CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment refers to assessment that is done at the end of an instructional
unit, such as at the end of the course, unit, or instructional program. The focus is mostly on the
outcome of a program. This paper presents a summative assessment for seventh-grade learners.
The unit being tested is on text analysis, and the standard is listed as well. Additionally, I have
included a blueprint that contains the learning objectives and the value of test questions under
each objective, as well as the test questions. Lastly, I have provided a reflection on the
advantages and disadvantages of selected-response, constructed-response, and performance-
based assessments.

Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning
and tone.
Test Blueprint
Learning Objective/Outcome Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Number
of Test
Items

Point
Value
%
Weight
of Test

The learner will be able to define a
word and phrase based on its
context in the text.

Remembering 4 40 40%

The learner will be able to analyze
the impact that an author’s word
choice has on meaning.

Analyzing 4 40 40%

The learner will be able to discuss
connotative, figurative, and
technical meanings of words as
used in the text.

Applying 2 20 20%

Totals 10 100 100%

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Test Questions

Test Question One

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to define a word and phrase based on
its context in the text.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Multiple-choice items

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Remembering

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- In the Graveyard Book, Neil writes, “The dead are
not superstitious, not as a rule, but they watched her as a
Roman Augur might have watched the sacred crows circle.
What does the word Augur mean?
a. ghost
b. soothsayer
c. widow
d. teacher
Answer- soothsayer

Test Question Two

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to define a word and phrase based on
its context in the text.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Multiple-choice items

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Remembering

Write the Test Question Question – in the Graveyard book, Who asks Mr. and Mrs.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Owens to act as parents of the baby?
a. Bod
b. Scarlet
c. Silas
d. Mother Slaughter
Answer – Silas

Test Question Three

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to define a word and phrase based on
its context in the text.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Selected-response

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Remembering

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- based on what you have read in the first chapter of
the Graveyard, what does the word discarnate mean?
Answer- lacking a physical body

Test Question Four

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to analyze the impact that an author’s
word choice has on meaning.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Selected-response

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Analyzing

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question – in the Graveyard book, Josiah Worthington
expostulated by saying that they needed to blast the Graveyard.
In this context, the word expostulated is used to mean to
protest against someone’s actions or plans to act.
True
False
Answer- True

Test Question Five

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to analyze the impact that an author’s
word choice has on meaning.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Short-answer constructed responses

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Analyzing

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- Why was Bod confined to the Graveyard?
Answer- Bod was confined to the Graveyard because his
parents were killed, and if he left the Graveyard, then he would
have to leave the ghosts there.

Test Question Six

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to analyze the impact that an author’s
word choice has on meaning.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Short-answer constructed responses

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy

Analyzing

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Classification
Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- who is the lady on the grey in the Graveyard Book?
Answer- a mysterious figure who could be a personification of
death in the story.

Test Question Seven

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to define a word and phrase based on
its context in the text.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Matching

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Remembering

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Match
the words in column A with their antonyms in column B.
A B

1. vague a. confusing
2. lucid b. unacceptable
3. satisfactory c. clear
   Answer
    Vague-clear
    Lucid-confusing
    Satisfactory-unacceptable
   Test Question Eight

Identify the Learning
Objective

Students will be able to discuss connotative, figurative, and
technical meanings of words as used in the text.

Identify the Type of Test Short-answer constructed responses

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)
Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Applying

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question – How old was the baby in the Graveyard book when
his family was killed?
Answer- the baby was one and a half years old (the author
states that the baby was only six months over one year,
implying that he was 18 months old or one and a half years
old).

Test Question Nine

Identify the Learning
Objective

Students will be able to discuss connotative, figurative, and
technical meanings of words as used in the text.

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Selected-response

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Analyzing

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- Silas is a solitary stranger who sleeps during the
daytime and roams the fields of the Graveyard at night. He is
thus a vampire.
True
False
Answer- True

Test Question Ten

Identify the Learning
Objective

The learner will be able to analyze the impact that an author’s
word choice has on meaning.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Identify the Type of Test
Question Item
(selected-response, constructed-
response, or performance-based
assessment)

Performance-based assessment

Identify the Level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Classification

Applying

Write the Test Question
and Answer.
(If it is a performance-based
assessment, simply write “see
rubric” as the answer.)

