1. Developing Common Assessments
How do they enhance
student learning?
Introductions:
Presenter
Presentation overview
Handout arrangement and use
March 30, 2007
Dr. Dennis King

3. Warm Up
I’m going to show you a triangle with 25 letters in it. With pencils down, I want you to try to remember the letters that you see in the exact order that you see them. When 10 seconds is up, I’m going to ask you to recreate this triangle with all the letters in the right place.
Ready?

4. How did you do? Divide tables in half – groups of 4
Tally first the individual scores – an average for the 4 people involved
Now tally a group score. The number correct with all of your letters involved, counting each correct letter only once

5. Try Again
Make a Plan
Again you get 10 seconds – time have a team plan ready to go.

6. How did you do? Divide tables in half – groups of 4
Tally first the individual scores – an average for the 4 people involved
Now tally a group score. The number correct with all of your letters involved, counting each correct letter only once

7. Anyone too busy to reflect on one’s practice is also too busy to improve.
Anyone too busy to reflect on one’s practice is also too busy to improve.
Robert Garmston
Robert Garmston

8. Shared Knowledge
Collaborative teams always attempt to answer critical questions by building shared knowledge.
If people make decisions based upon access to the same pool of information, they increase the likelihood that they will arrive at the same conclusion.

9. What is congeniality? Avoiding the Mary Poppins Principle….
“Congeniality has to do with the extent to which teachers and principals share common work values, engage in specific conversation about their work, and help each other engage in the work of the school.”
“ The emphasis on human relations management has resulted in the value of congeniality becoming very strong in the way schools are managed and led. Congeniality has to do with the climate of interpersonal relationships within an enterprise. When this climate is friendly, agreeable, and sympathetic, congeniality is high. Though congeniality is pleasant and often desirable, it is not independently linked to better performance and quality schooling.”
Thomas Sergiovanni, 2004

10. The Focus of Collaboration
Collaborative cultures, which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful, but unless they are focusing on the right things they may end up being powerfully wrong.
Michael Fullan

11. Critical Corollary Questions
If the mission is focused on learning,
what is it we expect them to learn?
how do we know they have learned it?
how will we respond when they don’t learn?
how will we respond when they already know it?

12. Getting Started – Creating a Collaborative Culture

13. What makes an effective meeting?/Team Protocols
Team norms
Method of Consensus
Vision
Agenda with assigned minutes per topic
Time keeper
Critical Questions for Teams
SMART Goal
Interventions
Product orientation

14. Essential Question:
How can we create common assessments to monitor and promote student learning?
Standard found on your agenda -- High quality assessments are collaboratively developed and collectively used to monitor, measure, and promote high levels of students achievement.
Teacher self survey HO p. 67
Student Survey HO p

15. “You can enhance or destroy students’ desire to succeed in school more quickly and permanently through your use of assessment than with any other tools you have at your disposal.”
Assessment done poorly can be a dangerous tool. Think of a time when you experienced a poor assessment. What did that do for your learning? (table buzz)
Rick Stiggins
Assessment Trainers Institute

16. Common Assessments
Any assessment given by 2 or more instructors with the intention of collaboratively examining the results for
shared learning,
instructional planning for individual students, and/or
curriculum, instruction, and/or assessment modifications.
Look at two definitions - this slide and the next one.
Identify and discuss similarities and differences… elements from both needed to complete definition.

17. Common Assessments Created collaboratively by teams of teachers
Frequent
Formative
Connected to the essential outcomes
Given to all students enrolled in the same class, course, or grade level
Look at two definitions - this slide and the previous one.
Identify and discuss similarities and differences.

18. How do common assessments assist everyone (students, teachers, schools) in achieving more?
Find tennis partner and talk about this….
Call out in a large group….

19. Why Common Assessments?
Efficiency
Fairness
Effective Monitoring
Informed practice
Assessment literacy
Raised expectations
Team capacity
Collective Response
Link this list to the participant list and/or ask each table to take one idea from the list and describe why/how that might be so. Why is that idea on this list?
Why Common Assessments
• Efficiency - by sharing the load teachers save time
• Fairness - promotes common goals, similar pacing, and
consistent standards for assessing student proficiency
• Effective monitoring - provides timely evidence of
whether the guaranteed and viable curriculum is being
taught and learned
• Informs individual teacher practice - provides teachers
with a basis of comparison regarding the achievement of
their students so they can see strengths and weaknesses of
their teaching
• Team capacity - collaborative teacher teams are able to
identify and address problem areas in their program
• Collective Response - helps teams and the school create
timely, systematic interventions for students
Modified from R. DuFour keynote address at PLC Institutes

20. Summative / Formative Assessment
Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment):
How much have students learned as of a
particular point in time?
Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment):
How can we use assessments to help students
learn more?
There are two different assessments that we are going to talk about—Assessment OF Learning and Assessment FOR Learning. It is important to understand the difference in the two. They are sometimes referred to as summative and formative assessments. This is partially true, but we are going to be using the terms Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning.

