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Manfield Student Technology Assessment for Grade 8

Manfield Student Technology Assessment for Grade 4

Jaime Russell, Mansfield Middle School Technology Coordinator
Jane Cook, EASTCONN Education Technology Specialist

The Mansfield District Technology Plan includes Mansfield Middle School's technology standards, which were adopted from the Connecticut State Department of Education's Connecticut Computer Technology Standards for Students in Grades 5-8. These standards are aligned with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Foundation Standards for All Students. These standards identify the specific technology goals and objectives that need to be introduced, developed, and mastered in grades 5-8.

The Mansfield Student Technology Assessment for Grade 8 was developed to assess the level of student technology competency when students exit Grade 8. The assessment aligns directly with the Connecticut Computer Technology Standards in Grades 5-8. This assessment is designed in six parts to answer the question: "How do we know what the students know?" Each part gives a different piece of the answer by giving students an opportunity to employ both their content knowledge and their technology skills.

All strands of CT Student Technology Competencies are addressed

1. Basic Operations and Concepts: Students are proficient in the use of technology.
2. Social, Ethnical and Human Issues: Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
3. Technical Productivity Tools: Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
4. Technology Communication Tools: Students use telecommunications to collaborate and interacts with peers and other audiences.
5. Technology Research Tools: Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
6. Technology Problem Solving and Decision Making Tools: Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.

Please refer to Connecticut Student Technology Standards.

The Mansfield Grade 8 Student Technology Assessment consists of six parts:

Section 1: Multiple Choice

Time Commitment: Approximately 15-30 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 1 is a standard multiple choice assessment that asks students to employ their content knowledge about technology. Each question is aligned with one or more strands in the Connecticut Computer Technology Standards.

Section 2: Short Answer Questions

Time Commitment: Approximately 30-45 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 2 consists of seven short answer questions asking students to explain how technology is used or misused and how they would handle certain technology problems.

Section 3: Word Processing Task

Time Commitment: Approximately 30-45 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 3 asks students to recreate an example of a word processing document using the same formatting and content. Students are required to find and insert a specific piece of clip art. After finishing the task, students print out a "hard copy" for review by the teacher.

Section 4: Internet Task

Time Commitment: Approximately 30-45 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 4 requires students to use an Internet Web browser to find answers to five multiple choice questions.

Section 5: Presentation Software Task

Time Commitment: Approximately 30-45 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 5 asks students to recreate an example of two PowerPoint slides using the same formatting and content. Students are required to find and insert a specific piece of clip art. After finishing the task students print out a "hard copy" for review by the teacher.

Section 6: Spreadsheet Task

Time Commitment: Approximately 30-45 minutes in the Computer Lab

Section 6 requires students to recreate a spreadsheet and graph using the same content and appropriate formatting. Students are required to find and insert a specific piece of clip art. After finishing the task, students print out a "hard copy" for review by the teacher.

Mansfield Middle School has posted all six sections online in an eSchool Builder course. Each section is a separate online "quiz". Students complete each section and their results get scored by the eSchool Builder software. The teacher uses a Rubric for Scoring Section 2 (Short Answer Section) to determine how well students responded to Section 2.

Each student has an electronic entry in the online gradebook so that the teacher can monitor how many section each student has completed. Online quiz data can be exported into Excel for detailed analysis.

Students complete a self-assessment for each of the performance sections. The performance sections are also reviewed by a teacher and compared to the student self-assessment. The teacher can then revise the student's self-assessment score as needed.

• Posting assessment online in an eSchool Builder course with supporting resources and materials allows students to review prior to taking the assessment or go back for remedial support if they do not pass the assessment
• Online assessment requires students to demonstrate their technology proficiency by using an emerging technology
• Results are useful for informing instruction
• Results are useful in planning for future curriculum revision
• Developed locally so it is aligned with the local curriculum
• Aligned with the Connecticut Prekindergarten Through Grade 12 Computer Technology Competency Standards For Students and the International Society for Technology in Education Technology Foundation Standards for All Students
• Inexpensive
• Simple to administer
• Online sections are easy to score
• Six part assessment tests both content knowledge and the application of content knowledge
• Six part assessment requires students to demonstrate proficiency in productivity software

• For ease of administration to the whole class at once, the assessment requires access to a computer lab or wireless laptop lab that has enough computers for every student in the class - this could cause scheduling problems
• Cost of subscription to eSchool Builder may increase; however, the benefits of having online course materials to support student learning may outweigh any increased costs in the future

Posting the Mansfield Student Technology Assessment for Grade 8 as part of an online course is an innovative idea. Technology is being used effectively to assess the technology proficiency of students. In addition, students are acquiring and demonstrating additional technology skills by participating in an online course. Students can login 24/7 as long as they have access to the Internet to find resources and support materials that will help them pass the assessment. They can also find remedial materials that will help them retake the assessment if they do not pass.

Ultimately, Mansfield would like to design an electronic portfolio that may become part of this assessment. It would likely take the place of some sections of the current assessment. This would allow the assessment of technology skills to be naturally embedded into content area projects. it would also mean that students work samples would be collected on an ongoing basis rather than only once at the end of 8th grade.

Mansfield Public Schools began developing Technology Goals and Objectives for their K-4 Students several years ago. In August of 2002, a K-4 Technology Curriculum Team developed a scope and sequence of Mansfield Technology Competency Standards for Grades K-4. This document is aligned with the Connecticut Prekindergarten through Grade 12 Computer Technology Competency Standards for Students and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Foundation Standards for All Students. It identifies what specific technology goals and objectives need to be introduced, developed, mastered, and reinforces by grade level.

The Mansfield Student Technology Assessment for Grade 4 was developed to assess the level of student technology competency when students exit Grade 4.It aligns directly with the Mansfield Technology Competency Standards for Grades K-4 This assessment is designed in three parts to answer the question: "How do we know what the students know?" Each par gives a different piece of the answer by giving students an opportunity to employ both their content knowledge and their technology skills.

All strands of CT Student Technology Competencies are addressed

1. Basic Operations and Concepts: Students are proficient in the use of technology.
2. Social, Ethnical and Human Issues: Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
3. Technical Productivity Tools: Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
4. Technology Communication Tools: Students use telecommunications to collaborate and interacts with peers and other audiences.
5. Technology Research Tools: Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
6. Technology Problem Solving and Decision Making Tools: Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.

Please refer to Connecticut Student Technology Standards.

The Mansfield Grade 4 Student Technology Assessment consists of three parts:

Part 1: Multiple Choice Items

Time Commitment: Approximately 30 minutes in the Computer Lab or the Classroom

Part 1 is a standard multiple choice assessment that asks students to employ their content knowledge about technology. Each question is aligned with one or more strands in the Mansfield Technology Competency Standards. The strand number is identified in parentheses after each question.

Part 1 should take no more than 30 minutes for an entire class. Part 1 can be taken in the classroom in "hard copy" or online in the Computer Lab. If it is taken in the classroom in "hard copy," it must be scored manually by the teacher. If it is take online in the Computer Lab, it can be scored by a computer.

Part 2: Keyboarding Assessment

Time Commitment: Approximately 15 minutes in the Computer Lab.

Part 2 is a two minute timed typing test. The 100 word passage which students are required to type is based on a popular children's book and is written at an early to mid-third grade readability level. This easier readability level was done deliberately so that students would be typing familiar words and the readability level would not interfere with their ability to perform on this part of the assessment.

Part 2 should take no more than about 15 minutes for an entire class. The most efficient way to administer Part 2 is in the Computer Lab with the whole class.

Part 3: The State of Connecticut Tech Task Performance Assessment

Time Commitment: Approximately 1 to 2 hours over the course of 2-3 weeks in the Computer Lab and the Classroom

Part 3 is a performance assessment that requires students to apply their knowledge of technology in an authentic task that is aligned with the Mansfield curriculum as well as all six strands of the Mansfield Technology Competency Standards for K-4.