EDU503: Assessment Strategies to Improve K-12 Learning

Credit Hours:
3
Estimated Hours Per Week:
15

Overview

This course introduces the essential concepts and practices of educational assessment. Assessment information that drives decisions about the classroom student, the effectiveness of the instructional program, and the instructor is derived by studying:

  • Achievement targets and assessment design
  • Test construction within the context of validity, reliability, and fairness
  • Analysis of test results and progress monitoring
  • Assessment reform and district, state, and national assessments

In the course project, Model Assessment Program (MAP): Planning and Implementing Effective Assessment and Evaluation, candidates demonstrate the ability to plan and implement effective evaluation through the creation of a Model Assessment Program (MAP) that incorporates technology, benchmarks, assessment targets, and a scheme for scoring, analyzing, and reporting assessment results. The project is a key assessment for candidates in the MEd in K-12 Instructional Technology programs and it is designed to demonstrate mastery of the International Society for Technology in Education Technology Facilitation Standards.

This course includes field-based activities that take place in a K-12 school/district community setting.

Course Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the purposes for and principles and practices of classroom assessment in a standards-based curriculum
  • Construct academic achievement targets that define the behavioral outcomes to be assessed in a standards-based curriculum
  • Develop an assessment blueprint that describes the elements of the assessment program, including the proper assessment methods to be employed for each achievement target
  • Utilize technology resources to construct assessment tools and a test item database that accurately assesses the achievement target
  • Evaluate an assessment program for validity, reliability and fairness
  • Create a variety of assessments that are developmentally appropriate, responsive to the needs of diverse learners, and include content standards.
  • Establish and advocate a position on the issue of standardized testing programs
  • Promote the use of good classroom assessment practices among colleagues
  • Apply a variety of technology resources to develop assessment tools for scoring, recording, analyzing, and reporting assessment results.
  • Identify basic concepts related to standardized tests and testing, including history and context of standardized testing, characteristics of sound standardized tests and testing, and processes for identifying and evaluating published standardized tests and interpreting and reporting test scores.
  • Recognize multi-tiered models of school-wide responses using standardized screening, diagnostic, progress-monitoring, and outcome measures.
ENROLLMENT
To enroll in this course, please complete the online application.

Required Texts
EDU503 texts are available from the JIU/Follett Bookstore