21. A Balanced Assessment Program
“OF”
Summative
Norm Referenced / Standardized
A snapshot in time
Essential Question:
What have students already learned?
Assessment
“FOR”
Formative
Often teacher-made
A moving picture
Essential Question:
How can we help students learn more?
There is a need for Balance in our assessment system. Not only OF and FOR but also in type of assessment (selected response, constructed response, performance, or personal communication).
Just as all students have a preferred learning style they also have a preferred assessment style. However, not all assessments in life will be in there preferred style so we need to insure they are familiar with all styles.

22. Which is which?
It isn’t the method that determines whether the assessment is summative or formative it is how the results are used.
Think of the Penny assessment - it could be either OF or FOR depending on the way I use the results.
Provide examples

23. Dr. Tom Many As we look at assessment they move from
Most OF to Most FOR
Daily to Annual
Classroom to External
We will be focusing on Common Assessments which tend to be by unit
Dr. Tom Many

24. Pyramid of Intervention Strategies
Least Restrictive
Most Restrictive

25. INTERVENTION PYRAMID Problem Solving Team
Special Education Placement Screening and Evaluation
for Special Education
Problem Solving Team
Systematic School Interventions
How does the school respond when students don’t get it?
Grade Level / Department/Classroom Interventions - SMART Goals
Early Interventions – What do we need to know prior to the start of school?

26. Interventions
As a school – How do you respond when a student doesn’t learn?
As a department – How do you respond when a student doesn’t learn?
As a teacher – How do you respond when a student doesn’t learn?

27. Dr. Tom Many As we look at assessment they move from
Most OF to Most FOR
Daily to Annual
Classroom to External
We will be focusing on Common Assessments which tend to be by unit
Dr. Tom Many

28. TEAM Reflection
Identify 2-3 assessments (formative and summative) that are currently being used in your schools.
Discussion
Where are interventions implemented?
One or two interventions associated with each assessment

29. Value of Common Assessments
Focused instruction
Common core curriculum
Focused, common learning
Better tests
Identification of curricular areas needing attention
Provision of objective indicators of effectiveness for teachers
Promotes collaboration
Reemphasis

30. Research consistently shows that use of regular, high-quality Formative Assessments increases student achievement.
The purpose of this presentation is not to look at the research but rather at what it says.
This comes from the Black & William work.
We need to define High Quality - next slides

31. Research on Effects S.D. Gains Study 1.0 to 2.0 * Bloom (1984)
* Rivals one-on-one tutorial instruction
.5 to 1.0**
Black and Wiliam (1998)
** Largest gains for low achievers
.7 to 1.5
Meisels, et al. (2003)
.5 to 1.8**
Rodriguez (2004)

32. 1.0 Standard Deviation Equals
35 Percentile Points
2-4 Grade Equivalents
100 SAT Score Points
5 ACT Composite Score Points
U.S. TIMSS scores from 22nd of 41 nations to the top 5

33. Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment
Accurate Assessment
Clear Purposes
Why Assess?
What’s the purpose?
Who will use results?
Clear Targets
Assess What?
What are the learning targets?
Are they clear?
Are they good?
Good Design
Assess How?
What method?
Sampled how?
Avoid bias how?
Effectively Used
Sound Communication
Communicate How?
How manage information?
How report?
Keys to Quality Assessment
Provide brief overview of each.
Participants may be seeing “Keys” for the first time… let them know they will be seeing them through out the presentation.
Student Involvement
Students are users, too.
Students need to understand learning targets, too.
Students can participate in the assessment process, too.
Students can track progress and communicate, too.

34. The Challenge…
How can we use assessment to help the student believe that the target is within reach?
The assessment challenge
The assessment process should help the student realize the target is within reach.
The first step is to have ‘accurate assessments’, top half of the “Keys”
To truly make sure we meet this challenge the bottom half, ‘effectively used’ must be in place
An interesting question, “When was the last time you gave an assessment students did not want to miss?”

