1. The Achievement Chart Mathematics Grades 7 - 10 Note to Presenter:
Organize participants into table groups for Grade 7 and Grade 9. (Use table signs).
Workshop participants need a copy of The Ontario Curriculum Draft Mathematics Introduction District Training Sessions Spring 2005 document. Before beginning the session, have participants open to the Achievement Chart. Have participants refer to the Achievement Chart throughout this presentation.
A script has been provided for your presentation. Each slide should be explained to the participants. The Achievement Chart section of the slides should take approximately 30 minutes.
Script:
For the last ten years there has been a global focus on improving student achievement.
International test scores are front page news in Britain, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Australia. It is not just a North American phenomenon.
The legacy of that movement in Canada has been the publication and acceptance of identifiable content and assessment standards.
Led to a more consistent professional vocabulary.
Led to greater use of criterion referenced assessment.
Led to a greater use of rich performance tasks for assessment and evaluation.

2. Goals of the Achievement Chart Session:
Clarify the purpose of the Achievement Chart
Establish common terminology and definitions for the components of the Achievement Chart
Note to Presenter: Allow participants to read this slide.
The slides and this session are designed to clarify the purpose of the chart.
The components have been standardized and we are now providing definitions for those components, which had not been done in the past.

3. Definition of the Achievement Chart
The achievement chart is a standard province-wide guide to be used by teachers. It enables teachers to make judgements about student work that are based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.
The Achievement Chart is the assessment standard that was reviewed in the SQC process.
Achievement Charts were first published in the new Ontario curriculum that began in 1997 (elementary English and Mathematics documents).
Like the curriculum, our understanding of assessment and evaluation has grown dramatically in the past eight years.
The Achievement Chart is a guide to be used by all teachers, both elementary and secondary, across the province; hence, the reason for standardization of the charts.
The charts then become familiar tools to all teachers, students, and parents.
It is not a day-to-day tool. It is a tool that looks at a body of student work. Look at the first criterion in the Communication category.
Note to Presenter: Read the criterion aloud. Explain that this criterion covers a wide variety of methods of expressing and organizing information and this is accomplished over a period of time and through many demonstrations.

4. Purposes of the Achievement Chart
To provide a framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all grades and all subjects
To guide the development of assessment tasks and tools, (including rubrics)
To help teachers plan instruction for learning
To assist teachers in providing meaningful feedback to students
To provide various categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate student learning
The stem (e.g., Thinking: “use of planning skills”) should be broad enough to cover all curriculum expectations for all grades within the subject. The examples provided under the stem are guides and not all-encompassing (e.g., teachers may come up with other examples.)
The criteria in the Achievement Chart are too broad to be used to assess or evaluate one particular task. However, the tasks should encompass the categories of the Achievement Chart. A rich performance task will usually encompass all four categories; smaller assignments, perhaps two or three categories.
The criteria enables teachers to pinpoint where students are having difficulty (e.g., in Thinking – use of processing skills). This information directs instruction and also the feedback given to students.
Teachers can not only pinpoint the category or categories giving difficulty, but use the criteria within the category to provide even more specific feedback. Consider the Communication category as an example: “Communication for different audiences (e.g., peers, adults) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade) in oral, visual, and written forms.” The student may have difficulty communicating orally to adults. Once pinpointed, this can be addressed.
The categories and criteria focus the assessment (feedback) and the evaluation.

5. To increase consistency and clarity in assessment vocabulary
Rationale for Change
To increase consistency and clarity in assessment vocabulary
across elementary/secondary panels
across subjects/disciplines
To further advance assessment literacy
The achievement chart has evolved/improved over time.
The elementary charts preceded the secondary charts. Feedback later suggested that the secondary charts were more useful because of enhancements that were based on what was learned from the elementary development and implementation process.
Elementary achievement charts didn’t have consistent categories. There were over 30 different categories across curriculum documents.
Elementary achievement charts lacked criteria for the categories, making it difficult to know what was included in each category.
No definitions were provided for the categories in either elementary or secondary documents thus leading to different interpretations of these terms.

