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ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING I 68

Introduction

In Assessment of Learning I, the ways of constructing instructional objectives an how to assess cognitive
domain are discussed. Cognitive domain calls for outcomes of mental activity such as memorizing,
reading, problem solving, analyzing, synthesizing and drawing conclusions. In this chapter, we shall
discuss how to assess affective domain Affective domain covers behaviors with regards to attitudes,
beliefs, and feelings. Network of attitudes, beliefs, and feelings form the student's values. Values are
perceptions or idea of worth, while beliefs are perceptions of fact. It also emphasizes on feelings,
emotions and degrees of acceptance or rejection.

Affective Traits and Learning Outcomes According to Hohn (1995), as cited by Mcmillan (2001), the term
affective refers t a wide variety of traits and dispositions that are different from knowledge, reasoning,
and skills. The term “affect" is general in nature; it is better for teachers to use specific behavio when
developing learning target. In Mathematics education, some scholars define affect a motivation,
dispositions, beliefs, and attitudes (Chouinard & Roy, 2008; Shin,Lee,&Kim 2009; Gresalfi, 2009; Davis,
2007; Else-Quest, Hyde, & Hejmadi, 2008; Frenzel, 2003) Anderson and Bourke (2000) pointed out that
motivation and affect may be redundant in the sense that motivation is implicit in all aspects of affect.

Affective Traits

The table below is a summary of affective traits where most student's affect involve both emotional and
cognitive beliefs. This was adapted from Mcmillan (2001).

Trait Definition

Attitude,Predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to specified situation,

Interest,Personal preference for certain kinds of activities.

Value,Importance, worth, or usefulness of mode or conduct and end,

Opinions,Beliefs about specific occurrences and situations.

,Preference,Desire or propensity to select one object over another.,

Motivation,Desire and willingness to be engaged in behavior and intensity of,

Academic Self-,Self-perception of competence in school and learning.,

Self-Esteem,Attitude toward oneself;degree of self-respect,worthiness,or,

Locus of Control,Self-perception of whether success and failure is controlled by,

Emotional,Growth,change,and awareness of emotions and ability to,

Social, Nature of interpersonal interactions and functioning in group,


CHAPTERIII-ASSESSING AFFECTIVE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Altruism - Willingness and propensity to help others.,

Moral development - Attainment of ethical principles that guide decision making an behavior.,

Classroom environment, Nature of feeling tone and interpersonal relationships in a class

Affective Domain of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Affective domain describes learning objectives that emphasize a feeling,tor emotion, or degree of
acceptance or rejection. Affective objectives vary from simp attention to selected phenomena to
complex, but internally with consistent qualities character and conscience. We found a large number of
such objectives in the literatu expressed as interests, attitudes, appreciations, values, and emotional
sets or biase (Krathwohl,1964 as cited by Esmane, 2011).

Levelsof Affective Domain The affective taxonomy has five levels of affective targets namely: receiving,
responding, valuing, organization, and characterization by value set.

Level 1: Receiving (Attention). It is concerned with getting, holding, and directing student's attention.
This can be assessed through interest inventories and can be rated using the Likert scale. Attention
concerns the student's willingness to attend to a classroom activity and being directed by the teacher.
Student's attention is illustrated when listening attentively to the discussion of the teacher, participating
to all classroom activities, and being aware of the importance oflearning and classroom proceedings.
Example:Listening to the ideas of others with respect Verbs appropriate for objectives written at the
receiving level are: ask, choose,describe,follow, give, hold, identify, locate, name, point to, select, sit,
erect, reply, and use.

Level 2: Responding (Interest). It is concerned with the active participation of the learners by showing
interest on what they are doing. This can be assessed through observation in terms of FSRN (frequently,
sometimes, rarely,never).Interest can be shown by completing the assigned work, active participation of
students in class discussion, volunteering for tasks, showing interest in the subject, enjoying helping
others, and willingness to answer questions. Example: Participating in class discussions actively Verbs
appropriate for objectives written at the responding level are: answer, assist, aid, comply, conform,
discuss, greet,help,label,perform,practice, present, read, recite, report, select, tell, and write.

Level 3: Valuing (Preference/Appreciation).Refers to the willingness to be perceived by the others as


valuing certain ideas, materials, phenomenon,or behavior. Preference or appreciation can be shown on
the general reaction to a series of questions that the teacher gets from the students. Students may
express strong opinions under discussion, demonstrate a problem-solving atitude show concern for the
welfare of others, and demonstrate commitment to socia improvement. This can be assessed using the
Likert scalesuch as SA -Strongh Agree,A-Agree,U-Undecided,D-Disagree, SD-Strongly Disagree.
Examples:(1) Demonstrating belief in the democratic process and; (2) showing Level 4: the ability to
solve problems Verbs appropriate for objectives written at the valuing level are: complete demonstrate,
differentiate, explain, follow, form, initiate, invite, join, justify propose,read,report, select, share, study,
and work.

Level 4: Organization (Philosophy of life). It is concerned with the development of philosophy of life by
bringing out the values of the students together to form a value system that will determine relationships
among values and resolve conflicts. This can be assessed by determining whether the learner has
developed a concept of value or belief. Philosophy of life can be shown by accepting responsibility for
his behavior understanding and accepting own strengths and weaknesses, and formulatinga life plan in
harmony with his abilities, interests, and beliefs. Examples: (1) Explaining the role of systematic planning
in solving problems and (2) prioritizing time effectively to meet the needs of the organization, family,
and self. Verbs appropriate for objectives written at the organizing level are
adhere,alter,arrange,combine,compare,complete,defend,explain,formulate generalize, identify,
integrate, modify, order, organize,prepare,relate,ani synthesize.

Level 5: Characterization by a Value (Lifestyle). It is concerned with how the studenti act consistently
with values internalized. Lifestyle can be illustrated by demonstrating self-reliance in workin
independently, cooperating in group activities, punctuality and self-discipline and demonstrating a
lifestyle by consistency of his daily actions. Examples:(1)Showing self-reliance when working
independently and (2) valuin! people for what they are, not how they look like. Verbs appropriate for
objectives written at the characterizing level art
act,discriminate,display,influence,listen,modify,perform,practice,propos qualify,question, revise, serve,
solve, and verify.

Methods of Assessing Affective Learning Outcomes Affective Learning Outcomes There are three
different methods of assessing affective learning outcomes: teadhu observation,student self-report, and
peer rating.Since affective traits are notdirectly observabl it is best to infer from the students' behavior
or what they say.about themselves or other There are several psychological measures to assess affective
traits, but they are seldom us in the classroom. Hence, teachers rely only on their observation and
students self-report

According to Mcmillan (2001), there are three considerations when assessing affect. These are emotion
and feelings, use of different approaches, and the result.Emotions and feelings are not stable attitudes
of young children and during early adolescence because most of them are unpredictable. To obtain a
valid and desirable student's emotion or feeling,the teacher is suggested to conduct different
assessments over a considerable amount of time. In this case,he can obtain the dominant or prevalent
affect of the students. If you consider only a single assessment, there is a high probability that what you
assess is not an entire sign of the trait. Hence, it is better to measure repeatedly over several periods of
time.

When assessing affective traits, it is advisable to use several approaches as much as possible. Do not rely
on a single approach because it has a limitation. As an example, when utilizing student self-report, the
student can hide his feelings and he can fake his answers and this can greatly affect the result. In this
case, you can verify the result using teacher observation. If the result is not consistent with the
observation of the teacher, then the result is invalid. However, if the result is consistent with the
observation of the teacher, stronger and valid result can be inferred from it. Dobbins, Jiing-Lih, and
Werbel (1993), and Cassaday (2001) found out that low-performing students tend to overreport
behavior more than high performing students, especially when they perceive specific levels of
performance that are socially desirable.

The last consideration is the result. Do you need an individual result or group result? Decide whether
you need an individual student result or group result. The purpose is related and significant to the
methods used in assessing affective traits. For example, if the purpose of assessing the affective trait of
students for reporting performance to parents, consider individual result. Several methods of collecting
information are needed over a period of time, and records are kept to verify teacher's observation. On
the other hand, use group result when the purpose of assessment is for improvement of classroom
instruction.

1. Teacher Observation

Observation technique was already introduced in the Assessment of Learning I as a tool of assessing
student's performance during instruction or during formative assessment. In this section, the emphasis
of teacher observation is to make a systematic record on the observation about the presence or absence
of affective outcomès.

a. Steps in Using Teacher's Observation

(1) Determine in advance the specific behavior related to the targets.

(2) Develop a list of positive and negative behaviors.

(3) Decide the type of observation you want to use.

b. Two Methods of Teacher Observation

There are two methods of assessing affective learning outcomes using the teacher observation:these are
unstructured observation and structured observation.

Unstructured observation is also known as open-ended observation. Here, the teacher does not use any
rating scale, or checklist to record observations; it allows the teacher more freedom to record what
information is to be observed and how it is recorded. Recording observations can be done through note
taking, mental note taking, or diary keeping.

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNINGII

The teacher should have determined in advance the affective traits to be observed.However, it is also
important to note that the teacher should also consider other actions that may as well reflect on
affective traits.Therefore there should be at least guidelines and characteristics of the affective traits to
be assessed.

In this type of observation,the teacher monitors his students in a natural classroom setting, taking notes
of the observations about the classroom environment and the behaviors and characteristics of the
students being assessed. He must use simple descriptions, such as always asks questions; keeps standing
and going around; or talking with seatmate. Even so, he must avoid making conclusions about what he
observes using terms such as lonely, happy, motivated, etc.Using unstructured observation allows him
to quickly determine affective traits and utilize them to make adjustment in the instructional processes.

