Assessment of Student Learning
"The goal as educators is to use multiple forms of assessment to determine student achievement and growth. The results of these assessments are then used to plan for individuals or groups of students."
Suggestions for Assessment Artifacts Copies of Tests Rubrics for Scoring Work Graded Student Work Examples of Pre and Post Tests Pre-Tests used for goal setting/Post Tests Teacher-Made Tests Informative Assessment Examples Formative Assessment Examples |
For More Samples of Student Work and Completed Projects
Please Visit the Room 100 Blog
or my Genius Hour Page
or my
Technology Resources Page
Genius Hour
I first learned about the Genius Hour concept from Nick Provenzano, the 2013 MACUL Teacher of the Year, at his presentation at MACUL 2014. Since the moment I heard the emotional timbre of Provenzano's voice express how Genius Hour (or 20 Time, as he refers to it) changed him as a teacher, I have been fearing THIS moment - the moment I would introduce Genius Hour to my own students and know that once I did, I could never turn back. Please don't confuse my fear with dread. Fear is healthy. Fear makes our blood warm. Fear heightens our senses. Fear is necessary for survival....but fear denotes that something is Unexpected. Unexpected is not usually territory that teachers like to explore much. Teachers spend hours planning lessons to account for Plan B, C, D, and E, just so they can keep Unexpected from seeping across their classroom door's threshold and here I am - holding the door wide open for Unexpected to bounce right in and squeeze himself into every corner and crevice of my classroom...
...And I'm so glad I did. My life and my students' lives have been enriched through Genius Hour. Even though assessment data for Genius Hour might not fit into a fancy bar graph, the results warrant reporting. Here are a few examples of Genius Hour successes:
...And I'm so glad I did. My life and my students' lives have been enriched through Genius Hour. Even though assessment data for Genius Hour might not fit into a fancy bar graph, the results warrant reporting. Here are a few examples of Genius Hour successes:
A student proposed the need for a KHS Environmental Club. She researched environmental activism and created a presentation then peddled her presentation to each science teacher asking for his/her help as an advisor. She found her advisor in Mr. Olson and the KHS Environmental Club is up and running. This was truly a passion project with a powerful end product.
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Two students decided to parlay their passion and fascination with all things Gold Mining into a side business. Not only did they research the process and become veritable experts on the the topic of Gold Mining, they also researched business plans to establish themselves as a legitimate business.
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The above screen shot (and link) is an image snapped from the KHS Counseling Page. Several students decided to research topics that related to preparing for life after high school. They knew other graduating seniors could benefit from their learning so they asked Mrs. Jayne to post the information on the KHS Counseling page to gain a broader audience.
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A student with a desire to help others learn about ways to cope with the effects of self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide took her message to a classroom of ninth grade students. The impact of the talk was powerful and moving and VERY informative.
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A student with a passion for American Sign Language and elementary education taught a classroom of first graders simple signs to learn vocabulary words. Research shows that when students can act out a word or use some kinesthetic gesture when studying vocabulary, the retention of that vocabulary word is greater than without the kinesthetic movement.
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Career Fair and Mock Interview Event
Another Project Based Learning opportunity my students were able to take advantage of this year was the DIISD Mock Interview and Career Fair Event held at Bay College on April 29th. Students prepared for this event in my class by completing applications, creating resumes, and writing cover letters, as well as reviewing important interview etiquette. Local businessmen and women from Dickinson County volunteered their time to conduct the mock interviews, providing graduating seniors with an invaluable experience while preparing them for their lives after high school. Like Genius Hour, the results from the Career Fair are hard to assess using quantitative data, but several students did receive job offers and internship offers through this event. Students OVERWHELMINGLY expressed how useful this endeavor was and were grateful for the time in school to prepare for and practice the interview process.
BorderCrossings Short Story Competition
This year, as the culminating assessment for the AP Lit Short Story Unit, I asked every student to write and submit a short story to the LSSU Border Crossings Short Story Competition. First prize is a $1000 scholarship and publication in the BorderCrossings Literary Publication and the opportunity to work with published authors. Zoie Cole was the winner of the competition. Logan Ryan was a finalist, and Charissa Kashian, David Clawson, and Amanda Camp were semi-finalists. Once again, this "assessment" is hard to measure with typical assessment measures, but I think the recognition of excellence of my students' writings from professional writers speaks volumes and is, in many ways, the ultimate assessment.
