.
5. Link self evaluation and goal setting as a process needed to direct learning.
6. Identify and practice strategies to involve students in providing feedback to a variety of audiences.
7. Identify and practice strategies to recognize and celebrate learning as a result of assessment.

Skill # 7: At the end of pre-service teacher preparation, candidates will identify what data is needed in various contexts to support decision-making. (Interpretation and reporting of results?)

Indicators:

By the end of pre-service preparation teacher candidates:

Other learning experiences

Bring in ESU’s to discuss STARS

Get theThe best bits from Mr. Bean (the assessment section)