I watched my cooperating teacher administer an exam to his AP Statistics class.

The test consisted of both multiple choice and free response questions. The students were
given the multiple-choice section first, and then when they turned that in they received
the free response section. The students were ordered to split apart the desks so that they
were spaced apart from other students. The classroom is very large, so there was a lot of
space between the students. The students were very quiet and respectful of each other.
All of them were very focused. The classroom was the ideal testing environment. The
teacher was also very respectful of the students. He silently graded papers at his desk
throughout the period. For the most part, the students worked right up until dismissal.
The ones that finished earlier remained quiet and respectful of the students who were still
testing.
For the multiple choice section, my cooperating teacher used an online system
where he could hold up the students answer sheets, and the webcam on the computer
would read the results. This gave him automatic data, and he was able to see what the
students multiple-choice scores were while they worked on the free response. At the end
of period, students were able to ask what they got on the multiple-choice section. This
gives the students immediate feedback, which according to Fair Isnt Always Equal, is
fair to the students in order to be timely with feedback (Wormeli, 2006). As a former
student, this is something I would have liked. The free response was graded with the
other AP Statistics teacher to insure consistency in their grading. The test and answer key
were both made by the other AP Statistics teacher. Additionally, the other teacher made a
spreadsheet for computing a curve for the exam. The curve is based on the curve that the

AP Statistics final exam uses, so that the teachers get accurate data on how the students
will perform on the AP exam.
The questions were appropriate for an AP Statistics class. The questions were
made based on the actual AP exam, so they were fair for that class. The test questions
tested all levels of Blooms Taxonomy (1956), showing that it was an accurate gauge of
student knowledge. One thing I would change about the test is the length of the test.
Some students did not finish, or were rushing the finish at the very end. Many of the
students had to write Not Finished at the top of their papers so that they could be given
time at the beginning of the next class to finish. Additionally, I think the students should
have been given the free response and multiple-choice sections at the same time. Some
students may prefer to skip around, or start with the free response first. I feel that this
could have helped with their time management- and then they wouldnt have had to rush
at the end.
The mean score for the class was a 76.9%. The grades ranged from a 50% to a
93%. On one particular question, number, on 4% of students answered correctly. On
number 19, only 8% of students answered correctly. If I was teaching this class, I would
closely look at these two questions and figure out if it was a fair test question,
considering so many students missed it. On the free response, the students received
partial credit. Based on the grades, according to my cooperating teacher, the class would
make on average, a 3 on the AP exam. He is happy with this, because most of the class
would be passing. He says the students are not so happy with these scores, because most
of the students are used to getting high grades, so they struggle with the difficulty of the
course.

If I were teaching this class, I would continue teaching as I have been because the
students scores show that they are learning the information. For the students who are
unhappy with their grades, I would reiterate that this is an Advanced Placement course
and therefore the exams will mimic the final AP Exam, therefore they should not expect
to easily earn high scores on the tests. Also, as I said previously, I would review the two
questions that were missed by at the vast majority of the class. Before handing the tests
back, I would also make sure that I was consist when grading the free response questions,
in terms of partial credit, to avoid any discrepancies in my grading.
In my future classroom, I would like to be able to do more performance
assessments than traditional assessments in my classroom. According to Teaching to
Change the World, performance assessments include tasks or questions that have a
variety of acceptable answers, and they better reflect how well the student explain or
justifies their answer. Performance assessments are graded using a rubric, rather than
being graded on correct responses (Oakes, et al, 2013). I feel that by doing performance
assessments, although they would take longer to grade, I would have more accurate
feedback on how well my student mastered the mathematical concepts.

Sources

Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated
Classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Anderson, Karthwohl (2001). Blooms Taxonomy.

Oakeset al (2006). Teaching to Change the World, pp. 196-197.