This document summarizes key points from a chapter about assessment and classroom management. It discusses the purposes of assessment, including for instructional and grading purposes. It describes different types of assessments, such as standardized tests and classroom assessments. The document outlines teacher responsibilities regarding assessment, including using formative assessments to adjust instruction and ensuring summative assessments accurately reflect taught content. It also addresses issues like determining mastery when test scores are poor, assessing effort versus achievement, measuring student growth, and preventing grade inflation.

1. Pragmatics: Assessment -
Chapter 6 (pp. 186 – 198)
Ebert, E., & Culyer III, R. (2014).
Pragmatics: Assessment and Classroom
Management. In School: An introduction
to education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

2. Ice Breaker
• Complete the Ice Breaker on pp. 187 – 188
• Do this based on EDU 216 – this class
• Be prepared to justify your thinking!
• This is one of the most important chapters in the
entire book from the perspective of teacher
success. Again – “I always knew there were good
teachers and not so good teachers. Now I know
why!”

3. Syllabus Connection
• In this chapter, we will
– identify characteristics of the American education
system as they relate to classroom management
– identify successful teaching methods at all education
levels Pre-K-high school as they relate to classroom
management
– evaluate effective teacher pedagogical competencies
based on purpose, content, communication skills, and
professional development as they relate to classroom
management.

4. Classroom Pragmatics
• Teacher tasks beyond routine instruction
including:
– Assessment of progress
• Why we assess
– For instructional purposes
– For grading purposes
• Types of assessment
– Standardized
– Classroom
• Assigning of grades

5. Classroom Pragmatics (cont.)
– Classroom Management
• Planning educational environments
• Prevention of problem behaviors

6. Assessments
• For this chapter, you have a Wiki Assignment
(assessment ) You will be asked to fill in these
columns.
• Write a definition of “assessment”.
• In each column, write down a reason we assess
students, teachers, curriculum, and programs.
• For your reasons, write down 2 types of assessment for
that purpose.
• Place an “i” for informal or an “f” for formal to
categorize each of your types of assessment.
• If you can add a type of assessment for another’s
reason(s), feel free to add to their list

7. How Did We Do?
• Look at the lists others have created.
• What did you leave out? What did they leave
out?
• Discuss: How accurate are the varying types of
assessment you have listed for the purpose
intended? How is the information helpful?
What are limitations of each type of
assessment?

8. Assessment
• “means by which information is gathered to
make a variety of decisions ranging from what
and how to teach a topic to determining what
your students have learned”
– May be used to determine individual achievement
– May be used to determine group trends
– May be used for administrative decision-making
– May range from informal assessments, to teacher
made assessments, to standardized assessments

9. Standardized Assessments
• Administered to a wide population of students
• Generally administered “under the same
conditions and restrictions”
• The standard is set by a representative
population and is called the norm group.
• The statistical model in the normal or the bell
curve.

10. Bell Curve

11. Consider NCLB
• After reviewing the bell curve model, discuss
the pros and cons of NCLB, “leveling the
playing field”, stories such as The Blind Side,
theories such as Multiple Intelligences and
Learning Styles, the need for national vs. state
standards, global testing comparisons, etc.
• Do we need another model to measure
general and large population student
achievement? If so, what would you suggest?

12. Classroom Assessment
• The students in one’s classroom are each
teacher’s specific responsibility for both
assessment and evaluation purposes
• How does that compare to the new standard
of teachers as leaders and working
collaboratively with the colleagues, both in
their schools, school systems, and beyond?

13. Assessment
• Determining the “characteristics or qualities of
something”.
• Assessments may be used to make changes in
approaches
• Assessments may or may not include
evaluations

14. Evaluations
• A type assessment that adds an academic
value (a grade) to the information that was
gathered

15. Formative Assessments
• Used for instructional purposes such as
modifying instructional strategies
• “Formative assessments are among the most
powerful contributors to learning” (Ebert,
2014)
• Generally quick and easy to implement
– Questions
– Exit quizzes
– Rough drafts

16. Summative Assessments
• Used for assigning grades and determining
mastery
• No plans to reteach the information
– Tests
– Final papers
– Final projects

17. Teacher Responsibilities as Related to
Assessments
• Ensures that assessments are of high quality
• Uses formative assessments consistently and
to adjust instruction
– Asks open-ended questions
– Uses ungraded means to assess
– Protects students’ self-concepts

18. Responsibilities (cont.)
• Uses summative assessments for their true
purpose – to give a grade
• Ensures that the tests are representative of
what has been taught.
• Recognizes that summative assessments may
still indicate a need for further instruction
• See Table 6.2 (p. 194)

19. High Quality Assessments
• What is the purpose of the assessment?
• How am I going to assess my students (what
method, what type questions, etc.)?
• How do I know it is a reliable means for testing
the level of mastery I expect my students to
have?
• Do I have sufficient questions to provide an
adequate sample of the material I expect my
students to have mastered?
• Are the questions well written and clear to the
students?

20. Now What?
Suppose a teacher knows the students have
mastered a topic but their test scores are
poor. What would you suggest for that
teacher? Go to Discussion Board and share
your ideas.

21. • Used to demonstrate whether or not a
student has met the objectives.
• “TSWBAT” – The student will be able to. . .
– Must be measurable
– Should have the conditions under which the
objective is to be met
– Must have a specific degree of mastery

22. 1. What About Effort?
• Debate the pros and cons of giving students
grades for effort (see p. 196)
• How does this fit in with the NC DPI Code of
Ethics? URL -
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiv
eness-model/ncees/standards/code-of-
ethics.pdf

23. 2. What About Gain Scores?
• See p. 196
• How does this compare to the “report cards” the
NC public schools recently received? URL -
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/new
s/2014-15/20150205-01 (link opens in new
window)
• “State Releases First School Report Cards” URL -
http://www.wral.com/state-releases-first-school-
report-cards/14422964/ (link opens in a new
window)

24. 3. What About Grade Inflation?
• See p. 197 - 198
• Consider the implications for gifted, typically
developing, and EC students.
• What about the new 10 point grading scale
being adopted in North Carolina for next year?
URL -
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/loca
l/education/article9197324.html