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Using Curriculum-Based Assessment and Portfolios to Enhance and Complete Full Individual Evaluations Carol Layton, Ph.D. Texas Tech University Abstract The current trend in special education evaluation focuses on success in the general education setting. The use of curriculum-based assessment and portfolio assessment adds needed contextual components to individual standardized assessment. These informal measures also create a more active role for the classroom teacher in the evaluation process. Combining informal and formal assessment procedures gives the educational diagnostician opportunity to create, with the teacherŐs input, a more effective and student-centered Full Individual Evaluation. More importantly, the evaluation process accurately depicts student competencies and educational need culminating in a student-centered special education evaluation. In the last decade a significant change has occurred in the field of special education evaluation. The 1997 revisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Turnbull and Turnbull, 1998) were catalysts of change because they increased the emphasis on parental participation and redirected evaluation strategies. Within these revisions the law called for a more aggressive, compulsory link between evaluation data and Individualized Education Program (IEP) development. A tightened evaluation focus places emphasis on special education evaluation as it applies to the general curriculum and general education setting. As we look to the future and the reauthorization of this law, it is inevitable that certain established trends will continue to flourish. One of these promising trends is the use of informal evaluation techniques. These teacher driven techniques have a positive impact on effectively pinpointing student needs and strengths, providing the basis for adequate support for success in general education. Two selected tools, curriculum-based assessment and portfolios, are appropriate and pragmatic components that possess potential to make full individual evaluations effective and efficient foundations for individual program planning. For the educational diagnostician these pieces of evaluation place standardized evaluation components in a multifaceted and appropriate context. This article presents these specific techniques and directions for use so that special and general education teachers can enhance their participation as a member of the multidisciplinary team. After placement, these techniques provide a powerful impetus to effective teaching. They become part of daily planning and instruction guiding the teacher and student in making learning meaningful. Constructing and Using Curriculum-Based and Portfolio Assessments Pre-evaluation Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) meetings are now essential components of the evaluation process. Designing portfolios and curriculum-based evaluation techniques to embed standardized evaluation is a pragmatic process ensuring that the evaluation focus is centered in the general setting. These two specific types of evaluation techniques emerge from the general setting and accomplish an important facet in the evaluation process. This essential facet is the documentation of educational need. Curriculum-based assessment and portfolio assessment will clearly indicate the presence or lack of educational need. A discussion of both techniques will include a: (a) rationale; (b) description; (c) advantages; (d) step-by-step directions; and (e) sample instruments when appropriate. In conclusion, an excerpt from a case study will summarize typical information acquired through these selected informal assessment techniques. Curriculum-Based Assessment Rationale. Classroom-based assessment is an instrumental and vigorous method of monitoring current functioning, student progress, and the ability of the educational staff to deliver effective services in the general and special education setting. The revisions of IDEA compel the IEP team to use informal and formal tools as well as assessment strategies to meet the student's educational needs, another accountability provision linking evaluation and intervention. IDEA now requires a holistic evaluation, assessing the student's strengths and needs. Once again, the law demands that all assessment be linked to the student's IEP and, when possible, to participate in the regular education curriculum. Curriculum-based assessment, a classroom-based technique, is an efficient tool in gaining the information needed to determine the effectiveness of the classroom placement. Description. Curriculum-based assessment involves the use of chapter tests and chapter objectives to ascertain the mastery of objectives taught in the curriculum. Use of chapter tests found in textbooks are a direct measurement of the curriculum and very appropriate for IEP goal development. Logically, if a student is placed in a fourth grade science class and the objectives of the class are not altered, then the chapter tests and objectives are appropriate for assessment. Few instructions are needed for using curriculum measures. The teacher should remember that if modifications are in place while instruction is delivered, then those same modifications need to be in place during assessment. The