Adaptive Dimension
the concept of making adjustments in approved
educational programs to accommodate diversity
in student learning needs; includes those
practices the teacher undertakes to make
curriculum, instruction, and the learning
environment meaningful and appropriate for
each student
Accountability
preparation and ability to account to the public
for the performance of the educational system
Affective Domain
a major area within the taxonomy of educational
objectives pertaining to the hierarchical pattern
of classification characteristics of attitudes,
interests, and appreciation and valuing
Anecdotal Records
refer to written descriptions of student progress
that a teacher keeps on a day-to-day basis
Appropriate Frequency of Assessment
appropriate balance between assessment and
evaluation activities and instructional processes
Assessment
collection of information for the purpose of
making judgments about student learning
progress
Assessment Stations
areas designated by the teacher for student
activities that are specifically used for
assessment purposes
Bias
the treatment of students unequally by virtue of
their gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status,
or any other stereotyped bases
Cognitive Domain
a major area within the taxonomy of educational
objectives pertaining to the hierarchical pattern
of classification characteristics of knowledge
outcomes and intellectual abilities and skills
Common Essential Learnings
a set of six interrelated areas containing
understandings, values, skills, and processes that
are considered important as foundations for
learning in all school subjects: communication,
numeracy, critical and creative thinking,
personal and social values and skills,
independent learning, and technological literacy.
Contract
agreement between a student or a group of
students and a teacher regarding what will be
done, who will do it, how it will be done, when it
will be completed, and how it will be evaluated
Core Curriculum
Saskatchewan framework for curriculum that
comprises [earnings necessary for all students
including Required Areas of Study, the Common
Essential Learnings, and the Adaptive
Dimension
Criterion
standard against which something is compared
Criterion-referenced
comparing students' results to the standard of
what was taught
Curriculum
translation of educational goals into an organized
set of intended learning outcomes and
instructional plans
Diagnostic Evaluation
designated to identify the level of students' skills
and knowledge so that appropriate instruction
can be provided
Direct Instruction
an instructional strategy; highly teacher directed;
includes methods such as lecture, didactic
questioning, explicit teaching, practice and drill,
and demonstrations
Evaluation
comparing assessment information against some
standard such as curriculum learning objectives
to make a judgment or a decision
Experiential Learning
an instructional strategy; inductive,
learner-centered and activity-oriented
Extended Open-Response
a testing exercise that requires a student to
respond comprehensively to an assigned topic
Formal Assessment
structured assessment procedures with specific
guidelines for administration, scoring and
interpretation of results
Formative Evaluation
designed for use during instruction to stimulate,
guide, and evaluate learning in specific units of
instruction
Group Assessments
assessments that focus on or account for the
progress of a group
Halo Effect
the tendency to rate students with pleasing
personalities and good 'back records in class more
highly than other students regardless of their
actual performance on the tasks being rated
Holistic Rating Scale
a type of rating scale that combines global and
analytic scoring methodologies
Independent Study
an instructional strategy; instructional methods
that purposefully foster the development of
individual student initiative, self-reliance, and
self-improvement
Indirect Instruction
an instructional strategy; mainly
student-centered; associated with methods such
as inquiry, induction, problem solving, and
discovery
Individual Assessments
assessments that focus on individual student
progress; constructed by the teacher; completed
individually by the students
Inference
an indicator of the extent to which the teacher is
the instrument that evaluates whether a student
attains a desired objective
Informal Assessment
a variety of procedures used to determine
performance, student progress and/or direct
instructional changes; less structured than or
structured differently from standardized tests;
results are relevant to instruction
Instructional Strategies
approaches teachers may take to achieve
learning objectives; classification includes Direct
Instruction, Indirect Instruction, Experiential
Learning, Interactive Instruction, and
Independent Study
Interactive Instruction
an instructional strategy; relies on discussion
and sharing among participants
Kinesthetic
having to do with the sensation of position,
movement, tension, etc. of the parts of the body
Learning Outcomes
includes Facts and Information; Concepts;
Learning Generalizations; Step-by-Step
Psychomotor Skills; Step-by-Step Cognitive
Skills; Thinking Skills; Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and Decision-Making Processes;
Creative Thinking and Performance;
Interpersonal and Social Skills; Attitudes,
Appreciations, and Values
Norm-referenced
comparing students' results to results obtained
from the group on which the test was normed
Observation Checklists
an assessment instrument or data recording
device that records the presence or absence of
attainment of desired concepts, skills, processes,
or attitudes
Performance Assessments
assessment techniques that provide information
on student learning in tasks that require
students to actively engage in their learning
through activities such as manipulating
materials, demonstrating skills, solving multi-
stage problems, or participating in debates
Performance Tests
assessment instruments that test how well a
student performs a practiced behavior, the
attainment of which is the primary goal of the
teaching
Note: This is a limited definition of performance. If your use of the term is broader, (e.g., you think of performance in terms of process skills such as working cooperatively), then there are techniques in Ongoing Student Activities that will provide more information.
Portfolios
method of organizing and storing of student-
produced materials assembled over an extended
period of time that allow the teacher to evaluate
student growth and overall learning progress
during that period of time
Program Evaluation
a formal process of gathering and analyzing
information about some aspect of a school
program in order to make a decision or to
communicate the merits of the aspect to other
decision makers or appropriate groups
Psychomotor Domain
a major area within the taxonomy of educational
objectives pertaining to the hierarchical pattern
of classification characteristics of motor skills,
abilities, and dexterity
Rating Scales
data recording devices that allow the teacher to
represent the extent to which specific concepts,
skills, processes, or attitudes are attained by
students
Required Areas of Study
seven areas of study required for all students
within the context of the Saskatchewan Core
Curriculum: language arts, mathematics, arts
education, health education, physical education,
science, and social studies
Self-referenced
comparing students" assessment results to
her/his development over time
Summative Evaluation
designed to be used at the end of instruction;
measures the extent of student learning progress
relative to the learning outcomes of the course of
instruction
Systematic
a factor of consideration for the timing and
scheduling of assessment and evaluation
processes through a given course of study
Weighting
assigning the relative importance or value to a
single item or elements within a list of related
items