EDU 630: Assessment of Student Learning: Week 3

During week one we addressed Assessment as part of Curriculum Design. This week we will learn more about how Assessment is a vital factor
in the process regarding accountability and evaluation. Districts must intentionally plan for measuring within the process to assess student learning, as well as assess the integrity of implementation across schools and classrooms.

In Missouri, the MAP test is viewed as a large-scale summative assessment used for School MSIP accountability. Many times we are tempted to review those scores and make decisions about individual classroom instruction. We may take cues that may be an inappropriate use of the scores, as we will learn in the reading this week. Knowing what large-scale accountability assessments like MAP (or NAEP, or EOC, and etcetera) can and cannot measure is an important component to appropriately using testing results.

This week’s readings will cover what large-scale assessments are and are not able to do. Understanding how they are constructed and how to interpret results, will help us avoid misinterpretation pitfalls. Weekly readings also include district and building level accountability and appropriate use of result processes. These processes are a means of ensuring responsible use of results to lead school-wide improvement - not as a means catch others doing something wrong.

This week’s culminating Data Consultation Assignment puts you in the building leader role. You will be analyzing fictional data to create a presentation for central office. While the data used is very basic, it provides a chance to apply the processes we are reading about in an experiential context.

Note: If you are currently pursuing the Administration degree, this is a process that can be replicated and applied to actual building level data and counted as a Log Activity.