35. “Teachers who truly understand what they want their students to accomplish will almost surely be more instructionally successful than teachers whose understanding of hoped-for student accomplishments are murky.”
W. James Popham
Staging Quote
Teachers and students must know and understand the targets of instruction
Use this to set up the activity which follows

36. In the pattern to the left locate and outline the five-pointed star.
We are going to start our session today with an activity.
Find the star activity
Find five-pointed star in pattern
You will be given 1 Minute
after one minute ask “how many have located the star?” - record the number
Move to the next slide

37. If I provide additional information (block out part of the picture) does that help you identify the target?
Reduce pattern 50%
Does more information help?
Allow 45 seconds
after 45 seconds ask “how many have located the star?” - record the number
Move to the next slide

38. If I provide even more information (block out more of the picture) does it help you identify the target?
Reduce pattern by 50% again
Does even more information help?
Allow 30 seconds
after 30 seconds ask “how many have located the star?” - record the number
Move to the next slide which show s the star.

39. Rick Stiggins points out that “Teachers and students can hit any target they can see and will hold still.”
What is the relationship between this statement and the activity you just participated in?
Show answer and debrief using questions on slide
How many got the correct answer? Record by group (while looking at the full pattern, 1/2 of the pattern, 1/4 of the pattern).
What happened to the number of correct responses when I provided more information?
Have participants, in pairs discuss the question and share thoughts with group.
Additional questions:
What does this activity have to do with ‘clear targets’?
What happens when the targets is not share (clarified)?
What are the implications for teachers?

40. Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment
Accurate Assessment
Clear Purposes
Why Assess?
What’s the purpose?
Who will use results?
Clear Targets
Assess What?
What are the learning targets?
Are they clear?
Are they good?
Good Design
Assess How?
What method?
Sampled how?
Avoid bias how?
Effectively Used
Sound Communication
Communicate How?
How manage information?
How report?
Keys to Quality Assessment
This section will focus on the “Clear Targets” key
Pose and briefly discuss the question, “How do targets impact quality assessment?”
Student Involvement
Students are users, too.
Students need to understand learning targets, too.
Students can participate in the assessment process, too.
Students can track progress and communicate, too.

41. Learning/Achievement Targets
Statements of what we want students to learn and be able to do.
Operational Definition
To talk about targets we need to know what they are

42. The single most common barrier to sound classroom assessment is the teachers’ lack of vision of appropriate achievement targets within the subjects they are supposed to teach.”
Rick Stiggins
Setting stage for clear targets in student friendly language.
If this is true then it is imperative that we understand the different kinds of targets and that we be able to put them in ‘student friendly’ language.
Next slide will start a ‘mini-lecture’ on types of targets.

43. Knowledge
“Mastery of substantive subject content where mastery includes knowing it, understanding it, and knowing how to find it.”
Mini lecture on types of targets
Knowledge
There are two aspects to knowledge
Knowing facts - processes, units, etc. (multiplication facts, branches of government, parts of an insect)
Knowing how to find information

44. Reasoning
“The ability to use knowledge and understanding to figure things out and to solve problems”
Mini lecture on types of targets
Reasoning
Reasoning targets build on the knowledge base - there is not such thing as ‘knowledge-free’ reasoning.
Examples: (Refer to Examples of Kinds of Targets Handout for content specific examples)
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Decision making
Analytical, comparative inferential and/or evaluative reasoning

45. Skills
“The development of proficiency in doing something where it is the process that is important such as playing a musical instrument, reading aloud, speaking in a second language, or using a psychomotor skills”
Mini lecture on types of targets
Skills
Skill learning targets build on and require a base of knowledge and reasoning.
Using involves demonstration.
For example, in reading students must learn how to read certain words by sight (knowledge), how to generalize from specific instances to a broader context (reasoning), and also how to read aloud with expression (a skill).
Examples: (Refer to Examples of Kinds of Targets Handout for content specific examples)
Speaking a second language
Giving an oral presentation
Working effectively on a team
Science process skills

46. Products
“The ability to create tangible products, such as term papers, science fair models, and art products, that meet certain standards of quality and that present concrete evidence of academic proficiency”
Mini lecture on types of targets
Products
Product targets build on knowledge and reasoning targets and often on skill targets as well.
The product itself is important to the practice of the subject in life beyond school.
Examples: (Refer to Examples of Kinds of Targets Handout for content specific examples)
Writing samples
Term projects
Artistic products
Research products
Shop projects

