Current Assessment Practices

My school doesn't have many school-wide assessment practices. I must admit that I don't really know that much about what does in other departments in my building beyond what I hear from my 16 year old students, so….take it for what it's worth.

Type of Standard Testing

There is a 10^th grade World History TAKS test but it is ridiculously easy. It doesn't really test what we teach in AP World History so we don't even really talk about it. Our school doesn't really focus on teaching to the TAKS. I do think they spend more time on TAKS preparation in math and English where the tests are little more challenging. Some teachers give a grade for TAKS, but I don't. The AP classes are definitely designed toward teaching the AP curriculum and preparing for AP tests. Currently, our school emphasizes taking AP classes and tests, not AP results. However, current media attention on the lack of student success on the AP tests may change this attitude.

Benchmark Practices

I don't give a benchmark in my class for the Social Studies TAKS. I think the teachers in 11^th grade give one Benchmark for the Social Studies TAKS. Our school does give math, English, and science benchmarks. I noticed the math teachers were using the benchmark results to identify students who needed to work on certain objectives and requiring them to come in for tutorials (a few kids blew off the benchmark and spent a great deal of their spring in math tutorials—kind of funny).

Use of Portfolios

I use a very informal portfolio in my class. Students keep their tests and essays in a folder. At the end of the semester and during review for the AP test I have the students look at their progress and how they have improved. I have them look at what they've learned about test taking and how their writing has improved. I think the English teachers have the students keep a notebook that acts as a writing portfolio. I am not aware of any teacher who has their students keep an electronic portfolio.

Use of Project- Based Learning

I see very little project-based learning in my building. We only do 2 projects in my class and one of them seems to always be a disaster. We change our first semester project each year and we still haven't found an effective project. The second semester project requires students to solve development problems in a newly independent country in the 20^th century. Students expressed that they enjoyed and learned a great deal from this project on course evaluations. I would like integrate more project-based learning into my course. I've seen some projects that require application of course content (mostly from the language teachers), but most of the projects seem to be projects to help students' grades and require very little application of content to create the project (mobile on an element, report on an artist, memorize a poem, etc).

Types of Technology Tools Used for Assessment

I give paper and pencil assessments for formal assessments, but I occasionally use my ActivExpressions for formative assessments. Many teachers in my building have ActiVotes or ActivExpressions that they use for formative assessments. Some teachers use them for formal assessment as well. Several teachers also use quia, web assign, and Moodle to give quizzes or have students turn in assignments. A few teachers even administer their tests through Moodle.

Technology Standards Currently Assessed

With the exception of our technology classes, technology standards are not assessed in my school. I do think there is a great deal of assumption that students possess technological skills that they may not. I have students who can make and edit a movie, know how to block their parents from pretty much everything they do on facebook, have jail broken their iphone, and can post a high score on any internet game. However, they don't know (or pretend not to know how) to save a file from Moodle to their own computer, set margins, perform an effective Google search, etc. I would like to incorporate 5 minute technology lessons twice a week next year so that I can make sure my students know the basic computer skills I expect them to know.