Creating Assessments: The HOW TO Sequence

(Draft #1 UPDATED)
Step 1. Identifying and defining your purpose
This is the stage where you want to identify and define the purpose of
the assessment. You dont give tests to get points! You evaluate
students to determine their level of mastery of the standard/objectives.
Think carefully about what you want to measure first. That is why you
design the assessment instrument BEFORE you teach the objectives.
Doing so creates a reliable teaching purpose and keeps you, the
teacher, on track with your lesson delivery. If you know where you are
going before you leave (test development), your journey will be
straightforward and purposeful (lesson delivery).
Use this table as a template to fill in your ideas
1. What do you want to measure? (standards)
9.1.3.A: Know and use the elements and principles of each art
form to create works in the arts and humanities.
1.6.12.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and
large group situations. Respond with grade level appropriate
questions, ideas, information or opinions.
1.6.1.B: Use appropriate volume and clarity in individual or
group situations. Deliver brief oral presentations on a topic
supported by visual aids.
2.3.3.F Estimate and verify measurements of length, area,
weight, and capacity.
9.1.3.C: Recognize and use fundamental vocabulary within
each of the arts forms.
2. What topics will be included in this measurement?

Creating a newspaper comic layout

Presentation of each groups comic design
Analysis of peers presentations

3. Who is your audience for this lesson? (include any/all types of

learning levels)

All my students
One student who is an ELL learner
Two students with ADD

4. List how you are going to measure students mastery of these

concepts. (List types of testing instruments you will use; i.e., fill-inthe-blank, multiple choice, true/false, short essay, long essay,
research paper, PBL, etc.

Observation during students presentations.

PBL

Discussion
Q&A

Step 2: Writing the Objectives

The next portion of creating the assessment is writing the objectives.
There is no rule of thumb as to whether the objectives should be
created first and taken from the lesson plan (which has NOT been
delivered yet) or whether the objectives can be designed right here on
the testing development templates and then placed in the lesson plan.
Either way, you are creating the objectives using the ABCD method and
creating the assessment instrument before any teaching is conducted.
Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree

Objective #1

While working in a group, students

will design a newspaper layout using
pre-cut pieces that will address
attractiveness, ease of reading, and
creative use of materials.

Objective #2
While working with their group,
students will present their
newspaper layout within a fiveminute presentation. They will
incorporate the terms layout,
banner, and gutter, 3/3 times with
100% accuracy.

Engagement of students:
list the activity students
will engage in that
corresponds to the
objective
They will create a
mock newspaper
layout with the
pieces provided
(PBL)

Each group will

present their layout
and answering
questions from
classmates
(Q&A/Discussion)

Step 3: Determining the testing elements

This section of your testing design maintains assessment fidelity. You
decide how many questions you will ask regarding mastery of objective
#1. This decision should be based upon the degree you have listed
in each objective. For example, if your objective states, Students will
define 3/3 vocabulary words with 100% accuracy, then, you will not be
asking 10 vocabulary questions on the test. Once you determine this
for the 1st objective, you continue for each of the objectives you have
listed in this unit of study. Some objectives may be weighted more
than others. As the expert, you will make that determination. Step 2 is
a critical component of the assessment design and the final numbers
will add up to 100. (MAKE SURE 1 & 2 MATCHES 3)

Objective 1

Students will design a

newspaper layout
using pre-cut pieces
that will address
attractiveness, ease of
reading, and creative
use of materials.

Objective 2

Students will present

their newspaper
layout incorporating
the terms layout,
banner, and gutter,
3/3 times with 100%
accuracy.

Portion of
Total
the Lesson number of
test
questions/
points on
this
assessment
instrument
50% of
No test
the lesson questions
will be
used for
Points: 10
constructi
on

Number of
questions for
this
objective
(transfer the
% to actual
numbers)

50% of
the lesson
will be
used for
presentati
on

10

No
questions
Points: 10

10

TOTAL:

20 Points

Step 4: Creating the testing rubric

At this stage, you are now ready to create the rubric on how YOU, the
evaluator will assess the instrument you are using. If this is a
straightforward, 30/30 question/answer test, you do not need a rubric.
However, for all PBLs, essays, research papers, etc., a rubric needs to
accompany the instrument and be given to students when assigned.
First, determine whether you will use a holistic or analytic rubric. There
are pros and cons to each and what you choose is more user-comfort
than anything else. Having used both, I prefer the holistic rubric as it
gives more leeway to both the student and the teacher in the
evaluation process.
There are many premade templates for rubric design. Here are a few
hyperlinks to help you:
Kathy Schrock's guide to assessment rubrics
Rubistar
SAS Assessment Creator

SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template Abridged
(May be adapted based on instructors needs)

Pre-Planning
TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Standards/
anchors/
competencies
PA/Common
Core/Standards
(Plus any others
as may be
required)

