Assessment – Test/Exam Construction Learning Session- February 15, 2013 How we arrived here: Began Sept. 2012 with Common Final Exam initiative Collected

Assessment – Test/Exam Construction Learning Session- February 15, 2013

How we arrived here:

• Began Sept. 2012 with Common Final Exam initiative

• Collected all Final Exams in Jan. 2012

• Reviewed Final Exams – summary included today

• Introduced Final Exam Analysis Tool

• During Analysis Tool training - realized PD in exam writing never occurred

• Discovered initial final exam directive -'fill the period’

• Adjustments to the changes in exam design at the state and national level (i.e. Keystone, AP, PSAT, etc.) never made


Next Steps:

• PD today

• Guidelines for exam construction

• Provide resources (pull out possibilities w/ sub coverage)

• February/March time planned - calendar will be provided

• Deadline to receive revised exams for Semester 2

• May 10, 2013


Math %mc %fr Math %mc %fr

alg2a 58% 42%alg 2 h 67% 33%

cp precalc 52% 48%calc h 0% 100%

trig h 0% 100%Geo a 52% 48%

acc trig 0% 100%geo cp 46% 54%

prob/stat cp 46% 54%alg 1A 70% 30%

prob.stat h 52% 48%alg 2 cp 55% 45%

alg 1 cp 50% 50%alg 1b 73% 27%prob/stat acc 65% 35%adv top 54% 46%

ap calc ab 63% 37%cp trig 39% 61%

geo H 0% 100%


Science %MC %FR Science %MC %FR

CP PS 100% 0%cp physics 95% 5%A CP 87% 13%disasters 33% 67%fore 92% 8%ap bio 0% 100%H Physics 97% 3%H Enviro 100% 0%ap physics 31% 69%cp bio 99% 1%cp chem Z 91% 9%H bio 100% 0%chemcomm 97% 3%h kines 99% 1%cpchem ms 91% 9%cp kines 100% 0%cp enviro 98% 2%a enviro 100% 0%

H chem 93% 7%cp chem sav 94% 6%ap chem 90% 10%


WL %MC %FR %Listg1 72% 2% 26%g2 67% 9% 24%s1 84% 1% 15%s2 74% 13% 14%s3 90% 1% 9%s4 87% 2% 11%f1 78% 4% 18%f2 79% 5% 16%f3 73% 7% 21%

SS %mc %frgeopoli 86% 21%westciv cp 99% 1%us his h 87% 13%global H 77% 23%Global cp 95% 5%global a 93% 7%amex 99% 1%us his a 98% 2%us cp 99% 1%psych cp 99% 1%psych ap 0% 100%ap euro 96% 4%market n/a us ap n/a west h 98% 2%soc cp 100% 0%


Purpose: Guide Hatboro-Horsham educators as common

assessments are designed. Give consistent structure for test/exam construction. Provide a research-based tool and resources for

summative practices.

Many types of assessment are utilized foster and monitor student learning.

While this resource is focused on effective exam design, the information may be used during the process of revising unit tests, benchmarks, and other content-based assessments.

Vital is to change/align instructional practices to reflect higher-order thinking and student ownership of learning!


Test/Exam Construction: Bloom’s Taxonomy Webb’s Depth of Knowledge National and State Standardized Assessments Keystone Exams

Higher-Order Thinking Extending the Learning Rigorous Content (CCSS)


Test/Exam Construction – Types of Questions:Multiple ChoiceConstructed Response/Open-Ended/Essay Questions

Multiple Choice : easily scored useful for analyzing general trends in student learning provide insight regarding student understanding of content

and skills

Constructed Response: use a specifically-designed rubric for scoring provides deep insight into student understanding and

thought processes requires students to apply, synthesize, and extend learning


Guidelines for Test/Exam Construction: Multiple-choice questions: core content and skills based on

common core standards and course curriculum

No more than 60 multiple-choice questions on a test

At least 30% of the multiple-choice questions are at the application/analyze/evaluate levels of Bloom's Taxonomy

Minimize recall/knowledge level questions

Construct questions using the “Guidelines for Developing Test Items”


Guidelines for Test/Exam Construction:

Constructed response/open ended questions/essay questions are at the application/analyze/evaluate levels of Bloom's Taxonomy

Constructed response/open ended questions/essay questions are constructed using the “Guidelines for Developing Constructed Response Items”

Weighting: no more than 70% of test grade from multiple choice/short response items; at least 30% of exam grade from constructed response/open-ended questions/essay questions



Checklist for Creating Common Assessments

Does each item or task require students to demonstrate the performance described in the specific learning outcome it measures (relevance)?

Does each item present a clear and definite task to be performed (clarity)?

Is each item or task presented in simple, readable language and free from excessive verbiage (conciseness)?

Does each item provide an appropriate challenge (ideal difficulty)?

Does each item have an answer that would be agreed upon by experts (correctness)?

Is each item or task free from technical errors and irrelevant clues (technical soundness)?

Is each test item free from cultural bias?


Keystone Exams – Multiple Choice and Constructed Response: Literature:http

://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Literature_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf

Algebra_1:http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Algebra_I_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf

Biology:http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Biology_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf

http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Literature_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf



http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Algebra_I_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf



http://static.pdesas.org/Content/Documents/Keystone_Biology_Feb_2011_Item_and_Scoring_Sampler.pdf


