Assessment items make up an assessment used to evaluate students’ understanding on a topic or subject. Specific assessment item types include, but not are limited to multiple choice questions, constructed response questions, and essay questions. You can build your own standards-aligned assessment items within the SAS Assessment Center. Assessment items you create can be used for traditional assessments as well as for Checks for Understanding.
1. Click the Create Assessment Items button under the Create an Assessment Item section to generate a custom assessment item (utilizing the SAS step-by-step process), which can then be added to an assessment. To create an item resource, please see the Create an Item Resource help section. An item resource is a passage, illustration, map, graph, etc. that can be used as a prompt for constructed response or multiple choice questions.
2. The assessment item creation process is outlined in a section-by-section progress display along the left hand side of the page. The future sections are locked until the current section has been completed. All required steps within a section must be finished before the next section becomes accessible.
3. To access custom assessment items and/or item resources that you have previously created, click the View My Created Items button.
4. Start the General Information section by giving the item a title in the Resource Name/Item Name field. Note that the Author field is pre-populated with your name.
Hint: To help keep your My Created Items bank organized, consider using a standardized naming convention that includes a combination of the following: Subject, Grade, Standard/Eligible Content, Content, and Depth of Knowledge.
ELA Example: 7-Anne Frank – CC.1.2.7.A – Main Idea – DOK 2
Math Example: 4-MO4.A-T.1.1.2 – Rounding – DOK 2
5. Select the type of question you wish to create (Constructed Response Question or Multiple Choice Question). For guidance with creating an item resource, please see the Create an Item Resource help section.
6. To attach this assessment item to an existing item resource, click the Connect this Question to a Resource drop down. An item resource is a passage, illustration, map, graph, etc. that can be used as a prompt for constructed response or multiple choice questions. If this is a stand-alone assessment item, proceed directly to Step 9.
7. To see a complete list of item resources for the grade/course/subject you selected, simply click the Search button, or type a search term into the keyword search box first in order to narrow the results.
8. To connect the assessment item with a particular resource, click the Use this Item Resource button associated with it.
Note that the item resource has been added and is now aligned to the assessment item. To delete this alignment, click the Remove this Item Resource button.
9. Select the Grade Level for the assessment item by clicking the desired radio button.
10. Select the Subject Area for the assessment item by clicking the appropriate radio button. If the desired subject area is not displayed among the options, select No Subject Area.
For a subject area with sub-categories, click the drop down arrow associated with it and make your selection.
11. Select the Course (if applicable) for the assessment item by clicking the desired radio button.
12. For the Alignment section of the item creation process, you may tag your item with standards. To see a complete list of standards for the grade/course/subject you selected, click the Search button, or type a search term into the keyword search box first in order to narrow the results.
13. The standards search results will populate automatically. Click the page number buttons or the Next button to see the complete list of all applicable standards.
To tag your assessment item with a standard(s), click the Add button associated with each desired standard.
To tag your assessment item with Eligible Content, click the View Eligible Content button associated with a given standard and click the appropriate Add button.
Note that the standard(s) and/or Eligible Content has now been added to the top of the Standard Alignments section. Click the Remove button if you wish to delete the standard tag from the assessment item.
14. To add a standard(s) and/or Eligible Content associated with a grade/subject/course that falls outside of your previously chosen tags, click the Add Additional Standards drop down.
Next, type a search term into the keyword search box and/or click the applicable Grade, Subject, or Course drop down menus and select the desired options. Click the Search button to execute the search.
Follow Step 13 to add the desired standard(s) and/or Eligible Content in the search results to your assessment item.
15. To select a Webb's Depth of Knowledge level, click the applicable radio button. If this is not applicable, select Unassigned. For a description of each level, click the Information icon.
Hint: If you need to review DOK descriptors, there is a 1-hour Act 48 refresher course located in the SAS PD Center (http://pdc.pdesas.org/Course/CourseCatalog).
16. For the Content section of the item creation process, add the body of your assessment item in the Question/Stem text box. Use the toolbar above the text box to edit/alter the text (as needed).
Hint: In addition to text, you can insert graphs, tables, charts, etc.
17. There are different fields displayed depending on which question item type you selected in Step 5 above. For multiple choice items, see below. For constructed response items, proceed directly to Step 21.
For Multiple Choice Items, type each answer choice in the corresponding Response text box.
Hint: The template is designed for you to enter four responses – A,B,C,D. You can, however, input additional responses or enter fewer than four.
18. Be sure to indicate which answer choice is the correct response by clicking the Correct Option checkbox (this will only appear on the Answer Key).
19. To remove an answer choice altogether, or reduce the total number of answer choices, click the Remove Answer button.
20. To add another answer choice, click the Add an Additional Response button.
Once you have completed the Responses section, proceed directly to Step 23 .
21. For Constructed Response Items, type the correct response in the Correct Answer text box (this will only appear on the Answer Key).
Hint: If there are multiple correct answers, you may want to include all.
22. To add a scoring guide that will appear on the Answer Key, insert or attach it in the Rubric text box.
23. Once you have finished composing your assessment item, double check that all necessary fields are completed and accurate. Then, click the Complete button at the very bottom of the page.
24. To return to the Assessment Center landing page, click the Finished Adding an Item button. To create an additional item and begin the item creation process again, click the Add Another Item button.
Hint: Your finished assessment item will now appear in the My Created Items bank of the Build an Assessment section. To locate and/or edit the item, please refer to the My Created Items help section.