Science Leadership Support Network Enjoy some refreshments and networking. We will begin at 9:01 The SLSN is supported by KDE and PIMSER

Goals of SLSN Participants will: Articulate the “big ideas” in science, together with teacher and student understandings (content, process, relevance) that underlie them. Develop a broader understanding of assessment and how to use a variety of assessment strategies in support of student learning. Develop and act on a personal vision of leadership for sustainable improvement in their school or district.

Group Norms Start and end on time Put cell phones on silent Be respectful of all comments Everyone participates Exercise the rule of “two feet” Come prepared for the meeting

Review Compared the group’s considerations for effective instruction to Marzano’s considerations and “voted” on areas on which to concentrate. Examined the draft KDE science instructional model and provided feedback. Completed Ch. 6 in CASL by distinguishing class discussions from other classroom discourse. Examined student work for reasoning required and considered “next steps” instructionally. Used ‘Solids and Holes’ probe to uncover thinking, design a test to address, and consider a scaffold for writing explanations.

Roadmap for the Day Explanations Performance Assessments Leadership: Effective PD

Explanations I can distinguish between a description and an explanation.

Describe vs. Explain Explore the Newton’s Cradle for 3 to 4 min. Then, on the paper provided complete the task that you have been given. Do this individually. (10 mins.) Don’t put your name on the paper. When finished, fold the paper once and put all of your group’s papers together and shuffle them.

Describe vs. Explain Swap your group’s papers with another table group, who have the same color paper. Read all of the answers. Then, working as a group, decide which are better and which are not so good with respect to the task and goal. Sort the papers into ‘good’ and ‘not so good’ piles. Chart the criteria you used to distinguish between the ‘good’ and ‘not so good.’

Describe vs. Explain Retrieve your own paper when they are returned from the other group and consider: Would your description or explanation have met the criteria? If not, why not? How would knowing the criteria beforehand have affected your description or explanation?

Describe vs. Explain Compare the criteria for a good description to the criteria for a good explanation. What are the distinguishing characteristics for each? If your task was ‘to describe’, write a one sentence summary of a good description and determine a symbol/icon/illustration to represent it. If your task was ‘to explain’, write a one sentence summary of a good explanation and determine a symbol/icon/illustration to represent it. Be prepared to share with the group.

Explanation Analysis Compare your group’s criteria for a good explanation to the “explanation analysis criteria.” What are the similarities? Differences? Are scientific explanations different from explanations in other disciplines? Why or why not? How might you assist students in understanding the criteria for a ‘good’ explanation? How might you assist students in improving their explanations?

Writing in Science With you table group, discuss the main points from your reading of Ch. 1 and 2. What are some implications from this school district’s action research concerning writing in science for your grade/team/department, school and/or district? How might the explanation criteria be used in addition to the other scaffolds in the book?

"[W]e concluded that the quality of student work in all of the schools we studied is alarmingly low. This is not surprising, however, because students cannot demonstrate high-quality work if they have not been given assignments that require … deep understanding and higher-order thinking skills." –2005, Education Week, "Gates High Schools Get Mixed Review in Study"

Performance Assessments I can identify standards that might best be assessed using performance assessments. I can determine the quality of a performance assessment. I can determine and develop an appropriate rubric to use with a performance assessment.

Performance Assessment There are two parts to a performance assessment: –The Task Simple target – simple task Complex target – complex task –The Performance Criteria We use performance assessments when the learning targets require doing (e.g., design, produce, make, create, make, write, draw, represent, display, model, construct). Performance assessments are ways to allow students to demonstrate how well they can do science – not the drills, but the game!

“In times of change, the learners will inherit the world, while the knowers remain well-prepared for a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer, writer

Performance Assessment The task is any activity that we use as a context to observe a skill or a product – a naturally occurring event or a separate event, at the end of instruction or during instruction. The only requirement is that the task elicits the desired skill or product so that it is capable of being judged. Pg. 194 CASL …performance criteria [is] the basis for judging the quality of the performance on the task. Pg. 194 CASL

Target X Method Match PRODUCT SKILLS REASON KNOW PCPAEWRSR Pages in CASL Book

PA Opportunities from the Standards Working in grade band groups, examine the standards for Structure and Transformation of Matter and the group’s deconstruction of those standards. Highlight the standards and learning targets that could possibly be assessed using PA’s. What would be the advantages of using PA for assessing these standards compared to SR, WR or PC? Disadvantages? How would you decide if a PA(s) was the best method for assessing the highlighted standards?

Part 1. The Task

Determining the Quality of a PA Task Examine the sample PA tasks. Use the Task Rubric Summary on pg 220 in CASL to determine if you think the task is a strong task or a weak task for assessing the Structure and Transformation of Matter standards. What characteristics did the weak examples exhibit? The strong examples? How does this information inform PA development?

