van Hiele Level Assessment
PreTest, mid-year, Post Test
Purpose
The data will be analyzed to identify student and class van Hiele levels at the beginning, middle,
and end of the school year. This information will provide individual teachers information that
they can use as they plan for daily instruction that meets the needs of all students and guides the
students to a deeper understanding of geometry. It will also be used as we evaluate and make
revisions to the BCPS Geometry program.
Guidelines for Scoring
1.
Please record the student’s name and final grade for Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 if they have
taken this course. Enter a 4 for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C, 1 for a D, and a 0 for an E. (see
attached spreadsheet)
2.
Use that Answer Key to mark each question.
3.
Each group of five questions represents the type of thought at each of the five van Hiele
levels. Questions 1 through 5 represent Level 1, questions 6 through 10 represent Level
2, and so on.
4.
Please record the number correct for each level (group of 5 questions) on the spreadsheet.
Make copies of the spreadsheet for multiple classes.
5.
Within each group of five questions, correctly answering at least three questions is
sufficient in achieving that van Hiele level. Remember that students cannot “skip” over
van Hiele levels. See 7a for additional information about determining the student’s van
Hiele level.
6.
Email the spreadsheet to nriggs@bcps.org
7.
Additional Data Analysis:
a. The data will also be reorganized into “placeable” and “unplaceable.” At most,
90% of all scores are “placeable” into a van Hiele level. For example, consider
these two student scores, with a possible number correct at each level.
Student 1
Student 2
Level 1
5
5
Level 2
4
3
Level 3
4
2
Level 4
2
4
Level 5
2
1
Student 1 would be placed into Level 3, since that is the last number correct ≥ 3.
However, Student 2 would be unplaceable, since a 4 occurs in Level 4 after a 2 in
Level 3.
b. Using the placeables, is there a correlation between the final grade in Algebra 1 (
or Algebra 2) and the beginning van Hiele level?
c. Using the placeables, can a predicted van Hiele level be found, based upon the
number of correct responses in all levels, so that unplaceable students can now be
placed accurately?
BCPS Geometry Pilot 2010-2011
1 of 2
van Hiele Level Assessment
PreTest, mid-year, Post Test
Test Answer Key
1
B
2
D
3
C
4
B
5
E
6
B
7
E
8
A
9
C
10
D
11
C
12
B
13
A
14
A
15
B
16
C
17
C
18
D
19
D
20
A
21
B
22
E
23
D
24
D
25
D
BCPS Geometry Pilot 2010-2011
2 of 2