EDUC 265 Educational Assessment

Students will explore the world of measurement, evaluation, and student performance as it aligns with curriculum and instruction. The course examines the role that validity, reliability, test bias, and item construction play in accurate and meaningful assessment for and of learning. Students will become familiar with the concept of a formal testing program which encompasses national, state, and locally mandated assessments and will discuss the impact of federal and state assessment policy on Maryland public schools. This course meets the Maryland State Department of Education Assessment of Students requirement for an initial certificate in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Secondary Education. This course also meets the MSDE Assessment, Diagnosis, and Prescriptive Techniques requirement for an initial certificate in Generic Special Education Infant/Primary, Generic Special Education Elementary/Middle, and Generic Special Education Secondary/Adult.

Credits

3

Hours Weekly

3

Course Objectives

1. Analyze the historical development of assessment and current accountability practices as they relate to today's classroom.
2. Evaluate how federal legislation as well as state and local initiatives influence the focus of educational measurement and assessment.
3. Understand the purpose of assessment.
4. Identify appropriate use and limitations of different types of assessment including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, portfolio and performance-based assessment, and formative and summative assessment.
5. Demonstrate the ability to produce valid and reliable assessments that measure the curriculum being taught.
6. Formulate effective approaches to ensure culturally sensitive, non-biased, meaningful assessments and decision making.
7. Analyze the role of assessment in planning for and delivering instruction.
8. Describe the use of constructed and standardized test data to make instructional decisions.
9. Construct a working understanding of the measures of central tendency and demonstrate appropriate application and interpretation of scores including grade score versus standard score, percentile ranks, age/grade equivalents, and stanines.

Course Objectives

1. Analyze the historical development of assessment and current accountability practices as they relate to today's classroom.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

2. Evaluate how federal legislation as well as state and local initiatives influence the focus of educational measurement and assessment.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

3. Understand the purpose of assessment.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

4. Identify appropriate use and limitations of different types of assessment including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, portfolio and performance-based assessment, and formative and summative assessment.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

5. Demonstrate the ability to produce valid and reliable assessments that measure the curriculum being taught.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

6. Formulate effective approaches to ensure culturally sensitive, non-biased, meaningful assessments and decision making.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

7. Analyze the role of assessment in planning for and delivering instruction.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

8. Describe the use of constructed and standardized test data to make instructional decisions.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

9. Construct a working understanding of the measures of central tendency and demonstrate appropriate application and interpretation of scores including grade score versus standard score, percentile ranks, age/grade equivalents, and stanines.

   This objective is a course Goal Only