Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned System: Fair Assessments

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Goals for this session This session is designed to: Provide a description of the four major types of assessment implemented in schools and how they are used. Demonstrate how the assessment resources are planned to be operational in the SAS system.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Standards Aligned System

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Fair Assessments Fair assessments aligned to the standards. Clear Standards Fair Assessments Instruction Materials & Resources Interventions Student Achievement Curriculum Framework Standards Aligned System

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Assessment in Pennsylvania Summative Formative Benchmark Diagnostic

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Summative Assessment Measures overall achievement typically at the end of the year, a course, or a meaningful unit of study. Often used for grading, accountability, and/or research/evaluation.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Formative Assessment Is not a test. It is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Formative Assessment The primary purpose of the formative assessment process is to provide evidence that is used by teachers and students to inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Formative Assessment Tools & Strategies white boards questioning techniques active engagement check-ins such as response cards, traffic lights, thumbs-up think-pair-share random reporter observation misconception analysis exit tickets

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Which fraction is the largest? a) 4 b) 3 c) 5 d)

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Write these fractions in order from least to greatest. Tell how you decided. Ordering Fractions Cramer, Henry,

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Six attributes of formative assessment from CCSSO researchers & practitioners Learning Progressions –Describes how concepts and skills build in a domain Learning Goals –Students know goals and what success looks like Embedded in Instruction –Assessment integrated seamlessly into instruction Specific feedback –Specific feedback reflects what students can do to improve Collaboration –Students are bona fide partners in learning process Self and peer-assessment –Builds metacognitive skills

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Hinge Question Questions to ask before continuing the lesson to check for understanding.

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Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment How many fractions are there between 0 an 1? Explain why

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Six attributes of formative assessment from CCSSO researchers & practitioners Learning Progressions –Describes how concepts and skills build in a domain Learning Goals –Students know goals and what success looks like Embedded in Instruction –Assessment integrated seamlessly into instruction Specific feedback –Specific feedback reflects what students can do to improve Collaboration –Students are bona fide partners in learning process Self and peer-assessment –Builds metacognitive skills

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Ms. Ross’s Feedback “From your representations I see that you are trying to use what you know about whole numbers to write a fraction with a numerator to tell the number of parts chosen…and the denominator to describe the total number of parts,

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Ms. Ross’s Feedback …but, your work showed me that you do not completely understand how the numerators and denominators work together to describe the value of the fraction and how to compare the values of fractions and other numbers. We are going to work on that today.” Source: Margaret Heritage, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards & Student Testing.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Benchmark Assessment Measures achievement of important grade level content periodically during the year. Some benchmark assessments, including 4Sight Reading and Math, predict how a group of students would perform if the PSSA were given on that same day. Some districts use benchmark assessments that measure achievement of content taught in the past 6-8 weeks.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Diagnostic Assessment Measures and identifies specific student strengths, weaknesses, skills and knowledge before and during instruction. Results are used to plan instruction or intervention so that individual student needs are addressed. PA will use a Computer-Adaptive testing approach

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment An example of how teachers will access the Diagnostic Tool on SAS This tool will be available for field testing in May 2010

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Select “Diagnostic Tools”

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Teachers will receive group and individual reports immediately after students finish testing.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment New PDE Website Design

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment The teacher clicks on the group of students who have demonstrated deficiency in prerequisite skills. For each of the highlighted students, she receives an Individual Student Diagnostic Report.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Using data from the Diagnostic Report teachers can search in SAS for additional aligned interventions and other resources.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Assessment Builder Teachers will have access to a rich item bank from which they can select items to meet a variety of needs: –Quizzes –Classroom assignments –Homework assignments –Practice –Formative purposes

Edward G. Rendell, Governor ▪ Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak, Secretary of Education SAS: Focus on Assessment Assessment Resources Links to relevant websites Helpful articles and publications