Anecdotal record can be utilized by the teacher when using unstructured observation type. Anecdotal
record is a description of student behavior or a report of observed behavioral incidents. The following is
an example of anecdotal record.

Name of Student:John Emil R.Palma

Year and Section, Teacher, Date/Time

V-Gold Mr.Renz A.Gabuyo 9:00-10:00 a.m.


Anecdote

When Renz came to class this morning, he seemed very tired and slouching in his seat. He did not take
part in class discussion and showed no interest in what was discussed. This is very unusual of him
because he often participates and monopolizes the class discussion.

54-Structured Observation is another way of assessing the affective traits of students.This type of
observation is somewhat different from unstructured observation because more time is needed for the
preparation of the materials and the process of recording the observation.

Structured observation usually involves the utilization of checklist, rating scale,and sometimes the use of
rubrics. With the behaviors listed, it allows the observer to focus on the more important affect to be
assessed. He only has to mark the behavior to indicate the times it has been shown. The behaviors can
be listed in different formats: through the checklist or through the rating scale. Usine the checklist, the
teacher indicates a behavior by marking yes or no; observed of not observed;presence or absence, etc.
With the use of rating scale, terms such as always, often, sometimes, seldom, and never are utilized.

In structured observation, recording is more systematic because the teacher will attend only on the
predetermined aspects of affective traits. In this case, 3 more reliable and valid information among
different observers is easier to obtain.

CHAPTER III-ASSESSING AFFECTIVE LEARNING OUTCOMES

2.Student Self-report The second method of assessing affective learning outcomes is through the use of
student self-report.Student self-report is a method of assessing affective learning outcomes that allows
students to express their feelings or attitudes toward a given specific classroom activity.It limits the
response of the students to what they can only do and say.The teacher must motivate them to respond
properly and seriously, because they might take the activities for granted, or else the information
gathered is not reliable.

There are two methods of assessing affective learning outcomes using the student self-report:the
interview method and the questionnaire and survey methods.Interview method allows the teacher to
probe and clarify information in order to avoid ambiguity, though the students cannot be unanimous
with their information and is time consuming to conduct. In this method, the first thing the teacher does
is to establish trust among students for them to reveal their true feelings and beliefs regarding a certain
fact, activity, or situation. This can be done using individual or group interviews, round table discussions,
or casual conversations.

The second type is through the use of questionnaire or survey methods.There are two types of format
of assessing affective learning outcomes using these methods: the constructed-response format and the
selected-response format.

a. Constructed-response format is done using a completion item or an essay item. In the completion
item, the teacher asks the students about their feelings to respond to a simple statement by writing a
word or phrase to complete the said statement. Examples of statements about completion type are as
follows:

1. I think Science is

2. What I like most about my friend is


3. The topic I like most in Assessment of Learning is

4. Mathematics is

5.When I have enough money I like to

6. I am happy when

7. I am interested in History subject because

8 .I want to sit beside him because

9. I do not like to be in her group because

10. What I like least about our teacher is

Another type of constructed-response is the essay item.In the essay item,the teacher let their students
organize their ideas to be written in paragraph form regarding a certain topic.Examples of essay topics
with specific instructions are as follows:

1. Write a paragraph you like most about your teacher in Assessment of Learning. 1. Cite your reasons
and the experiences that you like most with the teacher.

2. Describe yourself as a student. Are you one of the top performing students?If so,how do you maintain
your high grades? If not,what will you do to become a top student?

b. Selected-response Format

There are three types of selected-response format presented in this section.These are rating scale,
semantic differential scale, and checklist. They are usually used to assess attitudes, beliefs,and interests
of the participants.

(1) Rating scale

Rating scale is a set of categories designed to gather information on quantitative attributes in social
sciences. In this case, Likert scale or 1-10 rating scales is the most widely used to assess attitude.
Students are required to rate their degree of agreement with certain statements. Their response will
show both the direction (favor or not favor) and the strength or intensity of their attitude. The rating
scale requires the students to mark whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree
about their attitude toward something. Statements used in the Likert scale are either positive or
negative.

Below is the list of opinions about Mathematics. Rate each item by putting a check on the box that
corresponds to your answer.
Opinions ,Strongly,Agree,Neutral,Disagree,Strongly,

1. Mathematics is a boring and,

2.I enjoy studying Mathematics,

3.Mathematics is an important

,4. Mathematics is a difficult,

5. I am confident that I will get a,

6. Mathematics does not scare,

7.Mathematics is a very,

8.I am happier in Mathematics,

9. I believe I am good at solving,

10. I am always confused in my,

CHAPTER III-ASSESSING AFFECTIVE LEARNING OUTCOMES

(2) Semantic Differential Scale 75

Semantic differential scale is another type of selected-response format in which a pair of adjectives are
used to provide connections with feelings,beliefs,and opinions that can be measured by degrees of
agreement that show both opposite directions and intensity. The teacher let the students check in
between each pair of adjectives that describes the positive or the negative aspects of a given trait.

When developing semantic differential scales consider the following.

(a) Bipolar objectives are simple and economical means of obtaining data about students' reactions.

(b) Ratings on bipolar adjective scale tend to be correlated and the three basic dimensions of
response account for the most of the covariationin ratings.

(c) Some adjective scales are almost pure measures of evaluation. Examples of adjectives used in
terms of their dimensions: difficulty (easy-difficult), potency (powerful-powerless), and activity (slow-
fast).

Example of Semantic Differential Scales:

Mathematics Test

Easy Difficult

3 2 1 01 23

Basketball Player

Weak Strong
32101 23

Presentation

Dislike

Like

321 0 1 2 3

(3)Checklist

Checklist is the easiest tool to develop compared to rating scale and semantic differential scale.It
consists of simple items that the students or teacher marks as "present" or “absent" of a certain
attribute that describes the affective traits.

Steps in Constructing a Checklist

According to McMillan (2001),there are three steps in developing a checklist.

(a) Enumerate all attributes and characteristics you wish to observe relative to

the concept being assessed.

Arrange these attributes as a “shopping" list of characteristics.

(b) Ask students to mark attributes or characteristics which are present andto leave blank to those
which are not.

Sample Checklist for Structured Observation in a Classroom

Observations,Yes,No,1. Students will attend classes on time.,2. Students will submit assignments on
time.,3. Students will actively participate in classroom,4. Students will follow instructions during
examination.,5. Students will ask questions during classroom discussion.,

3. Peer Rating

Peer rating is the least method to be used in assessing affective learning outcomes.In this method,the
students are asked to assess or judge their classmates' behavior. It can be used to assess interpersonal
traits. Frequency nomination or sociogram is used to analyze its results. There are two approaches of
obtaining peer rating: the guess-who approach and the sociometric approach.In the guess-who
approach, students are asked to write the name/s of their classmate/s who is described in the form.

Guess-Who Form

Direction: Write the name/s of your classmate/s who is described in the following

questions. Your answer must remain confidential. No other students shall see your

answer.Student/s can be named more than once in each category.


1. Who is the most willing to work with others?

2. Which student is concerned more about others?

3. Who asks much help about his/her assignment?

4. Which student is willing to cooperate with others?

On the other hand, sociometric approach is used to assess social structure of the class and interaction
patterns among the students (McMillan, 2001). Using this approach, it allows the teacher to learn about
the social acceptance and the liking patterns of the students. The results can be utilized in identifying
small groups of students, cliques popular students, and social isolates.

CHAPTER

Portfolio Assessment

Key Terms,portfolio assessment,student portfolio,portfolio,working portfolio,showcase


portfolio,progress portfolio,Learning Outcomes,

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Define portfolio assessment, portfolio,working portfolio, showcase portfolio, and progress


portfolio;

2. Differentiate portfolio assessment from traditional assessment;

3. Differentiate portfolio assessment from performance-based assessment;

4. Give the advantages and disadvantages of portfolio assessment;

5. ·Identify the different kinds of portfolio;

6. Identify the different purposes of each type of portfolio;

7.Give some uses of portfolio assessment;

8. Determine the different steps in developing portfolio;

9.Develop rubrics in assessing the portfolio of the students; and

10. Identify the different guidelines in assessing the portfolio of students;and

11. Evaluate the portfolio of students.

CHAPTER IV-PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

79

Introduction
In the previous chapter, we have learned that performance assessment is a direct and systematic
observation of the actual performance of the students based ona predetermined performance criteria.
The student demonstrates his understanding of particular concepts to show mastery of learning. In this
chapter, we shall discuss another method of assessing the performance of students' product known as
portfolio assessment. Portfolio Assessment is an alternative way of assessing students' output to cater
to different audiences and purposes.

Definition of Portfolio

Portfolio refers to the collection of projects and works of students that exemplifies their skills, attitudes,
and interests within a certain period of time. It is the compilation of students' best works and materials
which are essential to assess their progress or achievement.Examples of portfolio work samples are
poems, songs, letters, drama scripts, drafted and revised stories written by the students in their
Literature or Language subject, and final solutions of students in solving complex mathematics
problems, etc.

Definition of Portfolio Assessment

Portfolio assessment becomes useful and widely used in assessing and measuring the progress of the
students. It documents the process of learning and the changes that occur during the process. According
to Ferenz (2001), portfolio assessment is the systematic, longitudinal collection of student work created
in response to specific, known instructional objectives and evaluated in relation to the same criteria.

Student Portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress,
and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include student participation in selecting
contents, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidences of student self-
reflection. (Paulson,Paulson,& Meyer, 1991 as cited by Ferenz, 2001 in her article Using Student
Portfolio for Outcomes Assessment)

Take note that the student portfolio is not a compilation of previous works of a student over a period of
time, but contains a purposeful, selected samples of student work. If you purposefully select a particular
student work, you decide the type of story you want the portfolio to tell. For example, if you want to
highlight the progress the students have made in a particular period of time, then choose samples that
will showcase the best work of your students.