Senior Research Paper Pre - Post Writing Results
This year I altered the timeline of the Senior Research Essay and the results were quite rewarding. Instead of focusing on the Senior Research Essay during the fourth marking period only, I started the research paper in December. The process was finished by the end of the third marking period. Allotting more time for the research essay allowed me to monitor students' progress much more effectively. I could offer individual assistance to struggling students and communicate with parents in a less hurried way when a student began to fall behind. In the past, the research paper was a "make-or-break" assignment right before graduation. I decided to eliminate this unnecessary stress on both the students and myself. The results were incredible. Every single one of my English 12 students turned in a research paper ON TIME this year and every single paper met the standard for a successful Senior Research Essay. The increase in scores between the preliminary draft and the final draft was also noteworthy. The average increase from the pre to the post was 7% points.
The Crucible Power of the Individual EssayRubric
I used the results to plan for future instruction in writing and revision strategies. |
The Crucible Newspaper ProjectRubric
I used the results of this assignment to assess students' knowledge of the relationship between the Salem Witch Trials and The Red Scare during the age of McCarthyism. |
The Crucible Taking a Stance Persuassive EssayRubric
I used the results of this assessment to evaluate students' argumentative/persuasive writing skills. |
The Crucible Objective TestI used the results of this assessment to evaluate students' basic comprehension of vocabulary, themes, motifs, and content in The Crucible Unit.
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The Crucible Pre-Assessment EvaluationI used the results of this assessment to inform the direction of my instruction for the unit.
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The Crucible Post-Assessment EvaluationI used the results of this assessment to determine whether or not students had learned the unit objectives and if re-teaching was going to be necessary.
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Contextualizing The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnRubric
I used the result of this assessment to evaluate group collaboration, knowledge of background and historical context, presentation skills, and informational reading skills. |
Envelope Activities for The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnI used these envelope threads to guide and model "close reading" for my students. This activity is formative in nature and allows students to practice forming thesis statements and providing textual support for their theses. Often students are placed in groups to make collecting evidence easier, then several threads are used as summative essay questions for culminating unit tests.
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Argumentative SpeechRubric and Additional Outline Information
I used the results of this assessment to evaluate persuasive writing and speaking skills, close reading, research, collaboration, and presentation skills. |
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading GuideI used this information to guide my students to discover how understanding of literary elements leads to better understanding of the content of the novel. This is a formative assessment that students used to build deep understanding of the novel and its relevant themes, motifs, and symbolism. They use this knowledge on the summative assessment at the end of the unit.
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Pre-Assessment Evaluation I used the results of this assessment to inform the direction of my instruction for the unit.
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Post-Assessment EvaluationI used the results of this assessment to determine whether or not students had learned the unit objectives and if re-teaching was going to be necessary.
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Things Fall Apart Envelope Activities
I used these envelope threads to guide and model "close reading" for my students. This activity is formative in nature and allows students to practice forming thesis statements and providing textual support for their theses. Often students are placed in groups to make collecting evidence easier, then several threads are used as summative essay questions for culminating unit tests.
Things Fall Apart Porquoi StoryRubric
I used this project to evaluate students' understanding of origin stories and their connection to literature and culture. I also evaluated students' technology skills and knowledge of story telling techniques. Additionally, this project allowed me to evaluate students' abilities to analyze story elements, offer constructive feedback to their peers, synthesize researched information, and use technology tools. |
The Great Gatsby Pre-Reading ActivitiesRubric
I used this information to provide context for the students' study of the unit. The non-fiction articles and informational texts were used to build a knowledge foundation of the significance of the author's work. The focus questions allowed students to practice "close" reading strategies. |
1984 Pre-Assessment Evaluation I used the results of this assessment to inform the direction of my instruction for the unit.
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1984 Post-Assessment EvaluationI used the results of this assessment to determine whether or not students had learned the unit objectives and if re-teaching was going to be necessary.
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1984 Linking Text with RealityRubric
I used this assignment as a summative assessment of students' comprehension of the novel and ability to connect the relevance of the novel's themes to the world at large. I evaluated students' close reading skills, research skills, organizational skills, presentation skills, and technology skills. |
AP Literature and Composition End of Course Results for Class of 2014My students scored above the global average on the AP Lit end of course test. The Global Mean for the Multiple Choice section was 40, while the Group Mean for my glass was 44. The Global Mean for the Free Response section was 41, while the Group Mean for my class was 45.
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