GCPS Evaluation Strategies 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher collects writing samples at the start, middle, and end of the year in a student portfolio. Which evaluation principle does this best demonstrate?
- Assessing performance at a single point in time
- Documenting growth and progress over time (Correct answer)
- Ranking students against grade-level norms
- Measuring only summative mastery
Correct answer: Documenting growth and progress over time
Portfolios with collected work across the year provide evidence of student growth and learning progression over time.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a pre-assessment before beginning a new instructional unit?
- To assign grades before instruction begins
- To determine what students already know so instruction can be targeted (Correct answer)
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the previous teacher
- To identify students who should be exempt from the unit
Correct answer: To determine what students already know so instruction can be targeted
Pre-assessments reveal prior knowledge and misconceptions so teachers can differentiate instruction from the outset.
Question 3: In GCPS's Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), which component addresses the teacher's use of assessment data to guide instructional choices?
- Professional Standards Strand 1: Professional Knowledge
- Professional Standards Strand 4: Differentiated Instruction
- Professional Standards Strand 5: Assessment Strategies (Correct answer)
- Professional Standards Strand 9: Professionalism
Correct answer: Professional Standards Strand 5: Assessment Strategies
TKES Strand 5: Assessment Strategies evaluates whether teachers systematically use assessment data to make instructional decisions.
Question 4: A teacher administers the same assessment to two different classes and finds vastly different results despite similar demographics and instruction. What assessment quality concern does this raise?
- Construct validity
- Content coverage
- Inter-rater reliability
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability concerns consistency of results across administrations; wide variance with similar groups suggests unreliable measurement.
Question 5: A student with an English Learner (EL) designation performs poorly on a science content test written at a high reading level. The low score most likely reflects:
- A science content knowledge deficit
- A reading/language barrier rather than science misunderstanding (Correct answer)
- Inappropriate use of performance-based tasks
- Ineffective differentiated instruction by the teacher
Correct answer: A reading/language barrier rather than science misunderstanding
When a test's linguistic demand exceeds an EL student's proficiency level, the score measures language ability more than content knowledge.
Question 6: Which of the following is the most appropriate use of summative assessment data after a unit concludes?
- Adjusting lesson pacing within the completed unit
- Providing immediate corrective feedback during instruction
- Informing planning for future instruction and identifying re-teaching needs (Correct answer)
- Replacing formative checks for the next grading period
Correct answer: Informing planning for future instruction and identifying re-teaching needs
Summative data, though collected after a unit, informs future instructional planning and identifies concepts requiring re-teaching.
Question 7: A teacher wants to check for understanding quickly without using paper. Which strategy is most appropriate for a rapid whole-class formative check?
- End-of-chapter written test
- Quarterly benchmark assessment
- Thumbs up/thumbs down or hand signals in response to a prompt (Correct answer)
- Individual student conferences lasting 10 minutes each
Correct answer: Thumbs up/thumbs down or hand signals in response to a prompt
Quick, low-stakes signals like thumbs up/down allow teachers to instantly gauge whole-class understanding without interrupting instruction.
GCPS Evaluation Strategies 4
A teacher collects writing samples at the start, middle, and end of the year in a student portfolio.
Which evaluation principle does this best demonstrate?