Assessing our Classroom Olympians NSCTA Olympics: Training for Change September 26, 2008 Bethany Brunsman & Leslie Lukin, ESU #18

What is Assessment? a process of gathering data to determine what students know & are able to do; and to determine how much they have learned. Examples: Traditional ‘tests’ Student demonstrations/performances Observations Other forms of professional judgment Affective data—perception, anxiety, self-reflection Other data such as graduation rates, attendance, behavior

Students Curriculum Assessment Instruction What is assessed must align with what is essential to learn. The what and how of instruction must align with what is essential to learn. The system should align with student needs, ways of knowing/doing, etc. The alignment here is critical as well. Formative, summative, pre-assessment…. Is all aligned with what is essential. Effective us of formative assessments, that are aligned with summative assessments, may result in less retesting………….. Assessment Instruction The what and how of assessment must align with the what and how of instruction.

Classroom Assessment: Represents a collection of evidence, not an event Planned for prior to instruction Aligns with the content of learning Aligns with the context of learning Supports student learning against standards Supports instructional decisions/adjustments Occurs formally and informally for continuous monitoring

Classroom Assessment: Gathering accurate information about student knowledge, skill, and perception to: Understand current status Monitor and inform over time Identify gaps Plan instruction Communicate Lori Support Student Learning Support Instructional Decisions

Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment Reproduced with permission: Assessment Training Institute Accurate Assessment Key 1: Why Assess? Purpose? Users? Key 2: Assess What? Learning targets? -clear -good Key 3: Assess How? What method? Quality items? Sampled how? Avoid bias? Effectively Used Key 4: Communicate How? Info management? Reporting? Key 5: Student Involvement Students need to understand targets Key 5: Student Involvement Students are users of info Key 5: Student Involvement Students track progress & communicate Key 5: Student Involvement Students participate in the assessment process

What is essential for teachers to be assessment literate? Understand both assessment and evaluation Know what it means to assess well Purpose of assessment(s) Types of assessment Attributes of quality Appropriate/effective use of data Understand how to align purpose, use, and types Know how to involve students in assessment Understand the impact on student learning

Alignment & Consistency are Critical Use a Plan, Framework, or Map Map assessment & instruction onto same essential outcomes frame of reference!!

Think about your classroom assessments: What classroom assessments do you currently have in place? What have you done to ensure that these assessments meet the standards of quality? What else could you do?

Formative vs. Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment = Assessment OF Learning: Assessments used to determine how much students have learned at a particular point in time in order to report achievement status. Formative Assessment = Assessment FOR Learning: All activities undertaken by teachers and their students that provide information to be used as feedback: to adjust instruction in support of additional learning, to guide and support student learning, and to support the closing of gaps in learning. Make bottom three bullets pop out; connect to Stiggins clip about for vs of; split into sec and elem group---discussion of what is happening with formative assessment at the school; have them share some of the big issues at their schools (this can serve as a pre-assessment of sorts for them)

Achieved Gain Associated with Number of “Formative” Assessments over 15 Weeks Number of Assessments Effect Size Percentile Gain 1 0.34 13.5 5 0.53 20.0 10 0.60 22.5 15 0.66 24.5 20 0.71 26.0 25 0.78 28.5 30 0.82 29.0 The Art and Science of Teaching, p.13

Why is Assessment FOR Learning critical in the classroom? If done ‘right’ it provides: a picture of the learning target that the student can ‘see’ specific, descriptive, and meaningful feedback in student language models/examples of strong and weak work opportunities for peer and self-assessment It engages: Teachers in continuous monitoring and reflection teachers in devising lessons that ask students to focus on one aspect of improvement at a time students in the process of focused revision/improvement Students in self-reflection, helping them to self monitor and share what they know students and teachers in goal setting

REMEMBER, it is all about purpose: An assessment itself isn’t inherently formative or summative The use of the assessment results determines how it is characterized. To be of high quality, the assessment should be built to support a particular use. A determination should be made at the time an assessment is being developed about whether the use will be primarily formative or summative. For SMART Goals, this means the gathering of formative information to monitor and adjust

IF you don’t use the data to change instruction and learning, The Key Point: IF you don’t use the data to change instruction and learning, it’s not formative!!!!

Strengthening Formative Assessment Boosts Test Scores Typical gain: .4 to .7 standard deviations Most studies showed a larger gain for low achievers Overall result was typically a reduced spread in scores with an overall gain Profound positive effects! From: Assessment for Learning, Black, et. al (2003)

Think about classroom formative assessment: Which of your classroom assessments currently function as formative assessments? Which serve as summative assessments? Which of your classroom assessments could be restructured to serve as formative assessments? What would be the benefit?

Descriptive Feedback

Descriptive Formative Feedback: Summative Feedback: Typically uses a single measurement (e.g. grade or score) to summarize student work May compare students to each other or to big picture expectations Generally provides summary/global information—more of a survey of learning May encourage competition and/or students developing erroneous self-judgments Sometimes linked to rewards vs. punishments Descriptive Formative Feedback: Describes features of work or performance Relates directly to learning targets and/or standards of quality—typically has more depth and less breadth Points out strengths and gives specific information about how to improve Often uses models in relation to student’s work May provide strategies for moving forward Mention the formative – summative alignment here as well…………………..

Descriptive feedback in the classroom: Brings assessment into the learning process Provides information on the gap between current and desired performance Supports self assessment and self correction Allows students and teachers: to see the consequences of their actions to develop a plan for moving toward

What is essential for teachers to understand? Giving a student a grade (A, 1, Great) or a score (67% or 80/92) is not effective feedback, even if a few comments are included. Feedback to students must contain enough information that the student knows what to do next---the student can develop a course of action that is productive. One piece of necessary information shows a student how his/her performance compares to a standard or model of performance. The way feedback is provided and the content of the feedback communicate much more than just the words or symbols used---there is an impact on student self concept. An important use of the feedback is for the teacher—to adjust instruction to meet student needs.

Students using the practice and feedback………….

“Not only must feedback be relative to standards and performance but assessment for learning must also provide feedback to the teacher about instruction so that he/she can construct the instructional focus and set the goals of the lesson accordingly.” This is the end of the morning Breakthrough, M. Fullan (p. 19)

“First, feedback must provide students with a way to interpret even low scores in a manner that does not imply failure. If it does not, students who are fearful of failure will continually be discouraged when they do not receive high scores. Second, feedback must help students realize that effort on their part results in more learning (as evidenced by higher scores). Robert Marzano. Designing a Comprehensive Approach to Classroom Assessment in Ahead of the Curve (2007) p. 105.

Think about descriptive feedback: How do you currently provide descriptive feedback to students? How does this align with the purpose of your classroom assessments (formative vs. summative)? Are there any changes that might be beneficial?