Diagnostic+Assessments

= **Diagnostic Assessment ** = =Diagnostic assessment is designed to determine students’ understanding, strengths, weaknesses and skills prior to instruction in a classroom setting. By determining strengths and weaknesses of the students, instructors are able to adjust the curriculum and / or instructional practices to meet the needs of the students. Some common diagnostic assessment tools are listed below: = **1. ** **SAT,** formally known as the Scholastic Assessment Test, is developed by the College Board and is designed to measure students’ readiness for college. SAT consists of three major sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. SAT tests include the SAT I –Reasoning Tests and SAT II which are subject tests in different academic disciplines. The SAT I is one of the usually required test for the college admission process, some colleges and universities may also require subject tests as well as part of their admission requirements. SAT tests are administered on Saturday mornings in locations across the country. The test is three hours and forty five minutes. The high score is 2400, 600 points for each section. All students planning to attend college after high school should plan to take the S At test(s) during their junior year or at the beginning of their senior year. For more information about the SAT please visit : http://sat.collegeboard.com

**2. ** **PSAT.** The PSAT is a diagnostic test officially known as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The PSAT tests students in three areas, cr itical reading skills, math problem-solving skills and writing skills. The questions, directions and format are similar to the SAT. This test performs two functions, to allow practice for students to prepare for the SAT test and it identifies students for the National Merit Scholarship program. The test is diagnostic and will give students feedback on their performance which will allow them to identify which strengths and weaknesses to focus additional practice and study. This test is generally taken by students in 10th and 11th grades. To find out more about the PSAT and Merit Scholarship Program go to : []

**3. Pennsylvania Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT). **The Pennsylvania Online Diagnostic Tools are online assessments which are fully integrated in to the Pennsylvania State Standards Aligned System. The tests in the CDT are designed to provide information to teachers to help inform instructional practices. The test contents are directly aligned to PA State standards and assessment anchors. The test claims to give information on how and why students are struggling in reaching standards. This is a newly developed tool for teaching and instruction; current field testing is available in the areas of mathematics, reading, writing and composition and science with a social studies module in development. Currently scheduled for grades 6- 12, the tests feature a battery of multiple choice questions and are recommended to be administered three times per year. These tests can be used as diagnostics to determine student knowledge at the beginning of the school year and help teachers plan for instruction. Benefits for teachers is to understand students’ strengths and weaknesses, allow for proper student grouping and plan for more individualized instruction. Benefits for students are that the tests give timely feedback and allow students to set goals.

To review information about the Pennsylvania Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) Please go to : []

**4. TRAILS – Tools for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy. **This is a free online assessment tool developed by the Kent State University. This program offers free access to assessments for information literacy skills. This product can be invaluable to school librarians who have limited instructional time with students, particularly at the secondary level. TRAILS offers online multiple choice tests for grade 3, 6 9 and 12 on the following information literacy skills: <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Developing Topics; Identifying Potential Sources; Developing, Using, and Revising Search Strategies; Evaluating Sources and Information; and Using Information Responsibly, Ethically, and Legally. This can be used by librarians to determine the strengths and weaknesses of students regarding information literacy skills. Useful as a diagnostic tool to plan instruction, it can also be used as a benchmark test. There are two main assessments to measure general knowledge and understanding, and to measure application of knowledge. Using the same test in pre- and post- instruction testing gives a more accurate benchmark of student progress. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 4.55pt 0in;">For more information about TRAILS and to register for an account go to: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 4.55pt 0in;">[]

**<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">5. KWL Charts **<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">. These are graphic organizers used by individual students or by whole groups to cue existing knowledge, frame questions for inquiry and reflect on the meeting of objectives during a unit of study. Engaging students’ prior knowledge is an effective strategy for motivating student engagement and defining clear purposes for reading. These charts give students a clear visual representation of information. This strategy is particularly useful when students are reading or researching non-fiction materials. The first column of a KWL chart allows the teacher to determine what the background knowledge is of the students. The second column focuses students’ attention on interacting with the text and finding a purpose for reading. The final column identifies what students have learned and can provide information about any gaps in knowledge that may need to be addressed by additional instruction.

<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For more information and sample charts, please check out the following resources: <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">[]

**6. Pre tests and surveys.** These strategies are used to determine students’ prior knowledge of material and help to identify and clear up misconceptions. These are common classroom procedures to assess students understanding. Teachers can test students’ knowledge of concepts and understanding of vocabulary to better prepare instruction for their students. These assessments can be done with online assessment tools or in the paper and pencil format.

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