High Stakes Testing in a Diverse Classroom
SESSION 4
Course: Aligning Diverse Classrooms for Standardized Testing
Instructor: TUN/KDS
Email: education.tunv@touro.edu
Telephone: 777-1779
Materials: Internet Connection, printer
Course: Aligning Diverse Classrooms for Standardized Testing
Location: Touro University Nevada
Prerequisites: Bachelor Degree
Number of credits: 3
Weekly Online Lecture Assignments:
Week 1
Teaching Compare and/or Contrast
Teaching Non-Linguistic Organizers
Week 2
Using Non-Linguistic Organizers to Prepare for High Stakes Learning
Enhancing Writing Skills For High Stakes Tests
Week 3
Teaching Kids to Summarize for High Stakes Testing
A Plan for Improving High Stakes Testing
Week 4
Aligning Classroom Assessments
Building Effective Assessments
Week 5
Work on Cumulative Project
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Discussion Board:
Students must submit one unique comment each week that must be at least 3 sentences in length.
Students must submit one reply to a fellow classmate’s comment that must be at least 2 sentences
in length.
Methods of instruction:
Percentage of Course Credit:
Methods of instruction will include:
 8 individual sections (20 hours)
 8 pre-assessments
 8 graded post-assessments
 8 Video Lectures
 Polling questions
 (8) - 60 to 100 page Study guides
 Handouts
 Midterm Project
 Final Project
 Discussion Board interaction ( 2 submissions weekly)
 Participating in live classes as scheduled
5%
10%
30%
part of videos
Materials Included
part of videos
20%
20%
10%
5%
Grading criteria/system and evaluation activities:
A course administrator will be reviewing students’ answers and providing feedback.
Students will be evaluated on their creativity and ability to incorporate techniques
from the lecture into the discussion board, research papers, examples and lesson
plans.
University Grading Criteria
Grade
Equivalent
97-100%
93-96%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
70-72%
69% or below
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CU
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Attendance/Participation
Due dates of major assignments and projects:
Midterm Project Due Dates: February 17, 2008
Final Project Due Dates: March 3, 2008
Discussion Board Interaction: One unique comment and one response to a fellow students
comment by Sunday of each week.
Mandatory participation in live class meetings: See discussion board announcements for
dates.
Text and/or required reading list:
Text: (Included in the price of the program)
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Teaching Compare and/or Contrast – Donna Walker Tileston
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Teaching Non-Linguistic Organizers – Donna Walker Tileston
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Using Non-Linguistic Organizers to Prepare for High Stakes Learning – Donna Walker
Tileston
Enhancing Writing Skills For High Stakes Tests – Donna Walker Tileston
Teaching Kids to Summarize for High Stakes Testing – Donna Walker Tileston
A Plan for Improving High Stakes Testing – Donna Walker Tileston

Aligning Classroom Assessments – Donna Walker Tileston

Building Effective Assessments – Donna Walker Tileston
Suggested Supplemental Web readings:
1. Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/professional_development/strategies/
2. Implications of High-Stakes Testing for Students with Learning Disabilities http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.aspx?r=846
3. Aligning Classroom Assessment with State/Local Student Standards http://www.nea.org/accountability/assessment.html
Midterm Project
ASSIGNMENT: Assessment Rubric and Mini-Lesson
Two Parts to the Midterm
Part 1 of the midterm
Based on the strategies and activities presented in this course, create a mini lesson and an
Assessment Rubric. The lesson should cover Compare/Contrast; metaphors,
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similarities/differences, and an activity for summarizing information. The Assessment
Rubric should be introduced to students in a mini lesson before a single lesson or unit of
study. This should be appropriate for the grade level and or subject taught. The Assessment
Rubric should be designed using the following criteria:
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Clearly state between 1-5 levels of proficiency
Clarify and measure stated objectives
Use a range to rate performance
Help to clarify expectations for student learning
Provide self-assessment for student learning
Provide teacher assessment that is in alignment with stated objectives
Part two of the midterm
In addition to the Assessment Rubric, write up the following information in 1-2 pages.
1. Provide background information on your classroom and students for which you have
designed your Assessment Rubric. Include their grade level(s), and any modifications
needed for particular students (i.e.: ELL/ESL or Special Education/ Learning Difference).
2. Describe the lesson or unit to be taught and the subject matter. Include specific skills and
content knowledge that students are expected to understand/master (1-2 paragraphs).
3. Aligning with state standards, choose 3-5 specific objectives that will be the basis of your
Assessment (bulleted list).
4. Explain how the six criteria listed above will be met using the Assessment Rubric that
you have designed (1-2 paragraphs).
After you have created your Assessment Rubric design and conduct a mini-lesson in your
classroom to introduce this rubric to your students. Use technology to present this lesson, either
an overhead projector or computer generated projection system so that students can see and
interact more fully with the information presented. Please provide a brief outline of your minilesson covering the following criteria.
