Joanna Chappell
Results of a unit test for an 8th-grade French II class
Nom: ______________________________________________
Date: _____________________
Points : ________ / 56  ________%
Examen Unité 3: La santé
Part I. Cerclez la meilleure réponse pour répondre à la question ou compléter la phrase. Circle the best response to answer the
question or complete the sentence. (2 points per correct response)
1. You are walking down the street in France and see this sign pictured below. What establishment does it indicate?
Unit 3: Global Health Challenges
A.
B.
C.
D.
A doctor’s office
A hospital
A pharmacy
A Red Cross headquarters
French II
•
18 Questions
•
56 points total
•
19 select-response items
•
9 supply-response items
2. Il a le nez qui coule. Il a besoin d’__________________________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
un mouchoir
une allergie
une infection
un pantalon
3. Elle a de la température. Elle a ____________________________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
une sinusite
une angine
un rhume
une fièvre
4. Je ne peux pas manger des cacahuètes*. J’ai ______________________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
une infection
la grippe
une allergie
mal à la tète
*cacahuète
Valid and reliable
Changes made based on instruction
All Correct Incorrect
20
0
2
18
20
0
19
1
19
1
20
0
20
0
7
13 (avg point loss: 0.92/2)
1
19 (avg point loss: 0.76/2)
13
7 (avg point loss: 1.2/2)
11
9 (avg point loss: 0.94/2)
5
15 (avg point loss: 1.3/2)
8
12 (avg point loss: 0.96/2)
5
15 (avg point loss: 1.3/2)
20
0 (everyone got all 7 correct)
6
14 (avg point loss: 2.5/5 points)
1
19 (avg point loss: 2.3/8 points)
2
18 (avg point loss: 1.6/8)
average
median
min
max
With #2 Without #2
44
46
69
71
82
84
79
81
85
87
75
75
96
98
87
87
85
87
90
92
93
95
85
87
66
68
66
68
82
84
88
90
84
86
52
54
71
73
84
86
78.15
79.95
83
85
44
46
96
98
A
B
C
D
F
3
9
3
3
2
Average Score: 78.15%
Median Score: 83%
Highest Score: 96%
Lowest Score: 44%
A (90-100)
3
B (80-89)
9
C (70-79)
3
D (60-69)
3
F
2
(0-59)
1.
100%
12. 53% *
2.
11%
13. 71% *
3.
100%
14. 54% *
4.
95%
15. 100% *
5.
95%
16. 65% *
•
Select-response vs. supply-response
6.
100%
17. 71 *
•
Questions with multiple points
7.
100%
18. 81% *
8.
70%*
9.
55% *
10. 79% *
11. 79% *
* Indicates the average score on test
items that had multiple points per item.
COGNITIVE LEVEL
CONTENT
Body Parts Vocabulary
Knowledge
Comprehension
2, 3, 4, 16
Evaluation
17, 18
+
(understand)
5, 6, 7
+
(describe, ask
about, answer)
8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18
+
(describe, ask
about, answer)
Past tense of verbs with
“être”
Eating habits
Synthesis
17, 18
+
(express, ask
about, answer)
+
(identify)
Personal Care Routine
Vocabulary and Reflexive
Verbs (present and past
tense)
Analysis

(ask about,
answer)
+
(identify)
15
Health Issues and Disease
Vocabulary
Application
12, 13, 14

(ask about,
answer)

(identify)
Cultural Differences in
Healthcare
+
(compare,
connect, ask,
answer)
1
Formal/Informal Register

(use)

(identify)
17, 18
(interpersonal/presentational)
Oral and written
communications in
French (interpretive)
Importance of learning
French/Use of French
outside the classroom

(ask about,
answer)

(distinguish
between)

(exchange,
sustain)
Oral and written
communications in
French
18
17

(understand)
Students demonstrated mastery
of the ability to recall and
understand relevant vocabulary
and verb structures.
•
Students were not as successful
when called upon to apply their
knowledge of verb structures.