Question- the author states, “death is a great democracy?” what
do you think the author implies? Do you agree with this
statement? Why or why not.
Answer- in the rubric below.

Rubric

Excellent Good Fair Poor

Learning
Objective

The student has
met the learning
objective-
The student
demonstrates
mastery of the
standard and
shows the ability
to apply content
from the text
and transfer
learning with

The student has
met the learning
objective-
The student
demonstrates
mastery of the
learning content
and shows the
ability to apply
content from the
text to the asked
question.

The student is
approaching the
learning
objective-
Learner
demonstrates
partial mastery
of the standard.
Does not fully
apply content
learned in
accurately

The student has
not met the
learning
objective-
Learner provides
little evidence in
meeting the
performance
expectation.
Does not apply
content from the
text in

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

accuracy,
complexity, and
depth.

responding to
the text

responding to
the question.

Evidence and
Analysis

The student
provides the best
available
evidence from
the text to
support claims
made in
response to the
asked question.

Student supports
answer with
well-chosen
evidence but has
a few gaps
where claims
made are
unconvincing.

Writing presents
evidence that is
most relevant.
However, the
student presents
multiple
examples to
support a single
idea.

The evidence
presented lacks
relevance to
ideas developed
in writing.

Structure The student
develops ideas
in a cohesive
manner. The
structure is
engaging and
logical.

The student
presents a
logical argument
but has several
gaps, and the
writing lacks
transitional
language.

The argument
presented is
logical.
However, there
is an
unnecessary use
of transitional
language, and
the argument
made is mostly
predictable.

The student
presents a
simplistic
argument and
does not develop
ideas in the
course of the
writing.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Style The writing is
concise and
clear. It
demonstrates
mastery of
appropriate
vocabulary and
sentence variety.

Writing is
mostly clear but
contains a few
mechanical
errors and
unclear
sentences.

The student
presents writing
that mostly
makes sense and
uses appropriate
diction.
However, there
is a lot of
vagueness due to
a weak
interpretation of
the author’s
main ideas.

Writing is
mostly vague,
confusing, and
contains many
mechanical
errors.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Reflection

Advantages and Limitations of Selected-Response and Constructed-Response Assessments
Advantages of Selected-Response and Constructed-Response Assessments
Selected-response assessments are appropriate in assessing a broad range of learning goals. Since
they can be answered quickly, they can be used to assess a wide content area with a constrained
time limit. When the instructor does not have adequate time to go through detailed responses
from the learners, then this form of assessment can come in handy as they are relatively easy to
score. They enable the instructor to cover a wider range of curriculum content within a shorter
time. They are appropriate for placement and formative assessments where test scores are used to
make decisions, either instructional or placement. Besides, these tests are appropriate when an
instructor wants to test or measure students’ knowledge of specific facts (Powell & Gillespie,
1990). They allow for broad sampling when the subject area being tested is highly structured.
Constructed-response assessments are advantageous in that they allow students to
demonstrate complex and in-depth mastery of content and standards as well. Due to their nature,
the students have a lower likelihood of guessing the correct answer. It is possible for the teacher
to know cues about learners’ thought processes. They are appropriate for testing a student’s
comprehension level and ability to interpret instructional content and express it in their own
words. These assessments motivate students to engage in learning in a way where the emphasis
is placed more on understanding, organizing, and applying information. Also, when carefully
used, these tests can be used to measure a student’s ability to apply learned knowledge. Further,
students’ scores are directly affected by their ability to write, and this provides the instructor with
an opportunity to test more areas than just the subject matter being tested. Some of these factors
may include grammar and punctuation.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Limitations of Selected-Response and Constructed-Response Assessments
Selected-response assessments such as True-false assessments tend to measure just
simple recall. These kinds of assessments are unreliable as students have a 50% chance of
answering any one of the given true-false questions correctly (Lefrançois, 2013). For instance, if
students in a classroom were being tested with true-false questions, and they knew absolutely
nothing in the area being assessed, they have a chance of scoring 50% in the test if they
randomly tick just any option of the two provided. Thus, they provide students with an
opportunity to guess correct answers, and if they are lucky, they end up scoring a mark not
because they understand the concept being tested but because they randomly guessed the correct
answer. Besides, these assessments cannot provide direct evidence of possession of real-world
skills.
Selected-response assessments cannot be used to test for application and analysis as they
only assess lower-order thinking skills. Additionally, selected-response assessments are
inappropriate for assessing higher-order thinking skills. They cannot be used to assess skills such
as organization, original thinking, and synthesis. Students have only two options; either true or
false. Thus, these assessments constrain students to single appropriate answers without giving
them an opportunity to explain or come up with original creative responses to the questions
asked.
On the other hand, constructed-response assessments consume more time to answer and
even to grade. While these kinds of questions take a relatively short period of time to prepare,
they consume a lot of time when it comes to grading. Instructors spend a considerable amount of
time creating a clear criterion for assessing the answers. The scoring rubric is not easy to prepare.
Even when it is followed to the letter, assessing answers provided by learners still involves at