The portfolio should represent a collection of students' best work or best efforts, student-selected
samples of work experiences, related to outcomes being assessed,and documents according growth and
development toward mastering identified outcomes.

Difference Between Portfolio Assessment and Portfolio Collection

One of the critical issues when using portfolio assessment is to be able to differentiate assessment
model and portfolio collection to enhance and monitor the performance of the students in the
classroom,Shaklee et al. (1997) gave the differences between portfolio collection and portfolio
assessment.
Portfolio Collection, Portfolio Assessment

,Why am I collecting evidence?, How am I using the evidence?,

for representative skills, to offer the next level,

for areas of development, to promote development

,for demonstrated ability, to document ability,

for conferencing, to modify instruction,

for reporting, to adapt curriculum,

Comparison of Portfolio and Traditional Forms of Assessment

Ferenz (2001) pointed out the differences between traditional assessment and portfolio assessment.

Traditional Assessment, Portfolio Assessment,

Measures student's ability at one time, Measures student's ability over time

Done by the teacher alone; students are, Done by the teacher and the students;,

Conducted outside instruction, Embedded in instruction,

Assigns student a grade, Involves student in own assessment,

Does not capture the students' language,Capture many facets of language learning,Does not include the
teacher's knowledge,

Pa- Allows for expression of teacher's,Does not give student responsibility,

Student learns how to take responsibility,

Three Types of Portfolio

There are three basic types of portfolio to consider for classroom use. These are working portfolio,
showcase portfolio, and progress portfolio.

1. Working Portfolio

The first type of portfolio is working portfolio which is also known as teacher student portfolio.As the
name implies, it is a “project at work”; it contains the work in progress, as well as the finished samples
of work used to reflect on the activities done by the student and the teacher. It documents the stages of
learning and provides 3 progressive record of student growth. This is an interactive teacher-student
portfolio that aids in communication between the teacher and the student.

The working portfolio may be used to diagnose student needs. Using this, both the student and the
teacher are aware of the former's strengths and weaknesses in achieving learning objectives, as
evidenced by the portfolio.This information is very useful in designing future instruction for the
students.

CHAPTER IV-PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

81

2.Showcase Portfolio

Showcase portfolio is the second type of portfolio also known as the best work portfolio or display
portfolio. This kind of portfolio focuses on the student's best and most reprèsentative work; it exhibits
the best performance of the student. The best work portfolio documents the students' efforts with
respect to curriculum objectives. It may also include the evidence of student activities done outside the
school (e.g.a story written at home).

It is just like an artist's portfolio where a variety of work is selected to reflect the breadth of talent-a
painter who exhibits his best paintings. Hence, in this portfolio the student selects what he or she thinks
is a representative work. This folder is most often seen in open houses and parent visitations. (Columba
&Dolgos, 1995)

The most rewarding use of student portfolio is the display of the students' best work-the work that
makes them proud. In this case, it encourages self-assessment and builds the self-esteem of students.
The pride and sense of accomplishment that students feel make the effort worthwhile and contribute to
a culture of learning in the classroom.

3. Progress Portfolio

The third type of portfolio is progress portfolio and it is also known as the teacher alternative
assessment portfolio. It contains examples of students' work with the same types done over a period of
time which are then utilized to assess their progress. All the works of the students in this type of
portfolio are scored, rated, ranked, or evaluated.

Teachers can keep individual student portfolio that is solely for the teacher's use as an assessment tool.
This is a focused type of portfolio and is a model of the holistic approach to assessment. (Columba &
Dolgos, 1995)

Assessment portfolio is used to document student learning on specific curriculum outcomes and is used
to demonstrate the extent of mastery in any curricular area.

Uses of Portfolios

1. It provides both formative and summative opportunities for monitoring progress

toward reaching identified outcomes.

2.It communicates concrete information about what is expected of students in terms of the content and
quality of performance in specific curriculum areas.

It allows students to document aspects of their learning that do not show up

3.
well in traditional assessments. It is useful to showcase periodic or end of the year accomplishments of
students

4. such as in poetry, reflections on growth, samples of best works, etc.

It is also used to facilitate communication between teachers and parents regarding the child's
achievement and progress in a certain period of time.

6. Administrators may use the portfolio for national competency testing to grant high-school credit
and to evaluate educational programs.

7. It combines the purposes of instructional enhancement and progress


documentation.Through the portfolio,a teacher is able to review the students' work periodically and
makes notes to revise his instruction for the next year.

Purposes of the Different Types of Portfolio

Mueller (2010) suggested different purposes of each type of portfolios and some samples of students'
product needed to be accomplished.

Purposes of Working Portfolio

Purposes of Working Portfolio,Samples of Student's Accomplishments,1. To show growth or


change,previous and recent pieces of work in any,2. To identify strengths/weak-,samples of work
reflecting specifically,3. To track development of one,drafts of the specific product or performance,4.
To help develop process skills,

samples which reflect growth of process,

CHAPTER IV-PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT 83

Purposes of Showcase Portfolio

Purposes of Showcase Portfolio,Samples of Student's Accomplishments,1. To showcase end-of-


year/semester,samples of best work,2. To showcase student perceptions,samples of student's favorite,
best, or,3. To represent a sample of current,match of work with standards ac-,4.,

cover letter,

Purposes of Progres Portfolio Purposes of Progiess Portfollo,aples of Srudent's Accomplishments,1.To


document achievement for,amples of repreentative work in rach,2 Toplace stadents
appmpriately,epresentative samples of tecent work,3. To document progress toward, list of applicable
goals and standards,
CHAPTER IV-PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

Advantages of Portfolio/Venn,2000) 85

1. It is consistent with the theories of instruction and philosophies of schools promoting students'
involvement in learning.

2. It is an excellent way to document student's development and growth over time.

3. It provides students the opportunity to have extensive input from the learning process.

4. It fosters a sense of ownership of the work and the skills in critical self-reflection and decision-
making.

5. Portfolio contents may be used to illustrate the processes and procedures students follow.

6. It combines paper-and-pencil tests with performance and product assessments.

7.It promotes student self-evaluation, reflection, and critical thinking.

8. It measures performance-based assessment from genuine samples of student work.

9. It provides opportunities for students and teachers to discuss learning goals and the steps to achieve
those goals in structured and unstructured conferences.

10. It enables measurement of multiple dimensions of student progress by including different types of
data and materials.

Disadvantages of Portfolio/Venn,2000)

1.

Logistics involved in designing and maintaining a portfolio system may be overwhelming with little or no
support.

2.All stakeholders need training to design, implement, manage, and assess

portfolio.

3. Portfolio is a new assessment strategy to most teachers, relative to previous approaches, with
many unresolved issues.

4.Gathering all the necessary data and work samples can make the portfolio bulky and difficult to
manage.

5. Requiring extra time to plan an assessment system and conduct the assessment.

6. Scoring portfolio involves the extensive use of subjective evaluation procedures, such as rating
scales and professional judgment; these limit reliability.

7. Developing a systematic and deliberate management system is difficult, but this step is
necessary in order to make a portfolio more than a random collection of student work.
8. Scheduling individual portfolio conferences is difficult and the length of each conference may
interfere with other instructional activities.

Developing Portiolio Assessment

There are eight basic steps in developing portfolio assessment system.The process of developing
portfolio assessment was adapted from the article written by Charlotte

CHAPTER IV-PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

Advantages of Portfolio/Venn,2000) 85

1. It is consistent with the theories of instruction and philosophies of schools promoting students'
involvement in learning.

2. It is an excellent way to document student's development and growth over time.

3. It provides students the opportunity to have extensive input from the learning process.

4. It fosters a sense of ownership of the work and the skills in critical self-reflection and decision-
making.

5. Portfolio contents may be used to illustrate the processes and procedures students follow.

6. It combines paper-and-pencil tests with performance and product assessments.

7.It promotes student self-evaluation, reflection, and critical thinking.

8. It measures performance-based assessment from genuine samples of student work.

9. It provides opportunities for students and teachers to discuss learning goals and the steps to achieve
those goals in structured and unstructured conferences.

10. It enables measurement of multiple dimensions of student progress by including different types of
data and materials.

Disadvantages of Portfolio/Venn,2000)

1.

Logistics involved in designing and maintaining a portfolio system may be overwhelming with little or no
support.

2.All stakeholders need training to design, implement, manage, and assess

portfolio.

3. Portfolio is a new assessment strategy to most teachers, relative to previous approaches, with
many unresolved issues.
4.Gathering all the necessary data and work samples can make the portfolio bulky and difficult to
manage.

5. Requiring extra time to plan an assessment system and conduct the assessment.

6. Scoring portfolio involves the extensive use of subjective evaluation procedures, such as rating
scales and professional judgment; these limit reliability.

7. Developing a systematic and deliberate management system is difficult, but this step is
necessary in order to make a portfolio more than a random collection of student work.

8. Scheduling individual portfolio conferences is difficult and the length of each conference may
interfere with other instructional activities.

Developing Portiolio Assessment

There are eight basic steps in developing portfolio assessment system.The process of developing
portfolio assessment was adapted from the article written by Charlotte

You sent

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING II

86

Danielson and Leslye Abrutyn. Since portfolio entries represent a type of performance,

these steps resemble the principles for developing good performance assessments.

1. Determine the curricular objectives to be addressed through the portfolio.

2. Determine the decisions that will be made based on the portfolio assessments. Will the
assessments be used for high-stakes assessment at certain levels of schooling (e.g. to enable students to
make the transition from grade V to grade VI)?

