4 P's of Assessment

I have been asked to provide extra support for a new elementary data team. Yea!  They need some help with the 4 P’s of Assessment.  You may wonder what the 4 P’s of assessment are.  So did my team.  The exciting news is that the 4 P’s are the answer to the biggest question of our new reality as special educators.  WHY DO WE TEST SO MUCH?  Well, I will tell you why; because each type of assessment that we give serves a different and equally important purpose. We use a Predicting assessment at the beginning of the year, or when we get a new student, to get a baseline for where that child is functioning. We then use a Planning assessment at any time of the year to identify strengths, weaknesses, and skill gaps.  Progress Monitoring assessment is formative assessment that is used year round to measure gains and guide instruction. Performance assessments are used at the end of units, courses, or the year as outcome, summative measures of accomplishments.

I don’t know if you will love or hate me for this but, you can use the 4 P’s for social/behavioral skills too; it’s not just for academics!

 

Now that you know why we assess; I bet you are wondering how you can get your hands on some assessment materials.  Below is a list with links to a variety of assessment tools and resources. Some you may know, some you may not.  Academic assessments are first.  Behavior assessments are second, as they are likely to be less familiar and need some explanation. 

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT TOOLS/RESOURCES

Predicting- Screening assessment done with all students, provided information about knowledge and skills bases of students.

 Examples:

AIMSweb benchmarking, FastBridge benchmarking , easyCBM benchmarking, DIBELS benchmarking, District Screening Assessments (e.g., STAR, eValuate, iReady , Galileo)

Planning- Diagnostic assessment, used to identify specific strengths and weakness, or specific skill gaps.

Examples:

Running records, Really great reading placement tests for intervention programs, Jerry Johns basic Reading Inventory, authentic assessment, student reflection, working/growth portfolios, DRA test scores with skill analysis, video tape of student.

Progress Monitoring- More frequent, formative assessments that helps determine whether students are making adequate progress, and guides ongoing modification of instruction.

Examples:

AIMSweb, FastBridge, easyCBM, DIBELS, video tape of student, tape recorded samples (of reading), student self-evaluation and feedback, process/progress/growth portfolios

Performance- Mastery or outcome assessment to provide data on existing accomplishments and program evaluation.

Examples: MAP/MAP-A/ EOC, end of course examination, chapter or unit exam, showcase portfolios

 BEHAVIOR/SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS/RESOURCES

Predicting- Screening assessment done with all students, provided information about knowledge and skills bases of students.

Examples:

Student Risk Screening Scale-Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE): The Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS) is a free-access tool, that measures both the original externalizing behaviors and more recently internalizing behaviors. All items rated on the same 4-point Likert-type scale: never = 0, occasionally = 1, sometimes = 2, frequently = 3. Items include the original 7 items (1) steal; (2) lie, cheat, sneak; (3) behavior problem; (4) peer rejection; (5) low academic achievement; (6) negative attitude; and (7) aggressive behavior, and newly added and retained items (8) emotionally flat; (9) shy, withdrawn; (10) sad, depressed; (11) anxious; and (12) lonely. (ci3t.org)

Strengths and Difficulties Questionaire (SDQ):  is a free-access screening tool for use with students ages 2 to 17. The SDQ allow schools to determine how students are progressing over time. The 25-item SDQ screening tool is available in many languages. One page is completed on each student, asking for about 25  attributes rated on a 3-point Likert-type scale where 0 = not true, 1 = somewhat true, and 2 = certainly true . The 25 attributes divide between five scales:1. Emotional Symptoms, 2. Conduct Problems, 3. Hyperactivity / Inattention, 4. Peer Relationship Problems, 5. Prosocial Behavior and Total Difficulties (sum of first four scales)The SDQ considers input from teacher, parent, and student perspectives. (Lane, Menzies, Oakes, & Kalberg, 2012). (cit3.org)

Planning- Diagnostic assessment, used to identify specific strengths and weakness, or specific skill gaps.

Examples: 

Teacher observations: Microsoft word behavior data tools , Excel behavior data tools, SSD SEB data tools.

Progress Monitoring- More frequent, formative assessments that helps determine whether students are making adequate progress, and guides ongoing modification of instruction.

Examples:

Strengths and Difficulties Questionaire (SDQ), FastBridge

Direct Behavior Record (DBR) is a method of data collection that quantifies the presence of a behavior on a simple scale. After a set period of time, the teacher rates the student from 1-10, usually based on the percentage of time the student displayed the behavior. 

Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was developed to assess the effects of treatment and has been used to monitor the general well-being of an individual over time. The ATEC consists of four subtests: I. Speech/Language Communication (14 items); II. Sociability (20 items); III. Sensory/ Cognitive Awareness (18 items); and IV. Health/Physical/Behavior (25 items).

Performance- Mastery or outcome assessment to provide data on existing accomplishments and program evaluation.

 Examples: 

Soft skills on report cards (attitude/work habits) , student led IEP conferences