Tema-3 4a265z

Anne Clifford & Gabe Mandel

Authors: Herbet P. Ginsburg & Arthur J. Baroody (2003) Publisher: Pro-ed, Inc. Cost: Full kit (includes manual; picture books Form A & Form B; 25 Examiner Record booklets, Form A; 25 Examiner Record booklets, Forms A&B; 25 Worksheets, Forms A&B; Assessment Probes and Instructional Activities; 5”x8” Cards; 20 Blocks; 20 Tokens; Mesh Bag)

- $340 US

Design: - Norm-referenced test; Level A - Individually istered; approx. 40 minutes - 2 parallel forms (A&B), 72 items each, untimed; manipulation activities; assessment probes & instructional activities

Purpose: - Children ages 3-0 to 8-11 - Useful for … • Identifying children significantly behind or ahead of peers in development of mathematical thinking • Identifying strengths and weaknesses in mathematical thinking • Suggesting individualized instruction practices

• Documenting progress in learning arithmetic • Research purposes

Examiner Eligibility & Context - Basic understanding of: testing statistics; general test istration procedures; scoring & interpretation; evaluation of mathematical ability.

- Training from university, college, or workshop courses is preferable. - Appropriate for educational assessment within or outside a school setting.

Theoretical Basis - Nature of Early Mathematical Knowledge • Phases of Mathematical Thinking - Pre-counting Phase - Counting Phase - Written Numbers Phase • Forms of Mathematical Knowledge

- Informal; represents skills acquired outside of school. - Formal; represents skills acquired within school context.

- Concepts; 2 developmental processes: Assimilation & Integration (Piaget, 1964). - Skills; fluency & accuracy.

Theoretical Basis - The Importance of Assessing Informal & Formal Concepts and Skills We learn and use mathematical concepts and skills inside and outside of the classroom. Mastering basic concepts and skills is often prerequisite for proficient learning of more advanced ones. Basic mathematical knowledge taught in the primary grades are the foundation for success with higher level mathematics.

Historical Foundation TEMA (original) was introduced in 1983 by Ginsburg and Baroody to meet two long-standing needs in the field of education: 1) a test to identify current and potential learning difficulties among children in Grades K through 3 2) an instrument to provide information about children’s mathematical strengths and weaknesses.

Herbert P. Ginsburg

Arthur J. Baroody

Compared to Earlier Editions - TEMA •

For children 4-0 through 8-11

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Additional assessment tests needed for developing specific instructional programs

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Weak overall in technical characteristics; limited sample size & demographics caused need for improvement in reliability and validity (and norming)

- TEMA -2 • Employed larger sample & more accurate reflection of demographic features; added items to lower end, appropriate for 3-year-olds • Introduced Assessment Probes and Instructional Activities Manual • Technical characteristics still needed improvement; evidence for validity was limited to discriminating between extreme ends of mathematical thinking ability

• Kit did not include all materials needed for test

Compared to Earlier Editions - TEMA-3 •

Content expanded and items improved in 5 significant ways:

1) nonverbal tasks

2) items that gauge the fundamental part-whole concept, the equal-partitioning concept, and symbolic additive commutativity 3) a more comprehensive assessment of basic skills 4) a more specific assessment of basic number fact knowledge

5) clarified directions for istering and scoring

Compared to Earlier Editions - TEMA-3 (continued) • Includes alternate forms, improving usefulness of the test. • Improved ease of using the test & reporting results in 6 sig. ways • Improved technical aspects in 7 sig. ways

Normative Information • Sample of 1,228 children from 15 states tested in Fall 2000 & Spring 2001. • Standardization sites were selected in each of the four major geographic regions as designated by U.S. Bureau of the Census. • Representative of the nation (U.S.) as a whole; characteristics include geographic area, gender, race, ethnicity, family income, educational attainment of parents, disability status, and age.

Dimensions of the Test •

TEMA-3 measures informal and formal mathematical skills

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Single, complete, test (no subtests)

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Examiner sits beside or diagonal from student, Picture Book in-between, materials readily accessible - Informal Skills • Numbering skills • Number-comparison facility • Calculation skills • Understanding of concepts - Formal Skills • Numeral literacy • Mastery of number facts • Calculation skills • Understanding of concepts

Scoring - Entry Points, Basals, and Ceilings • Begin test at entry point corresponding to the child’s age, found on Record Booklet and Examiner’s Manual. • Ceiling is reached after five consecutive incorrect items; testing stops. • Basal is reached after five consecutive correct items; if more than one basal is found, use basal closest to the ceiling when scoring.

Scoring - Types of Scores • Raw score • Math Ability Score (Standard Score); mean = 100, SD = 15.

• Percentile Rank • Age & Grade Equivalents - Standard Error of Measurement (SEM)

• Manual provides SEM for the Math Ability Score, at the 68% confidence interval, for each form at each age interval. • SEM = 3 or 4, depending on child’s age & form used.

Reliability - Types of Reliabilty coefficients • Coefficient Alpha = .94 (Form A); .96 (Form B) • (Immediate) Alternate Forms = .97 • Test-retest = .82 (Form A); .93 (Form B) • (Delayed) Alternate Forms = .93

Validity - Types of Validity coefficients • Criterion-Prediction (criterion-related) = from .54 to .91 (TEMA-3 vs. 7 composite scores from 4 tests) • Construct-Identification (construct validity) via 3-step procedure: I.

Age Differentiation; Coefficients showing relationship of age vs. performance = .91 (Form A); .89 (Form B).

II. Group Differentiation; showing relationship of overall normative sample and selected subgroups vs. TEMA-3 Standard Scores = scores ranged from 86 to 101 between six subgroups. III. Item Validity (item discrimination); coefficients showing relationship of individual test items vs. total test results = .55 (Form A); .58 (Form B). • Overall strong and valid measure of early mathematical ability.

Strengths of TEMA-3 • Considers both formal and informal mathematical skills • istration and scoring of the test is -friendly • Manipulative objects and examiner’s wording provides an engaging approach for children • Includes Probes and instructional activities • Test is not conditional on the child’s reading ability • Practice questions ensure understanding before a question is

istered • Reasonable reliability and validity

Limitations of TEMA-3 • Test provides only a comprehensive score • Test booklet only provide room to document one answer • Examiner instructions are on the same page as test pictures • Floors and ceilings do not always yield accurate mathematical ability scores. • Manual provides SEM for age & form, but not the factors to be multiplied.

Special Considerations When Using TEMA-3 • Child must be at ease (consider environment, rapport) • Child should work at his/her own pace • Examiner’s verbal should be appropriate • Discontinue testing if the child tires or loses interest

• Use test in conjunction with other measures of the child’s mathematical ability (including observation and anecdotal evaluation) • Be mindful of the populations you are working with • Be cognizant of the social implications of assessment