Teaching Social Studies: Methodology · Chapter 7

Assessment Tools, CCE and Assessing Children with Special Needs

What to remember

Assessment should help learning, not only rank children. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) assesses both scholastic and co-scholastic areas, throughout the year.
Use many tools: tests, observation, checklists, rating scales, portfolios, projects and rubrics. No single tool gives the full picture of a child.
Children with special needs are assessed with accommodations, not lower standards: extra time, a reader or scribe, alternative formats and flexible methods.

Measurement, assessment and evaluation

Measurement gives a number to a trait, for example marks in a test.
Assessment collects information about learning by many methods.
Evaluation is a judgement of value made from the information, for example deciding if objectives are reached and what to do next.

The order is measurement, then assessment, then evaluation, and each is wider than the one before.

Types of assessment

Type	Purpose	Example
Formative	During learning, to improve teaching and learning	Oral questions, class tests, assignments, observation
Summative	At the end of a term or year, to judge achievement	Term and annual examination
Diagnostic	To find the cause of learning difficulty	Test on map-reading skills, then remedial work
Placement	To know the entry level	Pre-test at the start of a unit
Self and peer	Students judge their own and each other's work	Checklists, reflection sheets

Under the Andhra Pradesh system, formative assessments (FA) are done through the year, and summative assessments (SA) are done at the end of terms. Exact weightage and number of tests change; follow the latest official orders.

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)

Continuous means assessment is regular and part of teaching, with frequent small checks and feedback, and not a single test at year end.
Comprehensive means all areas of development: scholastic (subjects) and co-scholastic (life skills, attitudes and values, interests, art, sports, health and work education).

Legal base. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (RTE) provides for CCE in Section 29(2)(h). Section 16 originally said no child shall be held back or expelled up to completion of elementary education; the RTE (Amendment) Act 2019 lets the appropriate Government hold regular examinations in Classes 5 and 8 and hold back a child who fails the re-examination, though expulsion is still barred, and no child shall suffer physical punishment or mental harassment (Section 17). RTE also states that the curriculum should develop the child's knowledge, potential and talent, and make the child free from fear, trauma and anxiety.

Aims of CCE

Reduce stress and fear of examinations.
Make evaluation a part of teaching and learning.
Identify strengths and weaknesses early and give remedial help.
Use evaluation to improve teaching.
Give importance to skills, attitudes and values.

Features: many methods and tools, grades or descriptions along with marks, the learner's progress compared with the learner's own earlier level, record of work in a cumulative record, and feedback to students and parents.

Assessment tools and techniques

Tests

Oral tests and quizzes check recall and speech.
Written tests contain objective, short-answer and essay questions.
A blueprint or design shows weightage for objectives, content and type of question, so that the paper is balanced.
A diagnostic test finds the exact area of weakness, followed by remedial teaching.

Qualities of a good test

Quality	Meaning
Validity	It measures what it is supposed to measure
Reliability	It gives consistent results on repeated use
Objectivity	Different scorers give the same score
Usability (practicability)	It is easy, economical and quick to use

Non-test tools

Observation: watching students during work, discussion or field trips.
Checklist: a list of behaviours marked present or absent (yes or no).
Rating scale: records the degree of a trait, for example from 1 to 5.
Anecdotal record: a short factual note of an important incident about a child.
Cumulative record: a continuing record of a child's growth over years.
Portfolio: a planned collection of the child's work showing progress over time.
Project and assignment: a task done over days, such as a survey of local occupations or a report on a monument.
Rubric: a scoring guide with criteria and levels of quality, for example for map work or a presentation. It makes marking clear and fair.
Interview and questionnaire: to gather opinions and information.
Sociometry: shows social relations in a group, using choices among peers.
Concept map and role play: show how the child connects ideas and applies them.
Self and peer assessment: develops responsibility and honesty.