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
least some subjectivity. This is usually the case even in instances where the scoring rubric or
grading criteria have been established. Other than grading, constructed-response assessments
contain a few questions. This limits the subject area that can be adequately tested using this
method.

Requirements of Good Performance-based Assessments

Performance-based assessments vary; however, good ones have certain features in
common. They are open-ended, time-bound, authentic, product-oriented, and complex. Good
performance-based assessments are authentic if they test the application of student’s knowledge
and skills in the real-world. Such assessments are the ones that promote the act of doing a task as
opposed to just memorizing and reciting content. Good assessments provide students with an
opportunity to rehearse, express their knowledge and obtain timely feedback (Espinosa, 2015).
They also enhance student performance. Good performance-based assessments include tasks that
are relevant to both the instructor and the students. In some instances, they allow students the
opportunity to contribute to the development of the criteria used to assess them. When students
are actively involved in the evaluation process, they understand the assessment process better
and are more likely to perform better.
The use of a solid performance-based assessment is advantageous to the learners. They
are allowed an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the curriculum content being
tested. Performance-based assessments ensure that learners are deeply and actively involved in
their own learning processes. They are thus useful in helping increase the confidence levels of
students as they are motivated to learn by tracking their progress and working on improving their
weak areas. Students’ work is not compared to that of other students but rather to a well-
developed criterion (Espinosa, 2015). Thus, these assessments promote learning and individual

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
progress as opposed to grading. Thus, performance-based assessments look more like teaching
and learning and not testing. They are a learning experience in themselves.
Performance-based assessments provide teachers with an opportunity to evaluate
themselves and the techniques being used to instruct. They are useful to instructors as they
enable them to monitor student progress, identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and gather
evidence on what students know and what can be done to enhance their understanding abilities
(Espinosa, 2015). They are also able to monitor the effectiveness of the instructional techniques
being applied to deliver instruction. Based on the feedback gathered through solid performance-
based assessments, instructors make modifications and ensure that their instruction adequately
meets the needs of students.
However, performance-based assessments are challenging in most instances because they
require a lot of time to design, administer, and grade. The preparation process entails creating the
assignment task, gathering resources and materials, and these activities take time (Espinosa,
2015). They are thus time-consuming to both the instructor as well as the students. The main
issue is that there is a huge variety of possible answers, solutions, and even procedures that can
be used to obtain the correct answers. Given this variability, it is a time-consuming task to
monitor and evaluate the performance of individual students.
Conclusion

Overall, this summative assessment provided me with the first-hand experience in
creating assessments. I learned that to create a summative assessment; one must first determine
the specific knowledge and skills being assessed. Also, the assessment must be aligned to a
specific objective. In designing the rubric, I had to first come up with a clear desired outcome in
mind and now put it in writing how learner’s comprehension will be evaluated. The part of

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
creating the rubric was the most challenging one when creating this summative assessment. I had
to determine what a high-quality answer would look like and what criteria answers would have
to meet to be graded as high-quality. Also, I had to come up with an explanation of why a
student’s writing would be graded as poor. I found it quite challenging. Overall, the experience
was insightful in many ways.

CREATION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

References

Espinosa, L. F. (2015). Effective use of performance-based assessments to identify English
knowledge and skills of EFL students in Ecuador. Theory and Practice in Language
Studies, 5(12), 2441-2447.
Lefrançois, G. R. (2013). Of learning and assessment. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Powell, J. L., & Gillespie, C. (1990). Assessment: All Tests Are Not Created Equally.