MEMSPA Summer Conference 8.1. 2017 Committed to the development of comprehensive, quality, balanced assessment systems and practices MEMSPA Summer Conference 8.1. 2017

The Michigan Assessment Consortium (MAC) is a non-profit organization of Michigan educators designed to promote greater understanding about and use of assessment in Michigan. The goal of the MAC is to help educators use assessment to improve their teaching and students’ learning. A variety of MAC resources can be accessed at www.michiganassessmentconsortium.org

Two Broad Purposes to Assessment Past to Present (Assessment OF Learning) Present to Future (Assessment FOR Learning & AS Learning Information about students current levels of achievement to the present time e.g. accountability, placement, certification Analogy: look upstream at what has been learned Inform the future steps that teachers and students need to take to ensure that students make progress toward desired outcomes e.g. future steps in learning determined from place in time and anticipate future needs and possibilities Analogy: look downstream at what can be learned

While annual accountability standardized testing has raised awareness of some of the problems schools face, it has done little to help us solve those problems. It has let us down as a school improvement strategy. This means this particular application of assessment isn’t going to promote greater student learning. This is a function of misuse of the assessment process and the instructional inadequacy of assessments themselves and the environment in which they are used.

We need a system of public assurance that measures the impact of schooling AND strengthens both classroom learning and the schools that provide it. ~ MAC

Appropriate Balance to Promote Learning Formative Assessment Classroom Assessment District Assessment State Nat’l Continuous: Formative & Classroom Assessment to support student learning NO SINGLE QUALITY ASSESSMENT can meet all of the needs of all of the users of assessment. Must balance the following assessment sources: Periodic: Progress Monitoring and Interim Benchmark Assessments Annual: Assessment to verify what has been learned.

Assessment Relationships More Large Scale INTERIM/BENCHMARK Assessments ACCOUNTABILITY Assessments (School, District, State, National, International) More Summative Purpose More Formative Purposes Classroom FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Process GRADING Classroom Summative Assessments, Report Card Grades ; More Classroom Focused Source: Adapted from Susan M. Brookhart, How to Make Decisions with Different Kinds of Student Assessment Data © 2016 ASCD

Assessing 21st Century Skills 21st Century Assessment System Constructing/Responding Creating/Problem-Solving Demonstrating/Performing Analyzing/Applying

EVOLVING…Assessment Paradigm FROM TO Summative Summative & Formative Solely Accountability Teaching & Learning Tool After Learning During & After Learning Condensed Results to Produce a “Score” Detailed Description Adults “do” the Assessment to Students Adults & Students are Activity Engaged in Collecting and Providing Feedback Neglected Facet of Teacher Preparation Foundation of Effective Teacher Preparation Neglected Facet of School Leadership Foundation of Effective Leadership

International Models Preparing MI Students for a Global Society Europe and Asia shifting Assessment systems Greater use of Formative Assessment Data use to Improve Instruction and Student Performance Authentic Measurement of Higher Order Skills 2012 PISA Results China, Korea, Japan Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Canada MEAN Performance above the OECD avg.

MAC’s Strategy for Michigan

An assessment literate individual is one who understands how student assessment can enable them to better carry out their role in education, believes that assessment can improve teaching and learning, and puts into place activities and behaviors to act on these beliefs Assessment Literacy Defined

Why is Assessment Literacy Needed? Assessment, used well, is an essential tool for learning; not a weapon to sort, select, or punish students or their teachers. Research has shown that students who are more involved in their own learning – and assessment – achieve more Effective use of formative assessment practices requires teachers to understand how on-going instructionally-embedded assessment can help all students achieve at higher levels Administrator involvement in school improvement activity is also related to higher student achievement Why is Assessment Literacy Needed?

Who Needs to be Assessment Literate? All stakeholders in the education ecosystem: Students & their parents Teachers Building and District Administrators Faculty at Higher Ed Institutions Policymakers Who Needs to be Assessment Literate?

Assessment Literate LEADERS Principals: attain teacher-level competence in classroom assessment All promote balanced assessment Assure target clarity & appropriateness Promote quality assessment Promote effective communication Advocate for student involved assessment during learning

How Should Assessment Literacy Standards Be Used? They should be the foundation for in-service training for educators (teachers and administrators). They should be the foundation for pre-service preparation and administrative certification. They should be the foundation upon which we develop and check assessment-related education policy. In MI, the SBOE endorsed the MAC developed ALS May 2016 How Should Assessment Literacy Standards Be Used?

http://michiganassessmentconsortium.org/als/survey-regarding-assessment-literacy-standards

MAKING SENSE OF ASSESSMENT MEMSPA and MAC Present an Opportunity to Learn 2017—18 MAKING SENSE OF ASSESSMENT A cohort Series This series is scheduled for registration “Launch” in September 2017. @ www.memspa.org or http://www.michiganassessmentconsortium.org Key Learnings: Increase your data literacy Understand student growth Integrate assessment practices and results to effective action Understand how to create &/or select high quality assessments Plan for student learning success Support teachers to plan for learning success This is a monthly series, anchored in research & examples designed to build the building leader’s professional capital through development of a rich network of resources and professionals. Series presenters: Jim Gullen/MAC, Doni St. Amour/MEMSPA, Keith Smith/superintendent, Martin Chaffee/Oakland Schools, Brian Lloyd/MDE and Kimberly Young/MDE

Many Resources & Opportunities to Learn are available through the MAC Website http://www.michiganassessmentconsortium.org Presentations/PPTs Papers Videos Assessment Literacy Standards Common Assessment Development Modules 2017-18 OTL’s Foundation Assessment Learning Modules (“Launch” September 2017 Michigan Virtual and MAC website Join us at MI School Testing Conference February 13-15, 2018 – watch the MIEM Registration site Highlights from the statewide Assessment Learning Network – shared on the MAC website. aln.michiganassessmentconsortium.org