Dimitri Syros
Social Studies Teacher
Kahoot
Before engaging in more formal methods of summative assessment, Kahoot is an exciting online resource that engages students in the content through a competitive quiz format. Students are challenged to address a question displayed on the board and are given multiple choice answer selections. The student who completes the quiz with the most correct answers in the quickest amount of time is the winner and is rewarded. As a teacher this tool is useful because it allows me to see privately which students got which answers wrong which allows for remediation and reteaching strategies. I tend to utilize Kahoot as a summative form of assessment moreso than a formative form of assessment because it is a fun way to wrap up a unit and score student performance without the pressure that comes with a formal exam or test. Some of my custom created Kahoot quizzes on various benchmarks are included in the links below.
SUMMATIVE
The purpose of summative assessments are to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against a benchmark or standard. Summative assessments are often high stakes meaning that they are worth a larger portion of student grades than other forms of assessment. Since my course is tested using a state-standardized, end-of-course exam, administering effective summative assessments are critical in making sure that students are on pace in mastering content and are familiar with their individual data.
Each Kahoot quiz administered in class under my username records data that can be analyzed in order to inform later instructional decisions. Overall student performance is recorded that allows me to assess the validity and reliability of the assessment across class periods. After analyzing the mean and standard deviation for each quiz I may make the decision to remove a question or assign a curve based on the fairness of each question.
Additionally, Kahoot provides information on how each individual student or group of students scored on each assessment item. In this case, all student groups scored proficiently on this assessment as evident by their scores. Since the groups at the bottom scored many less points than the assessment leaders, it tells me that they required more time to answer each item which I need to take into account when preparing them for the pace of their end-of-course exam.
The item by item analysis tool tells me how each student responded to each question. If I notice that groups of student gravitated towards the same incorrect answer then I know that I need to carefully review that question with those groups to clear up the misconception, in this case choosing "Separation of Power" over "Natural Law." Based on why students responded incorrectly I may need to make a decision such as reassigning student seats, picking more intentional group work partners or assigning an online remediation plan to better support my students.
District Assessment
Summative assessments in my class tend to be grounded in district-created, aligned materials. Since my Civics course is ultimately tested with a state end-of-course exam, my school ensures that all Civics classes test students using select materials. Content on these forms of assessment varies from analyzing political cartoons and historical quotes to interpreting data and trends and completing multiple choice inventory. For the standard pertaining to Rule of Law, the Miami-Dade County Public School district administers a benchmark assessment aimed at checking the preparedness of students for the state end-of-course Civics exam [THe paced exam schedule has been included below]. Furthermore the district seeks alignment between classroom formative assessments, and predicted state test questions. Since students complete benchmark assessments on the computer and questions are not printable from the interface, I printed the examination and required student to complete it by hand. Rather than bubbling multiple choice questions into the computer, students had to use the Claim, Evidence, Reason (CER) method to explain why they selected their answers as a rationale. After completing their test on paper, students bubbled their answers into the computer to be tracked by ThinkGate data analytics software. The reformatted exam questions are copied below. Student work samples reflect feedback from throughout the diagnostic and formative assessment process. Often times students reference activities performed in the class as reasoning for selecting their answer choices. Students who answered questions incorrectly or used improper reasoning to explain their answer are then selected to be grouped for remediation and reteaching later in the year during exam review. Student data is then tracked by benchmark. Students are in-tune with an incentive system surrounding benchmark assessments. If our class average falls at least 10% above the district reported mean, then the entire class gets a pizza party. On an individual level students set growth goals for themselves through conferencing with the teacher and are rewarding accordingly.
Student Answer Rationale 1
For this question the student explained the reasoning for their answer by referencing one of their unit vocabulary words "tyranny." Based on their understanding of the word from the previous unit, this student applied their knowledge to a situation regarding the rule of law.
Student Answer Rationale 2
For this question the student referenced something they heard in a previous lecture to answer the question. During one of our formative assessment writings this student analyzed a newspaper article about a police officer being arrested for breaking the law. Based on the students understanding of this reading, they formulated the idea that no one is above the law.
Student Correction 1
Since this student was unsuccessful in answer this question correctly during their first try, I offer partial credit if the student is able to correct their answer and provide a rationale. In this case the student was able to identify the correct answer by doing a close reading of the text and explaining why that answer was the best choice given the situation.
After students finish their district assessments I record their data and organize it by each benchmark. After students complete their assessments they are always anxious for one-on-one conferences in which students hear their scores and how they fell in the class and district average. Students are also in-tune with an incentive system surrounding benchmark assessments. If our class average falls at least 10% above the district reported mean, then the entire class gets a pizza party. On an individual level students set growth goals for themselves through conferencing with the teacher and are rewarding accordingly.
The data-set above shows student scores from their mid-year assessment given by the district. Scores on this assessment ranged between 1.0 and 5.0 with anything above 3.0 being deemed proficient. This assessment was based on an accumulation fifteen benchmark topics from the first semester of instruction. As evidenced from the spreadsheet above, most of my students scored above a 3.0 on this assessment. The students who scored below proficiency for these standards are highlighted so they can be assigned to online remediation groups on Edgenuity [see Instructional Strategies section for details]. Furthermore these students will be assigned to individual conferences with me to discuss their progress and review some of the assignments. Some students require additional assistance during class to remain focused and invested in their work so that they can master the standards and be more successful on examinations. Other students maintain high grades on diagnostic and formative assessments but struggle on standardized tests, therefore they may need assistance in the areas of test taking skills, stimuli analysis and quote reading strategies. My instructional practice can be informed by data such as the set above as I can make informed decisions about forming student groups. Students who score 4.0 and above can be partnered with lower performing students during group assignments in order to help bring them up to speed. In other instances I can work in small groups with students who do not meet proficiency during differentiated instruction.
"I like it when Mr Syros meets with me after testing because we go over the stuff I did well as well as the stuff that I didn't do so well on. He helps me to go over the questions to figure out where I went wrong and we decide how I can do a better job in class. On our last test we decided that I should move my seat to sit closer to the board for example. Also I do work on Edgenuity with my mom that gives me extra practice."
-E.G.
Formative Planning For Instruction