Assessment & Evaluation Techniques Flashcards

A teacher observes that a student scores well on unit tests but struggles to transfer skills to new contexts on performance tasks. This pattern MOST likely suggests the student:

Answer: Demonstrates surface-level recall but lacks deep conceptual understanding

High scores on recall-based tests combined with poor transfer suggest the student has memorized content without developing the flexible understanding needed for application.

Which of the following statements about portfolio assessment is MOST accurate?

Answer: Portfolios document growth over time and encourage student reflection on their own learning

Portfolios capture a developmental record of student work and are most powerful when paired with student self-reflection about progress and goals.

Coefficient alpha (Cronbach's alpha) is used to estimate which aspect of an assessment's quality?

Answer: Internal consistency reliability across items measuring the same construct

Cronbach's alpha measures the degree to which items on a scale correlate with each other, indicating internal consistency of the assessment.

A teacher's learning target states: 'Students will analyze how an author's word choice contributes to tone.' Which assessment task BEST aligns with this target?

Answer: Write a paragraph explaining how specific words in the text create a sad or hopeful tone

Having students explain the connection between specific word choices and tone directly assesses the analytic skill stated in the learning target.

A state education agency wants to determine whether its new science curriculum is causally responsible for improved test scores. Which research design would provide the STRONGEST evidence?

Answer: A randomized controlled trial assigning schools to curriculum or control conditions

Random assignment to conditions is the gold standard for establishing causal relationships because it controls for confounding variables.

When developing a summative unit test, a teacher should FIRST:

Answer: Review the unit's learning targets and plan items that align to each target's cognitive level

Beginning with learning targets ensures the test has content and construct validity by design, rather than retrofitting standards to pre-written items.

Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'washback' in educational assessment?

Answer: The influence that a high-stakes test has on curriculum and instructional decisions

Washback (also called backwash) refers to the way high-stakes assessments shape what teachers teach and what students study, for better or worse.