There are many assessments being used but lack of clarity about their purposes. An organized assessment plan is needed to coordinate different initiatives and ensure all elements work together toward the overall goal of student progress. The first step is to examine current assessments being used and discard any not serving a clear need, in order to simplify the system. A valid, reliable and coordinated assessment approach can provide the right data to inform instructional decisions at each level from problem identification to evaluation of plans.

1. Data
Decisions
Action
Aligning Assessments for Better
Instructional Decision Making

2. Student
progress
CCSS
Teacher
evaluation
Instructional
Technology
Collaborative
Teaming
Data based
decisions
Initiatives in
Silos of
Practice
Lacks clarity about overall purpose

4. Teaming
Teacher
evaluations
Student Progress
CCSS
Instructional
designs
Data
based
decisions
There is clarity about
overall purpose: student
progress
System methodology
coordinates silos of practice.
All pieces more effective

5. What do you do to update methodology?
0 Like cleaning a closet – look at what you have, discard
what is not needed and sort remaining by use

6. Everything should be made as simple
as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein

7. Simplicity and Need
Need data to
inform
instruction
Protect
instructional
minutes

8. An organized assessment plan

9. Looking in your Assessment Closet:
The Assessment Worksheet

12. Validity
Is it testing what it claims to test?
History or complicated vocabulary?
Can we relate scores on the test to
the skill being targeted?
Achievement or computer skills?

13. Reliability
Minimize “measurement
error”
Test taker variables –
hot/cold, noise, lack of
sleep
Test scoring and
interpretation

14. OK,
it’s reliable
and valid,
now what?

15. Examine the
purposes for
assessments.
What do you need
assessments to do?

16. What do we need assessments to do?
Problem
Identification
Problem
Analysis
Plan
Development &
Implementation
Plan
Evaluation

17. Find areas of need
Problem
Identification
Problem
Analysis
Plan
Development &
Implementation
Plan
Evaluation

18. Type
Desirable
Features
Most Efficient
Tool(s)
Universal Screening
Screening
General outcome
measure
Brief
Low Cost
Sensitive to
Between
Persons
Differences
Curriculum Based
Measurement
(CBM)
Early Warning
System
Universal Behavior
data
Purpose: Problem Identification

19. What are you screening for?
Traditional methodology
“Within child” variables as
source of
underachievement:
processing, attention,
motivation
Updated methodology
“Educator owned”
variables as source of
underachievement:
curriculum, instruction
and environment
What to screen for at each level…
Kindergarten to 5th – basic skills, social emotional
Middle school – basic skills (until 7th or 8th depending on population),
progress toward graduation, social emotional
High School - Progress toward graduation, Standards based learning

20. Diagnose why there is need…
Problem
Identification
Problem
Analysis
Plan
Development &
Implementation
Plan
Evaluation

21. Type Desirable Features
Most Efficient
Tool(s)
Diagnostic
Common Formative
Assessments
Formative
Assessments
Mastery Measurement
Adequate number of
items per skill
Production-Type
Responses
Longer to administer
and score
Focus is on skills and
the thought process
Curriculum series tests
MAP
Informal classroom
evaluation (error analysis
etc.)
Course quizzes/exams
Functional behavioral
analysis
Frequency, duration,
counts – peer discrepancy
Interviews/Observations
Purpose: Problem Analysis

22. Point to the best way to address the need…
Problem
Identification
Problem
Analysis
Plan
Development &
Implementation
Plan
Evaluation

23. Type Desirable Features
Most Efficient
Tool(s)
All available sources
Multiple sources
Data sources
converge to support a
hypothesis
At least one source of
hard data
Purpose: Plan Development and Implementation

24. Is it working?
Problem
Identification
Problem
Analysis
Plan
Development &
Implementation
Plan
Evaluation

25. Type Desirable Features
Most Efficient
Tool(s)
General outcome
measure
Mastery
measurement/Summative
Diagnostic
High stakes/standardized
Progress monitoring
Linked to Important
Outcomes
Goals – Decision rules
Sensitive to Within
Person Differences
Curriculum series tests
MAP
Informal classroom
evaluation (error analysis
etc.)
Course quizzes/exams
Functional behavioral
analysis
Frequency, duration,
counts – peer discrepancy
Interviews/Observation
Purpose: Plan Evaluation

26. Universal Screening
Diagnostic
Plan/Program
Evaluation
Progress
Monitoring
Early Warning System
MAP
Common Formative Assessment
Curriculum Based Measurement

27. Role that each plays in
educational decisions

28. Classroom assessments – formative
and summative – mastery
measurement
Are the students learning the material I am
currently teaching and what changes can I
make to increase their learning?
How much of what was taught in the
lesson/unit/course did the students learn?
Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring
General Outcome Measurement -
Common formative assessment (CFA)
As a result of the program
my students are receiving,
do the indicators suggest
that they are on the path
to becoming college and
career ready? What
changes can I make in my
program to improve
student performance?
Program evaluation
High Stakes Tests - summative
Have my students
met the state
criteria for
proficiency?
Diagnostic Assessment for some students
Why is this
student(s) failing
to make
progress in this
program?
Assessments in Education
Miller Guidance, Inc.

29. Assessment Hierarchy
0 Now let’s put your clothes back in the closet.

31. What we have and what we
are going to need.

32. K-5 Reading
Reading CBM – K-5
MAP – 2-5
Reading St. Unit Tests
WISC-IV
DRA-2
Fountas and Pinnell
Reading CBM – K-5
Reading CBM – K-5
Fountas and Pinnell
ISAT
MAP
Reading CBM
Reading St. Unit Tests

33. Now we can start the discard list
(and sometimes a change list!)

35. PSAE
Course exams
EXPLORE
PLAN
ACT
Course quizzes – per
teacher
Attendance
Expulsions/Suspensions
Grades 9-12
Cognitive and
achievement tests

36. Now we can start the discard list
(and sometimes an add list!)
Add:
Universal screener
Common Formative Assessment
Progress monitoring

37. For more information contact:
Mary Miller
Miller Guidance Solutions, Inc.
mary@millerguidance.com
Or visit our website:
www.millerguidance.com