3. Design assessment tasks for the curricular objectives. Ensure that the task matches instructional
intentions and adequately represents the content and skills (including the appropriate level of difficulty)
students are expected to attain. These considerations will ensure the validity of the assessment tasks.

4. Define the criteria for each assessment task and establish performance standards for each
criterion.

5.Determine who will evaluate the portfolio entries.Will they be teachers from the students' own
school? Teachers from another school? Or does the state identify and train evaluators?

6. Train teachers or other evaluators to score the assessments. This will ensure the reliability of the
assessments.

7. Teach the curriculum, administer assessments, and collect them in portfolios or score
assessments.

8. As determined in Step 2, make decisions based on the assessments in the portfolios.


Guidelines for Assessing Portfolio

1. Include enough documents (items) on which to base judgment.

2. Structure the contents to provide scorable information.

3. Develop judging criteria and a scoring scheme for raters to use in assessing the portfolio.

4. Use observation instruments such as checklists and rating scales when possible to facilitate
scoring.

5. Use trained evaluators or assessors.

Contents of Portfolio

1. Table of contents

2. Single best piece,which is selected by the students and can come from any class and need not
address an academic subject

3. Letter explaining the composition and selection of the best piece

4. Poem, short story, or personal narration

5. Personal response toa book, event, current issue, mathematical problem, of scientific
phenomenon

6. Prose piece from any subject area other than English or Language Arts

CHAPTER

Grading and Reporting Systems

Key Terms,averaging method,cumulative method,grade,grading system,reporting system,norm-


referenced grading,criterion-referenced grading,table of equivalence,Learning Outcomes,At the end of
this chapter, the students should be able to:,1. Identify the different components of grading in
elementary and secondary,levels;,2. Discuss the different reasons why grading is a difficult task for
teachers;,3. Identify the different functions of grading and reporting;,4. Differentiate the different types
of comparing grades;,5. Give the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of
reporting,grades;,6. Differentiate norm-referenced grading and criterion-referenced grading;,7. Identify
the different guidelines in grading elementary and secondary,8. Identify the different guidelines for
effective and fair grading;,

CHAPTER V-GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

Introduction

Grading is one of the many activities of a classroom teacher to professionally judge the achievements of
the students. This involves the collection and evaluation of proofs regarding the performance or
achievement of the learners within a specified period of time. Through this process, different types of
descriptive information and ways of measuring the performance of the students that summarize their
accomplishments are converted to grades or marks.
Grading and reporting the progress of the students are two of the most difficult tasks of teachers
because there are so many factors and decisions to be considered. In this chapter, we shall consider the
different methods of grading, the different purposes of grading, symbols used in reporting grades, and
guidelines for effective and fair grading.

Grading is the process of judging the quality of the performance of a student. The reasons why teachers
find grading demanding are: (1) they have insufficient, formal instruction in grading; (2) they have to
make judgment based on incomplete evidence; (3) they have conflicting classroom roles; and (4) there is
no single universally accepted ,grading system.

Grade is a symbol used to represent the achievement or progress of a student.

Purposes of Grading and Reporting Systems

Grading and reporting systems serve many purposes, but no single method serves all the purposes well.
They are used to: communicate the achievement of the students; provide students information to
improve their self-evaluation; provide incentives for students to learn; select or group students for a
certain educational path or progress; evaluate the effectiveness of the program; inform the teacher
about what students have and have not learned; and motivate and encourage good work by students
(Erickson and Strommer, 1991).

Different schools have different grading and reporting systems. They are designed to serve many
purposes in the educational system. Linn (2009) provided the following purposes of grading and
reporting systems.

1. Instructional Uses

2. Reports to Parents/Guardians

3.Administrative and Guidance Uses

Types of Grading System

Another most important function of a classroom teacher is to assign grade to the students. What shall
be the basis that the teacher will use to assign grades? It is very important for a classroom teacher to
discuss to the students and their parents the type of grading system he will utilize at the beginning of
the term or school year.

In this section, weshall discuss the general approaches of assigning grades. This approach will depend on
the grading system of any educational institution, most especially in the tertiary level.There are two
most common types of grading system used at different colleges and universities in the Philippines.
These are the norm-referenced grading system and the criterion-referenced grading system.

Norm-referenced Grading System using norm referenced grading system, a student performance is
evaluated relaline depend on to the performance oe os ver students in the class. This grading system is
aleo known as "grading on the curve.!"The teacher will be the one to set how many percem of the
students in the class assigned each grade if it is not stated in the grading policy or the
institution,otherwise, follow what is stated in the grading policy.Percentile rank and stanines are some
examples of norm-referenced grading. Advantages 1. It is very easy to use. 2. It works well for the
courses with retention policies and it limits only few students to advance to the next level of the course.
3.It is useful if the focus is the individual achievement of the students. 4. It is appropriate to a large
group of students, that is, more than 40. 5. It does not encourage cooperation among the students. 6.
The teacher easily identifies learning criteria-the percentage of students who received highest grade or
lowest grade. Disadvantages 1. The performance of a student is not only determined by his
achievement, but also the achievement of the other students. 2. It promotes competition among the
students rather than cooperation. 3. It cannot be used when the class size is smaller than 40. 4. Not all
students can pass the given subject or course. Criterion-referenced Grading System In this type of
grading system, the student performance is evaluated against a certain criteria or standard. The student
must get a grade higher than or equal to a given standard to pass a certain test. For example, the
students must spell 90% of 50 words correctly to pass the spelling test.The criteria or standard is
absolute in this grading system and it is also possible that all students may receive the highest possible
grade or all of them may pass the said test, subject, or course. It is also possiblè that all students may
receive a failing grade if they will not reach the standard set by the teacher. Advantages 1. The
performance of the students will not be affected by the performance of the whole class. 2. It promotes
cooperation among the students. 3.All students may pass the subject or course when they meet the
standard set by the teacher.

CHAPTER V-GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

91

Disadvantages

1.Itis difficult to set a reasonable standard if it is not stated in the grading policies of the institution.

2.All students may not pass the subject or course when they do not meet the standard set by the
teacher or the institution.

Types of Reporting System

There is no single way of reporting the level of achievement of the students.Different colleges and
universities utilize different symbols to describe and report the level of performance or achievement of
their students. This will depend on the grading policies of the said institution. These can be
numbers,percentages,letter grade equivalents,and descriptions.The succeeding table presents an
example of reporting grades for tertiary level.

Percentages,Numbers,Letters,Descriptions,

98-100,1.00,A+,Outstanding/Excellent

,95-97,1.25,A,Outstanding/Excellent,

92-94,1.50,A-,Very good,

89-91,1.75,B+,Very good,

86-88,2.00,B,Good,

83-85,2.25,B-,Good,

80-82,2.50,C+,Fair,
77-79,2.75,C+,Fair

,75-76,3.00,C-,Passed

,below 75,5.00,D,Failed,

Grading System of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

In case of Basic Education, the grading system being used is based on DepEd Order Number 33, series
2004, replacing the DECS Order No. 70, series 1998. The new grading system of DepEd is about giving
grades that are mainly based on the students' performance. The features of the new grading system are
the following:

1. The lowest grade or the minimum performance standard for the students in public elementary and
secondary schools is set at 75%. The lowest failing grade that may appear in the report card is set at
65%.

2. The same standard shall apply to students in the Bridge Program.

3.In assessing the learning outcomes, the construction of test items consists of basic terms (factual
information) 60%, moderately difficult or more advanced questions 30%, and higher order thinking skills
(items for distinguishing honor students) 10%. Questions in each category should have different weights.
Test and non-test items should cover only materials actually taken up in the class.

4. Grading system by subject shall follow the guidelines in Enclosure 1 Enclosure 2 of DepEd Order
33,series 2004.

5. Transmutation tables shall not be used in the computation of grades. Test scores shal be recorded as
svelscores,totaled at the end of cach grading period, and hn computed as percentagel(student'score
÷highest possible score)x 100% 6. This is also known as the Table of Equivalence.

6.The final grade shall be determined by averaging the marks for the four quarters.

7.Promotion at the secondary level shall be by subject. A student shall be retained In the case of
secondary level,averaging across quarters shall be by subject only. in the year level if he/she incurs
failures of three units or more during the regular school year and is unable to make up for the failed
subjects during the summer sessions. Retained students need to repeat only those subjects that they
failed.

Guidelines for Rating Elementary Pupils

The guidelines for rating the performance of elementary pupils are based on the Enclosure 1 of DepEd
Order No.33,s.2004.The percentage distribution of weights for elementary pupils are periodic test (25%)
and other measures of achievement(75%)as shown in the given table below.
Source:Enclosure 1 DepEd Order No.33,s.2004 Note:The subject MAKABAYAN IV-VI are graded in the
Report Card(Form 138) as one subject area.However, each subject needs individual rating. Sample
Computation for Rating in Math VI To compute the rating of each student in Math VI class in a grading
period,get the average of all the ratings entered in the class record under each measure of achievement,
then multiply the corresponding weight as shown in the table below.

Hence, the grade of a certain student in Math VI for a grading period is 93.25% or 93%. Guidelines for
Rating Secondary Students The guidelines for rating the performance of secondary students are based
on the Enclosure 2 of DepEd Order No. 33,s.2004.The percentage distributions of weight for secondary
students are shown in the given table below.

Source:Enclosure 2 to DepEd Order No.33,s.2004.

Components of the Student's Grade

Below are the different components needed for the computation of grades of the

students for secondary level in each subject area from Enclosure 2 of DepEd Order No.

33,s.2004.

1.

Periodic test. Summative assessment of student's learning at the end of the 2. quarter.

Quiz. Summative assessment of student's learning at the end of the lesson; quizzes given for formative
purposes are not considered in the computation of the student's grade but as basis for making decision
whether to proceed to the 3. next lesson or to reteach.

