Chapman Learning Lab Results

WHAT? WHY? HOW? Assessment

EnduringUnderstanding “Assessment is essential for effective instruction and improved student learning.”

‘I Can’ Statements for Today I can identify the three types of classroom assessments and determine the purpose of each I can use a variety of assessment methods to gather evidence “For” and “Of” student learning I can implement a variety of formative assessment techniques in my classroom I can apply ‘Backward Design’ best practices

WHAT is assessment? assidere The word asssess is from the Latin assidere, which means “to sit beside.” This implies that assessment is something we do “with” and “for” students, not “to” them. (Green, 1999)

Assessment Assessment in education is the process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupils’ responses to an educational task. (Harlen, Gipps, Broadfoot, Nuttal,1992)

WHY do we assess students? Some teachers talk about LEARNING Some teachers talk about GRADES

WHY do we assess? Assessment serves different purposes at different times depending on the needs of the instructional process. 1.It may be used to find out what students already know and can do. 2.It may be used to help students and teachers improve their learning or instruction. 3.It may be used to let students, parents, and administrators know how much students have learned within a prescribed period of time.

Assessment Process Pre- Assessment/ Diagnostic Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

Assessment Process Pre- Assessment/ Diagnostic (Assessment BEFORE Learning) Formative Assessment (Assessment FOR Learning) Summative Assessment (Assessment OF Learning) Before During After

Pre-Assessment/Diagnostic  Often focuses on one area or domain of knowledge  Best used at the initial point of instruction to get a glimpse into the learner’s stage of learning  Determines the current level of knowledge and skill of a learner  Helps teachers determine flexible grouping and should be used regularly

Types of Pre-Assessment/Diagnostic  Pre-test  KWL charts  Graphic organizer  Student discussions  Checklist  Student products  Writing samples  Writing prompts  Teacher observations  Spelling inventory  Entrance/exit slip

Reading and Reflecting on the Text Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom (Garrison and Ehringhaus) Four A’s Protocol 1. As you read, code the text for the following ideas:  An idea with which you Agree (agree with and understand…)  An idea with which you can Argue (question or not sure of…)  An idea for which you could Advocate (strongly agree with and would highly support…)  A idea for which you Aspire (not there yet, but something you feel strongly about working towards…) 2. Discuss your ideas with a partner at your table. 3. Record a “big idea” from this article.

Formative Assessment - Research “Many studies demonstrate that when formative assessment is used to improve learning during instruction, student achievement improves.” “The effect of assessment for learning on student achievement is some four to five times greater than the effect of reduced class size.” “…few interventions in education come close to having the same level of impact as assessment for learning.” (Stiggins, et al, 2006) Formative assessment has an “effect size of 0.4 to 0.7”. This is equal to moving a student from the 50 th percentile to the 70 th percentile. This effect size is larger than most of those found for other educational interventions. Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2),

Formative Assessment Assessment for Learning Occurs at varying intervals while learning is still underway to  Determine student needs  Evaluate the quality of student learning  Plan next steps in instruction  Provide students feedback they can use to improve the quality of their work  Evaluate the quality of the instruction  Help students see where they are, where they are going, and how they are progressing It is not about accountability – it is about getting better!

Questioning and Formative Assessment “Effective use of questioning arouses curiosity, Stimulates interest, and motivates students to seek new information. Students engaged in the questioning process benefit from the clarification of concepts, emergence of key points, and enhancement of problem- solving skills. Using questioning, teachers assess students’ knowledge, determine needs for focused reteaching, and encourage students to think at higher cognitive levels.” (Caram, C. and Davis, P., 2005) How do you ensure that your questioning techniques Lead you to assess student knowledge, determine their needs, and encourage higher levels of thinking?

Summative Assessment Assessment of/after Learning  Generally taken by students at the end of a unit or semester to demonstrate the "sum" of what they have or have not learned.  Summative assessment methods are the most traditional way of evaluating student work.  Tied to grades or some type of measurement "Good summative assessments - tests and other graded evaluations - must be demonstrably reliable, valid, and free of bias" (Angelo and Cross, 1993).

Summative Assessment Summative assessments are designed to determine how much learning has occurred after a significant period of instruction. The data from such assessment is often used to determine report card grades.

