Meeting Date

January 14th

January 21st

January 28th

February 4th

Easy-Access Documents


January 14th

Before the Meeting

  • All Watch the Test Specifications video 24:41
  • All Jot down any questions you have while watching the video
  • All Skim the example test spec from the video
  • Ins Create a test spec for the ALT-X short-listening items (>-)

Meeting Agenda

  1. Settle in 5 min
  2. Space for questions about test-spec writing 10 min
  3. Discuss each test spec as a group 10 min per spec
  4. Pick a spec for next time from CAHP board 5 min

Settle in

  • Give people a minute to get to meeting
  • Welcome everyone back
  • We’re picking up where we left off
  • This part is going to be fun (and frustrating, maybe)!
  • Meetings every week to get items going

Space for questions

  • Ask anyone if they have questions about test specs
  • Questions can be about video content or something else
  • Couple options from here on out:
    1. We write spec(s) and then write items
    2. We write all specs and then write items
  • We can have instructors write specs and all write items
  • Dems can write a few specs but focus on items
  • Whatever works!

Discuss each spec

  • Everyone discusses their test spec from short-listening items
  • One person goes through spec and then we ask questions
  • There is no “one best spec” so don’t be shy in sharing
  • Remember that specs are a space for discussing/arguing/questioning

Pick a spec

  • Let’s open up our CAHP Miro board
  • We can each pick a skill or task and then write a spec
  • Alternatively, we can workshop one more together
  • Afterwards, we can (a) write items or (b) do another spec
  • Any thoughts on this? Very open to feedback here!

January 21st

Before the Meeting

  • All Have your spec at the ready!

Meeting Agenda

  1. Settle in 5 min
  2. Space for questions about test-spec writing 5 min
  3. Discuss each test spec as a group 10 min per spec
  4. Discuss any common interests in group 10 min
  5. Pick a spec for next time from CAHP board 5 min

Settle in

  • Adjust the plan a bit depending on specs
  • Give people time to get from last meeting
  • Sharing specs could be messy–and that’s OK
  • Don’t hesitate to critique or question
  • Connecting things to CAHP and S experience

Space for questions

  • Ask people if they have any Qs
  • Those who newly watched spec video might have Qs
  • At this point, we should be on same page

Discuss each spec

  • Each person goes through their spec
  • Connect spec back to information on CAHP board
  • Are the prompts and response types relevant?
  • (How do we want to integrate into format?)
  • What part of the skill are we getting at (if any)?

Discuss common interests

Option 1

  • We have two spec-writing teams (3-5 per group)
  • Write a spec in one meeting during meeting time
  • Each group shares their spec with the other group
  • Read other group’s spec and comment between meetings
  • Share critiques and make revisions in second meeting
  • We would need two meetings per spec
  • (Need to look at overall timeline)

Option 2

  • We have two spec-writing teams (3-5 per group)
  • Identify a spec at the end of today’s meeting
  • Write the spec on a shared document
  • Present, discuss, and revise in next meeting

Afterwards

  • We can swith to item-writing after one spec
  • Might be nice to break up the spec-writing
  • Or we can tackle specs first and save best for last

Pick a spec

  • Let’s open up our CAHP Miro board
  • Once we have 2 groups, choose the spec to work on
  • Let’s hold off on interview for now

January 28th

Before the Meeting

  • All Read others’ skimming-scanning specs in the spec folder
  • All Provide feedback on others’ skimming-scanning specs
  • All Think: “How are we defining skimming-scanning?”
  • All Recall: Everything must connect to our CAHP board

Meeting Agenda

  1. Settle in 5 min
  2. Meeting Purpose 5 min
  3. Spec Review 35 min
  4. Discuss spec-writing approach 10 min
  5. Action Items 5 min

Settle in

  • Give everyone a chance to settle in and connect
  • Post in chat: Link to the test spec folder https://bit.ly/398eFUx
  • Ask everyone to have their feedback at the ready

Meeting Purpose

  • Discuss our feedback on the different skimming-scanning specs
  • Evaluate our definition of skimming-scanning
  • Review the “Table of Definitions”
  • Identify skimming-scanning definitions that are missing or overlap

Spec Review

  • Pick a spec to review and discuss (start with own)
  • Display questions for the group or post in chat
  • Pull up spec review questions to guide feedback
    • Does the spec capture some aspect of the CAHP skill/task?
    • What aspect of the CAHP skill/task is targeted?
    • Is the purpose of the spec clearly stated?
    • Does spec clearly connect to info on CAHP board?
    • Mondel: Will the spec generate relevant test items?
    • Is the prompt something students might actually see?
    • Is the response something students actually have to do?
  • Pull up spec and let others chime in with feedback
  • Keep track of how much time is spent with each spec
  • Recall that we’re learning to muddle through this
  • Whoever’s spec is being discussed takes notes

Discuss Spec-Writing Approach

  • Overview the benefits/drawbacks of each option re: time
  • Going to push out a poll

Option 1

  1. Write specs in 1st meeting (in groups)
  2. Review specs over the week (i.e., between meetings)
  3. Review feedback in 2nd meeting (altogether)

Option 2

  1. Choose a spec to review for next time (now)
  2. Write the spec(s) with your group over the week (i.e., between meetings)
  3. Review specs in a 1st meeting (altogether)

Action Items

  • All Revise feedbacked specs and post second version
  • All Think about which skill/task you would be interested in (for next time)?

February 4th

Before the Meeting

  • Think about which spec you might want to write from CAHP board ALL
  • Please post scanning spec in the spec folder EMILY
  • Share updated definitions table with everyone TODD
  • Organize revised specs in spec folder TODD

Meeting Agenda

  1. Settle in 3 min
  2. Meeting Purpose 2 min
  3. Pick Spec Groups 5--8 min
  4. Spec Writing 40 min
  5. Action Items 5 min

Settle in

  • Give everyone a chance to settle in and connect
  • Ask everyone to have their feedback at the ready

Meeting Purpose

  • Main goal (for a while) is to write specs from CAHP board
  • Write during the first meeting and review in the next
  • Space to hash things out (e.g., skim vs. scan)
  • Keep things manageable

Spec Review

  • We will write specs in pairs
  • We can swap pairs as we go
  • Pairs determined by spec we want to write
  • “Who wants to take which spec?”
  • Let’s focus on skills and tasks for now

Action Items

  • Post spec in the test-spec folder ALL
  • Review others’ specs before next meeting ALL
  • Think about the following when reviewing specs ALL
  1. Does the spec capture some aspect of the CAHP skill/task?
  2. What aspect of the CAHP skill/task is targeted?
  3. Is the purpose of the spec clearly stated?
  4. Does spec clearly connect to info on CAHP board?
  5. Mondel: Will the spec generate relevant test items?
  6. Is the prompt something students might actually see?
  7. Is the response something students actually have to do?

Easy-Access Documents

CAHP board

example test spec

Flesch-Kincaid

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Test Specifications video