University of Scranton

Education Department

 

Departmental Course Syllabus

 

Ed 343: Evaluation and Measurement

(CRN 30440)

Spring, 2008

 

 

Class Day, Time: Tu, Th 4- 5:15 PM          Instructor: Dr. Thomas Hogan

Location: MGH 206                                      Office & phone: AMH 223   941-4268

Credit Value: 3 cr                                          Office hours: Tu,Th 10-11, W 11-12

E-mail: Thomas.Hogan@Scranton.edu

 

 

The PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR AS SCHOLAR/DECISION-MAKER is a model developed by the Education Department of the University of Scranton to describe their philosophy and practice regarding the preparation of professionals - teachers, counselors, and administrators - to facilitate the education of elementary and secondary students.  The programs of the Education Department develop the skills required by the candidate to make appropriate decisions regarding the candidate’s personal and professional life, as well as knowledge in the content areas within the liberal arts traditions of the Jesuit University, resulting in the well-rounded, academic preparation of the candidate.  The rigor of the program produces a professional educator able to effectively perform the variety of roles expected by the contemporary school environment.

                                                                                University of Scranton-Education Department 1993 v

 

Code of Academic Honesty:

 

The Education Department honors the Academic Code of Honesty in the University of Scranton’s Policies Governing the University Community. (http://matrix.scranton.edu/student_handbook/policy_academic_code_honesty.html)

 

Course Prerequisites:

 

            The catalog lists no prerequisites.

 

Course Description (from catalog):

 

Educ 343: Evaluation and Measurement

This course acquaints prospective teachers with the various facets of test interpretation and test construction. Standardized achievement, diagnostic, and aptitude tests will be covered, along with teacher-made objective and essay tests. Emphasis will be placed on constructing valid and reliable tests by the teacher. The use and misuse of standardized tests and teacher-made tests will be discussed.

 

Required Texts/Readings:

 

Hogan, T. P. (2007). Educational assessment: A practical introduction. New York: Wiley

 

 


Course Objectives and Student Assessments:

 

Ch

Topic

Key Objectives

Ed Unit

PDE

ACEI

1

Intro

§         Describe principal purposes and key questions about educational assessment.

§         Identify the major trends in current educational assessment, including fairness.

§         Accurately use terms in current descriptions of educational assessment.

D-1

I-B,II-B

II-E,II-F

4

ApA

Information

§         Show familiarity with sources of information about existing assessments         including state and national assessments.

D-1

I-B,II-C, II-E,II-F, III-A

4, 5.1

2

Statistics

§         Identify variables at the level of construct and operational definition.

§         Demonstrate competence in use of simple descriptive statistics, including measures of central tendency, variability, z, and correlation.

§         Show ability to determine latter with software package.

S-3

I-B, II-E

4

3

Reliability

§         Identify the major sources of unreliability in assessments.

§         Describe the methods for studying reliability.

§         Use reliability information to interpret assessment information.

S-3

I-B,

II-B,

II-E

4

4

Validity

§         Identify the major ways of describing test validity.

§         Show how to align assessment with content standards.

§         Describe the concept of “fairness” and how it is studied.

E-1,

S-3,

D-1

I-B, II-B

4

5

Interpreting

§         Define the main methods used for norm-referenced interpretation, including strengths and weaknesses of each.

§         Define criterion-referenced interpretation and how it is used in standards based systems.

§         Show competence in using standard reports of NR and CR information.

§         Outline procedures for self-referenced on repeated measures, especially as used for special populations.

 

S-3

I-B, II-B

4

6

Planning Assessment

§         Show how objectives are used in assessment planning.

§         Demonstrate competence in accessing existing content standards, especially at the state level.

§         Outline major factors in an overall assessment plan.

§         Plan a particular assessment.

 

 

 

S-1,

D-2

I-B, II-B

4

7

Selected-response

§         Evaluate the relative merits of selected-response and constructed-response items.

§         Demonstrate competence in preparing S-R items, using professional guidelines.

S-3

I-B, II-B

4

8

Constructed-response, performance

§         Describe the two key problems for constructed-response items.

§         Show competence in preparing C-R items, including essays, performances, and portfolios.

§         Effectively use appropriate methods for scoring C-R items, including use of rubrics.

S-3

I-B, II-B

4

9

Interests, creativity, non-test

§         Demonstrate methods for assessing interests.

§         Demonstrate methods for assessing creativity.

§         Identify useful non-test indicators of achievement.

S-3,

D-2

I-B, II-B

4

10

Administra-tion, Analysis

§         Show competence in administering external tests.

§         Explain basic principles underlying the notion of accommodations.

§         Demonstrate simple item analysis procedures.

S-3

I-B, II-B, III-B

4

11

Standardized Achievement Tests

§         Describe typical features of each major category of standardized achievement tests.

§         Compare characteristics of standardized and teacher-made assessments.

§         Identify appropriate and inappropriate practices for administering standardized tests.

S-3

I-B, II-B

4, 3.2

12

Other Standardized Measures

§         Describe major features and uses of mental ability tests.

§         Identify criteria used in defining mental retardation.

§         Identify criteria used in defining learning disabilities.

§         Show how a behavior rating scale is used by a teacher.

S-3

I-B, II-B

4, 3.2

13

Grading

§         Explain alternative rationales for grading.

§         Describe the variety of formats used for report cards.

§         Show competence in using an electronic record system for grading.

§         Outline suggestions for conducting a parent-teacher conference.

S-3,

S-4,

D-1, D-4

I-B,

II-B,

III-D

4, 5.3

14

Legal Issues

§         Accurately describe key terms used in “the law.”

§         Summarize key provisions in IDEA and NCLB.

§         Show at least passing acquaintance with ADA and FERPA.

S-3

I-B,

II-B,

III-B

4

15

Self-evaluation

§         List major methods for self-evaluation of teaching, including strengths and weaknesses of each.

§         Describe the role of reflection in self-assessment.

S-2,

D-4

I-B, II-B

4, 5.2

 


Assessments Keyed to Objectives

 

Ch

Topic

Assessment: Knowledge

Assessment: Performance *

1

Intro

Quiz

Assign #1

ApA

Information

Quiz

2 searches

2

Statistics

Quiz

Ex. 2,3,4,5,6

3

Reliability

Quiz

Ex. 1,2,6

4

Validity

Quiz

Ex. 1,3,4

5

Interpreting

Quiz

Ex. 1,3,6,7

6

Planning Assessment

Quiz

Ex. 4,7

7

Selected-response

Quiz

Ex. 1,2,6,7

8

Constructed-response, perform.

Quiz

Ex. 2,4,5

9

Interests, creativity, non-test

Quiz

Ex. 1,3,6

10

Administration, Analysis

Quiz

Ex. 1,6

11

Standardized Ach. Tests

Quiz

Ex. 3,9,11

12

Other Standardized Measures

Quiz

Ex. 1,4,7

13

Grading

Quiz

Ex. 4,5

14

Legal Issues