Classroom Assessments General understandings Stiggins Chapter 1

For Discussion What is the end of education? Is your philosophy of assessment in alignment with the end of education?

General Notions Alignment – Educators who excel at their task understand the need for alignment between the following: Purpose of Education Role of Assessments Role of Content/Standards Role of Assignments Role of Learning Activities

The Purpose of Education Humans have a spiritual end Purpose of education The formation of the whole person The development of the person’s intellect to discover the order in the world and to encounter that which is true, good, and beautiful Assessments exist within this context The purpose of education and the role of assessments all exist within a context. That context is the spiritual end of the human being. If one is not careful, one can misplace emphasis and make something that belongs within a larger context the focus of the context. This happens in China. The Gao Kao is a compulsory exam for all Chinese students – they must pass this exam to have access to further education. In studying about assessments, it is important to keep in mind that Assessments are not the context. They exist within a context and they must be in alignment with other educational elements.

What do you use assessments for? Used with skill, assessment can motivate the reluctant, revive the discouraged, and thereby increase, not simple measure achievement Motivate Revive Increase Measure What strikes you the most about this statement? One thing that struck me the most is assessment as a source of motivation – most students do not look at assessments as a source of motivation This implies a paradigm shift in thought – a radical change in how we look at assessments and their purpose and role in education Proper use of assessments in education will enable us to incorporate assessments that motivate, revive, increase, and measure student achievement

Two columned purpose of assessments Support student learning Offer valuable information for student areas of strength and areas of deficiency Offer valuable information for differentiated instruction Verify student learning Offer information to drive instruction Offer information to instructor to determine what students know, need to know, and want to know

5 Keys to Quality Assessments Clear purpose for the assessment Clear learning targets Sound assessment design Effective communication of results Student involvement in assessment process Through research and practice Jan Chappuis and Rick Stiggins have come up with 5 keys to quality assessment – as we go through them, bring to mind assessments you currently use and how your current use of assessments would measure up to these 5 keys

Key 1: Clear Purpose Two columned purpose of assessments Two types of assessments Formative assessments – assessment FOR learning Physical – see how you are doing and what needs work Summative assessments – assessment OF learning Autopsy – the information tells us how this person applied what learned content to their lives Listed before as supporting student learning and verifying student learning – the goal is to have the information affect instruction – if your assessments are not having a direct impact in how you are developing lesson plans then you need to revisit your assessment philosophy The end goal of formative assessments is to support student learning – they are to help you differentiate instruction, they are to help you determine student weaknesses and areas of deficiency. Formative assessments should be followed by immediate feedback that is clear and tells students clearly how they are strong and what they need to work on Example from Scripture – Parable of the Sower – Formative Assessments – Sheep and Goats – Summative Assessment Most teachers tend to make assessments summative – at the end of a lesson or chapter. Most teachers do allow the results to drive their instruction. This does not motivate students

Key 2: Clear Learning Targets Determine the learning that needs to be assessed Help students understand the learning path Students’ chances of success improve when they start out with a vision of where they are headed Determining what learning needs to be assessed is both at the level of content and skills. Are you assessing mere content or what students can do with the content? Determine and help students understand the “why?” behind the assessment. They may know you are assessing a standard but they also ought to now why that standard and why now. (Do not give them an answer to a question they do not have nor do they know the importance of the question) Why are curriculum maps and scopes and sequences this major secret from students – will it magically change the game for them NO but it can have a positive impact.

Key 3: Sound Assessment Design Ensure your assessment method is getting you the necessary information If you are assessing a student’s ability to function at a higher level of thinking and give them a test that assesses a lower level then there is a flaw in the design There are four major types of assessments: selected response, written response, performance assessment or personal communication These four types are more like categories. We will look at each separately in later modules

Key 4: Effective Communication of Results Determine the intention of the data acquired Who is your audience? Results must be relayed in a timely manner and in an understandable way Different audiences require a differentiated format for relaying results

Key 5: Student Involvement in the Assessment Process This is a major paradigm shift Student decide the following: Is the learning worth the effort required of them If they are capable of reaching the learning targets If they should keep learning or quit working Student buy in increases their interest and motivation What possible teacher fears can arise from this paradigm shift? (Think of it as formation of conscience – the primacy of conscience – and simply filling it

Attitude towards classroom assessments Tests that truly reflect the curriculum content Assessments that have clear learning targets Transparency – students know what they are accountable for learning Some are just for the sake of growing in learning Assessments are used as learning experiences Assessments helps students identify their strengths