1. Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom

2. Balanced Assessment System
Types of Assessment
Summative
Assessment
Balanced Assessment System
Formative
Assessment

3. Characteristics of Summative Assessment
Used after instruction
Help determine what students know regarding content relative to curriculum goals so that a grade or placement can be decided
Used at national, state, district and classroom level
Examples:
State Assessments (i.e. ITBS, ITED)
National Assessments (i.e. NAEP)
End-of –unit tests
End-of-term/semester exams
District Assessments common across schools

4. Characteristics of Formative Assessments
Used during instruction
Help determine what students know regarding content relative to curriculum goals so that adjustments to instruction can be made
No grade is given – only feedback (used for practice)
Students are involved (self-assessment, monitor their learning/growth, etc)
Students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know

5. Examples of Formative Assessment
Informal
Observation of students
Dialogue with students
Student questions/teacher questioning strategies
Formal
Self & peer assessment
Student record keeping
Paper/pencil tasks
Performance tasks
Learning logs/journals
Portfolios

6. Using Formative and Summative Assessment
Day of Unit
Task
Purpose
Day 1 – Beginning of class
Pre-assessment: A & D statements
Figure out student pre-conceptions regarding topic
Day 2 – End of class
Ticket out the door: Muddiest Point
Find out what students have learned so far and what major question they have
Day 4 – Beginning of class
Quiz
Determine what students know with respect to the concept studied on days 1-3
Day 5 – Beginning of class
Quiz feedback & planning next steps
Help students use feedback from quiz to plan their activity for the day

7. Using Formative and Summative Assessment
Day of Unit
Task
Purpose
Day 6 – End of class
Four Corners
See what students think about a question with four choices for possible outcomes/answers
Day 8 – Beginning of class
Quiz
Determine what students know with respect to the concepts studied from days 1-7
Day 9 – Beginning of class
Feedback from quiz & plan for end-of-unit assessment
Help students use feedback from their quiz to plan for the end-of-unit assessment
Day 11 – Beginning of class
Re-take A & D Statements from day 1
Help students see how their ideas have changed
Day 12 – Entire class
End-of-Unit Assessment
Determine what students have learned with respect to curriculum goals

8. Quality Assessments Aligned to the learning goals of the curriculum
Essential Question
Enduring Understanding
Knowledge
Skills
Why do “identical” twins look different enough to tell them apart?
How can two unrelated people share similar physical characteristics?
Students will come to understand that an organism’s characteristics can arise from genetics, the environment, or a unique combination of the two.
DNA
How DNA is organized and passed down from parent to offspring
Organization of chromosomes and genes
Causes of mutations
Influence of environmental factors on DNA and physical characteristics
Explain the genetic basis of biological heredity
Explain the influence of genetics and the environment on an organism’s characteristics

9. Quality Assessments – Unpacking Skills
Explain the genetic basis of biological heredity
Explain implies that students will have to come up with an original answer at some point – more than just multiple choice is required for a student to demonstrate understanding of this skill.
Genetic basis of biological heredity – requires knowledge of how DNA is organized, replicated, and passed down from parents to offspring; requires knowledge of the genetic influence on physical characteristics

10. Quality Assessments – Questions to Ask Yourself
Do the items cover the range of understanding required by the skill?
Look at the verb (i.e. explain, identify, recognize, evaluate, etc)
Is there a variety of test/assessment items so that students get a chance to demonstrate their understanding at the level the verb expects?
Do the assessment items ask for more than recall?
Is there some inference or conclusion students must draw?
Is there information students must apply in order to get the right answer?
Is there only one arguably correct response?

11. Quality Assessments – Questions to Ask Yourself
Are assessment items clear and concise?
Avoid use of opposites as answer choices (multiple choice)
Avoid using one option that is much longer, shorter, or complex than the others (multiple choice)
Avoid using clues to the answer in the question
Avoid negatives in the question stem or the options (i.e. “Which one of these is not…”)
Avoid answers using “all of the above” or “none of the above” (multiple choice)
Avoid “-ould” words (i.e. would, could, should, etc)
Make sure all choices are in the same format (phrases, names, numbers, etc), and are grammatically correct (multiple choice)
Avoid outrageous distracters

12. Evaluating an Assessment
Genetics example…