4. Selecting Pre and Post Assessment Strategies:

Special Note: Many teachers, students and interns have completed CTC reports for our pilot studies. Their work has provided the core of the samples below. We have, however, modified some of the selections to maintain confidentiality and to ensure that the samples reflect the revisions we have made in the instructions. Some were completed by experienced teachers, some by interns and others by students early in their programs. Thanks to everyone who helped us with the original samples. Your input helped us make this a better process for all.

Sample 1

(7th grade math, percents)
A pre-assessment containing five problems with percents was given to students prior to the lesson, The problems include several different cases of percent problems. When assessing students' prior knowledge, I concentrated on the process students used to solve the problems and recorded the total correct on each pre-assessment. I chose to keep the pre-assessment scores until after the students completed the post assessment. I noticed that number of common scores would make it difficult to separate students into low, average and high groups so I made some judgment calls dependent on any work shown to attempt a problem and previous experience with students and their performance.

The post assessment will contain five test items similar to the items on the pre assessment. Students will be asked to solve these problems using the methods learned in the lessons. The total correct will be recorded in two ways: using an appropriate method and calculating the correct answer. I will record these scores next to the pre-assessment scores and compare the difference.

Sample 2

(2nd grade writing sentence ending punctuation)
Pre-assessment: Writing Situation: Everybody has a favorite food they enjoy eating. Think about your favorite food and tell why it is your favorite.

Using the FCAT Writes Rubric I pre-assessed where the students were functioning, calculating the percentage of time they used correct ending punctuation.

Post Assessment: Writing Situation: Everybody has a favorite animal. This about your favorite animal and tell why it is your favorite.

Using the Florida Writes rubric I did a post assessment to see how well the students used ending punctuation after instruction. Both the pre- and post assessment were kept in the students' writing portfolios.

Sample 3

Elementary PE

Dribbling a basketball
Give each student a basketball and have them go across the floor dribbling with one hand then the other and record if each one is able to do so, easily (E) or with some difficulty.(SD) or a great deal of difficulty (D) As a post assessment, have students in do a relay race dribbling along the course and record each student's performance.

Sample 4

5th grade science Using a microscope
Distribute a diagram of a microscope and have students label the parts and tell how they are used. For a post assessment have each student work at a microscope. Give them a slide to view and draw what they see. Circulate to check off those who know how to do this and those who do not

Sample 5

Using prediction strategies while reading (K-2 reading)
For a pre assessment: In a group, have students look at the book or story they will be reading. Have them tell their predictions about the story and why they made that prediction. Keep a record of their responses. Make this a running activity for each reading and keep a running record. For a post assessment, repeat this one on one with a different story.

Sample 6
Elementary reading
Step 4 Selection of Pre and Post Assessment Strategies
Pre-Assessment: I used an observational checklist (Click to view a sample. Use your back button on your browser to return to this page.) as part of my pre-assessment. I used this checklist to determine what reading strategies each student was or was not using independently before instruction on specific points in the text. As students read Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days to themselves I circulated and had individuals read to me. As they read to me, I noted on the observational checklist what strategies they are using. I asked myself these questions:
Does the reader:
Use picture clues?
Sound out unknown words?
Find a small word inside a big word to help them decode?
Skip the unknown word and return to it?
Look at the first letter before guessing?
Make guesses that make sense and don't change the meaning of the sentence?
Reread the sentence?
As I observed the reader using these strategies I checked them off on the observational checklist.
I scored the observational checklist using E, S, N, and U. If a child received 8 checks on the checklist he or she received an E. An E stands for excellent. If the child received 6 or 7 checks he or she received an S. An S stands for satisfactory. If the child received 3, 4, or 5 checks he or she received an N. An N stands for Needs in Improvement. If the child received less than 2 checks he or she received a U. A U stands for Unsatisfactory. I used E, S, N, and U because it correlates with The Pasco County Report Card format.
Post-assessment: I used running records (Click to view a sample. Use your back button on your browser to return to this page.) as an post-assessment tool. A running record is tool for scoring and analyzing a child's reading behaviors. I watched each student as he or she read Henry and Mudge and the Sparkle T Days and I coded the behavior on a running record sheet.
After I scored each child's running record:
1. I compared it with the observational checklist to determine whether or not the child gained any reading strategies after a weeks instruction. Did the reading strategies I modeled and the coaching of reading strategies help the students?
The running record showed me what strategies each reader is using as he or she reads. Once each error was analyzed I think about the reader. I asked myself the same questions as above, What strategy does the reader use? Does the reader rely on one strategy too heavily? Does the reader self-correct? Does the reader reread? Does the reader stop at unknown words without using a strategy? Does the reader read with fluency? Does the reader comprehend the story?
I compared the pre-assessment (observational checklist) with the post-assessment (running record) to see if the students gained any knowledge of reading strategies.

Sample 7
Secondary math
Step 4. Selecting Pre and Post Assessment Strategies
Students will be assessed at the beginning of the class, when we first start the Chapter, and when we finish the last section. The pre assessment will be six questions that will be given during their Bell Work. These questions will consist of two questions from the first objective, two questions from the second objective and two questions from the third objective. The post assessment will be constructed the same as the pre assessment. The questions on these two assessments will be very similar and made up of the same type of questions. When I have collected both of these assessments, I will grade them and compare the results of the pre and post assessment of each student. In addition to the pre and post assessment, I will also assess students by giving them homework and giving a couple of questions from the previous section each day for their Bell Work. These assessments will enable me to continuously observe the students learning progress.
Pre Assessment
1. Find the distance (d)
D=rt r=2, t=3

2. Find A
A = P (r2) Use 3.14 for P , r = 2

3. Evaluate
3x+6y for x=2,y=4
4. Solve for m
m-3=5
Write the phrase as an expression.
5. Twice the sum of a number and 6.
6. A number decreased by 6.
Post Assessment
1. Find the distance (d)
D=rt r=4,t=6
2. Find C
C=2L+w2 L=5,w=2
3. Evaluate
2x+7y for x=7,y=4
4. Solve for t
t+4= 10
Write the phrase as an expression.
5. Twice the sum of a number and 4.
6. A number increased by 7.

Sample 8

(Elementary Language Arts)

In order to assess the students in their understanding of narrative structure, I realized I would need to variety of texts to use during instruction. The first story I read to them was over Halloween entitled The Vanishing Pumpkin. The story had a very clear cut problem and resolution and a few characters. The students were given a sheet with the following elements to fill in during or after the story: main characters, supporting character, setting , problem and resolution. It was not a plain worksheet however, each box for answers was to be colored, curt out and folded into a cube. The same type of assessment was done after the instruction using the story The Wizard Of Oz and a castle template that the students created after filling in the appropriate parts of the story. Since there are only fourteen students in the class, it was easy to observe and record the students' individual progress through each of the lessons and independent practices. This is the rubric I used to track each student's progress:

Sample 9:

Prior to the lesson I asked the students to take out a sheet of paper and write down anything that they could think of dealing with the scientific revolution. After they did this individually for a few minutes I asked the class what they came up with and wrote it on the board. I kept their responses as a pre-assessment. After the lesson I had each of the students make a concept map including the information that they had learned from the unit.

To see samples of the maps they completed click on these links. When you finish viewing the samples, use the back button on your browser to return to this page.

Map sample 1

Map Sample 2