Question 1

Evaluation should end with&#10;A) tallying of assessment results and comparing them to other populations.&#10;B) interpreting and reporting of test results.&#10;C) making judgments about the effectiveness of the program.&#10;D) making changes to improve the program or the student?s habits.

Accepted Answer

A) The end result of evaluation should be the improvement of the program and the student?s literacy level. Results should be tallied and may often be compared to other populations, but taking action is the ultimate goal of evaluation.
B) The end result of evaluation should be the improvement of the program and the student?s literacy level. Results should be interpreted and reported, but taking action is the ultimate goal of evaluation.
C) The end result of evaluation should be the improvement of the program and the student?s literacy level. It isn't enough just to make judgments about the program. Taking action on the program is the ultimate goal of evaluation.
D) The end result of evaluation should be the improvement of the program and the student?s literacy level. Results should be tallied and reported, and are often compared to other populations. They may be used make judgments, but the judgments should result in action regarding program improvement.

Question 2

The major problem with high-stakes tests is that they often&#10;A) are too difficult for most students.&#10;B) put unnecessary and undue pressure on students.&#10;C) take too much time away from voluntary reading.&#10;D) narrow the curriculum to what is tested.

Accepted Answer

A) There is truism that what gets tested gets taught. Hence, there is a tendency to teach to high-stakes tests, even though no test can assess all the important knowledge and skills that make up a literacy curriculum. While high-stakes tests might be too difficult for some students, they aren?t too difficult for most students. And it is questionable whether they exert undue pressure and take time from away from voluntary reading, exploration of interesting topics, and other academic endeavors.
B) There is truism that what gets tested gets taught. Hence, there is a tendency to teach to high-stakes tests, even though no test can assess all the important knowledge and skills that make up a literacy curriculum. While high-stakes tests might be too difficult for some students, they aren?t too difficult for most students. And it is questionable whether they exert undue pressure and take time from away from voluntary reading, exploration of interesting topics, and other academic endeavors.
C) There is truism that what gets tested gets taught. Hence, there is a tendency to teach to high-stakes tests, even though no test can assess all the important knowledge and skills that make up a literacy curriculum. While high-stakes tests might be too difficult for some students, they aren?t too difficult for most students. And it is questionable whether they exert undue pressure and take time from away from voluntary reading, exploration of interesting topics, and other academic endeavors.
D) There is truism that what gets tested gets taught. Hence, there is a tendency to teach to high-stakes tests, even though no test can assess all the important knowledge and skills that make up a literacy curriculum. While high-stakes tests might be too difficult for some students, they aren?t too difficult for most students. And it is questionable whether they exert undue pressure and take time from away from voluntary reading, exploration of interesting topics, and other academic endeavors.

Question 3

Evaluation begins with&#10;A) selecting assessment instruments.&#10;B) describing instructional activities.&#10;C) listing goals and objectives or standards.&#10;D) administering tests.

Accepted Answer

A) Evaluation begins with a listing of goals and objectives or standards that can be visualized, set into motion, and measured. Students or programs are then evaluated in terms of those goals, objectives, or standards. Assessment instruments are then chosen that identify, gather, and analyze various sets of data.
B) Evaluation begins with a listing of goals and objectives or standards that can be visualized, set into motion, and measured. Students or programs are then evaluated in terms of those goals, objectives, or standards. Assessment instruments are then chosen that identify, gather, and analyze various sets of data.
C) Evaluation begins with a listing of goals and objectives or standards that can be visualized, set into motion, and measured. Students or programs are then evaluated in terms of those goals, objectives, or standards. Assessment instruments are then chosen that identify, gather, and analyze various sets of data.
D) Evaluation begins with a listing of goals and objectives or standards that can be visualized, set into motion, and measured. Students or programs are then evaluated in terms of those goals, objectives, or standards. Assessment instruments are then chosen that identify, gather, and analyze various sets of data.

