The Essentials

According to our textbook

Element 1

Does this item measure the specified skill?

• With any assessment, whether it is multiple choice, fill in the blank or another item, it is imperative to ask "whether the item is measuring the targeted skill" (Oosterhof, p 92).

Element 1 Continued

• Example: What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation? What effect did it have on the North and on the South?
• In a unit studying the effects of slavery in the Civil War, this constructed response question measures a targeted skill.

Completion Example

• The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for a constitutional amendment outlawing _______.
• Answer: Slavery

Element 2

Element 2 continued

• It is important to word our constructed response questions in a manner that is not full of technical language.

Element 2 continued

• Why is this important?
• The key to constructed response is to measure the targeted skill, not a student's reading ability.

Element 2 continued

• Example: What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation? What effect did it have on the North and on the South?
• The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for a constitutional amendment outlawing _______.

Element 2 continued

• Upon examining this questions for a 9th grade reading level is there anything difficult to understand? No! Are the expectations clear? Yes!

Element 3a: completion

Element 3a: completion

• The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for a constitutional amendment outlawing _______.
• Is there a possible second correct answer? Not likely. The question has been phrased in a manner that narrows the options to just one answer.

Element 3b: essay

Element 3b: essay

• What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation? What What effect did it have on the North and on the South?
• Most 9th grade students should have no difficulty at all completing this essay in 10 minutes or less.

Element 4a: completion

Element 4a: completion

• The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for a constitutional amendment outlawing _______.
• Answer: Slavery
• The answer to this completion question is in fact a keyword that has been used numerous times throughout the unit.

Element 4b: essay

Analytic Rubric

Holistic Rubric

Element 4b: essay

• When analyzing the two rubrics it is easy to tell that if additional scorers were to be used, they too should arrive at similar scores as the original scorer because the criteria explicitly states its expectations

Element 5a: completion

Untitled Slide

• The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for a constitutional amendment outlawing _______.
• Is the blank at the end? Yes!
• This is important so that students can read the entire question and then formulate their answer.

Element 5b: essay

Element 5b: essay

• When you assess both the holistic and analytic rubrics, expectations are clearly outlined.
• The rubrics clearly delineate teacher expectations.

References

• Oosterhof, A., Conrad, R., & Ely, D. P. (2008). Assessing learners online. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.