6. Components of the Achievement Chart
Categories
Criteria
Descriptors
Qualifiers
One of the main focuses of the review was to have all teachers come to a common understanding of these four terms that are the core concepts that support the Achievement Chart.
A fifth key concept is the four levels (provincial standard) but we believe these concepts are already institutionalized.
Previously these terms had not been defined which led to a variety of interpretations.

7. Categories
The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent four broad areas of knowledge and skills.
The four categories should be considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning.
The goal was to standardize these across grades and across subject areas.
The four category headings that were determined accommodate all curriculum for all grades.
The standardization of these categories across subjects should benefit elementary teachers and students. They provide coherence and consistency.
Standardization of categories also assists in the cross-curricular delivery of curriculum.

8. Category:Knowledge and Understanding
Definition:
The acquisition of subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
Knowledge: considered in the Achievement Chart as the memorization of facts, terms, definitions.
Understanding: considered to be making sense of the facts and concepts within the context of the subject.

9. Category: Thinking Definition:
The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes.
Note to Presenter: Distribute Handout #1 – “Thinking Skills”
Research suggests that critical and creative thinking skills are interwoven.
The information contained in this handout further explains the criteria in the Thinking category.
For example, under the criteria “Use of planning skills”, what does ‘focusing research’ mean? Consult ‘focusing skills’ on the handout. What might this look like in mathematics?
Thinking Skills explained in the handout are divided into planning and processing skills similar to the Achievement Chart.
The teacher will select the thinking skills that are most appropriate to the subject.
The ‘Thinking Processes’ represent the end result as students master the various Planning and Processing skills used in a particular subject.

10. Category: Communication
Definition:
The conveying of meaning through various forms.
Communication covers:
- expression and organization of mathematical thinking;
- communication for different audiences and purposes;
- use of conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline.
Oral, visual and written forms cover all forms of communication.

11. Category: Application
Definition:
The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.
Application covers:
- application of knowledge and skills in familiar contexts;
- transfer of knowledge and skills to new contexts;
- making connections within and between various contexts.

12. Criteria
The subsets of knowledge and skills that define each category in the Achievement Chart.
The criteria identify the aspects of student performance that are assessed and/or evaluated (i.e., the “look for’s”).
In the Achievement Chart, the criteria are purposely broad and all-encompassing because these become the “look for’s” for a body of work completed over time.

13. Descriptors
A descriptor (e.g., effectiveness) indicates the characteristic of a student’s performance with respect to a particular criteria.
In your Mathematics Achievement Chart the only descriptor used is effectiveness – which was the most common descriptor in past charts.
When you use the Achievement Chart to develop task specific rubrics, you can further clarify what effectiveness means.
Note to Presenter: Distribute Handout #2 – “Descriptors”
This will be a good resource for teachers because it provides a variety of optional descriptors for teachers to use in task-specific rubrics.

14. Qualifiers
A qualifier (limited, some, considerable, or high degree) is used to define each of the four levels of achievement.
The qualifiers are only defined when they are joined with descriptors and accompanied by samples of student work.

15. Goals of the Achievement Chart Session:
Clarify the purpose of the Achievement Chart
Establish common terminology and definitions for the components of the Achievement Chart
This completes the Achievement Chart section of this workshop.
Let’s review the goals:
- We considered the purpose of the Achievement Chart. Keep in mind that the Achievement Chart is the “overarching framework” that guides the development of all assessment and evaluation tasks and tools.
- Remember that this chart is used to help determine the “big picture” about each student’s achievement and is used on a body of information about the student’s work that is collected over time.

16. ASSESSMENT and EVALUATION
Note to Presenter: The Assessment and Evaluation section of the slides should take approximately 20 minutes.
We are now going to look at some general issues around assessment and evaluation and clarify some possible misconceptions as well as provide more clear definitions.

17. Assessment and Evaluation
ACTIVITY:
Discuss with colleagues at your table questions you have concerning assessment and evaluation.
Come to consensus around one question for your table.
Choose a person from your table to record that question on the chart paper provided.
That individual is to post the question on the wall.
Note to Presenter:
Allow approximately 5 minutes for this activity.
Ask the recorder to print reasonably large so that the question can be read from a distance.