4. Unit Test.Summative assessment of student's learning at the end of the unit.

Participation/Performance. Student's involvement in the learning process individually and/or in group;


students demonstration of a skill or process (e.g, role play, theatrical performance, music, dance, choral
reading, speech delivery, 5. experiment,etc.)

Project/Output. Product of a skill or process (e.g., book report,book/movie 6. review, journal,


research,etc.)

Assignment.Work usually done outside the classroom in preparation for the 7. next lesson and may
involve an application or extension of student learning.

Behavior. Observable manifestation of student's feelings, thoughts, or attitude; grade is reflected in


Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga although every subject teacher is expected to contribute to the
assessment of the student's behavior.

Methods of Computing Final Grade

There are two common methods of computing the final grade.These are the averaging
method and cumulative method. The computation of the final grade will depend on the

grading policy of the school, or colleges and universities.In the case of public elementary

and secondary schools, averaging method is utilized as defined in the DepEd Order No. 33,s.2004.

CHAPTER V-GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

Averaging method.In this method,the weights of the grade in each grading period are equal. The
formula is:

Final grade= First Grading grade+Second Grading grade +Third Grading grade +Fourth Grading grade

Example:The grade of Benjamin in Mathematics IV is shown below.Find the final grade.

Final grade=92.75

Cumulative method. In this method, the final grade gives a higher weight on the present grade than the
previous grade. The percentage of the present and previous grades will depend on the policy of the
scho01, most especially in the private schools as defined by the manual of private schools or as defined
in their grading policies. Example of cumulative method is the sum of 13of the Third Grading grade
and of\the Fourth Grading grade. The formula is:

Final Grade=1/3(TGG)+2/3(FGG)

Example: The grade of Ryan Christopher in Mathematics IV is distributed in the table below.Compute
the final grade using the cumulative method.

Final Grade=1/3(TGG)+2/(FGG)

Final Grade= 1/3(94)+2/3(96)

Final Grade=4/4+96x2

Final Grade =31.33+64

Final Grade=95.33

Grading System for Pupils/Students Under K-12 Curriculum

The grading system for pupils/students in the K-12 Curriculum is based on DepEd Order Number
73,series 2012 known as the "Guidelines on the Assessment and Rating of Learning Outcomes Under the
K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum Enclosure No.1"”This is applicable only for pupils/students enrolled
in Grade I and Grade VII,beginning in SY 2012-2013.

The assessment of the performance of the learners under K-12 Curriculum shall be holistic,with
emphasis on the formative or developmental purpose of quality, assuring student learning. It is also
standards-based for the teacher has to make sure that he will teach the learners based on the standards
given and the students have to meet or even exceed them. In this case,the students' attainment of the
standard is very important in terms of the content and performance of the learners for this is the
evidence of learning.

Levels of Assessment

Formative assessment will be used to measure the attainment of the learning outcomes as defined in
the learning standards which ensure quality of learning.They shall be the focus of the summative
assessments and shall be the basis for grading at the end of instruction.

There are four levels of learning outcomes: knowledge level which has a percentage weight of 15%;
process or skill level -25%; understanding(s) level-30%; and products/ performances level-30%, with a
total of 100%.

1. Knowledge level refers to the substantive content of the curriculum,the facts and information
that the student acquires.

2. Process level refers to the cognitive operations that the student performs on facts and
information for the purpose of constructing meanings or understandings.

3. Understanding level refers to the enduring big ideas, principles, and generalizations inherent to
the discipline, which may be assessed using the facets of understanding or other indicators of
understanding which may be specific to the discipline.

4. Products/Performances level refers to real life application of understanding as evidenced by the


student's performance of authentic tasks.

Levels of Proficiency

The performance of the students shall be described in their report card,based on the following levels of
proficiency.

1. Beginning (B). The student at this level struggles with his/her understanding; prerequisite and
fundamental knowledge and or skills have not been acquired or developed adequately to aid
understanding.

2. Developing (D). The student at this level possesses the minimum knowledge and skills and core
understandings,but needs help throughout the performance of authentic tasks.

CHAPTENG AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

97 Approaching Proficiency (AP). The student at this level has developed the fundamental knowledge
and skils and core understanding and, with litle 4. guidance from the teacher and/or with some
assistance from peers, can transfer these understandings through authentic performance tasks.
Proficient(P).Thestudent at thislevel has developed the fundamental knowledge 5. authentic
performance tasks. and skills and core understandings, and can transfer them independently through

Advanced (A). The student at this level exceeds the core requirements in terms of knowledge,skills,and
understandings,and can transfer them automatically and flexibly through authentic performance tasks.

In order to determine the level of proficiency of the students,numerical value is

important.To get it,compute first the sum of all the results of the student's performance

card.on the various levels of assessment.After which,the following shall appear in the report

Averaging Method

This shall be used in the computation of the final grade. It is the average of the four quarters ratings and
is expressed in terms of proficiency level.

Promotion and Retention

The promotion and retention of students shall be by subject. A student whose proficiency level is
Beginning (B) at the end of each quarter shall be required for a remedial class after class hours so he can
catch up on the next grading period. When a student remains at the proficiency level at the end of the
school year, he shall be required to take the summer class.

Guidelines for Effective and Fair Grading

Miller,Linn&Gronlund (2009) suggested the following guidelines for effective and fair grading and this
can be adopted in the Philippine educational system, most specially in the Higher Education
Institutions(HEIs).

1. Describe the grading procedures to the students at the beginning of instruction.

2. Make clear to the students that the course grade will be based on achievement only.

3. Explain how other elements will be reported such as efforts, work habits, and personal-social
characteristics.

CHAPTENG AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

3.

97 Approaching Proficiency (AP). The student at this level has developed the fundamental knowledge
and skils and core understanding and, with litle 4. guidance from the teacher and/or with some
assistance from peers, can transfer these understandings through authentic performance tasks.
Proficient(P).Thestudent at thislevel has developed the fundamental knowledge 5. authentic
performance tasks. and skills and core understandings, and can transfer them independently through

Advanced (A). The student at this level exceeds the core requirements in terms of knowledge,skills,and
understandings,and can transfer them automatically and flexibly through authentic performance tasks.

In order to determine the level of proficiency of the students,numerical value is

important.To get it,compute first the sum of all the results of the student's performance

card.

on the various levels of assessment.After which,the following shall appear in the report

Numerical Value,Level of Proficiency,74% and below,Beginning(B),75-79%,Developing(D),80-


84%,Approaching Proficiency(AP),85-89%,Proficient(P),90% and above,

Advanced(A),

Averaging Method

This shall be used in the computation of the final grade. It is the average of the four quarters ratings and
is expressed in terms of proficiency level.

Promotion and Retention

The promotion and retention of students shall be by subject. A student whose proficiency level is
Beginning (B) at the end of each quarter shall be required for a remedial class after class hours so he can
catch up on the next grading period. When a student remains at the proficiency level at the end of the
school year, he shall be required to take the summer class.

Guidelines for Effective and Fair Grading

Miller,Linn&Gronlund (2009) suggested the following guidelines for effective and fair grading and this
can be adopted in the Philippine educational system, most specially in the Higher Education
Institutions(HEIs).

1. Describe the grading procedures to the students at the beginning of instruction.

2. Make clear to the students that the course grade will be based on achievement only.

3.Explain how other elements will be reported such as efforts, work habits, and personal-social
characteristics.

You sent

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

4.Relatethe grading procedures to the intended learning outcomes (instructiona goals and objectives).

5.Obtain valid evidence as basis for reporting grades (c.g,tests,assessmentg, reports, or ratings).
6.Take precautions to prevent cheating on tests and assessments.

7.Return and review all tests and assessment results as soon as possible.

8.Properly weigh the various types of achievement included in the grade.

9.Do not lower an achievement grade for tardiness,weak effort,or misbehavior,

10. Be fair.Avoid bias,and when in doubt, review the pieces of evidence, such as scores in the boarder
line. If still in doubt,assign the higher grade.

Table of Equivalence

Table of Equivalence is utilized in the computation of percentage of the scores in each subject.Take note
that this is mandated only for elementary and secondary public schools based on DepEd Order
No.33,s.2004.

The formula in the computation for table of equivalence is:

P= x100%

where,

TS-total score

TI-total number of items

P-percentage

If the number of items is not found in the table, use the formula to compute the percentage.To facilitate
the computation, you can utilize the excel program.

CHAPTER

Assessment of Children

with Special Needs

Key Terms,Special Education,assessment,Individualized Educational Program,children with


disability,multidisciplinary team,assessment standard,Universal Design,Learning Outcomes,At the end of
this chapter, the students should be able to:,1. Define assessment, testing, and assessment in Special
Education;,2. Be familiar with the legal bases of assessment for individuals with disability;,3. Recognize
the function of the multidisciplinary team for assessment of,children with special needs;,4. Identify the
functional phases of the multidisciplinary assessment team;,5. Relate classroom assessment to children
with disabilities;,6. Realize the common areas to assess for individuals with special needs;,7. Assess for
conducive learning;,8. Categorize the basic means of assessment;,9. Perform different assessment
standards in Special Education; and,10. Utilize the universal design for Special Education.,
Ths chaper discuses the importance of assessment in the field oat the studeucation

Introduction thett

to aid the students to become successful.

Assessment is the process of collecting data for the purpose of making decisions

Definition

Assessment

sstudent and decide the next steps to be utilized in order to ensure proper learning

(Salvia, Ysseldyke, and Bolt 2010)

Assessment in Special Education

In the discipline of Special Education,assessment can be defined as “the systematic

process of gathering educationally relevant information to make legal and instructional

decisions about the provision of special services"(McLoughlin and Lewis,2008).

