# Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 14/The Scoop From Someone Who Knows/Peer Review Two

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This article has been reviewed by: Adart001 (talk) 19:03, 15 June 2009 (UTC) for extra credit
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Part 1 - Article Components
Learning Target(s)
Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets:
Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article? Yes
Is/are the learning target(s) specific? No
Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?) Yes
Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.) Yes
Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets? Yes
Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them.
Comment: The learning targets could be a little more specific.
Students will be able to the identify a portfolio assessment, including the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.
Students will be able to determine eligibility for the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.
Students will be able to describe how to do a Collection of Evidence properly.
Additional learning targets could also be added to this article:
Students will be able to identify the advantages and disadvantages of portfolio assessments.
Grammar and Mechanics Review
Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised.
To do this:
go back to the module page for the article
select "edit this page"
highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu)
navigate back to your peer review page
click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu)
You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier.
Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them.
Background:
The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) is a portfolio assessment designed to evaluate the performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities and an alternative to formal the Standards of Learning (SOL) testing (Virginia Department of Education, 2008). It is available to students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11, who are working on academic standards that have been reduced in complexity and depth. The content, derived from SOLs, is modified and referred to as the Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOLs). Individual student achievement of academic skills is the primary focus of this portfolio assessment.
Expert on the VAAP:
Wendy Street is a special education teacher for Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS), located in Louisa, Virginia. Ms. Street is the 2009 Educator of the Year for Louisa County and holds a Master’s of Science in Education with a concentration in Special Education from Old Dominion University. She serves as the Special Education department chair for Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and as a Louisa County Public Schools Peer Reviewer for VAAP portfolios and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). In the classroom, Ms. Street also teaches students with significant cognitive disabilities who fall on the autism spectrum.
Might want to change "Interview Questions" to "The Scoop From Someone Who Knows". Might also want to change "What are the benefits of using portfolio assessments such as the VAAP?" to "What are the advantages of using portfoilo assessment such as the VAAP?" to be consistent with the following question.
The article could use some conclusion, like a summary of the interview. Could also include how this information is useful to teachers, compare this to other states or a national program, or improvements that could be made.
Sources
For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.)
1. Scholarly, research
2. Scholarly, expert opinion from educator
3. Popular, expert opinion from educator
4. Scholarly, research
5. Scholarly, research/parent organization
List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 2001 - 2009
Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article:
Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? Yes and use at least 2 scholarly sources? Yes
Are the citations in APA format? Yes
Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation:
Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007).
Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34).
Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"? Yes
Here is an example of a reference written in APA format:
Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3.
Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? No
Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? Yes
Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? Yes
Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve.
Comment:
There could be more popular sources to gain a bigger perspective or see different perspectives.
Multiple Choice Questions
What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)?
Question 1 Knowledge
Question 2 Knowledge
Question 3 Reasoning
Question 4 Reasoning
Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions.
Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? Yes
Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? Yes
Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? Yes
Do the questions assess the learning target? Yes
Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? Yes
Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? Yes
Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? Yes
Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? Yes
Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s.
Comment:
Although the questions are good, it is recommended that order of the answers change. Currently, the multiple choice answers are C, D, D, and C. May want to change it C, A, D, B so it does not seem obvious.
Part 2 - Ratings
LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria.
Importance:
I rated this article 4 for importance because it is very important to know the standards and assessment used in special education, for both special education and general education teachers.
Interest:
I rated this article 3 on interest because it was helpful to know of an assessment program in Virginia, however, it would have also been beneficial to have the program compare to other state or national programs.
Credibility:
I rated this article 3 for credibility because the information came directly from the Virginia Department of Education and a person who is highly specialized in Education. However, there could have been another side or possibly opposers of portfolio assessments or the VAAP.
Writing skill:
I rated this article 3 on writing because the article could have been a little more detailed overall and some sentences could have been fleshed out. While reading the article, some sentences felt too short or too direct.
HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article.
To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold
Wiki Article Rubric
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student?
Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know
Based on researched information.
Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education)
Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues.
'Includes ideas relevant to future teachers
Mostly based on researched information.
Applicable to today’s schools
Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas
A couple useful points; some irrelevant information
About half of the information is the author’s opinion.
Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice
Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues
One useful point
A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion.
Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools.
Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing.
Information is not relevant to future teachers.
Information is entirely the author’s opinion.
The information is obsolete.
Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How interesting was the article to read?
Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view
Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read
Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed
Mostly new information/ideas
Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented.
Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples.
Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic
Visuals add to the article
At least two perspectives were presented
About half of the information/ideas are new
Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated
Some good points are made and explained.
Sidebar includes new information related to the topic.
Visuals are included but have minimal effect
One interesting or new perspective is presented
A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information
Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented.
Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained.
Sidebar repeats what is already in the article
Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included
Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented.
One new idea or bit of information
Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented
At least one clear point is made and supported.
No side bar included.
Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content
No perspective is acknowledged.
Nothing new.
No analysis or interpretation included
No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How credible do you think the information is?
Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format.
Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate.
Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions
Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors
Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others.
It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact.
Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors.
A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable.
The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact.
Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used
Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases.
Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed.
All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How well do you think this article was written?
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4)
Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals
Captures and maintains attention throughout
All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained
Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points.
Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals
Captures attention initially and periodically throughout
Most of the cited information is discussed or explained.
The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points
Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals
Parts of the article capture attention
About half of the cited information is discussed
A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors.
4 multiple-choice questions are included.
Learning targets generally related to the content are stated
At least one part of the article is interesting
Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation.
Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors.
Questions are missing or not multiple-choice.
Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets
Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention
Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources.
Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content.
Part 3 - "2+2"
List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content
Hints:
Focus on the work, not the person
Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..."
Compliments
The article addresses a very important program in Virginia and how it relates to special education.
The interview is with an expert who has a strong academic foundation in special education and has great knowledge of the VAAP.
Suggestions
Writing could be more detailed and not so direct.
The article could address some oppistion to the issue to show an unbiased perspective or offern soem flaws to the VAAP.
You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article. :