(compare)
17, 18
+
(develop
awareness)
•

(use
verbal/nonverbal
cues)

(explore
why)

(identify
reasons
why)
•
Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verbs
•
Reflexives followed by a direct
object
Allison
Score:
75% (C)
Items missed: 8 (75%), 9 (25%), 10 (50%), 11 (50%), 12 (25%), 13 (75%), 14 (25%), 16 (60%),
17 (81%), 18 (63%)
Theresa
Score:
93% (A)
Items missed: 2, 9 (75%), 17 (94%), 18 (88%)
Jonathan
Score:
84% (B)
Items missed: 2, 8 (75%), 10 (50%), 11 (75%), 16 (60%), 17 (75%), 18 (88%)
* The percentages indicate each student’s score on an item where multiple points were
awarded for a single question.
COGNITIVE LEVEL
CONTENT
Body Parts Vocabulary
Knowledge
Comprehension
2 2, 3, 4, 16
16
+
(understand)
5, 6, 7
Past tense of verbs with
“être”
Eating habits
Synthesis
Evaluation
17 17 17, 18 18 18
+
(express, ask
about, answer)
+
(identify)
Personal Care Routine
Vocabulary and Reflexive
Verbs (present and past
tense)
Analysis

(ask about,
answer)
+
(identify)
15
Health Issues and Disease
Vocabulary
Application
17 17 17, 18 18 18
+
(describe, ask
about, answer)
8 8, 9 9, 10 10, 11
11, 17 17 17, 18
18 18
+
(describe, ask
about, answer)
12, 13, 14

(ask about,
answer)

(identify)
•

(compare)
17 17 17, 18 18 18
+
(develop
awareness)
Cultural Differences in
Healthcare
+
(compare,
connect, ask,
answer)
1
Formal/Informal Register

(use)

(identify)
17 17 17, 18 18 18
(interpersonal/presentational)
Oral and written
communications in
French (interpretive)
Importance of learning
French/Use of French
outside the classroom

(ask about,
answer)

(distinguish
between)

(exchange,
sustain)
Oral and written
communications in
French
18 18 18
17 17 18

(understand)
Key
Allison
Theresa
Jonathan

(use
verbal/nonverbal
cues)

(explore
why)

(identify
reasons
why)
Commonalities
•
All of the students struggled
with the higher-order supplyresponse items.
•
Vocabulary issues (#2, #16)
 Threats to reliability
 Interrupted instruction and loss of class time due to snow days.
 I designed the test, but my CT taught the unit.
 Item #1 was not printed in color.
 Threats to validity
 Changes were made to the test based on changes in instruction. The original item #18
(asking students to describe Doctors without Borders) was removed. Cultural approaches
to healthcare was still represented by item #1, but not to the extent indicated by the ILOs.
 Future Assessments
 Put grading system for passé compose (#8-14) and question section (#17) on the test
itself
 Use holistic grading for #17-18
 Print in color or project image of #1 on the board in color
 Language tests and the focus on accuracy
 Many schools are moving to Integrated Performance Assessments instead of traditional
unit tests.
 Did students learn?
 90% pass rate
 Assessment provided information on the degree to which students have or have not
mastered the vocabulary and structures from the unit.
 Instructional Decisions
 Short-term
 Review Dr & Mrs Vandertramp verb series (#12-14)
 Review past tense of reflexive verbs, focusing on past participle agreement (#8-11)
 Review question formation (#17-18)
 Long-term
 Allow more time in the future for instruction of different forms of passé composé.
 Review and recycle vocabulary constantly throughout the unit.
 Plan more opportunities for students to use higher-order thinking skills and produce language in
class.
 Integrate more culture throughout the unit.
This assessment, which was created for an 8th-grade French II class as a unit test,
initially had high validity and reliability. Over the course of the unit, and with the
assessment itself, certain threats to validity and reliability developed, but were
handled by the instructor or did not severely threaten possible inferences about
student learning. As a result the assessment maintained a reasonably high degree of
validity and reliability.
Because of this we can make reasonably accurate inferences about the nature and
degree of student learning, and we can use those inferences to better shape future
instruction.
By completing this test construction and analysis project I came away with a better
understanding of what makes a test valid and reliable and what specifically I can do
to improve my instruction and student learning.