Assesment in Special Education should be considered as continuous. To note, assessment should be


ideally an ongoing process. Assessment should also be done systematically to answer important
questions that are educationally relevant.Therefore, it should serve a definite purpose of catering highly
individualized instructional plans for the students with disability. In other words, each program is
designed to fulfill a specific purpose of addressing the needs of the student with disability.

Testing

Testing is a form of assessment where students are presented with different specific problems for them
to answer and as a result, thèy are expected to gain a specific score. Test is also considered as a
procedure for evaluation by means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something. A test
may consist of series of questions, problems, or physical responses designed to determine knowledge,
intelligence, or ability. Thus, it is considered as a reliable basis for evaluation or judgment that gives
teachers quantitative data.

Difference Between Assessment and Testing

Knowing the difference between assessment and testing is important with regard to student's learning
behavior. In testing, assessment normally results to labeling.The result of test determines the service
that the students need. Hence, the teacher should not be too quick to assess his student. In Special
Education, students who have difficulty in reading are not readily labeled as dyslexic; rather, they are
diagnosed to have reading difficulties.

Legal Bases of Assessment for Individuals with Disabilities

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)


The Individuais with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was previously patterned after the Public Law 94-142 or the
Education for All Handicapped Children Act.The specific purposes of the law includes the following: (1)
to insure publicly funded Special Education and related services for all handicapped children no later
than 1978; (2) to insure the rights of handicapped children and their parents and guardians;(3) to relieve
the Special Education financial burden of state and local governments; and(4) to assess and insure the
effectiveness of efforts to educate handicapped children.

No Child Left Behind(NCLB)

This requires stronger accountability for results by specifying that schools must have challenging
educational standards,test children starting grade 3 every year, and specify progress objectives that
ensure proficiency of every child.(Salvia et al.,2012)

The Multidisciplinary Team for Assessment of Children with Special Needs

Multidisciplinary team is responsible for the assessment of children with speciaI needs. A
multidisciplinary team approach, including the integration of values, perspectives, and ideas gives an
accurate decision-making process in identifying the academic, social,and vocational needs of the child
and to develop an individualized educational program that will meet the needs of the student with
disability. The team functions to support students in the Special Education and related services.
Members would share responsibility and have to maintain an open communication in the form of
collaboration and not merely coordination.

Members of the multidisciplinary team include teachers, administrators, and appropriate specialists
serving in selected roles. Considered as specialists are the therapists, counselors, psychologists, bilingual
teachers, and curriculum specialists. Parents, students, student's peers, and others can contribute to the
team. In assessing a child with special needs, the major functions of the team are:

1. To determine if the student has a disability and would require Special Education services;

2. To plan and evaluate educational experiences of 'students who have been diagnosed to be in
need of Special Education services; and

3. To develop an action plan that would meet •the needs of the child with disability in terms of
education, social, and vocation, in the inclusion process which indicates that the child with disability will
not be placed in Special Education and, if necessary, to identify the student's unique needs to develop
an individualized educational program to address the needs.

The basic multidisciplinary team activities include:

1. Evaluating students who are experiencing difficulty in the regular class upon referral or students
who are in need of Special Education upon entering the educational system;

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

103

2. modifications to suit their needs;

3. itiating the proces of assesment for students who are suspected to have disability;
4 Reviewing existing information and student asessment data that wil be used as the bases for
developina an individualized educational program for the student;

5.Deciding on the appropriate placement for the student, educationally, socialy and vocationally;and

6. Acting as a support system for educators who will be serving students with disabilities.

Members of the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team

1. Administrators

Whether it is the administrator,principal, or assistant principal, each one is an essential member of the
team. The administrators should have the know. how of specific resources and the expertise within the
schoo1.Furthermore, administrators are qualified to supervise the program and can commit necessary
resources.

Specific responsibilities of administrators in the assessment process are:

a. Conducting administrative arrangements for team meetings. This includes scheduling the date,
time, and place of meetings;

b. Organizing an agenda for the meeting with the assessment team;

C. Identifying experts and appropriate personnel and inviting them to the meetings;

d. Inviting the parents of both the child with special needs and regular students to the meeting;

e. Acting as the chair during the meetings or appointing qualified personnel;

f.Ensuring that each person has the knowledge on what action the team recommends, the person
responsible for implementation, and the resources needed to support implementation effectively;

g. Ensuring administrative support of the team to all members of the school community;

h. Promoting resources to secure the needed technical assistance; and

i. Identifying the needed topics for in-service and developmental training.

2. Regular Education Teachers

The Regular Education teacher and the Special Education teacher should have equal responsibility to all
children in the classroom, whether the child is

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

104

CHAPTER VI-ASSESMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS


regular or diagnosed under certain condition. The Regular Education teacher's role concerns the
presentation of subject matter in the classroom, and is primarily in charge of instruction in the
classroom.

In assessing children with special needs,it is the general role of the Regular Education teacher to
accomplish the following:

a.Maintain appropriate communication between the school and home.The teacher should keep parents
informed about their child's educational achievement,grades,and educational program;

b. Help develop,review, and revise the Individualized Educational Program (IEP) of the child;

C. Determine appropriate behavioral interventions and strategies considered positive for the
student;

d. Assess determined supplementary aids and services and program modifications for the
student;and

e. Identify supports that school personnel need to help the student progress in the general
curriculum.

3. Special Education Teachers

The roles of the Special Education teacher are to individualize, diagnose, and modify curriculum. A
typical Special Education teacher would teach students with disabilities in self-contained classes.

To be effective,the roles of the Special Education teacher in schools include the following:

a. Provides assessment and instructional planning for the student with disability;

b. Conducts tutorial instruction and remedial classes among students with sub-par performance;

C. Provides consultation to the Regular Class teacher as part of team teaching;

d. Participates as a member in the school's assessment and eligibility committee;

e. Examines ways of integrating students in Special Education to all aspects of the school's
program which includes extracurricular activities;and

Offers suggestions for modifying instruction, consults with the Regular Education teacher, and identifies
resources, alternative learning materials, and assistive devices that will be of benefit to the child with
disability (as part of the multidisciplinary team).

f.

Both the Special Education and Regular Education teachers can help parents in the following ways:

a. Learn useful information about the student from the parents;

106

4.
Provide information regarding the student's disability b. the duties of the parents in the IEP process and
their role

as

members; their
ideas.Explain the process and terms of the disability and the IEP

C. Help the parents during the IEP process,ensuring that d. concerns,and views are adequately
expressed and heard; on how W

Furnish parents with narrative reports and suggestions effectively work with their child at home;

after leaving the school;and

f.

gAdvocale Ihrough represcenation of interests,preferences, and rights of the student or parents.

Students

Students are encouraged to be active participants in their own IEP procera

Priority is set in eaching self delermination skils and how to set their own lie

goals and objectives.

5. School Psychologists

The school psychologist may assume the following responsibilities:

a. Complete horough assessment to determine if the child is suited for special programs and
services;

b. Provide interpretation and analysis of assessment data for parents and other team members;

C. Participate in the identification of curricula modifications and instructional interventions which


are deemed appropriate to the identified needs of the pupil; and

d. Conduct follow-up observations to establish the success of modifications and interventions.

6. Related Service Personnel

Related support people who will assist the Regular Education and Special Education teachers include:

a. Speech/Language Therapists

The speech/language therapist plays a critical role in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients who
have speech, language,and communication disorders.

b. Occupational Therapists
After physical assessment, an occupational therapist assists a child with disability in developing and
regaining skills important to function independently and develop health and well-being. The
occupational therapist aims to improve or maintain the ability of the

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

child to perform activities of daily living that are considered to be meaningful for the individual at home,
work, and community. The occupational therapist also assists families of the child with disability in the
effort to adapt to the limitation of their daily functions (eg, inability to use limbs, difficulty in cognitive
function)

C. Physical Therapists

A physical therapist assesses each individual and devises a plan using different treatment techniques to
promote the abillty to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent further disability. The physical
therapist also works with individuals to prevent the loss of their mobility before it occurs by developing
an enhanced fitness and wellness program for a healthier and more active lifestyle.

d.Vision Specialists

A vision specialist, or usually termed as teacher of the visually impaired, is a teacher who holds a special
credential in vision impairment in addition to having a standard teaching credential. A vision specialist is
trained to work with visually impaired students from preschool through latter grades.

e. Dieticians

After the result of assessment, a dietician plans nutrition programs and food programs for the child with
disability. He helps prevent other diseases and obesity problems because they educate their clients
about the role of food in their diet. He usually promotes healthy diet through education and education
programs.

f.Guidance Counselors

The main role of a guidance counselor is to aid clients with their adjustment to some circumstances in
their life,utilizing counseling techniques in personal, educational, and vocational counseling.

Functional Phases of the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team

The Pre-referral Phase

The initial purpose of the pre-referral process is to minimize inappropriate referral

of students for formal assessment. This ensures that students will remain in regular class

setting and avoid the possible mislabeling of students to have exceptionality. This phase

is usually suggested by experts and is not mandated. The pre-referral chart designed by

Referral Process,Does Not Need Help,Refer for help,False positive,Not referred,

Appropriate non-referral,

Not referred
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

The folowing questions are to be considered in making dexision before refertan (Salvia et al.,2010):

1. Are there unrecognized problems?

2.Is the student making adequate progress in regular education?

3. What can we do to enhance competence and build capacity?

4. Should the student be referred to an intervention assistance team?

5. Should the student be referred for multidisciplinary evaluation?

What are the positive effects of pre-referral?