18. Primary Purpose of Assessment and Evaluation
The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning
To accomplish this, teachers must provide meaningful feedback to students on the strengths of their work, the areas of improvement and make suggestions on what the student needs to do to make the work better.
Students must also be taught the skills of self assessment – to recognize what they have done well and what needs improvement.

19. ASSESSMENT Assessment is the process of:
gathering information from a variety of sources
providing students with descriptive feedback for future development
The first term to be defined is ASSESSMENT.
The word assess comes from the Latin, assidere, meaning “to sit beside”. This definition is very apt because the purpose in assessment is to gather information about the student’s work, provide feedback to the student to help him or her learn and improve.

20. ASSESSMENT Involves giving feedback to students helps them to:
and
helps them to:
get on track
stay on track
improve their work
Assessment also informs the teacher as to the degree of success of the teaching and assignments.

21. EVALUATION Evaluation is the process of:
judging the quality of students’ work on the basis of established criteria
assigning a value to represent that quality
Evaluation is based on clear criteria – criteria that must be given to the students at the time the assignment is given.
Criteria refers to what the teacher will look for in the student work – the “pieces” of the work to be judged.
If the work to be judged is demonstrated through a test, then a clear and complete marking scheme needs to be developed.

22. EVALUATION Usually occurs at or near the end of a learning process
Students are given time to practice and to revise and refine work based on assessment feedback before evaluation takes place.
Evidence collected over time allows the teacher to make more informed judgements about how well the student has achieved the expectations.

23. Assessment and Evaluation
The expectations represent the content standards
The Achievement Chart represents the performance standards
The expectations are what the student must know and be able to do.
The performance standards in the Achievement Chart determine how well the student achieves the expectations.

24. Assessment and Evaluation
What is the connection between overall and specific expectations?
Note to Presenter: Have participants turn to a page in the curriculum and look at the organization of the expectations.
Select a participant to read aloud one overall expectation.
Each subset of specific expectations relates to one of the overall expectations.
Note to Presenter: Have a participant read, for example, the first expectation from the subset for the first overall.
Ask the participant: Do you see the connection from the overall to that specific?
(Repeat for one, possibly two more specific expectations.)

25. Assessment and Evaluation
Do overall expectations have to be evaluated?
Note to Presenter: Have participants discuss this question in pairs; allow 2 minutes for discussion.
YES.
The overall expectations must be evaluated.
How is this accomplished?
The overall expectation is evaluated by the student’s achievement of the related specific expectations. The overall expectations are not evaluated in and of themselves. Why? They are far too broad.
If the student has achieved the related specific expectations, then the student has achieved that particular overall expectation.

26. Assessment and Evaluation
Do ALL specific expectations have to be evaluated?
Note to Presenter: Allow 2 minutes for paired discussion on this question.
NO.
Then which ones?
For evaluation purposes, select the specific expectations that, in your professional judgement, will allow the student to demonstrate achievement of the overall expectation.

27. Assessment and Evaluation
Do all specific expectations have to be taught?
YES.
ALL specific expectations must be accounted for in either instruction or assessment. However, the teacher will determine the amount of time and the degree of depth for each.
You will always be covering a group, or cluster, of specific expectations at any given time.

28. Assessment and Evaluation
Does each expectation have to be “checked off” as it is taught?
NO.
We know that teachers have felt very overwhelmed by the number of expectations.
Some teachers have even thought that they must check off each expectation as it is taught.
This is not a requirement.
It was not the intent of ministry policy that specific expectations be dealt with individually.

29. Assessment and Evaluation
ACTIVITY:
Review with colleagues at your table the question that was posted on behalf of your table group. Has the question been answered to your satisfaction?
If your table group is satisfied that it has been answered, the recorder is asked to remove the question.
If your table group is not satisfied that the question has been answered, please leave the question posted.
Note to Presenter:
Allow approximately 3 minutes for this activity. Advise participants that any questions that have not already been answered will be covered either in a question-and-answer period or, if time does not permit, at a later date.

30. REVISED CURRICULUM/ EXISTING RESOURCES
Note Presenter: This section of the workshop should take approximately 50 minutes.
Teachers always have favourite activities, assignments, assessment and evaluation tools, and other resources that they like to use in their classrooms.
Does a revised curriculum render these resources obsolete?
Certainly not! In this section, we will learn how to adapt existing resources to the revised curriculum.