47. Creating Targets For “Driving A Car With Skill”
What knowledge will students need to demonstrate the intended learning?
What patterns of reasoning will they need to master?
What skills are required if any?
What product development capabilities must they acquire, if any?
Introduce the idea of ‘Deconstructing Targets’ using the standard “Driving a Car With Skill”.
Have group provide targets that underpin the standard
As participants to identify the targets (knowledge, reasoning, skills, product)
Do not chart the responses - a time factor

48. Driving a Car With Skill
Knowledge
Know the law
Read signs and understand what they mean
Reasoning
Evaluate ‘am I safe’ and synthesize information to take action if needed
Skills
Steering, shifting, parallel parking…
Products
(not appropriate target)
Use slide to illustrate targets of each type
Driving a car with skill is the ‘capstone’ target of many others and it is important that both teachers and students know and understand the underlying targets.
That is, we need to be able to ‘deconstruct’ a target/standard.

49. Deconstructing Standards/Outcomes
Determine standard type
knowledge, reasoning, skill, or product
Identify its underpinning learning targets
Identify the deconstructing standards two step process;
Determine standard/outcome
Identify the types of underpinning targets for the standard/outcome

50. Standard (target) Type Underpinning Learning Targets
Product
Product + S + R + K
Skill
Skill + R + K
Reasoning
Reasoning + K
Identify the types of underpinning targets for types of standards
In general:
Knowledge level targets will have no reasoning, skill, or product components.
Reasoning targets will have knowledge components, but will not require skill or product components.
Skills targets require underlying knowledge and reasoning, but not products.
Product targets will require knowledge and reasoning, and might be underpinned by skill targets.
Knowledge
Knowledge

51. Type:  Product  Skill  Reasoning  Knowledge
Standard/Outcome:
Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Type:  Product  Skill  Reasoning  Knowledge
Learning Targets
What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill or product targets underpinning the standard or benchmark?
Product Targets
Skill Targets
Reasoning Targets
Knowledge Targets
Write sentences with varied beginnings
Hold a pencil correctly
Print letters correctly according to DN methods
Space words
Use lines and margins correctly
Stretch out sounds in words to create a temporary spelling of a word…
Distinguish the uses or meanings of a variety of words (word choice)
Know what a sentence is
Understand concept of word choice
Work through an example
Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Walk participants through the example.
Strategy for teachers: if this is done they have identified the ‘underpinning’ targets
Underline verbs
Circle key concepts

52. DECONSTRUCTING STANDARDS/OUTCOME
Standard/Outcome: The student understands westward expansion and its effects on the political, economic, and social development of the nation.
(Standard, § Social Studies, Grade 8 )
Type:  Product  Skill  Reasoning  Knowledge
Learning Targets
What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill or product targets underpinning the standard or benchmark?
Product Targets
Skill Targets
Reasoning Targets
Knowledge Targets
Debrief activity - have one or two groups report out and asking for questions/comments.
(Put on screen during debriefing.)
Emphasize the point that there are two parts to clear targets
First standards need to be stated as single concept targets – deconstructing
Second the targets need to be put in student friendly language

53. Rick Stiggins points out that “Teachers and students can hit any target they can see and will hold still.”
Use this to remind participants why we need to put targets in “student friendly” language (by reducing the size of the rectangle we made the ‘target’ more understandabl)e.

54. Clear (Student-friendly) Statement of Learning Target
Target: Be able to summarize text.
Word to be defined: SUMMARIZE
to give a brief statement of the main points, main events, or important ideas.
Student-friendly language:
I can make a short statement of the main points or the big ideas of what I read.
Student friendly language examples
Two examples provided
Summarize
Prediction
Emphasize there are two parts to having ‘clear targets’
First students and teachers must know what the target are - deconstructing the standards
Second they must be able to understand the targets - student friendly language
This slide provides example of making targets student friendly.
As we look at standards and targets it is important to keep in mind that students are the consumer and they must understand “where they are going.”

55. Clear (Student-friendly) Statement of Learning Target
Target: Be able to make predictions.
Word to be defined: PREDICTION
A statement saying something will happen in the future.
Student-friendly language:
I can use information from what I read to guess at what will happen next.
Emphasize there are two parts to having ‘clear targets’
First students and teachers must know what the target are - deconstructing the standards
Second they must be able to understand the targets - student friendly language
This slide provides example of making targets student friendly.
As we look at standards and targets it is important to keep in mind that students are the consumer and they must understand “where they are going.”

