cgoldsworthy Classroom Assessments: Role of Assessment in Guiding Instruction Formative Assessment T.I.M.E Training July 13, 2009 Derry Township School District

cgoldsworthy Grading and Assessment What are the pros and cons of our current grading practices? What is standards-based grading? Why do we grade and assess? How do we grade and assess students?

cgoldsworthy Assessment FOR Learning Review – what is it? Frayer model - activity

cgoldsworthy Why is formative assessment important? We must help students believe that they are capable of succeeding and that success is worth the investment We must realize that our students draw life- shaping conclusions about themselves as learners on the basis of the information we provide them as a result of assessment

cgoldsworthy The Challenge To get students to believe in themselves. If they experience success in an assessment this can spark confidence. With increased confidence comes the belief that learning is possible.

cgoldsworthy Should We Rely On the PSSA? Feedback given once a year is too infrequent and broadly focused to be helpful for day to day instructional changes We DON’T want our students to feel they can’t succeed

cgoldsworthy The Student Involved Classroom Success is defined as continual improvement. Students learn that low performance is not always a bad thing. For example - when you are learning something new.

cgoldsworthy 3 Essential Aspects #1 Student-involved classroom assessment opens the assessment process and invites students in as partners, monitoring their own levels of achievement. Students will learn to apply these criteria to their own work.

cgoldsworthy 3 Essential Aspects #2 Student-involved record keeping encourages learners to monitor improvements in their performance over time through repeated self-assessment. Growth portfolios

cgoldsworthy 3 Essential Aspects #3 Student-involved communication invites learners to share their self- assessments with others. Internal sense of responsibility Student involved parent/teacher conferences

cgoldsworthy What Does the Research Say? If you use student- involved formative assessment in your classroom it must: Have a clear focus Show accurate reflections of achievement Provide students with descriptive feedback on improvement in their work Bring students into the classroom assessment process

cgoldsworthy What MUST the Assessment Look Like? 4 Conditions: Condition #1: The assessment must be driven by a clear articulated purpose. Assessment FOR learning-not OF learning. The teacher must understand the students’ needs and plan assessments purposefully to meet those needs.

cgoldsworthy Condition #2 Assessments must arise from and accurately reflect clearly specified and appropriate achievement expectations. Students need to know where they are headed. The teacher must be clear themselves about the intended learning, teach intentionally, and let the students in on the secret

cgoldsworthy Condition #3: Assessment methods used must be capable of accurately reflecting the intended targets and are used as teaching tools along the way. The assessment should correspond with the intended goal.

cgoldsworthy Condition #4: Results of an assessment must be delivered into the hands of their intended users in a timely, understandable, and helpful manner. Focusing on what the students did right, have learned, and what they need to work on.

cgoldsworthy What does this all mean? As teachers- we must teach our students that assessment can be used as a tool in their achievement.

cgoldsworthy Classroom Application Review strong and weak samples to determine a good performance or product Before meeting with a teacher/parent, students identify their own strengths/weaknesses Students use grading criteria to evaluate anonymous work Students work in pairs to revise anonymous weak work Students write about the process they went through to create a product, reflecting on problems they encountered and how they solved them. Students create tests based on their understanding of the learning targets Students discuss questions such as: Why am I taking this test? Who will use the results? How? What is it testing? How do I think I will do? What do I need to study? With whom might I work? When reviewing a test, teacher provides a chart with the following categories: My Strengths, Quick Review, and Further Study Students review work and reflect “I have become a better reader this quarter. I used to…but now I…” Students summarize their learning and set goals for the future “Here is what I have learned…Here is what I need to work on…” Student portfolio

cgoldsworthy When to use formative assessment Various parts of a classroom lesson When assignment is given During direct instruction During group or individual work on projects Before summative assessment After summative assessment

cgoldsworthy Examples of Formative Assessments Questioning Structured discussion and dialogue Studying student work products

cgoldsworthy Questions?