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Lesson Objectives (focus on using the Assessment Rubric)
Correlation to strategies presented in this course
Prior Knowledge
Activities
Materials and Equipment (including a graphic organizer and technology used)
Assessment (this should be simple such as observation by instructor and/or a show of
hands by students)
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Each lesson plan must include the following:
o Purpose of the learning activity
o Achievement targets
o Procedures and time line
o Materials and resources, including technology
o Adaptations for student with special needs, flexible grouping
o Assessments
o Reflection
Finally, in a 1/2-1-page paper, reflect on your mini lesson, its strengths and weaknesses. Do you
believe students are better able to understand what they need to learn and be able to do after the
introduction of this rubric? Did students give positive/negative feedback? Was the rubric easy for
students to follow or did they appear confused? How did you deal with any confusion or
questions? Would you modify your rubric in anyway?
Submit a copy of your Assessment Rubric, your background information, and mini-lesson
outline.
Scoring Rubric for Assignment
Total Value: 100 Points
Content of Papers – Value: 50 points – Copy of your background information, and reflection
paper.
Design of Organizer and Mini-lesson – Value: 40 points– Copy of your Assessment Rubric
and mini-lesson outline. Evaluation based on the extent to which students meet the criteria
required for the Assessment Rubric and mini-lesson.
Quality of Writing – Value: 10 points – Written work shows superior graduate quality in
verbal expression, attention to detail, and correct application of the conventions of the English
language. Points and ideas are well organized. Word choice is effective. English language
conventions are applied correctly (i.e. spelling, capitalization, punctuation, agreement, pronoun
usage, sentence structure).
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Final Project
Cumulative Project: part 4
Use your midterm mini lesson and rubric to write your reflection.
Additional information for reflection
(TWS Standard) The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student
characteristics and needs, and learning contexts.
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All lessons are explicitly linked to learning goals. All learning activities, assignments and
resources are aligned with learning goals. All learning goals are covered in the design.
Teacher’s use of content appears to be accurate. Focus of the content is congruent with the big
ideas or structure of the discipline.
All lessons within the unit are logically organized and appear to be useful in moving students
toward achieving the learning goals.
Significant variety across instruction, activities, assignments, and/or resources. This variety
makes a clear contribution to learning.
Most instruction has been designed with references to contextual factors and pre-assessment
data. Most activities and assignments appear productive and appropriate for each student.
Teacher integrates appropriate technology that makes a significant contribution to teaching and
learning OR provides a strong rationale for not using technology.
Appropriate modifications of the instructional plan are made to address individual student needs.
The teacher will create individual plans for the learning activities in the instructional sequence.
This learning activity can take many forms including, but not limited to, a center, direct wholegroup instruction, teacher-directed activity, small group experience, etc. However, this learning
activity must incorporate Differentiated Instructional techniques reflecting an understanding of
Multiple Intelligence, Social/Emotional Intelligence and Brain-Based Learning.
Final Project
In a 4-5 page paper, reflect on your mini lesson developed and taught as
your midterm, and your rubric its strengths and weaknesses. Then reteach this lesson.
What would you do differently?
Do you believe students are better able to understand what they need to
learn and be able to do after the introduction of this rubric?
Did students give positive/negative feedback?
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Was the rubric easy for students to follow or did they appear confused?
How did you deal with any confusion or questions?
Would you modify your rubric in anyway?
Did you address the different learning styles of your students?
The final paragraph should reflect on you as a teacher.
How do you truly feel you did as a facilitator/teacher for this lesson?
What would you change about you?
Example of your final paper:
Title page
Answer to question
1. When re-teach this lesson what would you do differently?
Your answer.
2. Do you believe students are better able to understand what they need
to learn and be able to do after the introduction of this rubric?
Your answer.
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Scoring Rubric for Assignment
Total Value: 100 Points
Content of Paper – Value: 70 points – Copy of your lesson plan (I will have this from your
midterm), your reflections.
Quality of Writing – Value: 20 points – Written work shows superior graduate quality in
verbal expression, attention to detail, and correct application of the conventions of the English
language. In students’ written work, paragraphing is appropriate with clear thesis statements and
supporting details. Sentences are clear and concise. Students vary sentence structure making use
of subordinate clauses. Transitional words and phrases are used effectively. Points and ideas are
well organized. Word choice is effective. English language conventions are applied correctly (i.e.
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, agreement, pronoun usage, sentence structure).
Format - Value: 10 points – Cover Page, Reference Page and where applicable, citations and
references are used correctly and consistently, with clear efforts made to include a wide range of
relevant works. For any work requiring citations, students refer to a wide range of suitable
sources. All non original ideas are cited correctly and referenced in a reference list. All works in
the reference list are cited in the text. Students should use APA format as much as possible.
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