1. Shifting the Focus of Assessments:
From Driving to Informing Instruction
Winter GACIS Conference
December 2016
Melissa Fincher, Ph.D. Deputy Superintendent, Assessment & Accountability

2. Assessment & Accountability
The primary purpose of school is teaching and learning. The content standards and professional practice (pedagogy) drive instruction. Assessment and accountability plays an important role, but importantly – that role is supporting, with the primary focus being teaching and learning.

3. Informing Instruction
Testing should not be isolated from instruction
Georgia Milestones is a summative assessment
Takes place after instruction
Designed to certify instruction took place
Designed to inform instructional practice and reflection
Resources to Support Connections to Instruction
Formative Instructional Practices (FIP)
Georgia Online Formative Assessment Resource (GOFAR)
Assessment Guides
Item Samplers

4. Formative Instructional Practices

5. FIP Foundations Series
1. Introducing Formative Instructional Practices
Creating and Using Clear Learning Targets
Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Student Learning
Using Evidence and Feedback to Increase Learning
Fostering Student Ownership of Learning
Leading Formative Instructional Practices

6. Creating Clear Learning Targets Series and Reaching Every Student Series
Creating Clear Learning Targets for ELA in Elementary School
Creating Clear Learning Targets for ELA in Middle School
Creating Clear Learning Targets for ELA in High School
Creating Clear Learning Targets for Math in Elementary School
Creating Clear Learning Targets for Math in Middle School
Creating Clear Learning Targets for Math in High School
Non-Core:  Creating Clear Learning Targets in Physical Education
Reaching Every Student Courses
Formative Instructional Practices: Reaching Students with Disabilities
Formative Instructional Practices: Reaching English Language Learners
Formative Instructional Practices: Reaching Gifted Students

7. Designing Sound Assessment Series
Designing Sound Assessments Overview
Creating and Using Rubrics
Creating and Using Master Rubrics
Creating and Using Assessment Blueprints
Creating and Using Written Response Assessments
Creating and Using Verbal Response Assessments
Creating and Using Performance Assessments
Creating and Using Selected Response Assessments
Designing and Critiquing Sound Assessments: Putting the Pieces Together
Stand-alone Course: Implementing Evidenced-Based Grading

8. Making Sense of Georgia Milestones

9. Assessment Foundations
Assessment is the systematic observation and evaluation of student performance.
In simple words, assessment helps answer the following questions:
Do students know?
Can students do?
How well do students know and can do?
What do students not know?
All assessments rely on a relatively small number of exercises to permit the user to draw inferences about a student’s mastery of larger domains of knowledge and skill.

10. Assessment Foundations
Bottom Line
What we assess, how we assess, and how we communicate the results sends a clear message to students about
what is worth learning,
how it should be learned,
what elements of quality are most important, and
how well we expect them to perform/achievement.
This applies across all types and forms of assessment –
from classroom quizzes to state-mandated.

11. Assessment Foundations
Comprehensive Assessment System
a coordinated and articulated system of multiple assessments
sometimes also referred to as a balanced assessment system
Components of a Comprehensive Assessment System
Formative: takes place during instruction to provide feedback to teaching and learning; used by both students and teachers
Interim: takes place after a sequence of instruction to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to a specific set of academic goals, typically within a limited timeframe; typically used to report at a broader level than formative assessments
Summative: take place at the end of instruction to certify mastery or assign grades; typically used for accountability

12. Assessment Foundations
Criterion-Referenced Test
Norm-Referenced Test

13. Criterion Referenced Test
Achievement Standard
Student
Has the student mastered the content and skills?
How well has the student mastered?

14. Representative Sample
Norm Referenced Test
Comparison Score
How does the student’s performance compare to his/her peers?
National Sample
Population
Representative Sample
Student

15. Observations and Trends

16. General Observations
These observations apply to both multiple-choice and open-ended items.
Too often, students do not answer the question asked.
Too often, students answer one part of a multi-part question.
Perfection is not expected or required.
Students more adept at recalling details rather than making inferences (CRCT vs GA Milestones).
Review noteworthy trends from previous presentations.

