1. 1 Formative Assessment Susan M. Brookhart, Ph.D. Duquesne University and Brookhart Enterprises, LLC Montana Office of Public Instruction Conference: “There’s More to Assessment than Testing” Helena, Montana – May, 2006

2. 2 Definitions and Concepts

3. 3 Student must recognize a gap between actual and desired performance and take action to close the gap (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Sadler, 1983, 1989) Formative Assessment is a cycle

4. 4 Students and Teachers (1) Focus on learning goals; (2) Compare current work to the goal; and (3) Take action to move closer to the goal.

5. 5 Expanding concepts in the definition of Formative Assessment Information about the learning process (Scriven, 1967) Information about the learning process That teachers can use for instructional decisions (Bloom et al., 1971) Information about the learning process That teachers can use for instructional decisions And students can use for improving their own performance (Sadler, 1983, 1989) Information about the learning process That teachers can use for instructional decisions And students can use for improving their own performance Which motivates students (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Brookhart, 1997; Crooks, 1988; Natriello, 1987)

6. 6 The formative assessment process StudentsTeachers Understand the target (focus on learning goals) Select and clearly communicate the learning target (requires understanding typical learning progressions in the area) Produce workMake at least one assignment Compare their work with the target (take stock of where current work is in relation to the goal) Compare student performance with the desired target/goal, and determine its place in a typical learning progression Evaluate strengths and weaknesses Evaluate students’ strengths and weaknesses Prescribe action for improvementGive clear oral or written feedback Take action for improvement: study, practice, review, rewrite, etc. (take action to move closer to the goal) Support or assign action to close the gap

7. 7 Relationship between Formative and Summative assessment Not necessarily compatible Crooks (1988) – if evaluation results in grades, students will pay less attention and learn less (also Ross, Rollheiser, & Hogaboam-Gray, 2002; Thomas & Oldfather, 1997) Formative-summative mix: Grades are an important reason for assessment and limit the kind of assessment teachers do (Barnes, 1985; Kusch, 1999; Schmidt & Brosnan, 1996; Wilson, 1990).

8. 8 Relationship between Formative and Summative assessment Not necessarily incompatible Biggs (1998) – not “two tree trunks,” but “the backside of an elephant” (also Brookhart, 2001; Guskey, 2005) So … it matters how the teacher handles it! FA and SA should be linked by common learning targets.

9. 9 Benefits of Formative Assessment

10. 10 Achievement Benefits of (Good) Formative Assessment.4 to.7 standard deviations – equivalent of moving from the 50th percentile to the 65th or 75th percentile on a standardized test at all levels – primary, intermediate, and secondary especially among lower achievers

11. 11 Achievement Benefits of (Good) Formative Assessment Reasons for achievement effects FA helps teachers and students identify what students can do with help and what they can do independently. Participating in formative assessment is active learning, keeping students on task and focused on learning goals. Formative assessment, especially peer and self evaluation, help students with the social construction of knowledge. FA gives students feedback on precisely the points they need in order to improve. It shows them what to do next to get better.

12. 12 Motivational Benefits of (Good) Formative Assessment A little more complicated Feedback is a message, so it depends not only on the information itself, but also on the characteristics of the people who send (teacher) and receive (student) the message.

13. 13 Motivational Benefits of (Good) Formative Assessment Students who can size up their work, figure out how close they are to their goal, and plan what they need to do to improve are, in fact, learning as they do that. Carrying out their plans for improvement not only makes their work better, but it helps them feel in control, and that is motivating. This process, called self-regulation, has been found to be a characteristic of successful, motivated learners.

14. 14 Motivational Benefits of (Good) Formative Assessment Developmental differences – younger students may focus on surface features of work Unsuccessful learners – first focus on the negative feelings after failure before the message can be heard

15. 15 Formative Assessment in Practice *** NOT for Grading

16. 16 Focus on learning goals Starts with clear targets Assignments embody learning targets for students Content match with learning target Cognitive process match with learning target Clear to students Criteria for evaluation

17. 17 Compare current work to the goal Teachers or students apply criteria It’s one thing to write a rubric; it’s another to know it when you see it! Understand typical student learning progressions Give good feedback Teacher Self-assessment Peer assessment

18. 18 The Feedback Universe PositiveNegative Descriptive Sharing the criteria for good work. e.g., A good paragraph has a topic sentence and several supporting details that clearly relate to the topic. Describing the strengths of the work (in terms of the criteria). e.g., Your supporting details are very nice because each of them gives an event from the story that supports your claim that John was ambitious. Describing what positive actions the student could take to improve. e.g., Work on where to use commas in a sentence, and your next paragraph will be even better. Describing the weaknesses of the work (in terms of the criteria). e.g., Your report does not give any more information or insight into the French Revolution than we get from the textbook. Describing negative actions that are related to the work. e.g., If you had taken more time and consulted more sources, you would have found additional information for your report. Descriptive feedback is well suited for learning. Giving students information gives them the key to change and the power to do it. Descriptive feedback is also generally motivating. It puts students in control of their work and fosters internal motivation. Judgmental Rewarding the student for good work. e.g., You can have five extra minutes of recess. Praise that is not linked to work or criteria. e.g., Good for you! Punishing the student for poor work. e.g., You stay in from recess today. Warning or disapproving comments that are not linked to work or criteria. e.g., Watch it, mister! Judgmental feedback leaves students aware of how they are evaluated but does not give them the information they need to do anything about it. Students usually perceive judgmental feedback as controlling. It puts students in the role of working for approval or working to avoid disapproval.

19. 19 Words to Live (and Learn) by: How to Give Good Feedback Principle: Feedback should SuggestionsExamples Describe and inform (NOT judge) Describe the work, not the student. Choose adjectives and adverbs that refer to the work. Avoid bad judgment words (“poor”); if you use good judgment words (“good”), describe what is good. State your own response to the work instead of judging the student. NOT: “You need to write a better hypothesis.” BETTER: “The hypothesis was too vague to test.” NOT: “Interesting story!” BETTER: “Freddie is a believable character.” · NOT: “Poor.” BETTER: “Add more details in your summary of Jefferson’s theory of democracy.”· NOT: “Nice job!” BETTER: “Your story makes me want to meet your uncle!” NOT: “You aren’t clear.” BETTER: “I can’t tell what you mean here.” Be as specific as possible Use specific vocabulary words. Talk about particular aspects of the work. NOT: “Try harder.” BETTER: “Practice division with remainders.” Communicate clearly to the student Write simply, avoid “textbook” language. Use nouns instead of pronouns. NOT: “Not clear.” BETTER: “Your argument that Captain Ahab was crazy doesn’t make sense because…” Suggest what the student should do in order to improve Describe what the next short-term goal or learning target should be. Suggest a strategy or practice activity that could help the student reach the next goal. “Your lab report tells all the right facts. Next time, show how those results lead to conclusions about your hypothesis.” “Find out if there is any recycling going on in your neighborhood. How does that relate to the information in your report?” “Try making flash cards for your spelling words next week.”

20. 20 Take action to improve Practice Review (or Expand) Reteach (or Enrich) Individual, Group, Class All of these communicate to students that you know where they are And focus attention and activities on content and methods most likely to lead to increments in learning.

21. 21 susanbrookhart@bresnan.net brookhart@duq.edu