Minimizing Assessment by Maximizing Use: Part 1 CERA DECEMBER 3, 2015 SUSAN GREEN & LISA CAMPBELL SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

San Juan Unified School District Diverse District (11 th largest…approx 49,000) Variety of Schools (1-1 to 10-10)  23 K-5 Schools  10 K-6 Schools  8 K-8 Schools  8 Middle Schools  School  8 High Schools  4 Alternative Schools  2 Dependent Charters Decisions are not Top Down Strategic Plan/LCAP Plan at the District Level Strategic Plans/SPSA at the Site Level

Instructional Core: Defined by SJUSD Assessment: Strengthen For Learning Calibration Use of Data Common Assessments

Assessment…….. WHY DO WE ASSESS? The goal of assessment has to be, above all, to support the improvement of learning and teaching (Frederiksen and Collins, 1989). WHAT IS ASSESSMENT LITERACY? Knowing When to Assess ◦Less is sometimes More Knowing How to Assess ◦How students were taught ◦Transference is the key Knowing How to Use the Data ◦Instructional Decisions

Assessment: Guiding Principles NOT JUST THE TEST BUT HOW YOU USE THE DATA “The purpose of formative assessment is to improve learning, not merely audit it.” “Formative Assessment is a systematic process to continually gather evidence and provide feedback about learning while instruction is under way.” (CA Math Framework, 2013)

What’s Available SBAC Tools District Assessments Assessments within the adoption Assessments within support materials Teacher Created Assessments SBAC Interim Blocks Text Level Benchmark Exam Doing ALL of these would mean…..Too Much Testing “What are you really doing with all of the information”

Formative Assessments: Teacher Checking for understanding on the concept or skill, in order to adjust instruction so that all students can meet standard. Interim: District/School (Grade or Course) Diagnostic or Benchmark assessments used to differentiate/adjust instruction in order to help all students achieve. Balanced Assessment System Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching to improve learning Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career ready All students leave high school college and career ready End of Year Benchmark to college and career readiness over the years. Test, Quiz, Exit Slip, CFU, Questioning, etc. State: SBAC End of Year School: Common Final/Test District: Common 2-3 Times (MAP & TL) School: Common Tests/Data Reviewed

End of Year Benchmark to college and career readiness over the years. Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching to improve learning For Learning (Formative) How can we improve instruction next year based on the results? What supports/interventions do incoming students need? Of Learning (Summative) How did students perform? Percent of students meeting standards Comparison to others Compare Your Students to the District/State State: SBAC End of Year District: K-2 Math* School: Common Final/Test

Interim-District/School (Grade or Course) Common assessments collaboratively used to differentiate/adjust instruction in order to help all students achieve Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching to improve learning For Learning (Formative) Where are our students struggling? How can we adapt our instruction to fill the gaps or enrichment areas? Of Learning (Summative) What programmatic changes need to be made for next year? How many students are performing at grade level? District: MAP and ….. School: Benchmark Exam School: SBAC Interim Block Compare Your Students to other students at your School/District

Formative Assessments: Teacher Checking for understanding on the concept or skill, in order to adjust instruction immediately so that all students can met standard. Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching to improve learning For Learning (Formative) What needs to be re-taught now? Who needs additional support or intervention? What do you still need to cover, what can be skipped, where can you go deeper, etc. Of Learning (Summative) What standards have the students mastered immediately? Where is the class in mastery of the standards/skill? Exit Slips Topic Assessment Weekly Quiz Observational Comparing Your Students to Each Other/School

Cycle of Inquiry…..Formative Process Analyze the Results Compare these results to other measures Revise Instruction for new year Monitor Progress of Changes and Results WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

Plan in June JUNE ASSESSMENT LITERACY KEYNOTE…..ADOPTION TRAINING ●Each Assessment Level….what is used, blueprint information and how it can be used for instructional decisions…. ●In depth into the New Adoption what is available for the formative pieces and how to select what to use AUGUST ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING ●Results….what data means for last years students….this years students.. ●How to use MAP/Text Level to inform instruction (District Assmt) ●Additional tools available including interim blocks ●Sites would write assessment plan as part of SPSA

