Assessment Basics and Active Student Involvement Block II

Big Ideas & Key Questions How does assessment fit into the teaching/learning process? Learning targets - why should I care? Evidence – what’s that? Assessment methods - what are my options? Scoring guides – what are those? How do I put it all together? How does assessment fit into the teaching/learning process? Learning targets - why should I care? Evidence – what’s that? Assessment methods - what are my options? Scoring guides – what are those? How do I put it all together?

Which Ball is the Best Bouncer? Plan a controlled experiment, using the materials in the container, that would allow you to answer the question, “Which ball is the best bouncer?” W HY MIGHT I DO THIS WITH A 5 TH GRADE CLASS ?

Which Ball is the Best Bouncer? Washington Science Standards for Grades 4-5 – EALR 2: Inquiry – Big Idea: Inquiry (INQ) – Core Content: Planning Investigation – 4-5 INQB Investigate Content Standard: Scientists plan and conduct different kinds of investigations, depending on the questions they are trying to answer. Types of investigations include systematic observations and descriptions, field studies, models, and open-ended explorations as well as controlled experiments. Performance expectation: Work collaboratively with other students to carry out a controlled experiment, selecting appropriate tools and demonstrating safe and careful use of equipment.

Learning Target: Student will be able to control variables in an experiment or “fair test.” (Skill/Process) Evidence: Student devises an experiment in which one variable is manipulated while all others are held constant. Assessment: Performance assessment Scoring Guide - Rubric Which Ball is the Best Bouncer?

What have been your experiences with assessment? What have been the purposes of assessment in your school career?

Assessment Marv Teach, test, and hope for the best…. “It’s not teaching that causes results, it’s adjustments by the learner.” - G. Wiggins Learners need feedback => Assessment

My Learning Targets 1. Students will develop their understanding of the role of assessment in the larger processes of curriculum planning and active learning (ala *UbD). (concept) 2. Students will develop their understanding of the learning target categories: fact, concept, skill and disposition (adopted from *Stiggins). (concept) 3. Students will develop their understanding of basic assessment methods (M.C./short answer, essay, performance assessment, personal communication) and scoring guides (e.g. rubrics) (concept). 4. Students will develop their ability to make reasonable associations between types of learning targets and the four basic assessment methods (skill). * UbD: “Understanding by Design”

Backward Design: Situating assessment in the curriculum planning process Know your content! Develop your learning targets; fact, concept/generalization, skill/process, disposition Develop your assessments; LT => Evidence => Assessment M.C./Short Answer, Essay, Performance Assessment, Personal Communication Develop your instructional activities; Evaluate the quality and equity of the process. Know your content! Develop your learning targets; fact, concept/generalization, skill/process, disposition Develop your assessments; LT => Evidence => Assessment M.C./Short Answer, Essay, Performance Assessment, Personal Communication Develop your instructional activities; Evaluate the quality and equity of the process.

Planning with Assessment in Mind

Fact – that which we know Concept/Generalization – that which we understand Skill/Process – that which we can do Disposition – that which we value, enjoy, appreciate, etc. Fact – that which we know Concept/Generalization – that which we understand Skill/Process – that which we can do Disposition – that which we value, enjoy, appreciate, etc. Target => Evidence => Assessment

Learning Targets: Fact Students will know….

Learning Targets: Concept/Generalization Concept: an abstract idea generalized from particular instances Generalization: statements about relationships between or among concepts Students will understand….

Learning Targets: Skill/Process Students will be able to….

Learning Targets: Dispositions Students will value, enjoy, appreciate, etc….

Target => Evidence => Assessment Facts ”Students will know that …” Concepts/Generalizations “Students will understand that …” Skills/Processes “Students will be able to …” Dispositions “Students will enjoy / appreciate / value, etc. …” Facts ”Students will know that …” Concepts/Generalizations “Students will understand that …” Skills/Processes “Students will be able to …” Dispositions “Students will enjoy / appreciate / value, etc. …” What does it look like when students are achieving the following kinds of targets? What does it look like when students are achieving the following kinds of targets? Write a learning target of your own and then write a statement of evidence for that target.

M.C. / Selected Response / Short Answer Essay Performance Assessment Personal Communication M.C. / Selected Response / Short Answer Essay Performance Assessment Personal Communication How do we give students a chance to give us the evidence we require of them? How do we give students a chance to give us the evidence we require of them? Target => Evidence => Assessment

A Quiz…. Please select one of the following descriptors to characterize the quality of the match between each target type and assessment method. Excellent - Good - Fair - Poor Selected Response/ MC/ Short Answer EssayPerformance Assessment Personal Communication Fact Concept/Gener alization Skill / Process Disposition

We need a way to keep track of all the evidence we get from these assessment and to provide consistent and directed feedback to learners. Target => Evidence => Assessment Now what?

Scoring Guides: Answer Keys, Checklists, Rating Scales & Rubrics

Checklists “A checklist is a set of specific key behaviors that represent the competency or activity of interest” The behaviors should be concrete and observable. The behaviors are either present or absent. Checklists may be scored (yes: +1, no: -1) Gredler, M. (1999). Classroom Assessment and Learning. Longman

ItemPresentAbsent Outline of paragraph ____ ____ Topic Sentence ____ ____ Paragraph single topic ____ ____ Content in logical order ____ ____ Conclusion supported ____ ____ ItemPresentAbsent Outline of paragraph ____ ____ Topic Sentence ____ ____ Paragraph single topic ____ ____ Content in logical order ____ ____ Conclusion supported ____ ____ Identify your target (e.g., effective paragraph construction) Construct a list of observable component behaviors Arrange the components in a logical order Devise a simple (e.g., present / absent) marking system Checklists

Rating Scales “Rating scales are used when characteristics or dimensions of performance or product can be identified and exist to a greater or lesser degree. ” Include only those behaviors that you will teach ; Limit each item to a single dimension of the performance or product; Avoid judgmental terms. Gredler, M. (1999). Classroom Assessment and Learning. New York: Longman. Chase, C. (1999). Contemporary Assessment for Educators. New York: Longman.

Rating scales for essays of literary criticism Exceptional Adequate Limited huh? Achievement Achievement Evidence Exceptional Adequate Limited huh? Achievement Achievement Evidence Gives reasons and specific evidence to support the argument Identifies and discusses alternatives points of view

Rubrics A rubric is simply “a hierarchy of standards used to score students’ work.*” Rubrics generally have levels of achievement. Rubrics can be holistic or analytic, general or specific. – Holistic: describes the qualities of the performance as a whole. One score stands for a constellation of descriptors. – Analytic: assigns separate scores to the task’s essential traits. – General: one rubric applies to various instances of the phenomenon. – Specific: the rubric applies to one specific task *Bush & Leinwand. (2000). “Mathematics Assessment:…” Reston, VA. NCTM. McGatha & Darcy. (2010). “Rubrics at Play.” Teaching Mathematics in the Middle School. v. 15 n.6

Rubrics

In order to assess we must elicit, observe, and interpret external indicators of an internal state.

The Pumpkin Carving Workshop

What are the important outcomes for your graduates? (Learning Targets) How will you know that graduates have achieved these outcomes? (Evidence) How will you give them a chance to demonstrate their achievement? (Assessment) The Pumpkin Carving Workshop Create a learning target, evidence, and a scoring guide

The Valentine Creation Workshop

What are the important outcomes for your graduates? Pick two. (Learning Targets) How will you know that graduates have achieved these outcomes? (Evidence) How will you give them a chance to demonstrate their achievement? (Assessment) Create a rubric. The Valentine Creation Workshop