BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT

Benchmark Assessment: Integrating Science and Mathematics

Benchmark Assessment: Integrating Science and Mathematics

Objectives

The clear-cut objectives of this study that align to standards used standards-based curriculum guides, benchmark assessments, and concentrated professional development to improve the achievement of their students in math content as assessed in mathematics and reported as part of each school's yearly yearly progress. The average growth of the students in mathematics far out-paced their growth in English language arts as well as the average growth for students in the county and the state in mathematics. The findings support a three-pronged approach that comprises of curriculum guides that organize and pace the content standards and include model tasks for student outcomes supported by standards-based quarterly benchmark assessments which give the teachers timely feedback about student conceptual understanding of the standards (Barton, 2004).

Relevant Materials and Resources

In the 1980s and particularly in the 1990s, educational reform focused on the development of standards that called for higher levels of performance in content areas to be demonstrated by students and educators and supported by school districts. The rationale for rigorous standards was that these would encourage quality curricula and effective teaching, which would, in turn, translate into enhanced learning and achievement for all students. One intent of establishing rigorous standards was to narrow the achievement gap separating minority students from students who were native English speakers. Yet, as Barton (2004) argued, even though bigger figures of few scholars are taking more rigorous techniques, there has not been the constricting of the accomplishment gap that one would anticipate from expanded sophisticated course taking. For the last 10 years, the achievement of African- American and Latino students has not shown substantial gains (O'Shea, 2005).

As a more systemic approach to concluding achievement gaps and advancing learning for all students, the National Study Group for the Affirmative Development of Academic Ability (2004) suggested access to a combination of educational interventions in the classroom, school, and community. They recommended applying proven pedagogical practices to help student learning, establishing more supplementary learning opportunities, helping teachers expert their subjects, providing challenging academic work for students, and utilizing instructional methods that build on what students already know. The literature supporting this recommendation has a common theme in the acknowledgement of standards as a critical component of successful practice. For example, Tucker and Codding (1998) recounted a standards-based classroom as one that has explicit indicators of quality work, what Phil Daro called a “quality triangle”: standards-driven content of direction, student outcomes, and evaluation of scholar work (Shepard, 2000).

O'Shea's plan echoes the current emphasis on more rigorous assessment and accountability as another important aspect of education reform that is integral to the use of standards. As Shepard (2000) had earlier contended, assessment reform is part of the larger effort to lift standards for classroom instruction and improve the quality of education: “what you check is what you get” referring to the effect large-scale assessments have on school curriculum. Shepard (2000) proposed that classroom assessments should agree “challenging subject matter standards and be ...