1. Sexton Staff PD
March 5, 2015

2. Today’s Objectives Content Language
Define expectations for staff and students related to testing and test preparation
Explain the basics of “Visible Learning”
Explain ILC #3: Test Success, Part 1 (Multiple Choice)
Language
Recognize testing windows
Discuss expectations and test preparation
List parts of ILC #3
Compare/contrast ILC #3 with last semester’s ILC

4. Sexton’s Testing Windows
AIMS Web – April 27
L-STEP – grades 7, 8, 9 – ELA & math - Feb. 2-17
Practice ACT – Feb. 18
ACT & WorkKeys – grade 11, March 3-4
M-STEP – 7th grade: April 27-May 15; 8th grade: April 13-May 1; 11th grade: April 13-June 5
AIMS Web – May 8
AP Exams - May

8. Test Preparation
ALL teachers are expected to do weekly test prep February through April – guidelines and resources will be provided when possible
Some teachers will be scheduled in computer labs so students have a chance to practice with online testing format

9. Our work during the ILC should help our students avoid this kind of reaction to the tests…

10. ILC #3 – Test Success, Part 1
Straight-forward
Specific to your content area
Emphasis on multiple choice questions
3 standards on which to focus
3 test-taking strategies to practice: identifying distractors, answer the question before looking at choices, process of elimination
Students will track their own progress toward proficiency

11. Expectations
Choose three (3) standards to focus on – aligned with areas of concern and your curriculum
Create a pre-test with at least 9 questions (three per standard)
Determine what constitutes “proficient,” “partially proficient,” and “not proficient”
Practice each test-taking strategy with 2-3 sample problems per week

12. Test-Taking Strategies
Identifying “distractors”
Answer the question before you look at the answer choices
Using the “process of elimination”

13. Evidence Collection
Results of pre- and post-tests, list of your standards
Participation in online discussions (2)
Online survey
Exit tickets
Copies of your pre- and post-tests

14. Online Discussion ELA teachers: sexton.coassess.org
Everyone else: jwsexton.weebly.com/forum.html
For directions, go to:

15. Hattie’s effect size research
Visible Learning
Hattie’s effect size research
“We need a barometer of what works best, and such a barometer can also establish guidelines as to what is excellent… excellence is attainable: there are many instances of excellence, some of it fleeting, some of it aplenty.”    - John Hattie

16. Intro to John Hattie’s Work

17. Why a Barometer?
The idea was try to take almost everything that has happened in education that relates to student achievement and put it along a continuum to answer the following questions:
What are the things that enhance student achievement?
What are the things that had some effect on student achievement?
What are the thing that have a negative effect on student achievement?  

18. Defining Terms
The term, “innovation” is used to describe the things that fall on the continuum
Innovation can be used to define a practice, program, strategy, etc.
There are 150 innovations that are included on the barometer

19. Domains The 150 innovations were categorized into domains:
Child - some of these are out of our control
Curricula
Home - some of these are out of our control
Teaching
Teacher
School

20. The Effect Size
Hattie took data from thousands of studies that focused on student achievement and converted that data into a common metric (effect size) so they can be put along a scale (barometer)
An effect size is a measure of strength (of a program, practice, intervention, phenomena, etc.)

21. Overall Findings
The average effect size for all innovations attempted  = 0.4
Coincidentally looks like the bell shaped curve
Almost everything “works” (or has above a zero effect size)
95%-97% of all the things we do in education have positive effects (influences) in achievement

22. Barometer
Label the different sections of the barometer on your handout.
Draw on blank barometer with document camera, if possible.

24. Updates Since 2009 Hattie’s analyses haven’t stopped
Approximately 1,200 meta-analyses have been reviewed
The effect sizes haven’t really changed
New innovations were added to the effect size list in 2012

25. Ranking of Influences in Education
Directions: Based on your experience, rank the innovations/influences in education on your handout in order, one being the most effective in increasing student achievement to 12 being the least effective.
Then distribute list of 150 influences and their effect sizes. Mark off the top 10 and the bottom 10. Which of these are we already doing?

26. Assessment-Capable Learners
Assessment-capable learners are students who:
Know about their learning and can plan their next learning steps with a teacher (or a peer)
Are active in their learning
Understand the assessment tools being used and what their results mean
Understand the learning intentions of each lesson
Use success criteria to know if they have achieved the learning intentions
Can peer-assess against success criteria and give feedback based on the criteria
Can set smartER goals, then self-monitor their progress
Can answer: Where am I going? How am I going? Where to next?
Are able to track their progress using rubrics and/or exemplars

27. Student Assessment Template
Directions: At your table, discuss how a tool like this can be used to help students become assessment capable. (What can I do with the tools I have right now to assist assessment capable learners?) Be ready to share with the larger group.

28. Next time:
Using effect sizes in the classroom
Mindframes

29. Stretch, stretch, stretch it out! (quickly!)

30. Using SIOP for Test Prep
How can SIOP components and features be used to help prepare students for the upcoming standardized tests?

31. SIOP Resources
SIOP Glossary of Strategies & Activities:
SIOP Components & Features Chart:
SIOP Components & Features: