Georgia Department of Education: Assessment and Scoring Instrument Report

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Introduction

The academic area of Social Studies is an integral component of K-12 educational standards and curricula. However, in different states, departments of education determine their specific standards and curriculum requirements for this discipline (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). To ensure the correspondence of a formative assessment test with educational standards designed for high school students, the Georgia Department of Education was randomly selected.

Formative Assessment Instruction

A thematic educational category of the history of Egyptian society is coded as SSWH1 and included in the high school world history course in Georgia (Georgia Department of Education, 2015). Given the diversity of formative assessment forms (Gipe, 2014; Goldman & Pellegrino, 2015), a synthesis essay format was chosen to assess students’ skills and knowledge with the emphasis on the development of their creativity and critical thinking. This approach to formative assessment will allow focusing “on the faithful reconstruction of a specific historical period, event or process which happened in the past” (Mortara, Catalano, Bellotti, Fiucci, Houry-Panchetti, & Petridis, 2014, p. 319).

The instruction is formulated in the following way:

  1. Synthesizing knowledge of ancient societies, explain and discuss factors contributing to the collapse of ancient Egypt from the historical, social, economic, political, and cultural perspectives.
  2. Substantiate your explanations by choosing one of the following characters: an Egyptian pharaoh of the Thirty-First Dynasty, Herodotus, a vizier, a nomarch of one of the Egyptian provinces, an Isiac, a craftsman, or a farmer. Illustrate your statements from the viewpoint of a chosen character.
  3. Provide specific examples, facts, data, and details by referring to the coursebook and appropriate, credible sources; at least two sources should be utilized for the synthesis of information.
  4. The essay should consist of at least two pages and include an introduction, three to four body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Assessment Scoring Rubrics and Criteria

The scoring rubrics and criteria for this formative assessment are represented as a table (Table 1) in order to ensure an easily navigable format.

Table 1. Assessment Scoring Rubrics and Criteria

Components and pointsNot attemptedInadequateNeeds improvementAdequateHigh quality
Analysis

0-40

28 and bellow

The essay includes little to no evidence of historical analysis; arguments are absent.

31-29

The paper does not refer to specific historical facts and evidence; statements are neither explained nor supported by relevant evidence. The paper does not meet the instruction.

34-32

The essay addresses the essay topic; lacks substantive conclusions; sometimes digresses from the focal topic; historical evidence is disintegrated.

37-35

The essay addresses the essay topic but lacks reasonable statements and clarity in explanations; historical facts are sometimes inconsistently provided.

40-38

The essay addresses the essay topic with coherence and clarity; organizes and synthesizes historical evidence; the author draws conclusions in an articulable manner.

Factual evidence

0-30

22 and bellow

The essay content is not supported by factual historical evidence; no source is used.

24-23

Uses only the course book; references are not related to the essay topic.

26-25

Uses only the course book; references to the book are loosely connected with the essay content and statements.

28-27

At least one additional credible source is used to provide factual support; major data and facts are provided.

30-29

Consistently integrates historical evidence and factual information; multiple reliable sources are used to support the statements

Engagement of a chosen character

0-20

12 and below

No reflection on historical facts and events is provided from the point of view of the chosen character.

14-13

The chosen character does not reflect on social, economic, political, and cultural trends in ancient Egypt. Important events are inaccurately interpreted.

16-15

The chosen character conveys basic historical facts and reflects on social, economic, political, and cultural trends in ancient Egypt. Reflections on events are incomplete.

18-17
The chosen character accurately conveys important historical facts and reflects on social, economic, political, and cultural trends in ancient Egypt. Reflections on events lack consistency.
20-19
The chosen character accurately conveys important historical facts and reflects on social, economic, political, and cultural trends in ancient Egypt. Insightful reflections on events are provided.
Mechanics (grammar, spelling, length)

0-10

3 and below

The essay is short of the required length. Spelling and grammar mistakes torment arguments.

5-4

The essay is short of the required length. The paper contains errors, but they do not represent a major distraction.

7-6

The length matches the instruction; the essay involves numerous spelling and grammar errors, but they do not torment arguments.

8-9

The essay contains two-three minor spelling or grammar mistakes; the length corresponds to the requirements.

10

The essay is free or of spelling errors and grammar mistakes; the length matches the instruction.

The final grading is based on summarized points (Table 2).

Table 2. Assessment Scale

High quality100-93A
Adequate92-85B
Needs improvement84-75C
Inadequate74-65D
Not attempted64 and belowF

Conclusion

Summing up, this formative assessment corresponds to the state standards and curricula. Its well-defined instruction and comprehensively explained grading criteria contribute to the applicability of this formative assessment test. After the completion of this test by students, a teacher will gain valuable insight into what should be done to enhance students’ academic performance and improve teaching and learning activities.

References

Georgia Department of Education. (2015). Web.

Gipe, J. (2014). Multiple paths to literacy: Assessment and differentiation for diverse learners, K-12 (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Goldman, S. R., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2015). Research on learning and instruction: Implications for curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(1), 33-41.

Mortara, M., Catalano, C. E., Bellotti, F., Fiucci, G., Houry-Panchetti, M., & Petridis, P. (2014). Learning cultural heritage by serious games. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 15(3), 318-325.

U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Educational standards and curriculum. Web.

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