Question 4

Which of the following can most readily be used for formative assessment?&#10;A) state assessment given yearly&#10;B) district test given yearly&#10;C) weekly quiz&#10;D) mid-term exam

Accepted Answer

A) Formative assessment helps inform ongoing instruction while the instruction is still being provided. A weekly quiz can indicate a need to adjust instruction. State assessments, district tests, and mid-term exams are given after instruction has been provided. They sum up students? progress but do not inform ongoing instruction because the instructional period is over when they are administered.
B) Formative assessment helps inform ongoing instruction while the instruction is still being provided. A weekly quiz can indicate a need to adjust instruction. State assessments, district tests, and mid-term exams are given after instruction has been provided. They sum up students? progress but do not inform ongoing instruction because the instructional period is over when they are administered.
C) Formative assessment helps inform ongoing instruction while the instruction is still being provided. A weekly quiz can indicate a need to adjust instruction. State assessments, district tests, and mid-term exams are given after instruction has been provided. They sum up students? progress but do not inform ongoing instruction because the instructional period is over when they are administered.
D) Formative assessment helps inform ongoing instruction while the instruction is still being provided. A weekly quiz can indicate a need to adjust instruction. State assessments, district tests, and mid-term exams are given after instruction has been provided. They sum up students? progress but do not inform ongoing instruction because the instructional period is over when they are administered.

Question 5

Which measure of validity is most important for informing classroom instruction?&#10;A) statistical validity&#10;B) predictive validity&#10;C) concurrent validity&#10;D) content validity

Accepted Answer

A) Content validity is most important for informing classroom instruction. Content validity means that a test is assessing objectives that are aligned with a program?s content so that they show to what extent students are learning the content that is being taught. Predictive validity means that a test predicts how students might do in the future. Concurrent validity indicates how closely a test correlates with another test. Both predictive and concurrent validity are examples of statistical validity.
B) Content validity is most important for informing classroom instruction. Content validity means that a test is assessing objectives that are aligned with a program?s content so that they show to what extent students are learning the content that is being taught. Predictive validity means that a test predicts how students might do in the future. Concurrent validity indicates how closely a test correlates with another test. Both predictive and concurrent validity are examples of statistical validity.
C) Content validity is most important for informing classroom instruction. Content validity means that a test is assessing objectives that are aligned with a program?s content so that they show to what extent students are learning the content that is being taught. Predictive validity means that a test predicts how students might do in the future. Concurrent validity indicates how closely a test correlates with another test. Both predictive and concurrent validity are examples of statistical validity.
D) Content validity is most important for informing classroom instruction. Content validity means that a test is assessing objectives that are aligned with a program?s content so that they show to what extent students are learning the content that is being taught. Predictive validity means that a test predicts how students might do in the future. Concurrent validity indicates how closely a test correlates with another test. Both predictive and concurrent validity are examples of statistical validity.

Question 6

Which of the following set of scores represents the student?s instructional level?&#10;A) 90 percent word recognition, 80 percent comprehension&#10;B) 95 percent word recognition, 75 percent comprehension&#10;C) 95 percent word recognition, 60 percent comprehension&#10;D) 99 percent word recognition, 90 percent comprehension

Accepted Answer

A) Although some approaches use 90 to 94 percent word recognition as being instructional, the most widely used figures are 95 percent word recognition and 75 percent comprehension.
B) Although some approaches use 90 to 94 percent word recognition as being instructional, the most widely used figures are 95 percent word recognition and 75 percent comprehension.
C) Although some approaches use 90 to 94 percent word recognition as being instructional, the most widely used figures are 95 percent word recognition and 75 percent comprehension.
D) Although some approaches use 90 to 94 percent word recognition as being instructional, the most widely used figures are 95 percent word recognition and 75 percent comprehension.

Question 7

On a miscue analysis, a high semantic similarity and low graphic similarity suggests that the student is&#10;A) neglecting phonics.&#10;B) integrating phonics and contextual clues.&#10;C) overusing phonics.&#10;D) neglecting context.

Accepted Answer

A) A high semantic score indicates that the student is using context, but a low graphic score indicates that the student is making limited use of graphic information, which is found in phonics and related skills.
B) A high semantic score indicates that the student is using context, but a low graphic score indicates that the student is making limited use of graphic information, which is found in phonics and related skills.
C) A high semantic score indicates that the student is using context, but a low graphic score indicates that the student is making limited use of graphic information, which is found in phonics and related skills.
D) A high semantic score indicates that the student is using context, but a low graphic score indicates that the student is making limited use of graphic information, which is found in phonics and related skills.