Part 2. Performance Criteria

Benefits of Performance Criteria To help educators clarify the nature of complex learning targets so that they feel comfortable teaching to them To assess student progress and status in ways that are consistent across students, assignments, and time To improve student achievement by letting students in on the secret of the nature of quality Through all these things, to integrate assessment and instruction and grasp the essence of standards- based instruction –Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom by Arter and McTighe, pg. 16

Benefits of Performance Criteria For Teachers: 1.Consistency in Scoring 2.Improved Instruction For Students: 1.Clear Target(s) 2.Quality Performance 3.Self Assess and Adjust

Rubrics A rubric is a particular format for criteria – it is the written down version of the criteria, with all the score points described and defined. The best rubrics are worded in a way that covers the essence of what we, as teachers, look for when we’re judging quality, and they reflect the best thinking in the field as to what constitutes good performance. Rubrics are frequently accompanied by examples (anchors) of products or performances to illustrate the various score points on the scale. –Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom by Arter and McTighe pg. 8

Carousel Brainstorming – Performance Criteria As a table group, brainstorm what performance criteria should do for us in the classroom. Capture your ideas on chart paper. 5 mins. Pass your brainstormed list to another table, add to their list any other ideas not included. 3 mins. Exchange charts one more time and add ideas not listed. 3 mins. What can you generalize about performance criteria? What are the implications for performance task development?

Carousel Brainstorming – Rubric Features As a table group, brainstorm the features a rubric should have to serve the performance criteria purposes. Capture your ideas on chart paper. 5 mins. Pass your brainstormed list to another table, add to their list any other ideas not included. 3 mins. Exchange charts one more time and add ideas not listed. 3 mins. What can you generalize about features of rubrics? What are the implications for rubric development?

What Kind of Rubric? Working with a partner, write your definition for each type of rubric listed and give an example of what type of assignment would be appropriate for each. Jot down some disadvantages for each type. Sketch an example for each. Share with your tablemates and revise your ideas as needed.

What Kind of Rubric? Identify the type of rubric that would best serve your needs and your student’s needs. –Holistic –Analytic –Generic (General) –Task-specific Does it need to be unique to your task or is it one that could be used across similar performances (and thus best developed as a department or school team)?

Common Problems with Instructional Rubrics Counting – when quality is more important than quantity Important details left out Irrelevant details in the rubric Student-developed rubrics where anything goes Skimpy scoring guides Converting performance standards to grades

Developing Rubrics Establish a knowledge base Gather samples of student performance Sort student work by level of quality Cluster the reasons into traits Identify sample performances that illustrate each level Make it better –Pg 211 CASL

Developing Rubrics Working in grade band groups, your goal is to develop an appropriate rubric for the sample task. Examine the sample task. Identify the standard(s) assessed by the task. Is it a worthy task for assessing the identified standards? Using the procedure outlined on pg. 211 in CASL and detailed on pgs , draft a rubric for the task. Use the Metarubric Summary on pg. 203 in CASL to critique your rubric.

Developing Rubrics Create an analogy for the following: A rubric is like ___, because ___.

Leadership: Effective PD

Goals Participants will have opportunities to: Identify elements of effective professional development Consider key factors that influence PD design Learn about a framework for designing professional development Deepen understanding of professional development strategies

A Powerful learning experience… Think about a powerful learning experience in your life. –What was the experience? –Where were you? –Who were you with? –What were the elements that made the experience powerful?

Principles of Professional Development What are your overall observations? How do the principles of professional development support powerful learning?

Pre-During-Post Before Viewing: Review the questions on the handout that are highlighted During Viewing: As you view the Video of Effective Professional Development make notes related to the discussion questions After Viewing: Discuss your reactions to the questions with your table group

Principles of Effective Professional Development  Driven by a vision for classroom  Helps teachers develop the knowledge and skills to create vision  Mirrors methods to be used by students  Builds a learning community  Develops teacher leadership  Links to the system  Is continuously assessed

Effective Professional Development is: Designed with a purpose in mind; Structured around seven principles; Content-specific across many levels of learning; and About teacher’s real work.

Next Steps for January Planning for systemic professional development in your district using effective strategies

Roadmap for the Day Explanations Performance Assessments Leadership: Effective PD

Wrap-up, Review Students need to “internalize” the criteria for writing quality explanations. This can be taught and descriptive feedback can be provided to help students improve. Performance assessments provide a method for students to apply their knowledge and use reasoning and skills to demonstrate their understanding of science standards. Effective professional development in science is necessary for teachers of science to improve their instruction. Specific principles characterize effective PD.

Preview Continue leadership development concerning professional development Deepen understanding about deepening student understanding Read Ch. 3 in The Art and Science of Teaching Examine considerations for grading and reporting Have a joyous holiday break!