chapter tests are appropriate tools to ascertain the mastery of the student's learning. If a student is unable to master the chapter assessments with the appropriate modifications for his impairment, then perhaps the curriculum is not appropriate. If the instruction is not appropriate and the student is not learning or mastering the objectives taught, then the student should be placed in a classroom where learning is feasible or the objectives for the student must be modified to the extent that learning is appropriate and paced where mastery is expected. The important concept to stress in curriculum-based assessment is the expected mastery of concepts. If the IEP team has placed a child in a class where he is expected to participate with other kinds of objectives rather than curriculum content, such as working with same-age peers and developing friendships with other students, then those goals must be outlined in IEP objectives. If the goals for participation and mastery of concepts are the same as other classmates in the general curriculum, then with modifications for the studentŐs impairment, the student should be expected to master all of the components of the curriculum. Advantages Examining curriculum expectations is vital to the success of students with impairments in integrated settings. However, selecting appropriate goals and encouraging achievement can be accomplished with curriculum-based assessment. This type of assessment is critical to ascertaining the success of the student's placement. Directions 1. Examine the chapter concepts and determine the appropriateness of the test items. 2. When writing objectives for general education settings, be cautious of lowering mastery levels. Lowered mastery below 70% on curriculum measures reflects low expectations in student outcomes. A 60% or 50% mastery level does not indicate mastery of content. 3. Deliver assessment measures in an accessible format utilizing all modifications recommended for instruction in the curriculum-based assessment 4. Present chapter tests utilizing the student's modifications. 5. If the student is completing curriculum-based tests (such as chapter tests) successfully, then the curriculum is probably appropriate for the student. If mastery of curriculum-based tests is not indicated, then the assessment team must look at current levels of functioning and ascertain appropriate goals and settings to implement them. See Figure 1 to view an appropriate checklist to summarize information from curriculum-based assessment. Portfolios Rationale. Portfolios provide information that supplements the understanding of other assessment methods. The evaluation statement for each component of the portfolio must be included. Summarization of the important findings or statements attached to each assessment piece must clearly tell why each piece was selected. It is most effective when portfolios are developed in conjunction with the student and, as such, take the form of a self-evaluation. A portfolio may be a notebook of writing samples, a collection of student art, documentation of needed job skills, or a collection of work to demonstrate reading skills. Whether the notebook is used to validate educational need and competencies in the initial evaluation process or as a part of an annual review or re-evaluation, it is worthy documentation of current competence. Description An assessment portfolio is a collection and critique of products that demonstrate current and emerging levels (Salvia and Ysseldyke, 1995). It is a measure of progress that documents student effort, growth, and achievement. Hart (1994) states that portfolios are valuable tools that assist teachers in assessing student growth and progress. A portfolio is a container that documents student skills, interests, ideas, and accomplishments. It is a way to collect, organize, and evaluate work. Advantages. There are many advantages to portfolios. Because portfolios contain actual student work, parents and teachers can use them as communication tools for effectively discussing the studentŐs work. The integration of assessment and instruction is a highly motivating factor that facilitates learning, and portfolios provide an easy link between learning, motivation, and assessment. When students are involved in monitoring their own progress, e.g. through checklists, graphs or charts, selections of writing, they become self-critics and motivated to improve. Portfolios should be selected in part by the student. From the onset, the student is personally involved in the project. He or she selects the items that will go in the portfolio and is actively involved in critiquing and evaluating each piece placed in the portfolio. Succinctly, portfolios are cyclic-self selected goals followed by self-selected components demonstrating progress toward mastery of goals and, finally, self-analysis and evaluation regarding the achievement of each piece in the portfolio and the overall goal or purpose in the portfolio. Most importantly, students become partners in assessing their own progress alongside their teachers. Self-evaluation is an essential component of portfolio success. Directions Portfolios can be designed for a variety of purposes. It is important for the purposes of the portfolio be stated for the student and also stated in the portfolio. 1.
