1 Formative Assessment Debbie Owens AMSP University of Kentucky Kathy Strunk AMSP University of Tennessee

2 Activity #1 - Brainstorm Why do you assess your students? How do you currently assess your students?

3 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

4 Activity #2 - Card Sort Prepare a chart with two columns, label one column “Formative” and the other column “Summative” Sort the cards and place each one under the most appropriate heading in your chart

5 Engage Explore Explain PART ONE

6 Activity #3 - Magnets Work in groups of 4 Three people are students and will complete the activity. One person (the teacher) is responsible for assessing student learning.

7 Magnet Instructions Set up the materials as shown. Determine the relationship between the number of weights and the number of magnets.

8 Teachers ???? What do your students know? How did you find out what they know? What’s your evidence?

9 Students ???? What did you learn? How do you know? What feedback would you like from the teacher?

10 FIVE KEYS TO QUALITY ASSESSMENT

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

12 Identify the Purpose Who will use it? How will it be used?

13 What do I want them to know?

14 Clarify the Targets Deconstruct standards Are they clear to the students?

15

16 Elaborate / Extend Evaluate PART TWO

17 Demonstration

18 Three Guiding Questions #1 Where am I going?

19 FIVE KEYS TO QUALITY ASSESSMENT

20 The Five Keys So Far… Identify the Purpose Clarify the Target

21 How Will I Know When They Know It? What method should I choose? Is it written well? Is the sample size appropriate? Are there sources of bias in it?

22 Use Sound Design Method? Sample? Quality? Bias?

23 Activity #4 - Temperature Discuss Activity Clarify Targets Prediction Demonstration Feedback Corrections

24 Provide Effective Feedback The best feedback is: Descriptive Specific Relevant Timely Empowering

25 Three Guiding Questions #2 - Where am I now? #3 - How do I close the gap?

26 Activity #5 - Floating Prediction Demonstration Clarify Purpose and Targets Partner Exploration Feedback

27 Think/Pair/Share How effective were you at giving feedback? What could you do differently to make it more effective?

28 Peer Assessment Self-assessment Involve Students

29 ??? to ask before assessing Why am I assessing? What do I want my students to know? How will I find out if they know it? How will I communicate the results of my assessment? Who should be involved?

30 In Other Words Clarify your purpose. Define your target goals. Design your plan - what tool(s) will I use to determine if students have met the goals? Provide feedback to encourage learning (Do No Harm!) Involve students in their own assessment.

31 The 5 Keys and the Guiding Questions Identify the Purpose Clarify the Targets Use a Sound Design Provide Effective Feedback Involve Students Where am I going? Where am I now? How do I get there?

32 Shifts in Assessment To assessing to learn what students understand To using results to inform instruction To students engaged in ongoing assessment of their work and others To descriptive feedback that empowers and motivates students From assessing to learn what students do not know From using results to calculate grades From end-of-term assessments by teachers From judgmental feedback that may harm student motivation

33 Why these shifts in assessment? A change in the mission of schools: –A shift from a focus on sorting and ranking students to a focus on leaving no child behind. A strong research base: –Evidence of the substantial impact on student achievement

34 “Change focus from what you put into it, to what students get out of it.” Dylan Wiliam “Formative Assessment evolves through continual action research – it is not another initiative.” Shirley Clarke

35 SELF-EVALUATION Follow the directions on the handout “Determining Where I am Now” Record your Ratings for #1-9 on the separate answer sheet Wait for directions from a facilitator

36 Professional Development Basics Change begins with disequilibrium. Teacher networks can be powerful. Teachers need proof that it works in the classroom. Understanding deepens when the teacher experiences it in a real context. Innovation is risky. Schools that promote effective professional development also encourage experimentation. Change without reflection is often shallow and incompetent. Adapted from Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards