DLM Assessment Design 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the role of 'instructionally embedded' assessments in the DLM system?
- They replace teacher-made classroom tests with standardized items
- They allow teachers to assess students on EEs throughout the year as part of routine instruction (Correct answer)
- They are mandatory summative assessments administered only in spring
- They are used solely to determine eligibility for the alternate assessment
Correct answer: They allow teachers to assess students on EEs throughout the year as part of routine instruction
Instructionally embedded assessments in DLM are designed to be woven into instruction throughout the school year, giving teachers ongoing data about student learning.
Question 2: A teacher notices that a student consistently performs at the Proximal Precursor level despite instruction aimed at the Target level. What is the BEST assessment design response?
- Continue assigning Target-level testlets to push the student toward the standard
- Adjust the assigned linkage level to Proximal Precursor to ensure valid and meaningful data collection (Correct answer)
- Discontinue DLM assessment for this student and use a different alternate assessment
- Report the discrepancy to the state education agency immediately
Correct answer: Adjust the assigned linkage level to Proximal Precursor to ensure valid and meaningful data collection
DLM is designed to match assessment difficulty to the student's current performance level; reassigning to Proximal Precursor ensures data accurately reflects the student's learning.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST explains why DLM uses multiple representation formats (objects, pictures, symbols, text) in testlet design?
- To comply with federal requirements for paperless testing environments
- To accommodate the diverse communication and literacy levels of students with significant cognitive disabilities (Correct answer)
- To increase the difficulty of assessments for high-performing students
- To reduce printing costs associated with alternate assessment administration
Correct answer: To accommodate the diverse communication and literacy levels of students with significant cognitive disabilities
Students with significant cognitive disabilities vary widely in how they access and communicate information, so multiple representation formats ensure the assessment is accessible to all eligible students.
Question 4: In DLM assessment design, what does 'construct-irrelevant variance' refer to?
- Differences in student scores caused by factors unrelated to the targeted academic skill being measured (Correct answer)
- The natural variation in item difficulty across testlets
- The range of scores expected across different grade levels
- Differences in test administration procedures across states
Correct answer: Differences in student scores caused by factors unrelated to the targeted academic skill being measured
Construct-irrelevant variance occurs when student performance is influenced by factors like motor demands or sensory barriers rather than the academic construct being assessed.
Question 5: Which statement BEST describes how DLM handles 'response modes' in assessment design?
- All students must respond using a standard keyboard to ensure uniformity
- Response modes are flexible and may include pointing, eye gaze, switch scanning, or partner-assisted scanning (Correct answer)
- Students may only use speech-to-text technology for all responses
- Response modes are determined solely by the student's disability category
Correct answer: Response modes are flexible and may include pointing, eye gaze, switch scanning, or partner-assisted scanning
DLM allows a wide range of response modes to accommodate students' diverse motor, sensory, and communication abilities, ensuring access to the assessment for all eligible students.
Question 6: When designing DLM testlets at the Initial Precursor linkage level, which cognitive demand is MOST appropriate?
- Abstract reasoning about cause-and-effect relationships in complex scenarios
- Recognition of or response to a simple stimulus with minimal prerequisite knowledge required (Correct answer)
- Synthesis of multiple EEs into a single integrated performance task
- Application of previously learned procedures to novel, unfamiliar problems
Correct answer: Recognition of or response to a simple stimulus with minimal prerequisite knowledge required
Initial Precursor testlets target the most foundational skills, requiring students to respond to basic stimuli rather than apply complex reasoning.
Question 7: What is the significance of 'evidence-centered design' (ECD) in the DLM assessment framework?
- It ensures that every test item is based on published peer-reviewed research in cognitive psychology
- It provides a principled approach in which assessment tasks are designed to elicit evidence of the targeted knowledge and skills (Correct answer)
- It requires that all DLM items be reviewed by a panel of general education teachers before use
- It mandates that assessment results be shared with parents within 24 hours of administration
Correct answer: It provides a principled approach in which assessment tasks are designed to elicit evidence of the targeted knowledge and skills
ECD structures DLM development around defining what students should know, what behaviors would indicate that knowledge, and what tasks would elicit those behaviors—creating a coherent assessment argument.
DLM Assessment Design 3
What is the role of 'instructionally embedded' assessments in the DLM system?