The Top 10 Big Ideas about Common Formative Assessments ACT Meeting December 1, 2008 Education Division “For the love of God, folks, don't try this at home.”

Today’s Participant Goals  Understand the “ big ideas ” for developing quality common assessments within a culture of a professional learning community  Obtain tools and strategies for supporting teams as they focus on the development of common assessments, with emphasis on formative assessments  Hear examples of common assessment practices “ in action ” at various CUSD schools

A Balanced & Coherent System of Assessment Adapted from “A Steadily Flowing Stream of Information Gives Teachers Much-Needed Data” Tom Many, JSD, Winter 2006 Most Formative Ongoing teacher assessment and checks for understanding Student involved In-class adjustments More Formative Collaboratively developed and curriculum embedded Pyramid of interventions More Summative Identify groups of at risk students Entrance and exit criteria DIBELS, PMAS Programmatic support Most Summative Ranks and Benchmarks of proficiency Standardized achievement tests STAR Testing

#10 It’s no secret. It works.

Black and Wiliam (1998) When the principles of assessment for learning are used, there is a 4 to 5 time greater effect than reducing class size .5 to 1.0 standard deviation score gain The most intriguing result is that while all students show achievement gains, the largest gains are seen in low achievers.

Equivalent to: 30+ percentile points on ITBS 4 grade equivalents 100 SAT Score Points 6 ACT Score points US TIMSS Rank from 23 rd to Top 5

Equivalent to: 30+ percentile points on ITBS 4 grade equivalents 100 SAT Score Points 6 ACT Score points US TIMSS Rank from 23 rd to Top 5

NO OTHER WAY OF RAISING STANDARDS We know of NO OTHER WAY OF RAISING STANDARDS for which such a strong case can be made on the basis of evidence of such large learning gains. --Black and William, 1998

Robert Marzano Task clarity – when they clearly understand the learning goal and know how teachers will evaluate their learning Relevance – when they think the learning goals and assessments are meaningful and worth learning Potential for Success – when they believe they can successfully learn and meet the evaluative expectations Dimensions of Learning

#9 Bigger is not better.

Number of Questions Less is more. Four to five questions per essential learning is recommended. There is no magic number of questions, but it is fair to say the more essential learnings teachers assess on a single assessment, the less they will be able to focus the assessment.

#8 More often is better.

Monitoring along the way Where are we starting? Where did we end up? Are we moving in the right direction? Are we going at the necessary pace? Are we leaving anyone behind?

How often should common assessments be given? Common assessments are designed to give teachers feedback about how students are doing. Giving common assessments two or three times per year is helpful, but doesn ’ t provide teachers enough feedback.  There is also a danger of creating an overwhelming amount of testing unless we substitute common, formative assessments for traditional end-of-chapter tests, quizzes, and writing assignments used in the past. Most teachers find giving common, formative assessments more often is best.

“… The ideal number of standards is between 8 and 10 per subject, per semester. “ Becky DuFour

Does the entire assessment need to be common? In a word, no.

#7 It’s not just the kids that benefit

The heart of the matter… “… The questions of “Learn what” and “How will we know” are two of the most significant questions a PLC will consider, the very basis of the collective inquiry that drives the work of collaborative teams. ” DuFour et al, LBD, p 44

In addition to improving student achievement, teachers actually benefit from common formative assessments.  Clarifies curriculum and intervention strategies  Enhances communication between teachers about student learning  Creates opportunities for teachers to sharpen pedagogy and deepen understanding of content Tom Many/Learning by Doing

#6 If you don’t use them to make a difference in student learning, they’re summative.

“For assessments to become an integral part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach in three important ways: They must 1) use assessments as sources of information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to demonstrate success.” --Thomas R. Guskey, Ahead of the Curve (Solution Tree, 2007), p. 16

Reviewing results of common assessments leads to conversations about Have we actually taught this skill/concept? What type of instruction seems most effective? Who are we leaving behind? (who needs additional support/instruction?)  Not averages What misconceptions are forming? Is the assessment appropriate?

How are common assessments related to interventions? Common assessments provide feedback that helps teachers know which students need more time and support.  Many schools approach the creation of systematic interventions in different ways but common, formative assessments can help teachers identify the type and intensity of intervention that best meets an individual student ’ s needs.

#5 There’s a method to the madness.

Sequence of Work for Teams Identify Power/Prioritized Standards Unwrap the Standards to clarify targeted concepts and skills Develop Aligned Assessments that match the targets Determine level of proficiency needed for mastery What standards are we emphasizing in our instruction, assessment, and intervention? Are we clear on the specific skills and concepts contained within the standard? Are the questions on the common assessment accurately and efficiently measuring those skills and concepts? How good is good enough? How do we ensure consistency across our classes?

#4 Common formative assessments can actually serve as a pacing guide.

When common assessments are given to all students at about the same time during the school year, teachers know whether individuals and groups of students are mastering the material more quickly or more slowly than typically expected.  Common assessments are a guide, a gauge, a means to monitor the pace of instruction as our students move through the curriculum.

#3 You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but you do need to kick the tires.

Use your professional filters Questions for common assessments may be taken from textbooks, black-line masters, sample test banks, or previously administered classroom tests.  The questions on the common assessments can come from many sources, but, first and foremost, a common assessment should be developed by teams of teachers and reflect the essential curriculum as agreed to by faculty and staff.

#2 Common formative assessments aren’t necessarily about grading, but they are about feedback.

James Popham – Transformative Assessment Student Learning Adjustments Teachers’ Instructional Adjustments Level 3 Classroom Climate Shift

Level 4: Schoolwide Implementation Level 3

“...good feedback causes thinking” Paul Black, 2003 Feedback sessions Question correlations to standards/learning targets Item/Error analysis Peer scoring based on rubric Self-scoring based on rubric Student requests for targeted feedback

#1 The more you do, the easier it gets...

“Creating common assessments that honor the content and nature of our discipline while keenly and clearly assessing what students know and can do is complex, important, and challenging work. By working collaboratively with your colleagues and starting always with Steven Covey's "end in mind," we're likely to produce assessments that are meaningful to both students and their teachers.”  Ellen Moir, Director of the New Teacher Center, UC Santa Cruz

Team Reading/Resources