Assessment

=Assessment Tools=

Questions
Q: //**Is anyone doing anything with e-portfolios?**// A: Weston is using Mahara ([]), an open source e-portfolio system with a flexible display framework that interfaces with Moodle. UConn is requiring their undergrad education majors to keep an e-portfolio on Taskstream ([]). Q: //**Has anyone used LiveBinders ([])?**// A: Lynn has seen LiveBinders used by presenters but she thinks it would be useful for student e-portfolios. She has talked with them about this and will keep us posted. //**Q: What kind of assessments are districts using to meet the federal requirement that all students will be technologically proficient by the end of 8th grade and at other grade levels?**// A: Different disticts are doing different things:
 * In Stafford, each grade level is using GTEs to ensure that students are learning how to use technology to learn and to represent their learning. However, they are using Simple Assessments as their pre and post 8th grade assessment.
 * In Mansfield, they have a matrix of technology experiences that students need to engage in at the end of 2nd, 4th and 6th grade.
 * Union is a one-to-one laptop school at the middle school level so the students are using laptops on a daily basis. They are using Learning.com as the 8th grade exit assessment.

Assessing Tech Proficiency
Click on the links below for Technology Proficiency assessment tools:
 * **Simple Assessment:** According to their Web site. "The No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that all students must be technologically literate by the end of 8th grade. However, many schools across the country are struggling to find an easy, cost-effective, measurable way to assess the tech literacy of their fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. So, they asked us to create this much-needed student technology assessment." Info Source has created both student and teacher tech proficiency assessments. They have a free and a fee-based version depending on district needs. For more information, go to: [].
 * Stafford is in their 3rd year of using Simple Assessment. They are using the free version. They used it this fall but it has been extremely slow. Rich had a similar problem with a Moodle site this fall and it was a problem with CEN.
 * Union used it last year but they have signed up for a new tool.
 * **Learning.com** - For more information, go to: []
 * Union is going to use the Learning.com tech assessment this year for grades 3-8.
 * **Tech Yes:** Tech Yes has a project-based tech certification program. There is a one-time cost of $500 for a school. Students need to complete two projects. For more information, go to: []
 * **Tools for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (TRAILS):** According to their Web site, " TRAILS is a knowledge assessment with multiple-choice questions targeting a variety of information literacy skills based on 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th grade standards. This Web-based system was developed to provide an easily accessible and flexible tool for school librarians and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the information-seeking skills of their students. There is no charge for using TRAILS." For more information, g o to [].

Monitoring Progress for SRBI/RtI
Click on the links below for SRBI/RtI assessment tools: > Web-based standards mastery products." Mansfield, Bozrah, Chaplin, and Union are using Study Island. For more information, go to: [] or talk with Steve Sokoloski, Michele Leask or Donna Mingrone.
 * **AIMSWeb:** According to their Web site, "AIMSweb is a benchmark and progress monitoring system based on direct, frequent and continuous student assessment. The results are reported to students, parents, teachers and administrators via a web-based data management and reporting system to determine response to intervention." For more information go to: []. AIMSWeb costs $5/student or $6/student if you include the behavior component. You can add other components for additional costs. The minimum start-up is $200.
 * **DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills):** According to their Web site. "With the DIBELS Data System, student performance results become [|powerful reports] so you can make timely decisions and improve student outcomes.
 * DIBELS 6th edition, DIBELS Next, IDEL, and easyCBM Math
 * $1 per student per year includes both reading and math
 * Easy-to-use [|administration] and [|data entry] tools
 * **Pearson and PowerSchool:** According to their Web site, "PowerSchool - Limelight Edition augments PowerSchool's student management capabilities with a standards-based assessment engine to measure performance and provide detailed, real-time analysis. Through single sign-on, educators can quickly determine each learner's skill level, and make student-centered decisions to address student achievement." Mansfield is using Pearson to interface with PowerSchool, their Student Information System, for SRBI progress monitoring. For more information, go to: [].
 * **Progress Zone****:** According to their Web site, "//Progress Zone// allows educators to create, share, and administer custom diagnostic probes using a bank of more than 50,000 unique assessment items. It is the first web-based formative assessment service that recommends standards-aligned video clips for targeted remediation. Monitor student progress throughout the year with teacher-created diagnostic probes tied to your state's curriculum standards and automatically linked to appropriate, fun, and engaging Discovery Education //streaming// video clips." For more information, go to: ([].
 * **MY Access Online Writing Tools:** According to their Web site, "MY Access!® (www.myaccess.com) is a prompt-driven, web-based instructional writing program that scores student responses to prompts/writing tasks nearly instantaneously through advanced artificial intelligence technologies. Through the consistent, time-sensitive scoring of student writing, teachers can conduct early diagnosis, deliver writing assignments more frequently, and monitor writing performance by student and class." For Jane Cook's handouts for training in MY Access, go to: http://ctteams.wikispaces.com/MY+Access
 * **MY RtI:** EASTCONN has developed a database system for tracking assessments that districts are using for both benchmarks and for progress monitoring. For more information, go to: [].
 * **Study Island:** According to their Web site, " Study Island is a leading provider of affordable, easy-to-use,
 * **WPP Online and CBAS Write:** CSDE is now offering CBAS Write which is essentially WPP Online. To create a login for a free trial, go to: [] For more information on WPP Online, go to: [].