Formative
AND/OR
Summative
Assessment
Evidence

Objective
A-B-C-D

DETAILS
Shane Stofko
Art
12
11-18-2104 20 minutes
1.6.1.B: Use appropriate volume and clarity in
individual or group situations. Deliver brief oral
presentations on a topic supported by visual aids.
1.6.12.A: Listen critically and respond to others in
small and large group situations. Respond with grade
level appropriate questions, ideas, information or
opinions.
2.3.3.F Estimate and verify measurements of length,
area, weight, and capacity.
9.1.3.A: Know and use the elements and principles of
each art form to create works in the arts and
humanities.
9.1.3.C: Recognize and use fundamental vocabulary
within each of the arts forms.
9.1.12.H: Incorporate the effective and safe use of
materials, equipment and tools into the production of
works in the arts at work and performance spaces.
Formal Evaluation
Having the other groups critique their peers layouts for
the use of all the required elements, attractiveness,
and organization
Informal Evaluation
Go around the classroom while they are creating their
layouts to see how every student is participating in
their groups designs.

Each group will design an ascetically pleasing newspaper comic

layout using a minimum of seven pre-made comic strips.

This will address the application and analyzing phases

of Blooms Taxonomy

CK

Bloom's Taxonomy
Webb's Depth of
Knowledge (DOK)

Step-by-Step Procedures
RATIONALE for the
Learning Plan
DETAILS
Introduction
Activating Prior Knowledge
Ask the students if they have ever noticed how in
different newspapers the comic section is arranged
differently from one another?

CK

Explicit
Instructions
Big Ideas
Essential
Questions

Lesson Procedure
Must include
adaptations &
accommodations
for students with
special needs
Accommodations,
Modifications

Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory Set
Show them a few different examples of comic sections
from local papers.
Big Idea Statement
The arts provide a medium to understand and exchange
ideas.
Essential Questions
How can you create a visually appealing newspaper comic layout with
at the same time using all the space effectively?
Key Vocabulary
Layout (disposicin) The way in which text or
pictures are set out on a page.
Banner (bandera) - A headline stretching across the
top of a page.
Gutter (canaln)- The space between columns or
margins between facing pages
Pre-Assessment of Students
I will have them write down the words layout, banner,
and gutter. Then I will read them the definitions of the
three words I have had them write down and they will
have to all respond at the same time to tell me the word
that matches the definition.
Modeling of the Concept
Have real life examples of actual newspaper comic
layouts that can be passed around the class.
Transition
As the newspapers are being passed between the
groups hand out the groups materials so that they can
create their own layout.
Guiding the Practice
Go around to each group and get them thinking about
their layout and guide them to create an effective
layout.
Providing the Independent Practice
Each group will be creating a layout to pass around the
class for their classmates to critique.
Adaptations/Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
I will show real life examples of comics layouts (show
Spanish comic to show students that they address
comics in Spain much differently than the U.S. does.)
When I am doing the pre-assessment I will read the
definition and once the students respond I will have
them say the word in Spanish. This will allow my ELL
student to learn the word the word in English and my
class will learn the word in Spanish.
During the pre-assessment I will point to the area on the
newspaper that the word the students just said is
referring to.
Exit ticket (Peer Layout Critique)
To help challenge the ARL reader pair him/her up with

Materials
(reading,
technology,
equipment,
supplies, etc.)
Closure

Other(This area
is to be
determined by
instructor OR
student as
needed)
Supervising

the ELL student and the ARL student will be given a

Spanish to English dictionary to then have to decipher
what the comic is saying before the ELL student helps
them.
Compact down the class so that the ARL student would
be teaching the ELL student which means give them the
objective, in student friendly terms, on what they would
need to teach the ELL student so that when the ELL
student comes back with the rest of class he/she will be
able to understand what is happening.
- Periodically check on this group to know the
learning is
heading in the right direction.
For the BLR provide a photocopied page of the
newspaper with the definitions written in the area they
are addressing so that the student can look at this and
see what definition is talking about what.
Provide a Verbal and Visual Word Association chart for
the BLR student so that they can create a visual
representation and be able to connect it to their
everyday life for the words they are having trouble with.
Pencil
10 by 15 Foam board
9 comic strips that will be precut for the students
Tape
Peer critique form
Summary & Review of the Learning
Each group will have 30 seconds to critique the other
groups work by using the peer critique form.
The last three minutes of class will be going over the
results to declare the best layout as voted on by the
class. This will also be time to address why the class
picked the winner. To leave every student will have to
write one thing that they thought was good on their
project and one thing that they thought they could have
done better.
Homework/Assignments
The students will reflect and write five things that their
group had done well and five things that they could have
done better.
The winning group will only have to write three things
that their group had done well and what they could
reflect upon.

teacher
comments and
signature
Teacher
Self-reflection
What
worked?
What would
you
change?