LECTURE 6

Standardized testing

Standard-based assessmentPerformance based assessmentChapter 4 & 5BROWN, 2004Additional Resources

LECTURE’S OBJECTIVES

-Students will understand theDifferences between:

Standardized testingStandard-based assessment, and

.Performance based assessment

-Students will acknowledge the advantages and disadvantages of these types.

WORM UP DISCUSSION

What is Standardization?Standardization means that there are set of

criteria or objectives applied to broad competencies which are not exclusive to

certain curriculum. (Brown, p,67).

Every one of you at some point of your academic life have been affected by a standardized test. Do you agree?

1-STANDARDIZED TESTS-They are Standardized because they specify a set

of competences (standards) for every domain.A standardized test is one in which a student's performance is measured in comparison to everyone else who took the test. In other words ,

your rating is dependent on everyone else's Performance. (connecting: what type of test is

the standardized test)?

-Standardized tests have uniform procedures for administration, design, scoring, and Reporting.

EXAMPLES OF STANDARZIED TESTS

•SAT: scholastic aptitude test•GMAT : graduate management admission test

•IELTS: international English language testing system•GRE: graduate record program

•TOEFL: test of English as a foreign language*How about standardized tests in Saudi Arabia, can

you give examples?

http//:. . / / / /www qiyas sa Sites English Tests EducationalTests/Pages/default.aspx

EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS IN SAUDI ARABIA

2-STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT

Educators found out that standardized tests have disparity between the content /the tasks and what students’ actually taking in the classroom. Therefore educators specified the criteria with in each content area that going to bet tested . For example, each grade level has its specified standards ( objectives, criteria); In each subject area: math, language, science . Example: page 107 (Brown, 2004)

•In Standards-based assessment the criteria and information are taken directly from content that a student has been

taught or is expected to learn .

CONTINUED

•Standards-based assessments are particularly helpful when a school district or state education department has defined a set of learning standards that each student needs to learn. The test can then measure not only student achievement, but teacher effectiveness as well.

CONTINUED

•“The classroom teacher presents the set of standards or objectives for which students will be responsible. In this manner, students know exactly what they are being tested on. They should no longer be able to say "I didn't know you were

going to ask me that.”.

CONTINUED-Students will know objectives being assessed, and you

knew the grading criteria. It was your responsibility to be ready for this test“.

students are measured not against each other, but against these clearly stated performance objectives. Therefore, it is possible for ALL students to perform well. Indeed, it is the goal for all students to do extremely well. When using standards based teaching and assessment, these questions can be answered confidently, by pointing to the standards and objectives, as well as the grading criteria, and showing that either the students have mastered these

standards, or that the students did not master them.”

THE DISADVANTAGES OF STANDARDIZED TESTS AND STANDARD-BASED TESTS

It is true that standardized tests are high in practicality and reliability, yet, they have some issues/ problems :

1.Test bias2.Authenticity criterion

3.Does not support the multiple intelligences theory.

4.Create negative attitude toward learning.5.Teachers teach for the test

pages 110- 112

3-PERFORMANCE BASED TESTS

Performance based test involve learners in actually performing the behavior that we want to measure. In interactive tasks, test-takers are measured in the act of speaking , requesting, responding, or in combining listening and

speaking, and in integrating reading and writing .-Performance-based assessment is an alternative

form of assessment that moves away from traditional paper and pencil tests .

Performance-based assessment involves having the students produce a project, whether it is

oral, written or a group performance .*

CONTINUED-The students are engaged in creating a final project that exhibits

their understanding of a concept they have learned .-A unique quality of performance-based assessment is that is

allows the students to be assessed based on a process. The teacher is able to see first hand how the students produce language in real-world situations. In addition, performance-based assessments tend to have a higher content

validity because a process is being measured. The focus remains on the process, rather than the product in performance-based

assessment.”Examples: portfolios, journals, presentations, oral reports,

letters, stories , interviews .

NEXT WEEK

Week 8Midterm examination week

REFERENCEShttp://www.teachnology.com/currenttrends/alternative_assessment/

performance_based/Source: http//:childparenting.about.com/od/schoollearning/a/standards

-based-assessments-def.htm

Brown, H. Douglas, 2004. Language Assessment: Principles and classroom practices.Pearson Education, Inc .

://http . . / 11/ -www slideshare net engteacher achievementest-new-english-file-intermediate-files-2-4http://info.piercecollege.edu/offices/assess/slep.pdfhttp://www.emse.fr/~yukna/ENG/lessons/toefl40a.htmhttp://lltf.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/MLAT-Eample-Items.pdf

://http . / .englishenglish com englishtest htm. .www ets org

http:// . . / / / / /www qiyas sa Sites English Tests EducationalTests P

/ages dasxwww.toefl.org