Assessing Social Studies skills. A map test should check location, direction and scale; source-based questions check reading and inference; discussion and projects check values and opinions. Social Studies assessment should not depend only on memorising dates and names. The AP curriculum lists academic standards such as conceptual understanding, information skills, reflection on contemporary issues, mapping skills, and appreciation and sensitivity; the exact wording is in the official textbooks.

Feedback. Use comments such as "Your map is correct; mark the scale next time". Avoid comparing a child to others, and avoid labels such as "weak" or "dull".

Inclusive education and children with special needs (CWSN)

Inclusive education means that all children, whatever their ability, learn together in the regular school with the support they need. It is based on the ideas of equity, access and participation. The RTE Act, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 and the National Education Policy 2020 all support inclusion. The RPwD Act 2016 recognises 21 types of disability, and a person with 40 per cent or more of a specified disability is called a person with benchmark disability. Samagra Shiksha supports inclusive education, including resource teachers and aids.

Examples of special needs

Visual impairment: blindness and low vision.
Hearing impairment and speech difficulty.
Locomotor disability and cerebral palsy.
Intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder.
Specific learning disabilities: dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia (writing), dyscalculia (number work).
Also gifted children, who need enrichment.

Teacher's role: identify early through observation, work with parents and specialists, use an Individualised Education Programme (IEP) when needed, create a friendly classroom, and avoid labels. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) sets training standards for special educators.

Assessing CWSN

Standards are the same, but the method is flexible. Common accommodations:

Need	Support for assessment
Visual impairment	Braille or large-print paper, reader, raised or tactile maps, oral answers
Hearing impairment	Written instructions, sign language interpreter, visual cues
Locomotor disability	Scribe, extra time, accessible room
Dyslexia, dysgraphia	Extra time, oral answers, scribe, use of computer, no penalty for spelling in non-language subjects
Autism, intellectual disability	Short tasks, clear and simple instructions, breaks, picture support

Principles: assess in more than one way; give extra time; use alternative questions for map work where needed (for example a tactile map or an oral question in place of drawing); focus on progress and strengths; keep the child's dignity; do not compare with other children; share results sensitively with parents.

A note on feedback and remedial work

Assessment ends with action. After a diagnostic test the teacher groups children by the kind of error, for example "cannot read scale on a map", and plans short remedial sessions. Bright children get enrichment tasks. Records are kept for each child, and parents are told about strengths first and then about areas to improve. Marks alone are not enough feedback; written or spoken comments help the child to know the next step.

Exam traps

Evaluation is wider than assessment, and assessment is wider than measurement.
Formative assessment is during learning; summative is at the end.
"Continuous" is about regularity; "comprehensive" is about all areas of development.
Co-scholastic areas include attitudes, values, arts and sports, not only subjects.
Validity is "measures what it should"; reliability is "gives the same result again".
A checklist records yes or no; a rating scale records degrees.
A portfolio is a collection of work over time; an anecdotal record is a short note on an incident.
Accommodation does not mean lowering the standard.

One-liners

1. Section 29(2)(h) of the RTE Act provides for CCE.
2. Section 16 of the RTE Act forbids expelling a child; since the 2019 amendment, a child failing the Class 5 or 8 re-examination may be held back.
3. Section 17 forbids physical punishment and mental harassment.
4. CCE covers scholastic and co-scholastic areas.
5. A blueprint gives weightage to objectives, content and question types.
6. A rubric is a scoring guide with criteria and levels.
7. A cumulative record keeps a child's growth over the years.
8. Sociometry studies relations among peers.
9. The RPwD Act 2016 recognises 21 types of disability.
10. Dyslexia is a specific difficulty in reading.
11. An IEP is a plan made for the needs of one child.
12. Children with special needs may get extra time, a scribe or a reader.

