Formative Assessment on the Fly~ Asking Questions, Getting Answers MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Lee Ann Pruske Mary Mooney April 12, 2013

Professional practice Work with one teacher on the formative assessment process. Elicit, interpret, make decisions about the next steps in instruction, and implement those decisions with students. Prepare a short vignette around the work with teachers and students to share at the April ACM meeting.

Give One, Get One With your typed vignette in hand, find a partner . Share your stories, trade vignettes Find a new partner and share, trade vignettes

Learning Intention Success Criteria We are learning to use the formative assessment process within the classroom DURING instruction. We will know we are successful when we recognize formative assessment opportunities in classrooms.

“…it is essential that teachers explore students’ thinking before assuming that students have understood something.” D. Wiliam, 2011

Why ask questions? 1. Cause thinking 2. Provide teacher with information to assist instructional decision making* *Ask questions that students can’t get the correct answer with incorrect thinking. Summarize the activity Some tasks are better for discussion, others for student work samples, teachers have to be aware of both types of tasks to gauge understanding. Over generalize p. 75 2.3x10=2.30 from 8x10=80 Apply information in the wrong place, students making sense of their world

What is the purpose of the question? Discussion Questions Whole class discussion Surface student thinking, and justifications Teachers can probe for details Takes class time Diagnostic Questions Individual responses Discussion not needed Be careful students don’t get right answer, for incorrect thinking Summarize the activity Some tasks are better for discussion, others for student work samples, teachers have to be aware of both types of tasks to gauge understanding. Over generalize p. 75 2.3x10=2.30 from 8x10=80 Apply information in the wrong place, students making sense of their world

Misconception Managed Take a card out Individually solve the problem Discuss how you might surface student understanding through this problem Would you use the problem as a classroom discussion, or individual diagnostic tool Pass the envelope and repeat Activity cards

Simplify (if possible) Problem A Simplify (if possible) 2a + 5b Problem – insights into student’s understanding Diagnostic

Problem B Make this true: 3a = 24 a + b = 16 Uncovers understanding, and beliefs, that a and b can’t stand for the same value in an equation. Discussion

Problem C Which is larger: 3/7 or 3/11 Discussion of how students are thinking about the relationships in the problem

Problem D In this sequence 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 Which is the best rule to describe the sequence. n + 4 3 + n 4n – 1 4n + 3 Discussion of how students think about the problem and the relationships within the expressions. C one few or D 3 times greater than the 4 times tables

Formative Assessment…on the fly

Diagnostic Questions “Range-finding” questions find out what students already know before beginning a topic. “Hinge point” diagnostic questions are used in the middle of instruction to check for understanding. Next step hinges on student understanding. When you are listening for teachers questions, it helps to understand the different types of questions for possible learning focused conversations for which to shift up to increase the level of cognition. Pages 100-101

Types of Listening Evaluative listening Interpretive listening Listening for knowledge, content, correctness. (Do they get it?) (Do I need to re-teach this content or can I move on?) Interpretive listening What are students’ thinking? (How can I build on their understanding?) Shifting Up teacher moves Evaluative listening responses: Teacher Responses : almost, close, nearly, try again. Wellman and Lipton Shifting up moves

Instructional Practice Skill Use your ABCDEF cards to answer Hold up the correct cards indicating your answer. No discussing please.

Watch for answers on cards

What is the relationship among the sides of a right triangle? Find student with the right answer to articulate relationship with the given triangle, that is without labeling the sides.. Ask 1-2 students who previously had wrong answer to paraphrase the relationship

What is the relationship among the sides of a right triangle? c b a Find student with the right answer to articulate relationship with the given triangle, that is without labeling the sides.. Ask 1-2 students who previously had wrong answer to paraphrase the relationship given by first student

Instructional Strategy Revisited Diagnostic question All student response through A-F cards Interpretive listening

Professional Practice Observe a teacher or two in your building listening for opportunities to work with student misconceptions. Type up what you observe and put it in the TLC under Listening Practice. Consider the following in your summary: Why did the student answer incorrectly? What is the misconception? Was the teacher engaged in evaluative or interpretive listening? How does/did the teacher plan for misconceptions? Did misconceptions derail instruction? What did the teacher do next? Post by May 10, 2013, Reply to at least 2 colleague’s posts by May 24, 2013 P 102

Feedback question What is your hunch about the types of questions (diagnostic, discussion, range finding, hinge point) teachers in your building will be asking when you listen in for misconceptions in math?

Spring CR items are up! www.mmp.uwm.edu Instructional Guides Use them with your teachers.

Milwaukee Public Schools TITLE OF PRESENTATION MPS Board of School Directors Dr. Michael Bonds, President Larry Miller, Vice President Mark Sain, District 1 Jeff Spence, District 2 Annie Woodward, District 4 Dr. Peter Blewett, District 6 David Voeltner, District 7 Meagan Holman, District 8 Terrence Falk, At-Large Senior Team Dr. Gregory Thornton, Superintendent Naomi Gubernick, Chief of Staff Darienne Driver, Chief Innovation Officer Tina Flood, Executive Director, Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Karen Jackson, Chief Human Resources Officer Michelle Nate, Chief Operations Officer Gerald Pace, Esq., Chief Financial Officer Anita Pietrykowski, Director, School Administration Denise Callaway, Communications & Partnerships Patricia Gill, Executive Director, Family Services Sue Saller, Coordinator to the Superintendent