Teachers can create an assessment using the library of standards-aligned assessment items within SAS or by creating their own assessment items. The Assessment Builder contains a wide selection of multiple choice, short answer, and constructed response questions.
1. Click the Start a New Search button under the Build an Assessment section on the Assessment Center homepage to search the PDE database of standards-aligned assessment items.
Hint: You must click Save My Assessment at the end of this process in order for your work to be saved in the system (and stored on the View My Assessments page).
2. There are three search options for locating assessment items to place on an assessment.
a. To search for assessment items using your established preferences, click the Select a Preference drop down in the left hand menu and select your desired preference (or create a new one).
b. To perform an assessment item search using the provided search fields in the left hand menu, first choose which Question Bank you wish to utilize as your question source (PDE SAS, My Created Items, or both). The My Created Items bank houses any custom items that you have created through the Create an Assessment Item tool.
Then, select any combination of your desired option(s) from each filter. Click the plus sign to expand a filter(s) of interest, click View More if necessary, and click the desired checkbox(es). Different search filter options may appear based on what is applicable for each of your former selections (including Grade, Subject, Course, Assessment Types, Assessment Features, and Standards).
You may refine your search by selecting any or all of the Assessment Types (e.g., constructed response, multiple choice, Text Dependent Analysis). Please note that Assessment Features are only applicable to Item Resources you have created.
Hint: An Item Resource is a passage, illustration, map, graph, etc. upon which you can create multiple test items.
Select specific standards to refine your search and drill down to Eligible Content.
Hint: Selecting specific standards is optional; you may narrow your search by selecting specific standards/EC or by not selecting, you will be able to view all items for your selected grade and subject.
c. To search for assessment items using a keyword, add a search term to the search box. You may also perform a combined search that includes both a search term and filter selections. Click the magnifying glass icon (or Enter key) to execute the search.
3. Your search results will populate automatically based on your search criteria.
4. If at any point you wish to reset your search filters and begin a fresh search, click the Start Over button.
5. To add any of the items in the search results to your assessment, click the Add To My Assessment button for each desired item.
6. Once you have added an item to your assessment, the Items In My Assessment counter will increase. The counter will keep a running tally of the number of items in your assessment.
7. If you wish to delete an item, click the Remove From My Assessment button.
8. To view a greater quantity of assessment items per page in the search results, click on the desired Results Per Page number.
9. To view the search results on the next page, click the desired page number at the bottom of the page. You may also use the Return to Top button in order to automatically jump to the top of the search results.
10. Once you have added all of your assessment items, click the View My Assessment button to access your assessment.
11. Alternatively, if you wish to abandon your current assessment and begin a new assessment, click the Create a New Assessment button.
You will be asked to confirm that you want to start a new assessment. Note that this action will delete any unsaved assessment items currently in your list.
Select No, Cancel to return to your current assessment.
Select Yes, Start a New Assessment to delete the unsaved assessment and begin a new assessment.
12. After selecting View My Assessment, the display will default to the Student Version. Click the tabs to access the Teacher Version and Answer Key.
13. Use the up and down arrows below an assessment item to rearrange the order of the item on the assessment. Click the Preview Assessment Item button to preview the assessment item. Click the X (Remove Item) button to delete an item from the assessment.
14. Click the Options button at the top of the assessment and select the desired action (see descriptions below).
a. Add Assessment Items will redirect you back to the search results page so that you can locate additional items to place on the assessment.
After selecting Add Assessment Items, a reminder that you have assessment items in your cart may appear, if you previously worked on an assessment that you did not save.
Select Leave Items in Cart to continue adding items to your current assessment.
Select Start a New Assessment to abandon your current assessment and assessment items to start a new assessment.
b. Save My Assessment will capture the assessment in its current form. Enter an Assessment Title. If applicable, enter Student Instructions (only appears on Student Version) and/or Teacher Instructions (only appears on Teacher Version). Click the Save button when you are finished. The assessment can now be accessed in the View My Assessments section of the Assessment Center.
c. Check for Understanding Results will redirect you to the Check for Understanding results page.
d. Export to PDF will generate a savable/printable file of the assessment.
e. Export to Word will generate a savable/printable file of the assessment.
f. Add to ePortfolio (as PDF) will save the assessment to the ePortfolio section of your account in a PDF format.
g. Add to ePortfolio (as Assessment) will save a direct link to the online version of your assessment within the ePortfolio section of your account.