Professor: William Estes
Office: 209-E DeVos Ed Building
Phone: 614.8476
Better yet: bestes@leeuniversity.edu
I. Texts
Measurement and Assessment in Teaching
(10/e). Robert Linn and David Miller. Pearson, 2008.
The Case Against Standardized Testing. Alfie Kohn,
Heinemann, 2000.
II. University
III. Catalog Description
A study of the theories and principles of diagnostic testing
which give teachers and counselors a better basis for directing educational and
guidance efforts. Three Credit Hours.
IV. Purpose Statement
This
course is intended to introduce the student to the methods, skills, and
strategies they will need as they become effective teachers in the assessment
and evaluation of students in the public school setting.
Va. General
Instructional Objectives
This course seeks to accomplish the
following:
1.
Develop an understanding of the roll
and importance of measurement in scientific inquiry.
2.
Review the basic principles and
procedures of measurement theory and statistics as they apply to psychological
measurements.
3.
Examine the importance of both
reliability and validity to both measurement and assessment.
4.
Develop an appreciation for individual differences
and an understanding of the normal distribution of characteristics.
5.
Develop an understanding of the
peculiar problems involved in psychological and educational measurement.
6.
Examine the various instruments that
measure human characteristics and behavior.
7.
Make applications of measurement theory
to the classroom.
In a general sense, this course will be broken down into 3
parts:
Ø A
review of elementary statistics
Ø Extensive
work with Reliability and Validity
Ø And
finally good test preparation and translation/application of results
Vb. Specific
Behavioral Objectives
As a result of the activities and study
in this course, the student should be able to do the following:
Give meaning to scores by:
1.
Outlining the roll of measurement in
education.
2.
Demonstrating an understanding of basic
statistical principles and methods for the reporting and accurate
interpretation of test results.
3.
Interpreting various standardized
scores.
4.
Demonstrating an understanding of accepted
criteria for evaluation of measurement instruments, reliability, validity,
standardization, and practicality.
Recognize and evaluate the variety of instruments available
by:
1.
Becoming acquainted with specific tests
in major categories of measurement.
2.
Creating various valid testing
instruments evaluation at the classroom level.
3.
Listing various types of
non-standardized and non-paper and pencil evaluative instruments and
techniques.
4.
Locating and reporting unbiased reviews
of testing instruments.
Apply a practical understanding of test and measurement
theory by:
1.
Devising a feasible approach for the
use of test results in planning and guiding professional educational activities
of a single student.
2.
Developing a comprehensive testing
program for a specified population.
3.
Listing ethical considerations and
issues in test measurement theory.
VI. Course
Calendar
|
8.21 |
Syllabi and Introduction |
|
8.26 |
Appendix A |
|
8.28 |
Appendix A and Chapter 19 |
|
9.2 |
Chapter 19 |
|
9.4 |
Exam 1 |
|
9.9 |
Chapter 1 |
|
9.11 |
Chapter 2 |
|
9.16 |
Chapter 3 |
|
9.18 |
Chapter 4 - Validity |
|
9.23 |
Chapter 4 - Validity |
|
9.25 |
Chapter 5 – Reliability |
|
9.30 |
Chapter 5 – Reliability |
|
10.2 |
Exam 2 |
|
10.7 |
Chapter 6 |
|
10.9 |
Chapter 7 |
|
10.14 |
Chapter 8 |
|
10.16 |
Fall Break |
|
10.21 |
Chapter 9 |
|
10.23 |
Chapter 10 |
|
10.28 |
Chapter 11, 12, 13 |
|
10.30 |
Chapter 14, 15 |
|
11.4 |
Exam 3 |
|
11.6 |
Chapter 16 |
|
11.11 |
Chapter 16 |
|
11.13 |
Chapter 17 |
|
11.18 |
Chapter 18 and TCAP (Kohn Paper Due) |
|
11.20 |
|
|
11.25 |
|
|
11.27 |
Thanksgiving Break |
|
12.2 |
|
|
12.4 |
|
|
|
Final Exam Sometime |
|
|
|
***The Final is Exam 4
and will be comprehensive***
VII. TOPICS
COVERED
These are in no particular order…
6 types of reliability
Factors affecting reliability
4 types of validity
Factors affecting validity
History and trends in educational measurement
State standards and relating these to objectives
Objective Test Items
Multiple Choice specifically
Essays
Portfolio Assessment
Interpretive Exercises
Performance-Based Assessment
IQ and IQ Testing
Observation, Peer-Appraisal and Self-Report
Grading and Reporting
Achievement Testing
Aptitude Testing
Interpreting test scores
Data Management
Correlation
NAEP
TCAP
TVASS
VIII. Assessment
Opportunities
There will be 4 exams and 1 paper that will constitute the
final grade of the student. Each of
these 5 assessments will count equally to the student’s final grade. There will be no extra credit
opportunities. There will be no make-up
exams. If for any reason you will be
missing 1 of the 4 exams, contact me as soon as possible; but it is up to the
instructor’s discretion in allowing or not allowing an alternative
assessment.
As you will find out in the course, grading is
problematic. After each assessment,
students will be shown their efforts as compared to a standard and to one
another. At the end of the semester,
there are normally quasi-clean breaks in the distribution of scores that help
the instructor delineate between A’s, B’s and C’s. For this semester, anyone at or above the
median will receive an A. Anyone w/i 1
standard deviation of the mean that doesn’t receive an A will receive a B. Anything below the 16th percentile
is in the C range or below. +’s will be
used for those near, but below any of these cut-offs. Any student may at any time set up an
appointment with me to discuss grading techniques and practice. It is hoped at the end of this course you can
give a solid critique of all methods used.
IX. Students
with Disabilities
Lee
University is committed to the provision of reasonable accommodations for students
with disabilities as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Students who think they may qualify for these accommodations should notify
their instructor immediately. Special services are provided through the
Academic Support Program.
X.
Random Instructor Comments
This class has the potential to be difficult. When reading a syllabus, one sometimes sees
the instructor following the chapters of a book and decides to forgo the
reading of the chapters (or at best only conducting a cursory skimming.) I strongly encourage you not to do this. If you still find yourself struggling. Don’t wait until the second half of the
semester to come and see me. The earlier
we can start working together, the more likely we can right the ship.
XI. Reading List
American Psychological Association.
(2000). Standards
for educational and psychological testing.
Washington DC: Author.
Anastasi, A.
(1988). Psychological testing (6th
ed.). New York: Macmillan.
Bloom B. S., Madaus
G.J., & Hastings J. T. (1981). Evaluation
to improve learning. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Cronback,
L.J. (1990). Essentials of
psychological testing (5th ed.). New York:
Harper & Row.
Educational Testing Service. (1993). Performance
assessment sampler: A workbook.
Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Glass, G. V., & Hopkins, K. D.
(1996). Statistical methods in
education and psychology (3rd ed.).
Thorndike, R. M., Cunningham, G. K.,
Thorndike R. L., & Hagen, E. P. (1991).
Measurement and evaluation in psychology and education (5th
ed.). New
York: Macmillian.
Thorndike, R. M., & Hagen, E.
(1993). Cognitive abilities test. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing Company.