2016 Assessment Survey 1. In what role(s) are you responding to this survey? (Please select all that apply) Parent Teacher School building administrator District administrator Other administrator Michigan school, district, or ISD test coordinator Michigan taxpayer Legislator None of the above Other (Please specify if Other) Teacher Educator 2. How is it that the new assessment includes the following types of test questions in order to measure complex skills? Not Somewhat un Important Very Multiple choice questions Short open ended (short answer) questions Extended open ended (essay) questions Online interactive tasks (technology enhanced) questions Performance tasks Please provide any additional comments regarding types of test questions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 1/6
This is an opportunity for Michigan to rethink assessment amidst the national debate on standardized test. If you involve Michigan educators in the process of designing performancebased assessments that engage students in critical thinking and problem solving, then this assessment will not look like anything we have seen before (and, thus, the old models of multiple choice, short answer, and computer adaptive questions can be thrown out). Instead, we should look for ways to create a sustainable system of assessment that can both help students demonstrate proficiency while simultaneously offering teachers an opportunity for professional development. In short, if you really want to move to a new generation of assessments, don't try to copy the SBAC or PARCC; create something unique for the students and teachers of Michigan. 3. How is it that the Department provide the following resources? Un Somewhat Important Very Guidance for educators to help students prepare for online testing Online practice tests for students to become familiar with online testing Please provide any additional comments regarding preparation for online testing: Because your new assessment should not be a "test" in the sense of creating a standardize model for all students and, instead, should be performance based, there will be no need to prepare "guides" for students and reasons for teachers to "teacher to the test." Students will be engaged in authentic assessment, over time, and not just completing a one and done test. 4. Assuming that students are adequately prepared to take a test online, to what degree do you agree with the following statements about paper and pencil testing? disagree agree Schools should administer paper and pencil tests only if they do not have the capacity to administer the test online. Students in schools taking the test online should be administered a paper and pencil test only if they need it to appropriately access the content of the test. Please provide any additional comments regarding paper and pencil testing: There will be no online test, so this question is irrelevant. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 2/6
5. How is it to you that the new assessment provides schools with flexibility in the timing of administering the new assessment to address scheduling and calendaring issues? Not Somewhat Important Very Please provide any additional comments regarding flexibility of timing in administering the new assessment: Because the assessments are performance based and locally evaluated, the administration would be entirely up to the district. 6. How is it to you that the new assessment provide schools and students with opportunities to re take the new assessment in case the scores can t be used (e.g., because of a mistake in the way the test was administered, because of a breach in test security, or because of a case of cheating)? Un Somewhat Important Very Please provide any additional comments regarding opportunities to retake the new assessment: Again, because districts would be working locally to administer the assessment, and it is not a typical standardized test but instead it is performance based, there would be no need to "re take" the assessment for reasons such as cheating or test security. 7. To what degree do you agree with the following statement: The new assessment should be computer adaptive (meaning that it should adapt test questions to the achievement level of each individual student based on his/her responses to previous test questions)? disagree agree Please provide any additional comments regarding computer adaptive testing: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 3/6
Again, since this is a performance assessment, students will be creating individual artifacts and portfolios, so there is no need to design computer adaptive testing. 8. To what degree do you agree with the following statements about involvement of the Michigan Department of Education (Michigan officials) and Michigan educators in development and/or ownership of the new assessment? disagree agree Michigan educators (teachers and administrators) should be involved in writing and reviewing test questions for appropriateness. Only Michigan educators should be involved in writing and reviewing test questions for appropriateness. the design of the new assessment. the design of the new assessment. administration of the new assessment. administration of the new assessment. scoring the new assessment. scoring the new assessment. reporting on the new assessments. reporting on the new assessments. Michigan should be the sole owner of the new assessment. Michigan should work with other states to jointly develop and own the new assessment. Please provide any additional comments regarding Michigan involvement in development and/or ownership of the new assessment: Do not contract with Pearson, ETS, ACT or any other commercial test makers. 9. To what degree do you agree with the following statements about the ability of the Michigan Department of Education (Michigan officials) to independently investigate and/or validate the following characteristics of the new assessment? https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 4/6
disagree agree Michigan officials should be able to independently investigate and/or validate the alignment of the new assessment to Michigan s official content standards. Michigan officials should be able to independently investigate potential cheating or other test security issues. Michigan officials should be able to independently validate findings of cheating or other test security issues. validate the procedures used in developing the new assessment. validate the procedures used in administering the new assessment. validate the procedures used in processing and scoring the new assessment. validate the accuracy of reports and data files based on the new assessment. Please provide any additional comments regarding the ability of Michigan officials to perform independent investigation and/or validation: While we may work with other states' education officials and teachers, this assessment will be created and used by Michigan educators, for Michigan students. Any committee or working group that is pulled together to work on the design of this assessment should include at least a 2:1 ratio of K 12 classroom teachers to principals, curriculum directors, teacher educators, or outside consultants. 10. Please provide any other comments or recommendations related to the new assessment to be administered in the 2015 16 school year. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 5/6
I understand that, according to PA 38 of 1970, Section 388.1082, the state superintendent "shall develop and conduct the assessment program and may utilize the assistance of appropriate testing organizations or testing specialists." The "may" is a very option this coming year. Supt. Flanagan may exercise this option. Or, he may not. I am hoping that you could convince him to lean toward the "may not," and to work with districts on an alternative. As a former teacher, and now a teacher educator and educational researcher, I would be happy to talk with you about this idea in further detail. More ly, as a parent, I can assure you that this is an opportunity where MDE could put the needs of children and communities front and center, providing a model for other states as they work through their own concerns with the Common Core and standardized testing. Instead, work with teachers (and, in an appropriate ratio, principals, curriculum directors, and teacher educators) to allow local, performance based, authentic assessments to take place instead. I can not be at the public hearing on July 30th, but you may contact me at hickstro@gmail.com Prev Next Powered by SurveyMonkey Check out our sample surveys and create your own now! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h%2fyz5bx5zwzoxagspahcrj36t8ueuzzzhls0pqohn9q%3d 6/6