Looking at Student Work Beverly Falk August 23, 2007

Purposes of Assessment To learn about the unique strengths, interests, needs of students To monitor progress To evaluate performance To use that information to inform teaching

Types of assessment Formative Summative Using student work for inquiry about the how of student learning to inform teaching Observations Checklists Journal entries Drafts Portfolios Summative Using student work for evidence of what students know and can do Performance tasks Exhibitions Tests

An Assessment System for Learning includes Both formative and summative assessment Multiple forms of evidence Ways of assessing student work to to make visible each student’s growth from where s/he began

Principles for Looking at Student Work Observing Be descriptive Leave out judgment Document only what you see, not what you assume (double entry note-taking - Notes/Notes on Notes) Date everything Provide a context for the observation Document an incident from beginning to end Look for what the student can do, not just what s/he cannot do Think about how what you have seen can be used to inform your teaching

Some Guiding Questions for Looking at Student Work What was the context in which the work was created? What questions does this work raise about the student - student's intent, interests? What does this work tell us about what the student understands; what the student can do; how the student meets the standards/expectations for the work? What does this work demonstrate about the student's growth over time? What does this work tell us about the instruction and learning environment that prompted the work? How effective were the assignment and teaching strategies? What does this work suggest about the kind of teaching and opportunities for learning that should come next for this student?

Principles for Looking at Student Work Scoring Tasks Assess what the work tells you about what the student knows, not what you think you know about what the student knows Evaluate in relation to the criteria of the standards as articulated in rich, descriptive rubrics Aim for consistency across scorers – inter-rater reliability Design the scoring so that results can be easily communicated to the public, i.e., rich descriptors have a number that can be aggregated for reporting purposes

Looking at Student Work Deepens teachers’ understandings of Content standards Their discipline Their students Their teaching Strengthens teachers’ sense of professionalism Fosters collegial dialogue centered on teaching and learning Validates professional knowledge Sets up a structure to keep inquiry alive