Question 8

What is the main purpose of progress monitoring?&#10;A) to predict later success over many years&#10;B) to establish base reading levels and depict any problems&#10;C) to see if students are currently making adequate improvement&#10;D) to evaluate the effectiveness of a program

Accepted Answer

A) Although progress monitoring does provide some information that could be used to predict students' future performance, its main purpose is to track students growth and identify so that changes can be made in the program if necessary.
B) Although some progress monitoring assessments may provide some information about students' reading ability, their main purpose is to track students' growth. Screening measures are used to depict problems.
C) Although progress monitoring does provide some information about the effectiveness of a program by indicating how many students are making adequate progress and how many aren't, its main purpose is to track students? growth.
D) Although progress monitoring does provide some information about the effectiveness of a program by indicating how many students are making adequate progress and how many aren't, its main purpose is to track students' growth.

Question 9

Norm-referenced tests are generally most helpful to&#10;A) administrators.&#10;B) parents.&#10;C) teachers.&#10;D) students.

Accepted Answer

A) Norm-referenced tests compare students so administrators can see how students in their school or district compare with students in other schools or districts, or even within their own school or district to see which classes are doing well and which are falling behind. Parents, teachers, and students are better off with information about what students have learned and what they need to learn.
B) Norm-referenced tests compare students so administrators can see how students in their school or district compare with students in other schools or districts, or even within their own school or district to see which classes are doing well and which are falling behind. Parents, teachers, and students are better off with information about what students have learned and what they need to learn.
C) Norm-referenced tests compare students so administrators can see how students in their school or district compare with students in other schools or districts, or even within their own school or district to see which classes are doing well and which are falling behind. Parents, teachers, and students are better off with information about what students have learned and what they need to learn.
D) Norm-referenced tests compare students so administrators can see how students in their school or district compare with students in other schools or districts, or even within their own school or district to see which classes are doing well and which are falling behind. Parents, teachers, and students are better off with information about what students have learned and what they need to learn.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of functional level testing?&#10;A) giving a gifted fourth-grader a fourth-grade test&#10;B) giving a struggling reader in the fourth grade a second-grade test&#10;C) giving an average fourth-grader a second-grade test&#10;D) giving an average fourth-grader a sixth-grade test

Accepted Answer

A) Functional level tests assess students on their reading level, regardless of what grade they might be in. Struggling readers would be given below-level tests; gifted readers would be given above-level tests.
B) Functional level tests assess students on their reading level, regardless of what grade they might be in. Struggling readers would be given below-level tests; gifted readers would be given above-level tests.
C) Functional level tests assess students on their reading level, regardless of what grade they might be in. Average readers would be given on-level tests.
D) Functional level tests assess students on their reading level, regardless of what grade they might be in. Struggling readers would be given below-level tests; gifted readers would be given above-level tests.

Question 11

The contents of a portfolio should depend primarily upon&#10;A) the goals and results of instruction.&#10;B) the speed with which the student learns.&#10;C) the level of instruction.&#10;D) the amount of work the student has done.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The contents of a portfolio should depend...

Question 12

The best approach for assessing the difficulty level of materials is to&#10;A) use both the ATOS and the lexile scale.&#10;B) create a word list formula and a syllable formula.&#10;C) rely on a well-accepted leveling system such as that created by Fountas and Pinnell.&#10;D) use objective and subjective methods such as formulas, leveling scores, and observations, and professional judgment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The best approach for assessing the difficulty...

Question 13

How would you go about setting up an evaluation component for a literacy program?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How would you go about setting up...

Question 14

What steps might be taken to get the most benefit from an informal reading inventory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What steps might be taken to get...

Question 15

How might progress monitoring be used to help all students, not just those with reading difficulties?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How might progress monitoring be used to...

Question 16

What is the difference between norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests? What are the weaknesses of each type?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between norm-referenced tests...

Question 17

What are some informal measures that might be used to assess literacy development? What are the advantages and disadvantages of informal assessments overall? After listing a number of measures, choose one type and consider its particular advantages and disadvantages.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some informal measures that might...

Question 18

How would you go about setting up a portfolio system to assess your students&#697; literacy development?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How would you go about setting up...

Question 19

How might you go about determining the difficulty level of materials?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How might you go about determining the...

Deck 3: Assessing for Learning