Assessment in Diverse Settings.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: TEDU 413 or SEDP 201 . Enrollment is restricted to students enrolled in a B.S.Ed. program. This course explores all aspects of assessment that a teacher encounters in preK-12 educational settings. The course will cover current assessment theories, approaches and instruments used to measure the performance of the children and students representing the diverse learners in today’s classrooms -- including students with and without disabilities, English language learners and students representing a range of cultural backgrounds. Assessments at all stages of instruction (before, during and after), including formal and informal assessments and their applications in an inclusive educational setting, will be addressed. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which teachers can gather and use assessments to make data-informed decisions for effective instruction and intervention leading to optimal child development and student achievement. Specifically, the course will explore the relationships among content standards, instruction and assessment as well as ways to use a variety of assessments to monitor student progress. The course emphasizes making valid inferences from assessments in a variety of formats; understanding the legal and policy context of assessment; and the implications for appropriate grading practices and decision-making. Course content and assignments will promote critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Crosslisted as: SEDP 401 .