Practice questions

Giving a number to a trait, such as marks in a test, is called
1. counselling
2. planning
3. evaluation
4. measurement
Answer
D. measurement
Measurement gives a numerical value; evaluation adds judgement.
A judgement about the value of learning, made from collected information, is
1. measurement only
2. enrolment
3. admission
4. evaluation
Answer
D. evaluation
Evaluation is value judgement based on assessment.
Assessment done during the learning process to improve teaching is
1. summative assessment
2. placement test
3. formative assessment
4. board examination
Answer
C. formative assessment
Formative assessment is part of teaching and gives feedback.
An annual examination is an example of
1. diagnostic observation
2. self-assessment
3. summative assessment
4. formative assessment
Answer
C. summative assessment
Summative assessment is done at the end of a term or year.
A test that finds the cause of a child's learning difficulty is
1. summative test
2. sociometric test
3. diagnostic test
4. placement test
Answer
C. diagnostic test
Diagnostic tests locate the exact area of weakness.
In CCE, the word 'continuous' means
1. only a final test
2. no tests at all
3. tests only for toppers
4. assessment is regular and part of teaching
Answer
D. assessment is regular and part of teaching
Continuous assessment happens throughout the year.
In CCE, the word 'comprehensive' means
1. assessment of scholastic and co-scholastic areas
2. only marks in subjects
3. only sports
4. only attendance
Answer
A. assessment of scholastic and co-scholastic areas
Comprehensive covers all areas of development.
CCE is provided for in the RTE Act under Section
1. 12
2. 16
3. 29(2)(h)
4. 17
Answer
C. 29(2)(h)
Section 29(2)(h) mentions comprehensive and continuous evaluation.
Section 16 of the RTE Act says that no child shall be
1. given a mid-day meal
2. admitted in Class 1
3. taught in mother tongue
4. held back or expelled up to completion of elementary education
Answer
D. held back or expelled up to completion of elementary education
Section 16 is the no-detention provision for elementary classes.
Section 17 of the RTE Act prohibits
1. admission by lottery
2. physical punishment and mental harassment
3. free textbooks
4. transfer certificates
Answer
B. physical punishment and mental harassment
Section 17 bars corporal punishment and mental harassment.
Which of these is a co-scholastic area?
1. Life skills and attitudes
2. Only mathematics
3. Only a unit test
4. Only a written exam
Answer
A. Life skills and attitudes
Co-scholastic areas include life skills, values, arts, sports and health.
A list of behaviours marked 'yes' or 'no' is a
1. rating scale
2. portfolio
3. checklist
4. blueprint
Answer
C. checklist
A checklist records presence or absence of a behaviour.
A tool that records the degree of a trait on a scale from 1 to 5 is a
1. anecdotal record
2. rating scale
3. checklist
4. diary
Answer
B. rating scale
A rating scale shows degrees.
A short factual note about a particular incident concerning a child is a(n)
1. blueprint
2. rubric
3. portfolio
4. anecdotal record
Answer
D. anecdotal record
Anecdotal records note important incidents.
A planned collection of a child's work over a period of time is a
1. portfolio
2. blueprint
3. checklist
4. sociogram
Answer
A. portfolio
A portfolio shows growth over time.
A scoring guide with criteria and levels of quality is a
1. cumulative card
2. diary
3. blueprint
4. rubric
Answer
D. rubric
Rubrics make marking clear and fair.
A blueprint of a question paper shows the
1. fees
2. weightage of objectives, content and question types
3. names of students
4. seating plan
Answer
B. weightage of objectives, content and question types
The blueprint balances the paper.
A test that gives the same results on repeated use is
1. impractical
2. valid but unfair
3. reliable
4. subjective
Answer
C. reliable
Reliability means consistency.
A test that measures what it is meant to measure is
1. valid
2. costly
3. unreliable
4. long
Answer
A. valid
Validity is the most important quality of a test.
If two examiners give the same marks for the same answer, the test is
1. vague
2. unreliable
3. objective
4. invalid
Answer
C. objective
Objectivity means scorer-independent marking.
Sociometry is used to study
1. map scale
2. social relations among students in a group
3. rainfall
4. fiscal policy
Answer
B. social relations among students in a group
Sociometry studies choices and relations within a group.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 recognises how many types of disability?
1. 14
2. 30
3. 7
4. 21
Answer
D. 21
The RPwD Act 2016 lists 21 disabilities.
Difficulty in reading, despite normal intelligence, is called
1. dyslexia
2. autism
3. dyscalculia
4. dysgraphia
Answer
A. dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific reading difficulty.
Difficulty in writing is called
1. aphasia
2. dyscalculia
3. dysgraphia
4. dyslexia
Answer
C. dysgraphia
Dysgraphia affects writing.
Difficulty in number work is called
1. dyspepsia
2. dysgraphia
3. dyslexia
4. dyscalculia
Answer
D. dyscalculia
Dyscalculia affects arithmetic.
A plan made for the needs of one child with special needs is a(n)
1. year plan
2. Individualised Education Programme
3. class timetable
4. blueprint
Answer
B. Individualised Education Programme
The IEP is a child-specific plan.
For a child with visual impairment, a suitable support in a map test is
1. extra marks removed
2. a tactile map or an oral question
3. a smaller map
4. a punishment
Answer
B. a tactile map or an oral question
Alternatives allow the child to show geography skill.
The best principle in assessing children with special needs is
1. public comparison with others
2. no assessment
3. lower standard always
4. same standard with flexible methods and accommodations
Answer
D. same standard with flexible methods and accommodations
Accommodations change the method, not the learning goal.
A child with dysgraphia may best be helped by
1. extra time or a scribe
2. loss of marks for handwriting
3. more copying
4. public criticism
Answer
A. extra time or a scribe
Writing support removes the barrier without lowering the standard.
The body that sets training standards for special educators is
1. CBSE
2. NIEPA
3. Rehabilitation Council of India
4. UGC
Answer
C. Rehabilitation Council of India
RCI regulates training of rehabilitation professionals.
Under inclusive education, children with disabilities are
1. taught with others in the regular school with support
2. always sent to special homes
3. refused admission
4. taught only at home
Answer
A. taught with others in the regular school with support
Inclusion means learning together with support.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. CCE assesses only scholastic areas. 2. CCE assesses both scholastic and co-scholastic areas.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
CCE is comprehensive, so statement 1 is false.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. A rating scale records the degree of a trait. 2. A checklist records the degree of a trait.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
A checklist records yes or no; a rating scale records degree.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. A portfolio is a collection of the child's work over time. 2. An anecdotal record is a collection of work over time.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
The anecdotal record is a short note on an incident.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Validity means that a test measures what it should. 2. Reliability means consistency of results.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both are correct.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Accommodation for CWSN means lowering the standard. 2. Accommodation for CWSN means changing the method of assessment.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
Accommodation changes the method, not the standard.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Formative assessment takes place during learning. 2. Summative assessment takes place at the end of a term or year.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both are correct.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. A diagnostic test is followed by remedial teaching. 2. A diagnostic test is given only at the year end for ranking.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Diagnostic tests find difficulties for remedial work.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Section 16 of the RTE Act provides for CCE. 2. Section 17 of the RTE Act prohibits physical punishment.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
CCE is in Section 29(2)(h); Section 16 is no-detention.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. A rubric helps make marking clear and fair. 2. A blueprint helps balance a question paper.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both are correct.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Children with special needs should be assessed on their own progress and strengths. 2. Children with special needs should be compared with others in public.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Comparison is avoided; own progress is used.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. The RPwD Act 2016 recognises 21 types of disability. 2. A person with benchmark disability has at least 40 per cent of a specified disability.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are correct? 1. Self-assessment and peer-assessment build responsibility. 2. Interviews and questionnaires are non-test tools.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both are correct.
A teacher groups children by the kind of error found in a map test and plans short sessions. This is
1. summative ranking
2. admission test
3. board practice
4. remedial teaching
Answer
D. remedial teaching
Remedial teaching follows diagnosis.
Which tool is best to assess a student's participation in a role play?
1. Only a recall test
2. Only a spelling test
3. Observation with a rating scale
4. Attendance register
Answer
C. Observation with a rating scale
Skills and behaviour in activity are best assessed by observation tools.

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