Instructional Strategy

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

Assessment Item Analysis

Grade:

3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Type:

Summarize & Synthesize

/ Organize Thinking

20-30

Minutes

When:

Before, during, and after reading

Materials:

Assessment Item Analysis resource, whiteboard or display, writing utensils

Description

The Assessment Item Analysis strategy teaches students to annotate and analyze assessment questions through a structured critical thinking process. It helps students develop high-level cognitive skills by methodically evaluating answer choices based on textual evidence. This strategy improves student performance on assessments, enhances metacognition, and increases knowledge retention. Students learn to apply logical elimination techniques, identify supporting details, recognize common misconceptions, and articulate reasoning—skills that transfer to real-life problem-solving beyond academic assessments.

Procedure

Prior to teaching the lesson, review the Teacher Sample found in the Assessment Item Analysis resource.

Select an assessment question from your chosen lesson.

Give each student a copy of the Assessment Item Analysis graphic organizer (found in the Assessment Item Analysis resource).

Use the Assessment Annotations Key from the Assessment Item Analysis resource to model how to work through the analysis process. For example, consider saying: “After rereading the passage, watch as I cross out nonsupporting details from the first answer choice. Being transported ‘beyond Seas’ is not related to New York’s legislative assembly, so I am going to cross it out.”

As you annotate the question, model filling in the Assessment Item Analysis graphic organizer. For example: “I just noted that the first answer choice does not relate to the question, so I will explain why it’s incorrect using my own words: The passage doesn’t mention trials or being transported to another place. It has nothing to do with anything that happened overseas.”

Call on volunteers to walk through the process with the second answer choice. For example, invite one volunteer to come up and annotate the answer choice and determine if it is correct or incorrect. Then call on another volunteer to explain why and fill in the graphic organizer.

Invite students to work with a partner on the final two answer choices. Circulate while partners are working, providing scaffolding and feedback when necessary.

Before independent practice, check for understanding by inviting partners to share out their process and responses. Use questions to encourage metacognitive reflection, such as: “How did you know to cross out that nonsupporting detail?” or “Why do you think that is a critical detail?”

Invite students to practice the strategy with a different assessment question from the lesson, either independently or with a partner.

Circulate during independent or partner work to identify common patterns or misconceptions. Then lead a class discussion, highlighting the observed misconceptions and reviewing responses for accuracy.

To wrap up, ask students to reflect on how this analysis process helps them better understand assessment questions.

Differentiation

Question Complexity Adjustment: Provide students with DOK level 1 questions to work with first. This helps students practice the assessment item analysis process before you introduce more complex questions. Gradually increase the difficulty by incorporating questions that require deeper analysis and reasoning (DOK levels 2 and 3).

Critical Justifications: Ask students to justify why an incorrect answer choice might be tempting, and explain how to avoid selecting answer choices that are based on common misconceptions. This encourages deeper thinking and helps students recognize patterns in misleading choices. Discussing these justifications as a class can also reinforce critical reasoning skills and improve test-taking strategies.

Multilingual Learning Support

Beginning Proficiency: Invite students to use online translation tools or bilingual dictionaries to read the questions and complete the graphic organizer in their home languages. Students can then discuss their responses with a partner or the teacher before translating key ideas into English. Provide visual supports, and model the analysis process with simplified language and gestures.

Intermediate Proficiency: Invite students to use bilingual resources to support their understanding of the questions as needed. They can complete the graphic organizer in their home languages, if necessary, but have them translate their responses into English using key vocabulary from the lesson. Provide students with sentence starters or word banks to support their writing. Consider pairing students with more proficient English speakers during partner work.

Advanced Proficiency: Encourage students to read and respond to the questions in English first, using context clues and prior knowledge. If needed, they can use translation tools or a glossary to clarify key terms or concepts. Challenge students to expand their responses by incorporating academic vocabulary and providing evidence from the lesson. For additional practice, ask students to discuss their answers with a partner before refining their written responses. Have students highlight the academic vocabulary they’ve incorporated.

Variations

Collaborative Analysis: Divide students into small groups, and give each group a different question from the lesson and one copy of the Assessment Item Analysis graphic organizer. The number of answer choices should be the same as the number of people in the group. Assign each student one of the answer choices from their group’s question, and invite them to analyze their assigned answer choices independently, recording notes as they go. Then invite students to share their analysis within their group, complete the graphic organizer, and discuss the correct answer. This compels students to explain their thinking and debate if necessary. Afterward, invite groups to share their graphic organizers with the class, explaining their thought processes.

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