Determine the purpose of the portfolio. What area of functioning
and subsequent progress is going to be measured? Enhancing FIE's with Curriculum-based Assessment and Portfolios Use of Curriculum-based assessment and student portfolios accomplish many important key tasks. The following list summarizes the critical factors that support decisions made by multidisciplinary teams. @text-ind:The following are teacher-driven pieces: •document
educational need. These key points are illustrated in the following excerpt from a case study. The use of curriculum-based assessment and portfolio evaluation add essential elements to a FIE. Through the use of these added components, the evaluation team views this studentŐs educational achievement in greater context. Additional informal assessment pieces complement standardized assessment, completing the FIE in a holistic and accurate picture of the student. Case Study Excerpt Blake, 10 years old, is currently in fourth grade in his neighborhood elementary school. He was referred for special education evaluation because of failing grades in reading and difficulty in reading any other text such as his science and social studies textbook. School records indicate that Blake is not progressing in his ability to read. He is struggling to keep up with his peers. Despite added help from his teacher and home, Blake continues to fall behind. Blake has difficulty recalling sight words and cannot phonologically sound out words in context. Blake's classroom teacher has tried many methods to increase Blake's ability. After consulting with his parents and the student assistance team at school, a referral to special education was initiated. One of the first requests of the pre-assessment committee was to ask Blake's classroom teacher to collect and examine any chapter tests, grades, homework and make notes regarding his ability to perform on these classroom assessments. As seen in Figure 3, Blake's classroom teacher, Ms. Cooper, collected and examined past tests and made the following comments regarding Blake's classroom work. As a part of the evaluation, Blake's teacher and he designed a portfolio to demonstrate Blake's current reading skills. Together they decide to work on his skills and reading ability by preparing a portfolio that can help document his present competencies and forward progress through the year. The teacher explains to Blake that this will be an ongoing project that will encompass selected items of his work throughout the year. Assessment and instruction are tightly linked throughout this portfolio. Blake demonstrates his capability in skill areas. The evaluation of each portfolio piece documents why Blake selected each activity or piece of documentation. The teacher is also involved in helping assure that Blake has documented each area with observable data that demonstrates his abilities. Blake also knows that this assessment piece will be shown to his parents and others interested in helping him succeed. He will be critiquing his own work as well as monitoring his own progress. Although Blake's portfolio is used to demonstrate educational need in the FIE, it is a continual project that will now include his resource help from special education. Ideally, Blake's portfolio will continue to provide guidance and evaluation information to the IEP team. IEP goals are developed using the portfolio as method of evaluation. It will also serve as a self-evaluation tool providing Blake with a source of motivation and a direct way of seeing progress. An example of his portfolio profile is illustrated in Figure 4. Blake helps create the profile and is involved in selecting documentation to support the profile. As a unit, Ms. Cooper and Blake agree that if he acquires all the skills listed in the profile and documents them in his portfolio then he should be able to show parents and others his progress as a reader. This portfolio contains documentation in each of these three areas listed in the profile: reading skills (reading rate and comprehension), reading as a leisure activity, and reading as a learning tool. Blake's progress is monitored through portfolio evaluation. He is highly involved in his own endeavor to achieve success. Blake's quest is personal and shared by his IEP team. Through the use of an informal assessment technique, Blake's IEP plan is constructive and effective. Blake has selected items to place in his portfolio to document his success in demonstrating the skills listed on the profile. A self-evaluation page like the one shown in Figure 2 will accompany any work samples. Blake chooses from a variety of sources ways to validate his progress toward attaining good reading skills. Some of these sources may include: videotapes, photos, written pieces, work reports, audio tapes, descriptions, diagrams, graphs and charts, computer printouts, and group projects. Summary Curriculum-based assessment and portfolio assessment are methods that evaluate student progress. By using informal assessment techniques, the student becomes the focus of assessment. Informal techniques such as these may be used on a daily basis, as a component to a comprehensive assessment, or as a periodic check on current functioning and progress achieved at the end of a curriculum unit. In essence, these techniques are the pieces that make assessment on-going, fluid, and dynamic. Informal assessment guides instruction by assuring that teaching, learning, and evaluation are integral parts of a continuous cycle. Documentation of student current functioning and progress as well as educational need is mandated by IDEA. It is the choice of the teacher and IEP team to select techniques that will give evidence of progress toward IEP goals. Teachers and educational diagnosticians face a constant struggle of adapting evaluation and instruction to meet the unique needs of their students. Informal assessment techniques offer ways to collect rich contextual information regarding student progress. They are powerful tools for assessing student strengths and needs. Use of these methods yields powerful qualitative information appropriate for determining educational goals. Using informal tools in conjunction with standardized instruments enables IEP team members to put all data in a contextual framework conducive to effective planning that is at the heart of the student-centered special education process. References Hart, D. (1994). Authentic assessment: A handbook for educators. Menlo Park, NY: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Ryan, C.D. (1994). Authentic assessment. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Salvia, J. , & Ysseldyke, J.E. (1995). Assessment (6th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Turnbull, H.R., & Turnbull, A.P. (1998). Free appropriate public education. (5th ed.). Denver, CO: Love Publishing. |