This is what we were going to Present On

Site Planning….July/August Three Separate Things Occurred ❖ Plan their Instruction using Materials which included their curriculum assessments….. ❖ Review SBAC results from last years’ students ❖ Reviews SBAC results for their incoming students And Then in September ❖ Tested their current students on MAP and reviewed No CONNECTION Between Assessment Plan and Instruction Between Assessment Results and Actions

CHANGES NEEDED INCLUDED  Assessments need a Connection to the Focus of the School (Easy- SPSA)  Refine the Cycle (To Show Connections)  Needed a Picture (Assessment for the Year)  Designed Protocol for all Reviews  Including Test where you can’t see the items Assessment was being given but not used

Analyze the Results Compare these results to other measures Revise Instruction for new year Monitor Progress of Changes and Results

Multiple Assessments Throughout the Year: To support the achievement of all students SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarchAprilMay FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Grade 3-5 SBAC End of Year MAP Text Level Making Sure Students can Transfer their knowledge to different types of items or situations Entry Test Text Level

Calendar Picture: Avoid Overlapping Conversations AugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMay Cycle 1 (18 weeks option)Cycle 2 (18 weeks option) Pre Data 1Post Data 1/Pre Data 2Post Data 2 Cycle ACycle BCycle CCycle D End of Cycle 1 See Above End of Cycle 2 See Above Formative Assessment Process Ongoing Data Conversations Teacher Planning

Quality of the Data Conversations….. Developing “Admiring of the Problem & Barriers” Emerging “Describing the Problem and What Might Help” Mastering: “Altering Instruction & Monitoring Progress” Common Assessment/Data is Discussed Teachers have their own data to review Focused on data and maybe barriers No discussion on what to do differently No commitment to specific actions or follow up Common Assessment/Data is Discussed Group has ALL of the data (not just theirs) Focused on what worked and did not work and why Includes discussion about how instruction might be changed No commitment to a specific action or how/when to review progress Common Assessment/Data is Discussed Group has ALL of the data (not just theirs) Focused on what did not work, reasons why, then identified actions that could help Commitment to specific actions that could improve student outcomes Agreement is made about what data to collect and when the group will review the that data

Data Conversations….General Rule  Conversation needs to happen ASAP after the assessment/data collection  Should include only teachers whose students tested  Power in sharing aha’s/findings if multiple grade levels are looking at the same assessment (like MAP or Text Level, etc)  Need a long term calendar in order to make the commitment (instructional changes and monitoring)

Protocol….Connection to the Cycle

The Future…. Part 1 Data Conversations…..Based on Site Goals…..Defined by SPSA/LCAP Part 2 Helping Sites/Teachers Choose Common Assessments  Assessment has to match the issue….the data has to be able to help Part 3 Formative Assessment Process  Helping teachers plan for the results….what to do if……. Part 4 Accountability: Asking the Questions  What did you do?  What is the evidence you collected?  What did it tell you?  What are you going because of the evidence?

Obama’s Challenge –October 2015 Obama to Schools: Obsess Less About Testing “Learning is about so much more than just filling in the right bubble.” “Students typically spend about 20 to 25 hours per year on roughly eight mandatory assessments, according to the analysis and testing “inventory” by the Council of the Great City Schools. The report included exams that fulfill federal requirements, as well as other mandated by states or local districts.assessments In reaction to the new analysis, the Obama administration offered a high-profile pitch to reduce testing, including by urging states to require a 2 percent cap on classroom time devoted to taking such exams. ”a high-profile pitch The Altantic: Oct 26, 2015

Minimizing Assessment by Maximizing Use: Part 2 USE OF INTERIM BLOCKS CONTACT INFORMATION: Susan Green, Director San Juan Unified School District Phone: Lisa Campbell, Research Specialist Phone: