Wit & Wisdom Affirm - Prepare for Success

Introduction 

Affirm includes digital versions of the following types of Wit & Wisdom® assessments: 

• End-of-Module Tasks 
• Focusing Question Tasks 
• New-Read Assessments 
• Vocabulary Assessments 
• Question Sets (a supplementary, optional resource not included in module lessons)

These assessments were originally developed for the print edition of Wit & Wisdom. Our editors adapted them for digital format; in some cases, we needed to change some details, including item structure or response format. While our goal was to maintain the content and construct of the original assessments, some required significant adaptation. Therefore, teachers should use judgment when deciding how to administer these digital assessments and interpret the results.   

Before scheduling an assessment, teachers should consider configuration and timing. Affirm supports a range of instruction configurations so that all students can take assessments, whether in the classroom or online. Teachers can use Affirm flexibly, differentiating the assessment format, location, and timing to meet students’ needs. Teachers might also consult with their teaching teams, coaches, supervisors, or administrators to decide on a shared strategy for a school or district. 

To support such flexibility, Affirm provides the following features: 

• Flexible scheduling options for teachers (see How to Schedule Assessments)
• Individual log-ins for students and the ability to save in-progress work so students can continue an assessment at home or in the classroom (see Completing Assessments as a Student)
• Paper-and-pencil (PDF) versions of assessments that teachers can print and distribute to students (see Print and Complete Assessments on Paper)

Configuration

Digital or print? In school or at home? Teachers should consider the following when deciding how and where to administer Affirm assessments: 

• Development: Are students ready to take assessments online? Do they have the necessary skills (e.g., manipulating a mouse, keyboarding) for success? Will they need in-person, real-time support from a teacher or learning partner to use the platform? 
• Learning differences: Some individualized education plans or 504 plans require or recommend that students take paper-and-pencil (print) assessments. 
• Equity: Do all students have access to the same technology resources? This is especially important for remote learning circumstances.  
• Level of independence: Some Wit & Wisdom assessments are originally designed to be administered to groups of students, while others prescribe substantial teacher support and scaffolding during an assessment. Before scheduling an assessment, review the relevant lesson in the Teacher Edition for guidance on how to support students. (Affirm does not currently have a group option; teachers may decide to not administer group assessments in Affirm).  

Timing

Teachers should consider the following when deciding when to administer Affirm assessments: 

• What guidance does the relevant lesson give about when students should take the assessment during the course of instruction?  
• Can student responses inform how teachers prepare and frame an upcoming lesson, task, or question? (In many cases the Analyze box at the end of the lesson in which students complete an assessment will provide helpful context on when and how to act on results. Teachers can use this guidance to decide when it is essential to assign and complete an assessment.)  

Materials

Before scheduling an assessment, teachers should preview it to see which, if any, stimulus texts (the texts students must read and respond to in order to complete an assessment) students need. To do so, find the assessment on the Library page, select the vertical ellipsis menu icon, and then select View as student.

For assessments requiring book-length texts, determine which pages or sections students will read. 

The table below shows how assessment type determines student access to the required text(s).

*Because of permissions restrictions, not all Question Sets and New-Read Assessments include embedded stimulus text(s). On their introduction pages, these assessments provide page numbers or specific instructions guiding students to the text or passage. The instructions are marked with a book icon to alert teachers that students will need the proper texts for an assessment. 

Picture books for younger students often do not include page numbers. Therefore, some assessments provide descriptive directions rather than page numbers to help students find where to start and stop reading. 

To assist students in such cases, teachers can take the following actions: 

• Mark these passages in student books with sticky notes labeled Start and Stop. 
• Hold up a copy of the book and show students where to start and stop. 
• Pause to ensure that all students have found the proper excerpt before instructing them to start the assessment.

If schools do not have enough books to give each student an individual copy, teachers can provide students access to the text in other ways for assessments: 

• Assessing small groups of students in multiple waves or rounds (in younger grades, brief digital assessments can be used as a center that all students rotate through while other students work on different activities)  
• Projecting a copy of the text for all students to see  

Process-based Work 

In Wit & Wisdom, most Focusing Question Tasks and End-of-Module Tasks require students to write extended responses over time. Often, students prepare for such tasks over multiple lessons by collecting evidence, completing graphic organizers, or engaging in prewriting. Students also often revise their work following multiple rounds of sharing and feedback.  

As an assessment platform, Affirm is designed to capture final work for scoring. Any preparation work or revision should take place outside Affirm. In some cases, the original print version of an assessment includes templates for organizing writing or space for prewriting. While these components are not included in Affirm's digital assessments, teachers can still access them in the original print versions of the assessments in Affirm (paper-and-pencil PDF versions) or the Digital Teacher Edition. 

Presentations    

Some Wit & Wisdom assessments require students to make presentations, either individually or in small groups. Such tasks emphasize the importance of speaking and listening in a community of learners—a context that cannot be replicated in an individual digital assessment setting. We encourage teachers to administer such tasks in the classroom or remote learning environment instead of by using Affirm. While students present, teachers can take notes or collect artifacts such as slide decks or videos for scoring purposes.   

For students, Affirm provides the assessment instructions and an empty text box. Teachers can determine what students should enter in the text box and communicate those expectations to them. Possibilities include: 

• Notes or an outline of the presentation 
• Self-reflection on the student’s presentation 
• Response to a peer’s presentation 
• A simple statement attesting to when the presentation was completed (e.g., “My partner and I delivered this presentation on Zoom during first period on Wednesday, May 5.”) 

Once all students have submitted their assessments in Affirm, teachers can use the scoring tools (checklists or rubrics) and evaluate student presentations by using their own notes, collected artifacts, and any notes students submitted through Affirm.