Explanation of Assessment Grading Criteria and Scoring
We asked students to fill out the assessment at the beginning and end of the semester. Our assessment provided an insight into students prior knowledge and artistic growth. The topics covered included basic color theory, various qualities of line, as well as cultural and historical questions. The data collected shows growth in all areas of the assessment. But it also points to areas that could stand to be improved. We achieved good results but I feel that we could have done much better if we had used our assessment as a guide when preparing questions for each lesson. That way topics such as line quality could be more appropriately addressed throughout the unit.
Pre and Post Assessment Results
Discussion of Pre and Post Assessment Results
The data shows that both the second and third grade class started at almost identical levels but the third grade showed more growth at the end of the year. However, I think these results may be skewed. On the day we took the post assessment, three third graders did not take the assessment. The three third graders who did not take the post assessment had low scores on the pre assessment. Because these three students did not take the post test I feel that the average score for the third grade post test is a bit high.
I found it interesting that on both the pre and post assessment the most commonly missed question was
#3) Which of these is not a type of line?
a. curvy b.thick c.value d. jagged
There are a few reasons for these results. Only two of our lessons focused on drawing (ideal cities and visual naratives) and in both of these lessons line quality was not really addressed. If we had put more emphasis on line within our lessons I am sure we would have achieved greater results. Another reason I feel there are low scores on this question is the question itself is a little tricky. This question is unique because it does not ask students to find the right answer but rather to find which answer is not correct. This requires higher level thinking on the part of the student.
The matching cultures question (#5) also raises some concerns for me. One second grader had identical results on the pre and post assessment which shows no growth. This question consistently yielded worse results on the post assessment. Looking back only our special power masks lesson addressed the issue. These results show me that we need to place more emphasis on history and culture in our future lessons.
Although the assessment results pointed to weaknesses in our unit planning they also show something very positive, growth! Every question asked had a higher percentage of correct answers on the post assessment. Our results show that there was definitely learning occuring in our art classroom.
I found it interesting that on both the pre and post assessment the most commonly missed question was
#3) Which of these is not a type of line?
a. curvy b.thick c.value d. jagged
There are a few reasons for these results. Only two of our lessons focused on drawing (ideal cities and visual naratives) and in both of these lessons line quality was not really addressed. If we had put more emphasis on line within our lessons I am sure we would have achieved greater results. Another reason I feel there are low scores on this question is the question itself is a little tricky. This question is unique because it does not ask students to find the right answer but rather to find which answer is not correct. This requires higher level thinking on the part of the student.
The matching cultures question (#5) also raises some concerns for me. One second grader had identical results on the pre and post assessment which shows no growth. This question consistently yielded worse results on the post assessment. Looking back only our special power masks lesson addressed the issue. These results show me that we need to place more emphasis on history and culture in our future lessons.
Although the assessment results pointed to weaknesses in our unit planning they also show something very positive, growth! Every question asked had a higher percentage of correct answers on the post assessment. Our results show that there was definitely learning occuring in our art classroom.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Assessment Plan
The major weakness of this assessment plan is the fact that we only tested the students twice the whole semester, the first day and the last day. The first step to better results is more tests along the way. It is hard to show good results with such limited data. If someone was absent for just one one the tests it really upsets the scores. If we would have collected more data we might have been able to address issues such as students getting a worse score on the post assessment. By only providing information on two assessments we do not take into account that students can have a bad day. Another benefit of assessing often is you can make adjustments along the way for those who need it rather than looking back and saying "I should have done that."
One strength of our assessment plan was we used the exact same test twice. This is a strength because identical tests yield more constant results. Another strength was we made this a low stress assessment. At the top of the assessment we stressed that "This is not a test!". When information is gathered in an informal way the results tend to be more genuine.
One strength of our assessment plan was we used the exact same test twice. This is a strength because identical tests yield more constant results. Another strength was we made this a low stress assessment. At the top of the assessment we stressed that "This is not a test!". When information is gathered in an informal way the results tend to be more genuine.