31. Note to Presenter:
This slide represents the cover pages from The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars Grade 7 and Grade 9 Mathematics.

32. The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars
Grade 7
Mathematics
Note to Presenter: Distribute a task and rubric to all participants according to table designation (e.g., Grade 7 or Grade 9).
We are going to use performance tasks and rubrics from these documents (the exemplars) to demonstrate the process of adapting resources.
By the end of this session, you will have a revised resource for your own use and to share with your colleagues.

33. The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars
Grade 9
Mathematics
Note to Presenter: Distribute a task and rubric to all participants according to table designation (e.g., Grade 7 or Grade 9).
We are going to use performance tasks and rubrics from these documents (the exemplars) to demonstrate the process of adapting resources.
By the end of this session, you will have a revised resource for your own use and to share with your colleagues.

34. Revising Resources ACTIVITY: Step 1: Expectations
In pairs, read the “assigned” expectations.
Check the revised curriculum.
Change the wording, as required, to meet the revised expectation or find a suitable substitute or eliminate if no suitable substitute exists.
Note to Presenter:
Have the table group divide the expectations amongst themselves so that each pair is allocated a small number of expectations to check against the new curriculum.

35. Revising Resources ACTIVITY “RULES”:
After working in pairs, share your findings and decisions with your colleagues at the table.
You should make ALL changes on your own sheets to ensure you have a revised resource to take back to share.
Note to Presenter:
Emphasize that each participant is to make the changes on his or her own sheet.
Remind participants that they are to share their findings with the others at their table otherwise their changes will be incomplete..

36. Revising Resources ACTIVITY: Step 1: Expectations
Substitute with specific expectations only.
Renumber the expectations, if necessary
Note to Presenter:
Have the table group divide the expectations amongst themselves so that each pair is allocated a small number of expectations to check against the new curriculum.
As previously discussed, overall expectations are evaluated through the specific expectations; therefore, no overall expectations should be used in the task.
Remind participants that they are to make the changes on their own sheets.
Remind participants that they are to share their findings with the others at their table.

37. Revising Resources ACTIVITY: Step 2: The Task Read the description.
Are any changes necessary?
Note to Presenter: The description of the task may or may not need some rewording in light of changes to the expectations.
If changes are necessary, determine as a table group how the task should be reworded.

38. Revising Resources ACTIVITY: Step 3: Prior Knowledge and Skills
Read this section.
Are additions or deletions needed?
As a table group, reach an agreement regarding any changes to the list of prior knowledge and skills.
Individually record any changes.

39. Revising Resources ACTIVITY: Step 4: Task Rubric
Rename the category names to align with the revised Achievement Chart.
Align the revised expectations with the criteria in the task rubric.
Adjust the criteria, if necessary.
It is now time to adapt the revised expectations to the task rubric.
Note to Presenter: Instruct participants to work again with their partner from Step 1 and take responsibility for the expectations assigned at that time.
Note to Presenter: Remind participants that they will work in pairs, share with the table group, and record individually.

40. In conclusion . . . . . . Revising Resources
Note to Presenter: This slide is designed to bring closure to this section. If time permits you may wish to elicit one response from some or all of the tables.
What changes did you make to the task if part of the “old” expectation has been removed in the revised expectation or if a new piece has been added in the revised expectation.
If you discovered that a “old” expectation has been removed in the revised curriculum, how did you compensate for that in the task?
How did the changes you discovered affect the Prior Knowledge and Skills?
Were any adjustments required to the criteria to accommodate changes to the expectations?
Note to Presenter: If time does not permit participant feedback as suggested above, it is suggested that you summarize the adjustments participants may have had to make in order to ensure the resource remains relevant.
After discerning all changes to the expectations, alter the task to align with the revised expectations.
Make changes and deletions to the Prior Knowledge and Skills.
Align the revised expectations with the categories and make any required revisions to the criteria.

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This information applies only to Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum policy documents and Ontario Ministry of Education resource documents such as the Elementary Exemplars and the Secondary Exemplars.