Item analysis October 23, 2006
Posted by hweisburg in : Fall Forum 2006 , add a commentThe second breakout section probably had the most boring title and yet was of vital importance to the success AND CONTINUANCE of library media programs. Although organized by level (elementary, middle, and high school) everyone used the same Powerpoint and information from the Onandoga-Cortland-Madison BOCES in upstate NY. Item Analysis is what adminstrators look at in the reports from high-stakes tests to determine what needs to be improved and the best methods for doing so.
The two questions addressed were: What are the Skills needed to answer Standaradized Assessment Questions? AND What is the Connection to the School Library Porgram. In addition participants were reminded to realize that there are several purposes for the Assesment byeond analyzing errors. It’s also used for Trend Analysis, Content Coverage, Collection Development, Library/Teacher Collaboration, Curriculum Mapping, Text Books, and District Initiatives.
Analysis looks at the types of questions (Multiple choice, Constructed Respone, Document-Based, Essays, and Listening) as well as Student Performance. The questions are analyzed as to their FORMAT (language used, physical arrangement, charts/pictures/etc., multi-step),SKILLS (what do students need to be able to - draw conclusions?, determine facts vs. opinions?, interpret charts, graphs?), CONTENT (what do they need to know or understand?), CONNECTIONS (to different standards including Info Lit from AASL).
The presenters explained that a low percentage of right answers does not necessarily indicate a problem. It could be a question aimed at top students, which is why comparing data with other similar schools is important.
Some of the key ideas were that we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a Support Person. We are collaborators with a global perspective on students that is unique and highly valuable.
The presenters highlighted the fact that Reflection is a vital component to assesment and analysis.
With data-driven istruction and decision making becoming increasingly the operating mode in most districts, it is imperative that we become familiar with the high-stakes test questions, be part of the item analysis as much as possible, and demonstrate how our teaching keys in SPECIFICALLY to test questions and be sure to inform the “key players.”
Reporting to Stakeholders October 18, 2006
Posted by mkowalsky in : Fall Forum 2006 , add a commentWhat is the evidence that your LMS is the “hub of the school?” Is it just the numbers of users who walk through your door? Violet Harada at the AASL Fall Forum challenges us to assess beyond these basic measures and to assess for different reasons depending on our purposes, as you have seen in previous posts here. If we use assessments strategically, she says, we can create not only an informed community but one that will advocate for us without thinking twice.
One important role is assessing for advocacy, which Vi believes is key to communication in general about what we do for and with students and why. We need to remember to report out to stakeholders who make a variety of decisions. . . those who write policy, those who approve policy, and those who create and manage budgets should be recipients of our assessment information. “Be strategic and selective,” Vi cautions, “Some of the stakeholders don’t need to know the details of every students’ progress.” Instead, she suggests, LMSs should summarize what libraries do for our students as a whole — synthesize evidence that focuses on student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap.
After all, as several presenters noted, our library media center is the most naturally differentiated learning setting in the building! We need to publicize our results, since “this information is too valuable to keep to ourselves!”
Using Misconceptions to Teach
Posted by mkowalsky in : Fall Forum 2006 , add a commentVi Harada made an interesting point about providing opportunities for students to see their own misconceptions and have them identified and discussed by their peers. One way we can do this is via a pretest-type activity in which misconceptions are item choices (that students might select as right answers). The class can determine the correct answer through brainstorming and research. This reminded me of the forming - storming - norming stages of group development (Bruce Truckman). Ken Haycock has also spoken on this topic specifically for librarians. This makes sense in so many ways, including helping students use a process that they will utilize in the real world.
Violet also discussed other aspects of assessment in libraries, including using a scavenger hunt as a pretest and not as a teaching activity (backward design is key), and using learner-led concept maps to work through the process of correcting misconceptions. It is our responsibility as the instructor, she says, to assess what we do for its effectiveness. In instances like these, where judging student learning through their self-corrective process, assessment may not see easy at first. But through observation, informal notes on your conferences with students, learning logs and rating scales, self and LMS checklists, and rubrics are all different ways to assess this type of learning. “You are not restricted to these measures of assessment either,” Vi Harada maintains. “Use your assessments to modify and adjust what you do, as this truly informs learning.”
Looking at the whole October 17, 2006
Posted by mirwin in : Fall Forum 2006 , add a commentJudging from the numbers attending the Fall Forum, one could easily infer that “assessment” is on the front burner for many library media specialists. Some have to constantly educate teachers and administrators as to their critical role in educating students, or , as Allison Zmuda put it, “causing students to learn.” Many others, under the pressures placed by NCLB, literally have to fight for their jobs.
So how does assessment fit in?
*Summative assessment: Assessment of learning, at the end of a project or activity, shows whether the students “get it.”
*Formative assessment: Assessment for learning happens during the process, and provides information about the nature and progress of learning, allowing for differentiated instruction.
Assessment for advocacy involves the strategic, selective approach and synthesis of evidence focusing on student achievement. It can provide the bases for requests of more help or more resources. (Violet Harada)
Each of the speakers provided illustrations of the why and how of assessment. Breakout sessions allowed us to get down and dirty, practicing tasks specific to our level. One such task was item analysis of standardized tests in which we examined sample questions to determine which skill it tested. Extrapolation of test results for a whole grade would highlight areas of concern. Follow the link below to take advantage of the materials shared at the Fall Forum and continue in the discussion.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasleducation/professionallearningcommunities/tflc.htm
I can’t help thinking how closely assessment is related to the idea of Evidence Based Practice. Those interested in pursuing the concepts of assessment may want to check out ideas presented by our colleagues in Ohio at OELMA (http://www.oelma.org). Their work shows how various forms of assessment in the media center can inform our teaching and promote learning. The Ohio Research Study done with Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau provided evidence of how school libraries in Ohio impact student learning. Software developed by David Loertscher called IMPACT can be used to quantify collaboration with teachers. Other materials and tools are available at the OELMA website.
Clearly this is a topic that will continue to generate discussion and develoment of best practices. The online professional learning community provided at AASL allows us to share our experiments, our practices and our findings.
Where does your authority come from?
Posted by dbeaman in : Fall Forum 2006 , add a commentAllison Zmuda was the perfect speaker – cheerleader – for our final general session. Have you ever noticed that school librarians are always talking about “power” or “advocacy?” And have you ever felt that the reason for this is that we feel so powerless to change our situations? Well, Allison said that, “True authority does not come from the superintendent, principal, or even the teachers worked with every day….” It comes from, “the chasm between the academic expectations for learners and the current achievement levels of students within the schools.” She encouraged us to follow the lead of other learning specialists in the building. “You don’t stand for worst practice in your space.”
We are responsible for the quality of education in our libraries and our authority comes from that responsibility. They may come for the resources or the computers but we are not just keepers of the stuff, we are learning specialists, so it is our job to pay attention to what they are doing while they are there. Whew – you go girl! I can’t wait to read other comments about this session.
Note: Thanks to Deb Levitov, here’s a link to the full text of Allison Zmuda’s article:
Where Does Your Authority Come From? Empowering the Library Media Specialist as a True Partner in Student Achievement,
from the September 2006 issue of School Library Media Activities Monthly.