1. Decreased number of students labeled with disability and referred for Special Education services

2. Decreased cost of funding for Special Education programs

3. Improved instructional outcomes resulting from the pre-referral procedures

4. Reduces the delay between referral and intervention since it will shorten the diagnostic process

5.

Updated student data or information

6. Has a direct benefit to the students with mild disability by increasing their opportunities in
mainstream setting,improving their chances of success with the regular curriculum,and helping them
avoid the ill effects often associated with labeling.

First Step:The Initial Referral

If the student persists to have difficulty even after thepre-referral activities have been administered,a
referral to a multidisciplinary team for formal assessment should be made. This begins the formal
Special Education process. The initial referral may come from sources other than the pre-referral
team.Classroom teachers, parents or guardians, or other professionals may refer a student for
assessment.

During the initial referral, the student's problem is identified. The Regular Education teacher typically
makes the referral to seek special assistance. First, the Regular Education teacher identifies a learning
problem and then collects as much information as possible related to the student's specialized needs.
Recorded observations should be adequate to be used as the basis for the student's identified disability.
The referral should include:

1. A clear and exact description of the student's present level of functioning;

2. A summary of the student's learning strengths;

3. The student's unique capability for learning;

4. A list of the student's learning needs arranged according to its priority;

5. A description stating the student's social capabilities;

6. A description of the problem that is interfering with school success;and 7.

A summary of the interventions that have been facilitated whether it was successful or not.

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Sccond Step:Team Mecting 109

It is the responsibility of an administrator to call for a team meeting, arrange for the physical space of
the meeting, set the team agenda, and notify all prospective participants. The team meets with the main
objectives of reviewing the referral,clarifying the problem, and determining the next step in the process.

Third Step:Formal Assessment

If the student's performance remains below than what is expected even when modifications of the
program have been made,the team may refer the student to be assessed to determine if the child has
disability and requires Special Education services. At this time, formal assessment of the student takes
place.

When formal assessment is done,the following standards are considered: 1.

A written notice is given to all parents and guardians;

2.

their child;and Parents must give a written permission to the team allowing them to evaluate 3. During
evaluation:

a.

There should be a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional and
developmental information. This includes information given by the parent, that may assist in
determining whether the child has a disability;

b. Do not use any single procedure as the sole criterion for identifying whether a child has a
disability or to determine an educational program suited for the child;and

C. Use technically sound instruments that will properly and accurately assess the relative
contribution of cognitive, behavioral, physical,and developmental factors to the disability of the child.

Fourth Step:The IEP Development


The IEP Team

When the student is determined eligible for Special Education services,the IEP team meets.Note that the
IEP team may not necessarily be the same as the multidisciplinary team.The meeting aims to develop an
Individualized Education Program (IEP).

The IEP team is composed of individuals who may directly or indirectly contribute to the improvement
of the child. The group of individuals is comprised of:

1. The parents of the student;

2. One or more Regular Education teacher of the student if the student is participating in a regular
education environment;

3. At least one Special Education teacher;

4. An administrator who has (a) the qualifications to provide or supervise the provision of Special
Education; (b) the knowledge about the general curriculum and (c) the knowledge about the availability
of resources within the schoc system;

5. An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results The membe can
inter pret the f the other members of the EP team;

6. Atthe discretion of the parent,others who have knowledge or pecial expertise regarding the child tihe
parent eated services personnel,as appropriate; and

7.

Where appropriate,the student with the disability.

To summarize the elements of an IEP, the following are the required components of the IEP (Barbara,
2012):

1.Information pertaining to the student's present level of educational perfor.

mance;

2.A statement of measurable yearly or annual goals, including long-term or short-term objectives
related to meet the student's needs to enable the student to be involved in and progress in the general
curriculum,and meet each of the student's other educationalneeds that resulted from the student's
disability;

3.A specific Special Education program for the student in order to:(a) advance appropriately toward
attaining the annual goals;(b) be involved and progress in the general curriculum and to participate in
extracurricular and other non. academic activities; and (c) be educated and participate with nondisabled
students in the least restrictive environment;

4. An explanation at any extent, if any, to which the child will not be able to participate with
nondisabled children in the regular class, in the general curriculum and in other activities;

5. A statement of any individual modifications needed for the student to participate in assessment
procedures of which the.IEP team determines that the child will not participate in such assessments, a
statement of reasons why such assessments are not appropriate, and an issuance on how the child will
be assessed;

6. The projected dates for Special Education and anticipated duration of the program;and

7. A statement of how the student shows progress toward the annual goals will be measured, and
how parents will be regularly informed by means of report cards, at least as often as parents of
nondisabled students are informed and the extent to which the progress is measureable to enable the
student to achieve the goals by the end of the year.

Assessment Decisions

The following are common questions for teachers to consider during assessment.

1. Does the student have difficulties in school?

2. Is the student geared toward his goals and personal standards?

3. What are the modifications in the teaching methods that are considered to be effective aids if
the student would be able reach his goals and aspirations?

4. Is guidance necessary for different areas to help the child?

5. Will the Special Education program address the needs of the child?

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 111

Classroom Assessment and Children with Disabiities

Classroom assessment has a great potential to enhance student learning, especially among children with
disabilities.If the assessment is designed with its appropriate purpose, learning for children with
disability can improve. To identify the purpose of assessment for children with disability is critical for
effective use.

The Ecological Model for Assessment

According to Laten and Katz (1975), the ecological model of assessment examines the interaction
between the child and his environment.The following is sought from the model:

1. Determine who qualifies (eligibility).

Based on assessment decision, this pertainsto who will qualify to be categorized of certain disabilities.

2. Determine what to teach(program plan).

After assessment, the IEP team will decide which program suits the needs of the child with disability.

3. Determine how to teach it (instruction).

This is the design through which the members of the IEP team decide on the strategies and methods to
be used in executing the program plan for the child with disability.

4. Determine where to teach it (placement).


Give details on the specific areaor place to execute the program plan.This also ensures the appropriate
selection of a conducive learning environment for the learner.

5. Determine how often to teach it(time).

This entails the time allotment for each program so the child with disability would gain adequate
training that would facilitate learning.

6. Determine who will teach it (support). Enlist qualified persons to execute the program plan for the
child.

7. Determine how well it was taught (evaluation).

After the execution of the program plan, evaluation follows to ensure that the program is properly
executed and if there are necessary adjustments to be done in order to meet the needs of the child with
disability.

In determining who qualifies for the assessment process,the following questions are considered.

1. What assessment data will justify a child from not qualifying for an adapted educational
program?

2. What assessment data will justify a child requiring “special accommodations" to be successful in
school but without the IEP goals and objectives?

3. What assessment data will justify a child qualifying for Special Education services including goals
and objectives on his IEP?

ASSESSMENT OF LEARING

Common Areas to Assess for Individuals with Special Meeds

Fitness

1 fatigue,stress.or other adverse conditions.

2 Ferhuiry B te caruhiry of an tihsiual to Pefttm dierent Pntscal routines without incurring pain on
certain body parts.

3 Stength resers to the gualiry cr sate cf heing stong botly or muscular Poae

4 Body composition is the proportion of fat, muscie,and bones of an individuals body

How de yow asess ir?

What level of firmess would qualify a child to require accommodation or intervention?

Motor ability

Balance refers to the state of equilibrium or equipoise,the equal distribution of weighi.amount.enc.


C Agility is the ability to move quidkly and easily.

Ey-hand/ere-toor cooriibation Bs the aruiry Qf te Person to monre B thurse dimensional space with the
proper coondination of the eye-hand/eye-foo

What level of motor ahility would quality a child for accomodation or intervention?

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEDS 113 CATEGORY,0,1,2,3,4,5,Cutting,Not


yet,Holds,Cuts 6”,With cue,,Indepen-,Holds,Writing Own,Not yet,Makes,Traces the,With a,With a,With
a,Drawing, Not yet, Makes, With a, With a, With a, With a,

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Unable to,

Ability to,

Correctly,

Correctly,

Correctly,

It should be noted that Special Education requires a modified program to ensure that it suits the needs
of a child with disability. In order to be successful withthe program,it is crucial that the service provider
makes sound decisions in determining what to teach.

Holistic Rubrics for Special Education


The main advantages of holistic rubrics are their simplicity, speed, and reliability. They are easy to
understand because of their simplicity. The overall reliability of this process is also considered to be
high.

Sample Rubrics

1. A student is to interact with his classmates using appropriate behaviors during recess at the
playground. The teacher may videotape the interaction for accurate documentation.

CATEGORY,No,Interaction,Needs,Needs,May,Is capable,Initiates,

Goes,

Chooses,

Needs,

Would,

Goes up to,

Approach-,

Social/Behavioral Skills t obtain reward,or avoid punishment. instruction

Following directions is the capability to follow b. accomplishment of a goal.

C. aying on task is the ability to complete a certain task without

d. events leading to frustration and conflict.

e. make sound decisions.

f. activity without posing much danger to self and others.

How de you assess them?

What level of social/behavioral skills would qualify a child to require for accommodation or
intervention?

CATEGORY,3 points,2 points,1 point,0 point,Knowledge of the,Identified,Identified,Identified,Could


not,Ability to,

Fully,

Understood,

Understood a,

Did not,
ASSESSMENT

6,eaves E,asily te,eeds the p,Begins game,ground up,

2. A student is to have a short conversation with a friend focusing on three different topics.

Procedure:

1. Arrange a short conversation (five to ten minutes) with your target student. 2. Make sure to
have your conversation videotaped.

Choose a mutually interesting topic (video games, summer vacation,pets). Ask him to talk about the
topic, and remind him to use the “good conversation skills" he has learned.

3.

With a board on the side, write three of the skills that the student has learned for him to practice during
the conversation. a.

When it is your turn to speak, say something about the topic in 3-5 sentences. b.