17. Grade 3 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

18. Grade 4 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

19. Grade 5 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

20. Grade 6 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

21. Grade 7 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

22. Grade 8 English Language Arts Constructed Response 2 Point Items

23. 9th Grade Literature & Composition Constructed Response 2 Point Items

24. American Literature & Composition Constructed Response 2 Point Items

25. Grade 3 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

26. Grade 4 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

27. Grade 5 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

28. Grade 6 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

29. Grade 7 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

30. Grade 8 Mathematics Constructed Response 2 Point Items

31. Coordinate Algebra Constructed Response 2 Point Items

32. Analytic Geometry Constructed Response 2 Point Items

33. Algebra I Constructed Response 2 Point Items

34. Geometry Constructed Response 2 Point Items

35. Grade 3 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

36. Grade 4 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

37. Grade 5 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

38. Grade 6 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

39. Grade 7 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

40. Grade 8 Mathematics Constructed Response 4 Point Items

41. Coordinate Algebra Constructed Response 4 Point Items

42. Analytic Geometry Constructed Response 4 Point Items

43. Algebra I Constructed Response 4 Point Items

44. Geometry Constructed Response 4 Point Items

45. Domain Signals All Content Areas Remediate Learning Monitor Learning
Accelerate Learning
Domain Performance:
What is the likelihood the student would achieve proficiency on the test given his/her performance in the domain?
Domain performance is reported in terms of the Proficient Learner achievement level.

46. What’s Ahead?

47. Georgia’s Student Assessment Landscape: 2016 -2017
Grade
# State Tests
Test/Content Area K 1
GKIDS 3 2
GM EOG: ELA and Math 4 5
GM EOG: ELA, Math,
Science, Social Studies 6 7 8
High School
7 or 8
GM EOC: 9th Grade Lit; American Lit; Coordinate Algebra or Algebra I; Analytic Geometry or Geometry; Physical Science*; Biology; US History; Economics
*High school students may take either Physical Science or Physics; there is no EOC for Physics.

48. Required of All Students
Testing Rule Amended
Testing Rule amendment ‘exempts’ Dual Enrollment/MOWR students from the EOC other than those required by ESSA for accountability.
To ensure high schools are not negatively impacted, use the college-issued course grade in the CCRPI for remaining EOC-related courses.
Required of All Students
Allowed Exemption
9th Grade Literature
American Literature
Coordinate Algebra / Algebra I
Physical Science
Analytic Geometry / Geometry
US History
Biology
Economics
SBOE Rule
TESTING PROGRAMS – STUDENT ASSESSMENT

49. Reading & Evidenced Based Writing Spring 2017
Beginning in Spring 2017, students will take the 5- question section of the ELA test that contains the extended writing prompt on day 1 of testing.
Within this section, students read two short passages, answer 3 multiple- choice and 1 constructed-response items, and then answer an extended- writing prompt.
The structure of this section remains the same – only it’s order in the administration is being considered.
This decision was made based on feedback as well as to allow additional time for scoring.
Remember: Four of the items contribute to the Reading and Vocabulary domain, with only the extended writing task contributing to the Writing and Language domain.

50. Spring 2017 Technology Enhanced (TE) Items
As planned and communicated, TE items will be included on the operational forms in ELA and Mathematics
these include multi-part/multi-select items
examples are included as part of the Experience Online Testing website
Assessment Guides are being updated
TE items will be field tested in Science and Social Studies (grades 5 and 8 and EOC)

51. Technology Enhanced Items
English Language Arts
Evidence-Based Selected-Response (EBSR) items
Mathematics
Multiple-select items
Multi-part/multi-select items

52. Benefits of TE Items Provides scaffolding for multi-step responses
Meets demands of new standards for analysis
Provides evidence of close reading/mathematical processes
Encourages deeper instruction

53. On the Horizon… Validate College-Readiness Signal
Accuplacer linking study
Revise Georgia Alternate Assessment
Revise GKIDS, incorporating the GKIDS Readiness Check
Develop grades 1 and 2 literacy/numeracy formatives

54. Questions & Answers GaDOE Customer Service Survey: