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E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y M o n d a y, J u n e 2 9 , 2 0 1 5 6 TEN TIPS TO WRITING BETTER ASSESSMENTS FOR MEASURING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT By Nikki Eatchel, Vice President Assessment Services and Professional Services, Scantron Corporation If you are a teacher, administrator, assessment professional or anyone involved in the assessment development process, you know the importance of get- ting it right – effective test questions are the most direct and accurate measure of intended learning outcomes. Quality assessment items drive how reliable and useful the results are in identifying and improving student achievement – the core goal of data-driven instruction. The following tips can help you get more out of your classroom assessments. 1. Focus on the stem. Ensure stems reflect an appropriate level of reading difficulty for the intended grade level of the item and that only information necessary to answer the question is included. Unnecessary infor- mation drives up the reading level with- out adding assessment value. If you use graphics, make sure the image is not con- fusing and that it illustrates the relevant part of the question. Be sure you are fol- lowing proper copyright laws when using images. 2. Provide effective distractors. Distractors should be plausible to stu- dents who have not learned the material. The key phrase to remember is plausible but clearly incorrect. 3. Include various levels of complexity. Bloom, Marzano, and Webb offer classi- fication systems to recognize and identi- fy cognitive complexity. Using assess- ment items across multiple cognitive lev- els helps determine whether a student has a basic or complex understanding of a skill. 4. Be sensitive to bias. Being cognizant of stereotypes and bias helps ensure that content is as free as pos- sible from offensive material, allowing students to focus on the skill being assessed. It also helps reduce measurement error caused by lack of famil- iarity with words or scenarios that are not critical to what's being tested. 5. Consider text complexity. Include a variety of texts. This helps rein- force the rigor and specifications of applicable academic standards. 6. Allow time to review and edit items. Carefully analyze the content and con- struction of each item, ensuring answer choices are parallel and don't clue the correct answer. Include an independent review of aspects such as age appropri- ateness, bias, sentence structure, vocabu- lary, clarity and grammar/spelling. 7. Be consistent. Make sure items, passages and graphics adhere to the same style and format. Students attach meaning to every aspect of a test item and could be unintentional- ly misled by inconsistency. 8. Identify appropriate scoring. Points associated with items should reflect the relative weight of the skill and cognitive depth you are measuring. If you are including extended response items, provide rubrics to help with scoring. 9. Evaluate the technology need. Not every assessment requires technolo- gy-enhanced items. Sometimes multiple- choice items deliver the best results. 10. Consider how you're going to use results. Think about why you're giving the test. An end-of-unit progress check is different from an end-of-term exam, and a semester final may require still another approach. Developing effective assessments is not easy—but you don't have to go it alone. Scantron's team of assessment experts can provide professional development, consulting and item/assessment develop- ment services to help you transform your data-driven instruction and ensure you get the results you want. For more information, visit www.scantron .com, call 858.349.9488 or stop by booth #3120. WHICH SNYCHRONIZED TIME SYSTEM IS BEST FOR YOUR SCHOOL? Time is everything in a school, and clocks that are synchronized to display the same, accurate time aren't just a convenience. They ensure that students are where they are supposed to be, that teachers are covering the right subject matter for the right amount of time, and that everyone is moving through the building safely and efficiently. How is Time Synchronized? A synchronized timekeeping system ensures that all of the clocks in a school – wired, wireless, digital or analog – dis- play the same precise time. There are two main methods of achieving this: A wired timekeeping system has a master clock that is wired to each clock in a building and controls the displayed time to uphold synchronization. American Time clock options in the wired category include: AllSync Plus ® clocks: This is an excellent option if you are running multi- ple clock systems. AllSync Plus adapts to the correct clock correction protocol upon installation. Power over Ethernet (PoE) clocks: An energy-efficient clock that receives power and time updates from one cable connected to your Ethernet. No master clock, batteries or AC power is needed. A wireless system's clocks retrieve a time signal from GPS satellites, cell- phone towers or the Internet. A signal is sent to each wireless clock using a radio frequency. American Time clock options in the wireless category include: SiteSync IQ: The only hybrid clock system of its kind, it can integrate with both wireless and wired clock systems. It also allows you to operate bells, lights and more. Perfect for retrofits and new school construc- tion. Wi-Fi network clocks: Also wireless and are factory-set to work with your net- work time server, using your existing Wi- Fi network to keep the correct time. No master clock, additional infrastructure costs or equipment is needed. Whether wired or wireless clocks (or a combination of both), American Time's synchronized timekeeping systems auto- matically update for daylight saving time and come with a multi-year battery life, saving maintenance staff a significant amount of time adjusting and maintain- ing clocks. Keep Everyone in School on Time Clocks that display the same time can have a huge impact – negative or positive – on your school's operations. They improve punctuality, save maintenance staff time adjusting clocks, and keep every- one in the building moving efficiently and consistently. Make 2015 the year that you stop spending time on time, and get all of the clocks in your buildings – digital or analog, wired or wireless – synchronized. American Time also provides free, on- site clock audits. A clock expert visits your school to assess your existing time- keeping system and help you determine your current and future needs. For more information, visit www.american- time.com, call 800.328.8996, email the- clockexperts@atsclock.com or stop by booth #3137. TEACHER INSIGHTS: USING TIGGLY'S LEARNING PLATFORM IN THE CLASSROOM An interview with Stephanie Smith, early adopter and teacher at Washburn Elementary in Auburn, Maine. ESD: What is Tiggly? SS: Tiggly has pioneered a new learning experience by combining the most important aspects of physical play with the depth of content from digital learn- ing, offering an optimal environment for our youngest students (aged two to nine years old). Tiggly's Learning Platform includes the following systems: Tiggly Shapes, Tiggly Math and Tiggly Words, each focused on different skillsets impor- tant for early learning. ESD: What part of the Tiggly Learning Platform do you find the most helpful? SS: Tiggly has really helped me intro- duce and re-enforce learning goals – like number recognition and vowel sounds. Kids have learned skip-counting and refined their addition. Tiggly has provid- ed a way that allows my students to learn and practice important skills that meet them at their level of development by including physical manipulatives that bring a tactile dimension to digital learn- ing. ESD: What were your student's reactions to Tiggly? SS: My student's love being able to interact with their learning. They love that they are playing with tools and being creative while learning concepts like math and litera- cy. Tiggly really allows for students to work together and collaborate on ideas and challenges they face while learning new content. This is something that is completely new to young students and naturally exciting for them. ESD: How do you use Tiggly Learning Systems and what is the perceived impact? SS: I've implemented Tiggly in a whole group, small group and a one-to-one set- ting. I love to use it as an introduction to concepts. It truly encourages students to be active thinkers and allows them to see connections between technology and real world problems and solutions. I've seen my students really advance from the use of Tiggly in our classroom. ESD: How was the process of implementing Tiggly into your curriculum? SS: Implementing Tiggly was an extreme- ly easy process. The content aligns per- fectly with our curriculum so it was a nat- ural addition to our daily activities. The technology is so simple that the kids fig- ured out how to use it right away. And all the excitement around Tiggly made adding it into our schedule seamless. For more information, visit www.Tiggly.com, email Educators@ tiggly.com or follow @TigglyLearn, ISTE attendees are invited to demo Tiggly's three learning systems. Visit Tiggly at booth #139 to see how you can get a free sample to try in your classroom!