SPED 2 Portfolio: Adapting Scoring on Tests

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How do teachers adapt the scoring or marking of classroom tests?

According to Munk & Bursuck(2003), the following are adaptations teachers can make for scoring or marking tests of students with exceptionalities:

-Narrow the scope of the content that the student is to focus on

-Base part of the grade on the effort the student puts forth rather than the final result

-Incorporate progress on IEP objectives into student’s grade

-Change scales or weights

Share how you, colleagues, or other teachers adapt when marking assessments.

Here are some adaptations I make for students with exceptionalities:
-I reduce the complexity of the task

-I provide extra time

-I provide manipulatives

-I reduce distractions during independent tasks

-I give choice in how students show what they know for example writing (sometimes a scribe will be available), drawing, or video (using the classroom iPad)

-for some students, they will have a personalized rubric for their level

-I assess based on student’s understanding of learning objective not the visual appeal of the product, for instance, when students are reading their journals to me, I don’t focus on correcting spelling (unless the lesson objective was to do with spelling)

*Differentiation and UDL are a regular part of my instruction and classroom design,

Do you assess students through a variety of platforms?

Yes, I teach grade 1or 2 usually I use triangulated data collection: conversational data, observational data, task-based data (like student work samples, video, and audio documentation), and student achievement data. I am constantly sharing student’s learning journey through Freshgrade, so families know what students are learning and where they are at in their learning. I don’t give tests at all.

I provide immediate positive feedback to students and always ask if they are proud of their work and what they like best about their work. My feedback is often praising something they did very well and then asking students what they think they can work more on the next time. For instance, I might say, “I really like that you used descriptive words and I can see that you made sure to get all of the sounds in. What do you think you might try next time in your writing?”

Munk, D. D., & Bursuck, W. D. (2003). Grading Students with Disabilities. Teaching All Students, 61(2), 38–43.