The Role of Formalized Assessment Tools in Formative Assessment is Limited Sarah McManus Edward Roeber

Overview of the Presentation Definitions of “Formalized Assessment Tools” and Formative Assessment? Where Do These Tools Fit In? How Much Do the Tools Contribute to FA? Tools Alone Aren’t FA What’s Wrong With an Emphasis on Tools? Will Formalized Tools Encourage Appropriate PD?

Definition of “Formalized Assessment Tools” By “formalized tools,” we all mean: “Instrument (or products) developed for use across classrooms in a set of specified ways.” These products are Generally developed outside of individual classroom contexts Created by someone other than the classroom teacher Sold to schools and districts The products range from the simple to the complex, including: Questions created based on an understanding of how students learn within a particular discipline, including those designed to identify typical misconceptions and partial understanding Item banks from which teachers can select items to develop classroom assessments and quizzes Educational games and activities with embedded (“stealth”) assessments (Shute, 2011; Behrens & DiCerbo, 2013; Wainess, Koenig, & Kerr, 2011)

Definition of “Formalized Assessment Tools” By “formative assessment,” we all mean the SCASS FAST definition: “Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes” (CCSSO, 2008).

More About Formative Assessment? Sadler posed the three basic questions that are the foundation of formative assessment: – Where am I going? – Where am I now? – How do I close the gap? These questions should guide the work of teachers as they plan instruction, determine their effectiveness daily, and make adjustments in instruction These questions should also guide the learning tactics of students, as they participate in teacher-guided learning activities

Sadler’s Questions in Practice Where am I going? Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning target Use examples and models of strong and weak work Where am I now? Analyze student learning frequently during instruction and adjust instruction as needed Offer regular descriptive feedback Teach students to self-assess and set goals How do I close the gap? Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality Teach students focused revision Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning Adapted from Sadler 1989, J. Myron, P. Black, & J Coffey, 2001

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Dimensions of Formative Assessment

Our Question Is…. Our question is: Do such formalized tools have much of a role in formative assessment? We say: “No, not much” for the following reasons….

Where Do Formalized Tools Fit In? Formalized assessment tools can be used in the following ways: – By teachers: The tools may provide teachers with higher quality questions to use during instruction to provide a more detailed and complete picture of student understanding – By students: The questions asked of them may assist them to self-assess and self-adjust their learning

How Much Do Such Tools Contribute to Formative Assessment? We acknowledge that in the hands of skillful teachers who have had the chance to learn and practice the formative assessment processes in their classrooms, these tools can be of great benefit However, will these tools, in and of themselves, help typical teachers who have not learned the components of formative assessment and practiced their use?

Why Tools Alone Aren’t Formative Assessment From the research conducted in Michigan with novice teachers who are learning to use formative assessment practices in their classrooms, we have found that teachers believe that using tools such as those described (along with stating learning targets for students) is enough to be considered “doing formative assessment”

What’s Wrong With This? Giving teachers better questions may help them probe student thinking better, but teachers will not be better formative assessors (or provide better instruction) as a result There is far more to formative assessment than the tools that are used For example: – How do teachers adjust their instruction? – How do students learn to peer- or self-assess?

Will Formalized Tools Encourage Appropriate PD? As Wylie says: “Focusing on just a single dimension likely would not result in a robust implementation of formative assessment. Rather an integrated approach is required.” What teachers need to become effective formative assessors (and to help their students to learn to be better self-assessors) is on-going, thoughtfully guided PD

Will Formalized Tools Encourage Appropriate PD? Formalized tools may be viewed as ‘all teachers need to learn is how to ask better questions,’ and thus, reduce the likelihood that teachers are provided good PD learning opportunities When such tools are packaged and made commercially available, they tend to take on a life of their own – as a summative assessment!

Will Formalized Tools Encourage Appropriate PD? PD, if offered with these commercial materials, tends to be short-term and only focused on what teachers need to do to use the tools functionally Yet, research says that it takes time (e.g., three or more years) and on-going support for teachers and students to learn the formative assessment process

Will Formalized Tools Encourage Appropriate PD? In conclusion, we feel that such formalized assessment tools might be effective, when learned and used in an appropriate manner What concerns us is that such tools are likely to be packaged and marketed in such a way that they will substitute for the types of learning required by teachers (and students) to effectively learn to use formative assessment practices As a result, we urge caution when considering their role in formative assessment

The Role for Formalized Assessment Tools in Formative Assessment? So, is there a role for formalized assessment tools in formative assessment? – Yes, but it is limited, useful only when used in the context of a much larger and more appropriate learning on the part of teachers and students – No, if only “sold” as a stand-alone way to implement “formative assessments”