56. Standard/Outcome:
Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Product Targets
Skill Targets
Reasoning Targets
Knowledge Targets
I can write sentences with different beginnings
I can hold a pencil the right way
I can print my letters correctly
I can put spaces between words
I can write on the lines and I can stay within the margins
I can tell that words mean different things and know when these words add or take away from what I am trying to say in my writing or when they make my writing more interesting.
I know what a sentence is
I know that words have different meanings and tell different things
Walk group through student friendly language of deconstruction standard, ‘Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Ask for comments.

57. (Standard, §113.24. Social Studies, Grade 8 )
Standard/Outcome: The student understands westward expansion and its effects on the political, economic, and social development of the nation.
(Standard, § Social Studies, Grade 8 )
Product Targets
Skill Targets
Reasoning Targets
Knowledge Targets
Debrief by having one or two groups report out and asking for questions/comments.

58. The key is to use assessment to help the student answer the question… Where am I now?

59. Assessment for Learning Strategies
Provide an understandable vision of the learning target.
Use models of strong and weak work.
Offer regular descriptive feedback.
Teach students to self-assess and set goals for learning.
Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.
Teach students focused revision.
Engage students in self-reflection. Let them keep track of and share what they know.
Do quick overview of the seven strategies – they connect to the three guiding questions . Do activity in handout (next slide) - which strategy answers which question?

60. The most important instructional decisions (that is, the decisions that contribute the most to student learning) are made, not by the adults working in the system, but by students themselves.
Rick Stiggins

61. You Be George Student Involvement in Assessment for Learning –
Self-Reflection and Goal Setting.
Spend a little time to set up the activity… link it back to the 4th strategy they just looked at.

62. You Be George The process Learning targets
Identifying Strengths and Areas for Improvement
Strengths, Review, and Further Study
Goal-Setting
Walk them through the process described in the handout. Let them know there is no need to take notes on the process since it is in the handout.

63. Learning Targets
Have participants look at the forms in the handout rather than on the screen.
Point out that the learning targets are established prior to teaching the unit and that they are shared with the students. You could also talk briefly about a test planning chart at this point.
The next step would be for the team to develop the assessment.
Once the assessment is developed the Strengths & Areas for Improvement Form is created with the first two columns completed.

64. Strengths & Areas for Improvement
Have participants look at the forms in the handout rather than on the screen.
Administer, score, and return the assessment to the students. The students will then complete the final four columns of the Strengths & Areas for Improvement Form. Next slide shows this step completed.

65. Strengths & Areas for Improvement
Have participants look at the forms in the handout rather than on the screen.
George has completed his the form based on his analysis of his assessment.

66. Strengths, Review and Further Study
Using the Strengths & Areas for Improvement Form the student will complete the Strengths, Review, and Further Study Form.
Have the Tennis partners complete this form for George.

67. Student Goal Setting
Using the Strengths, Review, and Further Study Form the student will complete the Student Goal Setting Form.
Have the Tennis partners complete this form for George.

68. Rick Stiggins
Students can hit any target that they can see and that holds still for them.

69. “I still don’t have all the answers, but I’m beginning to ask the right questions.” Which are:
Where am I going?
Where am I now?
How do I close the gap?

70. Rick DuFour, 2002
When teachers (working in collaborative teams) clarify essential outcomes, develop common assessments, and set standards they want all students to achieve by test and by essential outcomes, they are in a position to establish goals that can only be achieved if each member contributes.

71. The Keys to Assessment in PLC
Collaborative teams of teachers analyzing learning data
Translating data into information (i.e. attaching “meaning” to the data)
Targeting specific areas for improvement
Collaboratively engaging in collective inquiry (i.e. seeking out best practices)

72. The Keys to Assessment in PLC
Experimenting with “best practice” in classrooms (i.e. action research)
Collaboratively analyzing the results of interventions
Developing a culture where this process is cyclical, internalized, and part of how business is done every day
Emphasize the cyclical nature of the process

73. Our job is to help kids believe they are capable learners
A Proper Belief
Our job is to help kids believe they are capable learners

74. We must help kids find the gifts they didn’t know they had

75. not make yesterday wrong, it makes tomorrow better.
What we know today does
not make yesterday wrong,
it makes tomorrow better.
Carol Commodore