Designing A Balanced Assessment Note And Overall Rating Of P

Designing A Balanced Assessmentnotean Overall Rating Of Proficient 3

Design a balanced classroom assessment plan for a unit of study. Choose a 4-week unit of study for a specific Common Core or state standard or your grade level or content area. Write a brief summary of your selection to provide context. Identify at least three essential elements of the Common Core or state standard for the unit. Deconstruct the standard to reveal three specific learning targets. Create a pre-assessment and evaluation instrument that measures student proficiency on objectives targeted, such as a criterion-based rubric with a proficiency scale or an answer key, and explain the purpose of the pre-assessment for the unit. Create a single formative, interim assessment that is composed of 10 selected items (binary choice, multiple choice, and matching) and three constructed response items based on the unit content, learning targets, and length of the instructional unit. Include the answer key for selected response items. Describe how the interim, formative assessment would assist in planning instruction. Create a summative performance-based assessment. For performance-based assessments, and portfolio assessments, you must create and include the evaluation instrument that measures student proficiency on objectives taught, such as a criterion-based rubric with a proficiency scale.

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Developing a comprehensive and balanced assessment plan is vital for effectively measuring student progress and ensuring alignment with curricular standards. For this purpose, I have selected a four-week unit of instruction focused on analyzing thematic elements in literature, specifically aligning with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Reading Literature for middle school students (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2). This standard emphasizes determining a theme or central idea of a text and explaining how it is developed through key details, making it an appropriate focus for assessing depth of comprehension, analytical thinking, and interpretive skills in a grade-appropriate context.

To provide context, the chosen unit explores the theme of perseverance as depicted across various literary texts. Students will engage in close reading, thematic analysis, and discussion activities designed to deepen their understanding of how authors develop central ideas and themes. The three essential elements of the standard include identifying themes, analyzing the development of themes through textual evidence, and explaining the impact of themes on overall meaning.

Deconstructing the standard yields three specific learning targets: (1) students will be able to identify the main theme or central idea of a literary text; (2) students will analyze textual evidence that supports the development of the theme; and (3) students will articulate how the theme influences the reader’s understanding of the overall message. These targets focus on analytical rigor and textual comprehension skills specific to the standard's intent.

The pre-assessment consists of a short-answer prompt asking students to define "theme" and to list a theme they have encountered in literature or media. Its purpose is to gauge students’ prior knowledge of literary themes and to inform differentiated instruction, scaffolding, and targeted teaching. The evaluation instrument for this pre-assessment is a simple rubric rating accuracy and depth of understanding, providing initial data on students’ familiarity with the concepts.

The formative assessment, serving as an interim check-in, comprises ten items: five multiple-choice questions, two matching items, and three short-answer prompts. The multiple-choice questions evaluate recognition of theme identification strategies and textual evidence analysis. Matching items pair thematic statements with appropriate textual examples, promoting engagement with textual detail. The short-answer prompts require students to analyze a brief passage for theme development and to justify their interpretation with evidence. An answer key is provided to facilitate scoring and ensure transparency.

This formative assessment is designed to inform instruction by revealing students’ misconceptions, highlighting areas needing reinforcement, and guiding tailored mini-lessons. For example, students struggling to connect textual evidence with thematic ideas will benefit from targeted instruction on inference and textual analysis. The assessment serves as a diagnostic tool, enabling teachers to adapt subsequent lessons, discussions, and activities accordingly.

The summative performance-based assessment involves a project in which students select a literary work, analyze its central theme, and create a presentation or digital portfolio illustrating how themes are developed through textual evidence and literary devices. The evaluation instrument is a criterion-referenced rubric with levels of proficiency, assessing understanding of theme identification, analysis, evidence integration, and presentation clarity. This project encourages synthesis of knowledge and application of analytical skills in an authentic, meaningful context, demonstrating mastery of the instructional objectives.

In conclusion, this balanced assessment plan integrates diagnostic, formative, and summative evaluations aligned with the CCR standards to foster comprehensive literary analysis skills. Each component provides valuable feedback on student progress, informs instruction, and culminates in a demonstration of deep understanding, ultimately supporting students' critical thinking and interpretive abilities in literature.

References

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers.
• Brookhart, S. M. (2013). How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading. ASCD.
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• Marzano, R. J. (2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. ASCD.
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• Heritage, M. (2010). Formative Assessment: Making It Happen in the Classroom. Corwin Press.