Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACTs) Holly Anthony, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Mathematics Education Department of Curriculum & Instruction 1

Traffic Light Read the Formative Assessment Target Goals posted on the easel sheets throughout the room. Place a green dot on the left side of the easel sheet for any goals that you feel you have already mastered. Place a yellow dot on the left side of the easel sheet for any goals that you know something about but have not yet mastered. Place a red dot on the left side of the easel sheet for any goals that you have either never heard of or that you know virtually nothing about.

Session Target Goals Participants will: articulate the differences between formative & summative assessment recognize the impact of effective formative assessment describe and provide examples of how to effectively use the five keys to quality assessment use three guiding questions to ensure that students are informed and involved in the assessment process

Why assess students? To gather evidence of student learning To inform instruction To motivate students and increase student learning

How do we assess students? Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

Card Sort Use the large label cards to create the headings for two columns - one for “Formative Assessment” and one for “Summative Assessment” Sort the cards and place each one under the most appropriate heading in your chart

Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

Assessment for Learning Assessment of Learning

Assessment for Learning Assessment of Learning Teachers, students and parents are the primary users Teachers, principals, supervisors, program planners, and policy makers are the primary users During learning After learning Used to provide information on what and how to improve achievement Used to certify student competence Used by teachers to identify and respond to student needs Used to rank and sort students Purpose: improve learning Purpose: document achievement of standards Primary motivator: belief that success is achievable Primary motivator: threat of punishment, promise of reward Continuous Periodic Examples: peer assessment, using rubrics with students, descriptive feedback Examples: final exams, placement tests, state assessments, unit tests Assessment for Learning Assessment of Learning

20 Purposes for Using FACTs Activate thinking and engage students in learning Make students’ ideas explicit to themselves and the teacher Challenge students’ existing ideas and encourage intellectual curiosity Encourage continuous reflection on teaching and learning Help students consider alternative viewpoints Provide a stimulus for discussion and argumentation Help students recognize when they have learned or not learned something Encourage students to ask better questions and provide thoughtful responses Provide starting points for inquiry Aid formal concept development and transfer

20 Purposes for Using FACTs Determine whether students can apply ideas to new situations Differentiate instruction for individuals or groups of students Promote the use of academic language in learning Evaluate the effectiveness of a lesson Help students develop self-assessment and peer-assessment skills Give and use feedback (student to student, teacher to student, and student to teacher) Encourage social construction of ideas Inform immediate or later adjustments to instruction Encourage and include participation of all learners Increase comfort and confidence in making one’s own ideas public

Research Support Principle 1: If their [students’] initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp new concepts and information presented in the classroom, or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions (Bransford, et al., 1999, p. 14). Principle 2: To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must (a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, (b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and (c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application (p. 16). Principle 3: A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them (p. 18).

Classroom Environments that Support Formative Assessment Learner-Centered Environment Knowledge-Centered Environment Assessment-Centered Environment Community-Centered Environment

Making the Shift to a Formative Assessment Centered Classroom Shift our beliefs about the role of the instructor Interact more frequently and effectively with students on a day-to-day basis Listener and encourager rather than “information provider” and “corrector of errors/misconceptions” Provide opportunities for students to discuss, construct, and to organize thinking Students play an active role in their own learning Learning goals and standards are shared explicitly with students Acknowledging students’ ideas

The 5 Keys to Quality Assessment Identify the Purpose Clarify the Targets Use a Sound Design Provide Effective Feedback Involve Students

Complete the Drawing 3 Guiding Questions 5 Keys to Quality Assessment Summative Assessment Complete the Drawing 5 Keys to Quality Assessment ? 3 Guiding Questions

Assessment Key #1: Identify the Purpose Who will use it? How will it be used?

Assessment Key #2: Clarify the Targets Deconstruct the objectives. Are they clear to the students?

Assessment Key #3: Use Sound Design Method? Sample? Quality? Bias?

Provide Effective Feedback Assessment Key #4: Provide Effective Feedback The best feedback is: Descriptive Specific Relevant Timely Empowering

Assessment Key #5: Involve Students Peer Assessment Self Assessment Goal Setting

The Formative Assessment Framework Three Guiding Questions

How to Answer the Three Guiding Questions Seven Strategies of Formative Assessment Where am I going? 1. Provide a clear and understandable version of the learning targets. 2. Use examples of strong and weak work. Where am I now? 3. Offer regular descriptive feedback. 4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals. How can I close the gap? 5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time. 6. Teach students focused revision. 7. Engage students in self-reflection and let them document and share their learning.

Five Keys to Quality Assessment Identify the Purpose Clarify Targets Use Sound Design Involve Students Provide Effective Feedback Where Am I Going? I Now? How Do I Close the Gap?

Suggestions for Using FACTs Make students’ thinking explicit during problem-solving activities and investigations. Create a classroom culture of ideas, not answers. Develop a discourse community. Encourage students to take risks. Encourage students to listen carefully. Use a variety of FACTs in a variety of ways. Use a variety of grouping configurations. Encourage continuous reflection.

Traffic Light Read the Formative Assessment Target Goals posted on the easel sheets throughout the room. Place a green dot on the right side of the easel sheet for any goals that you feel you have already mastered. Place a yellow dot on the right side of the easel sheet for any goals that you know something about but have not yet mastered. Place a red dot on the right side of the easel sheet for any goals that you have either never heard of or that you know virtually nothing about.

References & Recommended Readings Keeley, P., & Tobey, C. R. (2011). Mathematics formative assessment: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.