Creating an Accessible Block Alternative for the Fourth and Eighth Grade NAEP Mathematics Assessments

Creating an Accessible Block Alternative for the Fourth and Eighth Grade NAEP Mathematics Assessments
Author: Jeremiah M. Johnson
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2011
Genre:
ISBN:

For several years NAEP developers and administrators have been interested in creating accessible blocks as a means of improving measurement of student achievement at the lower levels of the NAEP performance continuum, including students with disabilities (SD) and English language learners (ELL). Increased precision at the lower levels represents an important validity issue regarding the use of NAEP as a means of benchmarking and interpreting change in national and state performance over time. The purpose of the current study was to design and field test an accessible block alternative for the grade 4 and grade 8 NAEP math assessments. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the study focused on the development of a set of Item Modification Guidelines and Item Modification Procedures, and concluded with a small pilot (n = 671 per block). The second phase of the study focused on applying the Item Modification Guidelines and Item Modification Procedures to create two accessible blocks at each grade level (grade 4 and grade 8), administering the blocks to nationally representative samples of NAEP participants (n = 3,504 for grade 4; n = 3,608 for grade 8), and evaluating the results of the study. Results indicated that accessible blocks significantly reduced estimates of standard error for students at the lower end of the NAEP performance continuum. In addition, results indicated that students who completed an accessible block were significantly less likely to skip items and significantly more likely to complete each item on the assessment. The Item Modification Guidelines and Item Modification Procedures outlined in this study have been incorporated into the regular NAEP item development and review process.

STEM Project-Based Learning

STEM Project-Based Learning
Author: Robert M. Capraro
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2013-04-20
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9462091439

This second edition of Project-Based Learning (PBL) presents an original approach to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centric PBL. We define PBL as an “ill-defined task with a well-defined outcome,” which is consistent with our engineering design philosophy and the accountability highlighted in a standards-based environment. This model emphasizes a backward design that is initiated by well-defined outcomes, tied to local, state, or national standard that provide teachers with a framework guiding students’ design, solving, or completion of ill-defined tasks. This book was designed for middle and secondary teachers who want to improve engagement and provide contextualized learning for their students. However, the nature and scope of the content covered in the 14 chapters are appropriate for preservice teachers as well as for advanced graduate method courses. New to this edition is revised and expanded coverage of STEM PBL, including implementing STEM PBL with English Language Learners and the use of technology in PBL. The book also includes many new teacher-friendly forms, such as advanced organizers, team contracts for STEM PBL, and rubrics for assessing PBL in a larger format.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain

Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain
Author: Zaretta Hammond
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2014-11-13
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1483308022

A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection

Sketches from a Spy Tree

Sketches from a Spy Tree
Author: Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2005
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780618234790

Narrator Anne Marie paints pictures of family life from grief to hope after her father abandons his "four girls"--Anne Marie and her mother and twin and baby sisters. Anne Marie's story is written as a series of linked poems with illustrations.

Contradictions of School Reform

Contradictions of School Reform
Author: Linda McNeil
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2002-09-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1135963282

Parents and community activists around the country complain that the education system is failing our children. They point to students' failure to master basic skills, even as standardized testing is widely employed in efforts to improve the educational system. Contradictions of Reform is a provocative look into the reality, for students as well as teachers, of standardized testing. A detailed account of how student improvement and teacher effectiveness are evaluated, Contradictions of Reform argues compellingly that the preparation of students for standardized tests engenders teaching methods that vastly compromise the quality of education.

Assessment Standards for School Mathematics

Assessment Standards for School Mathematics
Author: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Publisher: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Total Pages: 120
Release: 1995
Genre: Education
ISBN:

This document was created because of the need for new assessment strategies and practices to be developed to enable teachers and others to assess students' performance in a manner that reflects the NCTM's reform vision for school mathematics. Instead of assuming that the purpose of assessment is to rank students on a particular trait, the new approach assumes that high public expectations can be set that every student can strive for and achieve, that different performances can and will meet agreed-on expectations, and that teachers can be fair and consistent judges of diverse student performances. The first sections of the document discuss six mathematics assessment standards: (1) The Mathematics Standard, (2) The Learning Standard, (3) The Equity Standard, (4) The Openness Standard, (5) The Inferences Standard, and (6) The Coherence Standard. The use of the assessment standards is then discussed in the context of different purposes such as monitoring students' progress, making instructional decisions, evaluating students' achievement, and evaluating programs. The next section discusses what should happen next with regard to mathematical assessment. The document concludes with a glossary and a selected assessment bibliography with 116 citations. Contains 28 references. (MKR)