Chapter 7

School Performance

Purposes for Assessing School Performance Evaluate the achievement status of an

entire school population Determine the need for extraordinary

instructional services Provide information for instructional

decisions Provide information about the

effectiveness of special education programs

Historical Trends

1970s – Back to basics movement 1980s – Traditional content area subjects 1990s – National education goals,

national performance standards, and a national achievement test resulting in Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994

Current Trends School restructuring movements signal a

change in the governance structure of education

Curricular reforms include a shift to higher- order thinking skills and alternative assessment focused on authentic tasks

Movement toward greater inclusion of students with disabilities in general education while other placement options remain available

Current Practices

Assessment of academic achievement is routine

Individual norm-referenced test are preferred for students with disabilities

Norm-referenced tests are the most commonly used for eligibility

Criterion-referenced tests and informal measures are typically used to provide detailed descriptions of students’ needs

Sources of Information About School Performance School records provide educational

history School grades Retentions Special services Attendance records Group achievement test results

Sources of Information About School Performance Student involvement in evaluation

Individual achievement tests yield final scores and opportunities for behavior observations

Observation of the student in class and analysis of work samples

Academic goals, viewpoints, and attitudes may be obtained by questionnaires or interviews

Sources of Information About School Performance Teachers provide information regarding

classroom functioning Reason for referral may come from general

education teacher Past classroom performance may document

learning difficulties Current teachers describe present academic

performance Instructional modifications can be examined

Sources of Information About School Performance Parents provide family and community

information Parents may have initiated the referral Parents may provide academic history Parents can describe current use of

academic skills at home and in the community

Group Tests of Achievement

Group achievement tests are usually administered in the general education program

Group tests are not preferred for special education students

Group tests can be used for screening and to evaluate progress of mainstreamed students

Individual Tests of Achievement Peabody Individual Achievement Test–

Revised/Normative Update (PIAT–R/NU) Wide Range Achievement Test–Revision

3 (WRAT–3) Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of

Achievement (WJ III) Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–

Second Edition (WIAT–II)

Individual Tests of Achievement Kauffman Test of Educational

Achievement/Normative Update (K-TEA/NU) Diagnostic Achievement Battery (3rd

edition) (DAB–3) Hammill Multiability Achievment Test

(HAMAT)

PIAT–R/NU

WRAT–3

Woodcock-Johnson III

WIAT–II

Criterion-Referenced Tests

Evaluate student performance in reference to instructional objectives

Most popular is the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills– Revised (CIB–R) Includes inventories based on instructional

objectives in readiness, oral language, reading, and mathematics

Curriculum-Based Measurement Strategies

Evaluate student performance in relation to local school curriculum

Most useful for gathering data for instructional decisions and documenting student progress

Also suggested for use in eligibility decisions establishing classroom norms

Procedures Produce Different Results Group tests underestimate abilities of students

with special needs. Individual tests are more accurate.

Norm-referenced measures help determine the existence and severity of a school performance problem while criterion-referenced measures are best for instructional planning

School records, classroom observations, and analyses of student work yield descriptive data

Nature of Assessment Tasks Comprehensiveness refers to the number

of academic skills assessed and the breadth of coverage within each skill

Test tasks differ from measure to measure and may or may not approximate classroom tasks

Motivational factors include the presentation style and requirements for failure

Documentation of School Performance

Is there a school performance problem? The answer will be determined by review of school records and assessment procedures