Summative Assessments  State assessments – ARMT+  End-of-unit or chapter tests  End-of-term or semester exams  Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and students (report card grades)  Any assessment that is assigned a grade

Formative and Summative Assessments The Garden Analogy If we think of our children as plants…. Summative assessment of the plants is the process of simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare and analyze measurements but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the plants. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their needs - directly affecting their growth and strong healthy development.

The summative is in the upper while the formative is in the down side. The analogy is the summative assessment only covers a little part of whole learning process. The formative is based more on students’ level of understanding.

Factors Inhibiting Effective Assessment A tendency for teachers to assess quantity and presentation of work rather than quality of learning. Greater attention given to marking and grading, much of it tending to lower the self esteem of students, rather than providing advice for improvement. A strong emphasis on comparing students with each other, which sometimes demoralizes the less successful learners.

Self Evaluation Where would you place your assessment practice on the following continuum? Is the assessment focused on: Quantity of work/Presentation Quality of learning Marking/Grading Advice for improvement Comparing students Identifying individual progress How are you bridging summative and formative assessments to positively impact student achievement in your school?

Assessment ‘Ink Think’ SHHH!! This activity is a no-talking activity. We are going to read and think about assessment. You will read and respond to a quote that is already posted on chart paper. We will rotate to different quotes VERY QUICKLY. You may respond to the quote or someone else’s response. GRAB a pencil/pen. DRAW a card from the small deck at your table. MATCH your card to one of the posters, and you may BEGIN reading and responding to your first quote. Remember – No talking, just written responses.

Backward Design What is Backward Design? An instructional design method which begins with the end in mind—  What do students need to know and be able to do?  From this end, teachers work backwards to develop assessments and activities to meet this goal “I always know where I am going as I teach, because I have already been there in my planning.” Stacy Irvin, Highland Middle

Understanding by Design - Backward Design The Backward Design approach consists of three general stages: 1.Identify desired results 2.Determine acceptable evidence 3.Plan experiences and instruction

Backward Design – Desired Results Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results  Consider the goal – 1. What should students know, understand, and be able to do? 2. What “enduring” understandings are desired? 3. What questions are worth pursuing? 4. What specific knowledge and skills are needed for effective performance? Wiggins & McTighe 2009

Backward Design – Curricular Priorities “nice to know” foundational knowledge and skill big idea and core tasks

30 Definition of distributive property How to group & regroup Equivalence, and being able to simplify, to solve real problems, using the idea big idea – enduring understanding foundational skill “nice to know” Sample of Curricular Priorities

Backward Design – Assessment Evidence Stage 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence Consider the evidence of learning (assessment)  How will we know students have met the content standards?  What will we use as evidence of proficiency? The goal is to obtain valid, reliable, credible, and useful evidence (authentic performance tasks, rubrics (products), and self-assessment). Wiggins & McTighe 2009

Backward Design – Instruction Stage 3. Plan learning experiences and instruction With goals and assessments in place – time to plan instruction  What learning experiences and instruction will promote the desired understanding, knowledge, and skills of Stage 1?  How will instruction ensure all students are engaged?  Consider the WHERETO elements as guidelines  The learning plan is focused on “effective” and “engaging” learning experiences Wiggins & McTighe 2009

Backward Design - WHERETO WHERETOWHERETO “Where are we headed?” (the student’s Q!) How will students be “Hooked”? What opportunities will there be to be equipped and to Experience and Explore key ideas? What will provide opportunities to Rethink, Rehearse, Refine, and Revise? How will students Evaluate their work? How will the work be Tailored to individual needs, interests, styles? How will the work be Organized for maximal engagement and effectiveness? Wiggins and McTighe (2002)

Summary - Research on Effective Assessment Black and William’s (1998) research indicates that improving student learning through assessment depends on five factors. 1.Providing effective feedback to students 2.The active involvement of students in their own learning 3.Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment 4.Recognizing the profound influence of assessment on students’ motivation and self-esteem – both crucial influences on learning 5.The need for students to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve

EXIT WRITING: Time to Reflect Spend a few moments reflecting on today….  What was your most significant learning?  What specific actions do you plan to take?  What results would you like to see from those actions?  How will you assess the effectiveness of these actions?