PSM Workshop for Teachers -- Writing Math Quarter Exams

PREPARING MATH QUARTER EXAMS

Describe your typical process for writing each math quarter exam.

Sample answers:

Find and copy last year’s exam

Use the unit tests from the publisher for the units covered

Complete the following:  A good quarter exam in math …

~tests what was taught


~does not test what was not taught 

~emphasizes important topics (e.g., if 3 weeks of instruction were devoted to a particular topic, then about 1/3 of the points on the test should be assigned to that topic) 

~assesses every CCSS identified in the quarter outline 

~assesses not just recall of facts, definitions, and memorized procedures but also higher order thinking


~challenges the strongest students in the class 

~uses a variety of item types: multiple choice, short answer, extended response 

~puts students under at least a slight pressure for time 

~does not use any items identical to those the students have seen before








What materials should be at hand?


~textbook and relevant ancillary materials

~grade level pages from the CCSS

~quarter outline

~outside assessment resources

NEVER: anything from teacherspayteachers.com

RESOURCES

Find resources where items are keyed to CCSS.

https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards Has links to CCSS tasks by grade level, starting with grade K.

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/assessments/sample-questions/

https://www.khanacademy.org/commoncore/map

http://math.arizona.edu/%7Eime/progressions/

North Carolina:

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/indexRedirect.php?reqURL=accountability/testing/releasedforms  (end-of-grade released forms; math and ELA/Reading, grades 3-8)

http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Kindergarten+Assessment

http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/1st+Grade+Assessment

http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/2nd+Grade+Assessment

http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/3rd+Grade+Assessment

New York:

Grades K-2 materials must be pulled out of the individual modules:

https://www.engageny.org/resource/pre-kindergarten-grade-5-mathematics-curriculum-map-and-guiding-documents

            find the standards here:  https://www.engageny.org/file/8771/download/ccls_checklist_for_a_story_of_units.pdf

https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-common-core-sample-questions     grades 3-8, math and ELA

Delaware:

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=218&dataid=124&FileName=DE_CCSS_Grade2_9-12.pdf

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=218&dataid=123&FileName=DE_CCSS_Grade3.pdf

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=218&dataid=122&FileName=DE_CCSS_Grade4.pdf

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=218&dataid=121&FileName=DE_CCSS_Grade5.pdf

           

PARCC (for grades 3-8)

https://parcc.pearson.com/practice-tests/math/ (answer key link provides CCSS for each sample item)

Achieve the Core (for grades 2-8)

http://achievethecore.org/category/1020/mathematics-assessments?&sort=name



Additional notes for PSM teachers:  Check the Google Drive using the path PSMMathMarshaDVD--Workshops:Presentations--PSM 2016 teacher workshop preparing quarter exams to find materials related to this workshop and additional resources such as math clip art and images. Also on PSMMathMarshaDVD are grade-specific files containing a folder of assessment resources (mostly not keyed to the CCSS but possibly useful).

Collect items!

Then check the match between items on the test and the CCSS—in both directions.

Then arrange the items in a sensible order and assign points to the items.

Do the points for each larger topic correspond to the amount of instructional time devoted to the topic? Make adjustments to the points or add items if needed.

Check for the variety of item types: multiple choice, short answer, extended response.

Check for cognitive levels—are there enough basic level items so that a student who has been paying attention in class, taking notes, doing homework, and studying for exams can earn at least a grade of C? Do the other items have the potential to spread the grades in a way that shows what they know? Are there one or two items that will really challenge your best students?

Is the test long enough to keep everyone profitably busy for the entire time devoted to the exam?

After all this fine tuning, check on the layout of the problems across pages—don’t strand the directions for a problem at the bottom of one page with the item on the next page.

Take the test yourself to make sure the directions are clear and you can create an unambiguous answer key.

Finally, highlight your master copy of the CCSS for your grade level so you can see exactly which standards remain to be taught and assessed during the rest of the school year. If you are preparing your third quarter exam, make sure that what remains is doable. If not, it is better to adjust NOW and change your third quarter instructional pace instead of rushing to teach everything before your students take their standardized tests in the spring.