C. Listen to the other student speak without interrupting.

he just said. After the friend speaks, ask a question that has something to do with what

4.

5. Instruct the class to pair up and perform the same activity.

Tell the students the subject you want them to talk about. Depending on their functioning level,either
begin the conversation, or prompt with questions.Stand near the board to point to the prompts if
necessary.

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Rubric to Assess the Skills Demonstrated by the Student

CATEGORY,Prompts do,Prompts result to,Independent,Keeps comments,In spite of,Responds to


prompt,Keeps comments,Listens without,Talks or makes,Responds to prompt,Waits until his,Shows
interest,

Does not ask,


Responds to the,

Shows interest,

For Oral Presentation:

1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of utilizing holistic rubrics in assessing children with
disabilities?

2. Discuss ways of enhancing the performance of the child that is assessed as low,based on the
rubrics presented.

3. Explain the main purpose of utilizing the rubrics in assessing children with special needs.

4. Which number scale is-ideal when creating rubrics in assessing children with disabilities? Defend
your answer.

Assessing for Conducive Learning

Determining What to Teach

The folowing to eaclasential characdteristics when determining what to each thre child with disability.

1.Create a top down plan andindicate what assesment information is necesany, 2. Define targeted
skills within top-down plan.

3. Determine student's Present Level of Performance(PLOP)on targeted skills, 4.

Specify how these skills will be assessed.

5. Develop student's IEP goals and objectives that will match the child's PLOP.

6. Determine How to Teach.

Determining Necessity

with disability.

The following are the essential modifications to be made to suit the needs of the child

1. Instructional modifications-Instruction is modified specifically in the General Education


program.During its modification,it changes the terms of goals, 2. expectations,level of performance,or
content.

Curricular modifications-As defined by the DepEd,means students under Special Education follow the
basic curriculum of General Education, but it is modified according to their needs. The curriculum differs
depending on the condition of the child.The curriculum is modified from the basic curriculumto the
bases of the learning disabilities,wherein each of the learning areas has its 3. own curriculum.
Equipment modifications - These are modifications done with different equipment necessary during the
teaching-learning process to fit into the disability of the child, so that the child would be able to function
in the least restrictive environment.

Determining Where to Teach

disability.

The following placement decisions would address the needs of the child with

1.

General Physical Education (no support)-The child with disability stays with a group where full inclusion
is done. The child participates in all activities similar to Regular Education students.

2.

General Physical Education (support) - The child participates with a group, provided that modifications
will be done to ensure the child with disability is able to perform tasks similar to regular education
children.

3.

Part-time general, part-time pull-out system-The child with disability is pulled out from regular class
schedule to attend to modified instructional programs.

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

119

4.Full-time pull-out for Special Education for small group-The child is pulled out from a specific program
to participate in a small group to mainstream or be included in an inclusion program.

5. Full-time pull-out Special Education for one-on-one-The child is regularly pulled out from
Regular Education program to have a one-on-one Special Education class usually with a specialist.

Determining Who Will Teach

The following are the different types of support decisions.

1. Peer from same class

2. Older peer from different class

3. Paid teacher assistant


4. Specialist(PT,OT)

Determining How Often to Teach

The following amount of service is to be considered in giving Special Education program to children with
disability.

1. Consultation, wherein variation of amount of time is done weekly or monthly

2. 30 minutes of direct service

3. 60 minutes of direct service

4. 90 minutes of direct service

Determining How Well It Went

The evaluation process with the assessment data would allow the teacher to identify if the student is
making adequate progress toward his goals and objectives. Furthermore, the assessment data establish
information that would allow the teachers to know if the program is effective for the majority of
students with disabilities.

Basic Means of Assessment

The following are the basic means of assessing a child with disability in the classroom

Observation - A means of assessment where viewing or noting a fact or 1. occurrence is made for some
scientific or other special purposes.

setting.

Analysis of student work - The use of different assessment tools to describe 2. expectations from
students' work and performance.

Task Analysis-According to Jonassen, Tessmer, & Hannum (1999), task 3. analysis is a process of
analyzing and articulating the kind of learning that you expect the learners to know how to perform.

Classroom Assessment

Unobtrusive,Direct,Observation,Informal Inve,Indirect,

Checklist and rating scales,

Different Tools for Observation


1.Narrative Report -is the least structured type of observation(Borich,199, wherein the observer simply
writes the events in writing.

2. Anecdotal Record-is the description may be of one type of event.

3.Ethnographic Record-is the description may be a series of events.

4.Continuous Recording (Narrative Recording)-provides preliminary information to help the teacher


determine if there is a problem that requires further study.

STEPS IN OBSERVING STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR

Step 1:Identify and pose description of the behavior to be observed.

Types of behavior

a. Discrete behaviors-behaviors that have clearly defined beginnings and endings; can be
measured by counting the frequency or timing the duration.

Examples: writing and spelling words, reading a paragraph aloud

b. Not discrete behaviors - measurable behaviors during any given time period because an
observer can determine whether a student is displaying any behavior. Example: It is difficult to detect
the precise starting and ending points of behaviors such as staying on task and swearing on classroom.

Step 2:Select a measurement system.

a. Frequency-refers to the number of times a certain behavior occurs.

Example:The teacher may be interested in the frequency with which Gab is able to complete his Math
assignments.

b. Duration-is the measure of the length of behavior, that is,how long it lasts in terms of seconds,
minutes, or hours.

Measurement System

Discreet Behavior

a. Event Recording - is the frequency of a behavior noted in this system.The observer simply makes
a notation each time the behavior of interest occurs.

120

b.Duration Recording-happens when the observer records the time a behavior begins and the time it
ends to determine its length.

C. Latency Recording-occurs when the observer determines the amount of time it takes a student
to begin doing something.For example,the teacher might be interested for how long it takes Jennifer to
begin reading her library book after she returns to the classroom for recess.

For Non-Discreet Behavior


According to Alberto &Troutman (1990),the use of interval recording and time sampling is
recommended.

Several variations of interval recording and time sampling are as follows:

a. Whole-interval recording-The student is observed for the entire interval, and the observer notes
if the target behavior occurs continuously throughout the interval. Observation intervals are very brief,
usually only a few seconds.

b.Partial-interval time recording -The student is observed for the entire interval, but the observer only
notes if the behavior occurred at least once during the interval. Again,observation intervals are very
brief.

C. Momentary time sampling - The student is observed only at the end of each interval; at that
time, the observer checks to see if the behavior is occurring. Intervals are usually longer-3,5, or even 15
minutes.

Step 3:Set up the data-collection system.

Questions to be answered include the following:

a. When and where will the observation take place?

b. How many observation periods will there be, and how frequently will these occur?

C. Who will act as the observer?

d. How will observable data be recorded?

Classroom Observation Techniques forTeachers

a. It is not necessary to stop teaching to observe. In fact, it is almost impossible to teach without
observing. Try the following suggestions for integrating observations into your classroom procedures.

1. Carry a small card such as an index card.List the names of the two target students and the
problem behaviors you wish to observe on the card.

2. Require students to record on their in-class work:their starting and finishing time.

3. Carry a stopwatch to measure the duration of behaviors.

4. To count behaviors without interfering with the operation of the class, use wrist
counters,supermarket counters, paper clips moved from one pocket to another, navy beans in a cup,
and other inexpensive devices.

5. Have a seating chart in front of you as you talk to the class.

6. Recruit volunteers to observe in the classroom.

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

121
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNINGII

Assessment Standards in Special Education

Normative Groups

Allow theteachersto compare one person's performance to the performance of ther. This gives the score
eistocon pares wil set the standards for measuring the capabiliyon the child with disability.By comparing
the score with a group of similar others, it is now possible to givemeaning to the scores garnered by the
child with disability thus faciliares interpretation to the observed score.

Validity

The extent to which a test measures what its authors or users claim it meaSures (Salvia et
al.,2010).Quality assessment is essential for teachers to track the progress of their students.One of the
important concerns when performing assessment is to ensure validity. Validity denotes the extent to
which an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure. To ensure validity,test factors should be
considered. Different intervening events should also be noted to get accurate results.

Types of Validity

Content Validity

Content validity is a logical process where connections between the test items and the job-related tasks
are established.

Concurrent Validity

Concurrent validity is a statistical method using correlation, rather than a logical method.

Predictive Validity

Predictive validity is similar to concurrent validity, that is, it measures the relationship between
examinees' performances on the test and their actual status. However, with predictive validity, it is the
relationship of test scores to an examinee's future performance that is estimated.

Face Validity

Face validity is determined by a review of the items and not through the use of statistical analysis. Face
validity is not investigated through formal procedures and is not determined by subject matter experts.

Reliability

The extent to which it is possible to generalize from an observation of a specific behavior observed at a
specific time by a specific person to observations conducted on similar behaviors, at different times, or
by different observers. (Salvia et al.,2012)

Three types:

1. Item-similar performance on similar items

2. Stability-similar performance in the future


3. Inter-observer agreement- similar performance with a different person

CHAPTER VI-ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Universal Design for Special Education

Universal design is the design of products and environments to be used by all people, to the greatest
extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Mace's (1977)Seven Principles of the Universal Design

1. Equitable Use. The design is useful and marketable to people with disabilities.

2. Flexibility in Use. The design can accommodate a wide range of individual preferences.

3. Simple and Intuitive Use. The use of the design is easy to understand.

4. Perceptible Information. The design communicates necessary information effectively to the


user.

Tolerance for Error. Thedesign minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or
unintended actions.

.Low Physical Effort.The design can be used efficiently and comfortably with a minimum level of fatigue.

7.Size and Space for Approach and Use. Appropriate size and space is provided for
approach,reach,manipulation, and use.

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