Assessing Standards Why we do it

Key Questions for Teachers/Teams What do we want them to know? How will we know if they learned it? How will we respond if they did not learn it? The key is being able to explain this to the intelligent, non-informed observer/stakeholder.

Team Collaboration Step 1 – Identify Essential Standards: Critical (priority), Important, Nice to know Step 2 – Develop or identify common assessments for the essential standards Step 3 – Administer common assessments Step 4 – Examine and compare data across subject/grade level teams Step 5 – Team consensus on proficiency Step 6 – Adjust teaching based on assessment results and collaboration

Assessment Terms Formative: informs teacher about instruction, informs student about progress. Given daily or weekly – not necessarily added to grade. Interim: measures progress toward master. Used to respond to learning deficiencies or predict help. Given mid-term, end of term, or end of unit. Summative: assesses if learning objectives/goals were met. Given at end of course

Assessment Terms cont. Common Assessment: Uses the same instrument or process and the same criteria for determining proficiency/quality. They help identify problem areas and provide information (strengths/weaknesses). Common Formative Assessment: Created collaboratively by a team of same grade/course teachers. These identify students who need additional time and support, effective teaching strategies, curriculum areas of concern, improvement goals.

Reasons for Good Assessment Practices Good teaching practices Systematic approach to student intervention Provides data/identifies needs for SIP Provides consistency for common courses/vertical alignment

Moving Forward By the end of the school year, we should: Have essential standards identified Have assessments identified/created for essential standards Have common assessments where applicable Begin administering these assessments