The Journey – Improving Writing Through Formative Assessment Presented By: Sarah McManus, Section Chief, Testing Policy & Operations Phyllis Blue, Middle Grades English/Language Arts Consultant Accountability Conference February 11, 2008

Where do we want to go? Where are we now? How do we close the gap? In North Carolina…..

Concern from the classroom? Too much time spent on measuring the learning rather than promoting and helping learning to occur Most summative assessments look like mini state tests Forced to teach to the test Less motivated students

Focus on teaching and learning. Clear Purpose Clear Targets Sound Design Effective Communication Student Involvement

There is an emphasis on: The test State test results Practice items Alignment Remediation What is getting the most attention and what is getting left behind? There is little emphasis on: Student learning Developing self-directed learners Increasing student motivation Delivering quality professional development for teachers content delivery classroom assessment

Classroom Assessment (Formative and Summative) Interim/Benchmark Assessments (Summative) Statewide Assessments (Summative) Aligned to State Standards

Support teachers in their efforts to use: Increased commitment to a high-quality formative assessment as a process. Increase the use of descriptive feedback and reduce evaluative feedback. Increase student involvement in classroom assessment (formative and summative).

Focus on the Importance of Classroom Assessment Guides students judgment of what is important to learn Affects their motivation and self perceptions of competence Structures their approaches to and timing of personal study… Consolidates learning Affects the development of enduring learning strategies and skills It appears to be the most potent force influencing education. Crooks (1988)

Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned. Teachers use multiple indicators, including formative and summative assessment to evaluate student progress and growth. Teachers provide opportunities, methods, feedback, and tools for students to assess themselves and each other. Teachers use 21 st Century assessment systems to inform instruction and demonstrate evidence of students 21 st Century knowledge, skills, performance, and dispositions. Standard IV: Teachers Facilitate Learning For Their Students

BALANCED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT A process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides immediate feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to help students improve their achievement of intended instructional outcomes. A tool used after instruction to measure student achievement which provides evidence of student competence or program effectiveness.

FORMATIVE SUMMATIVE Occurs During Instruction Not Graded Process Descriptive Feedback Continuous Students & parents are partners in the process Assessment for learning Occurs at the end Graded Product Evaluative Feedback Periodic Assessment of learning COMPARISON OF ASSESSMENTS

Possible Assessment Methods Formative Assessment includes Questions Classroom Discussions Learning Activities Feedback Conferences Interviews Student Self-Assessment Summative Assessment Selected Response –Multiple Choice –True/False –Matching –Fill-in Extended Written Response Performance Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are valuable and important Without both the classroom assessment system is not balanced

Research Research shows that if students are formatively assessed, learning will improve. When learning is improved, students are able to demonstrate that learning in a variety of ways including scoring well on standardized assessments like the EOG and EOC. Black and Wiliam (1998)

ProductsSkillsReasoningKnowledge ©Copyright Educational Testing Service/Assessment Training Institute

Feedback Frequently feedback is used to push students to do more or to do better, without being specific enough to help students know what to do. This type of feedback is generally ineffective. (Hattie & Timperley, 2005) Effective feedback points out successes and gives specific information about how to improve the performance or product. (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Black, et al, 2002; Bloom, 1989; Brown, 1994) When teachers substituted comments for grades, students engaged more productively in improving their work. (Black, et al, 2002) Intensive correction, where the teacher marks every error in every paper a student writes, is completely useless. Marking all errors is no more advantageous in terms of student growth than marking none of them. (Hillocks, 1986)

Key Goals for Comment-Only Marking

Goal #1 Only feedback leads to higher learning gains than grades alone or grades with comments

Goal #2 Focusing feedback (oral and written) on success and improvement needs against the learning target of the task leads to students embedding their improvements and applying them in subsequent work

Goal #3 Students need time to make improvements on their work

Goal #4 Improvements should focus on either 1)Short-term improvement on the work marked, or 2)Longer-term targets

Goal #5 Teachers should model feedback processes aiming for maximum student control over marking (self-monitoring).

Descriptive Feedback Activity

Next steps… Join the Online Professional Development Community Increased commitment to a high-quality formative assessment as a process Increase the use of descriptive feedback, reduce evaluative feedback Increase student involvement in the assessment process

Thank you!!!! Q & A

Contact Information Sarah McManus Section Chief, Testing Policy and Operations NC Department of Public Instruction Accountability Services Division Phyllis Blue Middle Grades English/Language Arts Consultant NC Department of Public Instruction