There are many types of mathematics assessments used for a variety of purposes. Purposes include to diagnose learning (where do I begin
with this student); to plan instruction (on-going assessment of individuals and groups); to monitor progress (assess as students work
towards goals); and to evaluate students (measure performance against standards and growth over time). You have learned to use many
assessments in reading. Comparable assessments do not exist in mathematics. Assessments in mathematics are complex and include
content-specific assessments (e.g., what does a student know about multiplication); process assessments (e.g., problem solving, reasoning);
and disposition assessments.  A student may do well in one content area such as multiplication but struggle with fractions.  A student may
reason well but make careless computational errors. No single assessment can evaluate a student's overall mathematical knowledge and
understanding.

The math assessments that we will do focus on assessing students'  dispositions about math, assessing a classroom set of math papers, and
assessing individual students' mathematical progress across time.  Each of these is critical to your work as an elementary teacher.

In part 3, you will be looking at one student's work across time. As soon as possible, ask your teacher to help you select a student to
observe and follow across the semester.  You will make notes about observing them during math class.  You also will copy the students'
work and tests.

Part 1: Assessing a small group of students' mathematical dispositions

Your attitude about mathematics has implications for teaching mathematics. Your students' attitudes about mathematics also has
implications for learning mathematics. For this part of the assignment, each person will interview two students.  If your internship
placement is a kindergarten, you probably will want to interview a 1st grader for this part of the assessment.  Unless you are in a
kindergarten class, one of the students you interview will be the student you are observing across the semester for part 3 of this
assignment.

You may need to modify the wording of the questions for younger students.

Ask each student the following questions:

1. What is math?

2. Do you like math? Why or why not?

3. What experiences have you had in math during your school years?

4. How is math important in our lives?

5. Do you use math outside of school? Give an example.

6. What is your favorite part of math? Why?

7. What is your least favorite part of math? Why?

8. What do you find to be the easiest part of math? Why?

9. What do you find to be the most difficult part of math? Why?

10. If you're having a problem in school with math, what do you do?

11. What words or pictures come to your mind when you think of math?

12. Draw a picture of a mathematician (a person who does math)? Where did you get your ideas about what to draw?

Observe the two students that you interview during math class and write field notes (see details about writing observational notes
below) .You will turn in your field notes with this part of the assignment. Respond to the following:
 

•      What do you notice that seems consistent with the interview?
•      What seems inconsistent?
•      In what ways do the responses fit or not fit with students this age
•      (http://www.ltl.appstate.edu/436/student/grlevcase/devstindex.html)

For Part 1 Assignment turn in the following:
 

•      Data  from your 2 student interviews
•      Field notes for observations
•      Responses to questions about observations and connections to the developmental website
•      Reflection about the process of doing this assessment (see general guidelines for write-up below).

Part 1 is due Thursday, February 19.

Part 2: Assessing a classroom set of math papers

A. Classroom teachers spend a lot of time grading sets of math papers. Ask your teacher to collect a set of math papers for you to copy.
During class we will think about how to look at a set of papers. We will notice the range of student responses, do an item analysis,
examine the levels of understanding, think about how to make decisions about evaluating the papers, and how to use the data to make
decisions about instruction.  In your reflection respond to the following:
 

• Talk to your teacher about the purpose of the assignment/test. In what way does the purpose of the assignment/test influence your thinking about the group set of papers?
• Was it helpful to do an item analysis?  Why or why not?
•  If you were the teacher, how would you use what you learned from the group set of papers to inform instructional decisions?

B. As a certified K-6 teacher in NC, you need to be familiar with all of the DPI resources that are available from the internet for assessing mathematics. Follow the directions under K-2 assesments. Then follow the directions under grades 3-6 assessments. This will be two separate printouts to turn in.

K-2 Assessments

http://www.learnnc.org/dpi/instserv.nsf/Category7

• Instructional Resources
• Strategies of Instruction K-2
• Select a Grade Level (K-2)
• Scroll to Book 3, Classroom Assessments
• Review the various resources
• Select one of the Quarter Tasks and review it. Print it to turn in.

Grades 3-6 Assessments

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/eog/
 

• Scroll down under samples
• Select a grade level 3-6
• Scroll through the various items to get a flavor of the types of questions asked
• Print an example of one page (be careful or you will be printing multiple pages)

For Part 2 A & B Assignment, turn in the following:
 

•      The set of papers & item analysis
•      Reflection about the process of doing this assessment (above questions and general ones below)
•      Print out for K-2 assessments from Learnnc
•      Print out of one page sample for EOGs in one grade level  3-6

Part 2 is due Tuesday, March 16.

Part 3: Assessing a student's mathematical progress across time

Classroom teachers need to be able to assess each student's mathematical progress across time. This is helpful when you have conferences
with parents and also helpful when you evaluate students at the end of the marking period.

With the help of your teacher, select a student to observe during math. You will gather data about your student across the semester.  This
data should include copies of samples of the student's math work and tests as well as observational notes from class (see guidelines
below).   You should have notes for at least 3 observations across time.  For one of your observations, write a brief narrative from the point
of view of your focus student.  How would he/she report what happened during the math class that day?

Look across your students' work and your observation notes.  Identify patterns and give evidence about those patterns, identify strengths
and weaknesses and think about how this would inform your instructional decisions.  Prepare notes for a conference with the parents
about this students' mathematical understanding.

Select a partner and role play the parent conference.

Write a reflection following the simulated conference.  What went well?  Why? What would you do differently?  Why?  What would you
do in the future to help this child make progress in math?  What did you learn that will be helpful when you do parent conferences in your
own classroom?

For Part 3 Assignment, turn in the following:
 

•      Copies of samples of the student's math work
•      Observational notes from at least 3 observations (see guides for writing observational notes below)
•      Narrative from student perspective about one of the observations
•      Notes for the parent conference
•      Reflection following the simulated parent conference (be sure and identify the colleague that posed as the "parent") (include
•      questions above)
•      Reflection about the process of this assessment (use general guidelines below)

Part 3 is due Friday, April 30.

Guidelines for Observational Notes

Use 3 columns.  You should record time in the first column.  In the 2nd column, describe what is going on at that time.  For example, if the
teacher is talking to the whole class, note this, If the teacher stops lecturing and tells the students to work individually using particular
materials, note this.  In other words, the first two columns together give a time specific outline of the various segments of the lesson.  In the
3rd column, make notes about what your student is doing throughout the lesson.  Note if they are listening, or talking, or staring out the
window, or using materials or a calculator, or writing, etc.  Make notes about the looks on his/her face (eager, excited, bored, frustrated,
etc.)  Try to position yourself so you can make notes about everything they say and do.  If possible attach a copy of the work your focus
students did during the class.

General Guidelines for Write-Up of Mathematics Assessments

For each of the three parts you will write a reflection about what you learned from doing the assessment. In addition to the specific
reflection questions written in each assessment, you also should address these questions:
 

• What did you learn about the particular assessment and about assessing students more generally?
• What most surprised you about doing this assessment?
• List the concerns or questions about using the assessment or about instructional decisions that follow that you will continue to think about as you move through this semester and out into student teaching.
• In what ways will you use what you learned during student teaching?