Michigan Department of Education April 23, 2009 Margaret Heritage Learning Progressions: Supporting Instruction and Formative Assessment

Learning Progression Determine learning goals & Define criteria for success

Three Pivotal Questions Where is the learner going? Where is the learner right now? How will the learner get there? (Thompson & Wiliam, 2007)

Learning Progressions “A description of skills, understanding and knowledge in the sequence in which they typically develop: a picture of what it means to ‘improve’ in an area of learning.” Masters & Forster (1997:1) “Descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about an idea that follow one another as students learn: they lay out in words and examples what it means to move toward more expert understanding.” (Wilson & Bertenthal, 2005:3)

Learning Progressions Standards Describe learning vertically Describe learning horizontally Identify key building blocks All standards given equal weight regardless of importance to domain understanding Make connections between and among key building blocks Often disconnected

How Do They Support Instruction and Formative Assessment? Provide the big picture Make learning goals clear Help teachers know what to do next Help identify missing building blocks Help teachers make connections

QUESTIONS & BIG IDEAS COMPONENTS OF BIG IDEAS K-2 ELABORATION OF BIG IDEAS 3-5 ELABORATION OF BIG IDEAS 6-8 ELABORATION OF BIG IDEAS 9-12 ELABORATION OF BIG IDEAS What is weather, what causes it, why does it change, and how does it impact the Earth? Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place. Properties & Structures of Earth Materials There are 3 states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, each with specific characteristics. Properties & Structures of Earth Materials States of matter Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere; each material and each state of matter has specific characteristics. Properties & Structures of Earth Materials States of Matter Solid Soils are often found in layers, with each having a different chemical composition and texture. Properties & Structures of Earth Materials States of Matter Solid, Liquid, Gas Water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises and cools, condenses into rain or snow, and falls again to the surface. Properties & Structures of Earth Materials States of Matter Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface. Objects in the Sky The earth is part of a larger system of objects in the sky which can be observed, and follow regular patterns of movement and interaction. Objects in the Sky The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, and airplanes all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described. The sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain the temperature of the earth. Objects in the sky have patterns of movement. Objects in the Sky The earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. Objects in the Sky The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. Objects in the Sky Because the earth turns daily on an axis, tilted relative to the plane of the earth's yearly orbit around the sun, sunlight falls more intensely on different parts of the earth during the year. LEARNING PROGRESSION FOR WEATHER

What Grain Size?

Supporting Instruction

Big Idea: There is a system containing different components that interact to influence/create climate over time Learning Goal(s)Success CriteriaFA Strategies Questioning: Models of analysis from previous years. Is this a good way to analyze paleoclimatological evidence ? If so, why? If not, why not? Paired work to provide explanations Questioning: Why have you chosen to manipulate the data in X way? What would happen if you…? Class presentations: What patterns have you observed in the data? Feedback from peers and teacher Individual written explanations: Justify conclusions by articulating evidence for basis of conclusion. How to analyze paleoclimatological evidence to reveal historical patterns of warming and cooling on the Earth Explain the best ways to analyze large data sets for trends Manipulate data and graph the results of the analysis Identify patterns of warming and cooling trends Draw conclusions from patterns Justify conclusions by using relevant data. Observation of discussion: Groups present graphs of the analysis to peers and explain logic of analysis. Peers provide feedback.

Constructing Learning Progressions

Top-Down Experts in the domain (e.g., physicists, mathematicians, historians) Other experts such as development specialists Domain and research knowledge

Bottom-Up Involves curriculum content experts and teachers Progression is based on their experience of teaching children Content knowledge, their views of what is best taught when, and their knowledge of children's learning

Learning Progressions “ require both expert knowledge and empirical evidence of student progress under conditions of effective instruction.” Shepard (forthcoming)

Bringing Them Together Structure of disciplinary knowledge Iterative Process Structure of curricular progressions

Developing Learning Progressions 1. Determine the content area 2. Review relevant resources (Research, National Documents, Expert Knowledge) 3. Narrow focus --> preliminary “Big Ideas” 4. Identify & establish “Building Blocks” (concepts) of the Big Idea 5. Review Big Idea, questions and components for clarity, alignment and accuracy

Developing Learning Progressions 6. Consider learning across K - 12 spectrum (level of detail) 7. Begin elaboration of Big Ideas for specific levels 8. Create a “Defensible Sequence” (Popham, 2007) for learning 9. Iterative Process: Open to revision Incorporate feedback and experience

Iterative Process Do other teachers agree with this? What is the empirical evidence for this progression? Is this picture consistent with theoretical understandings of how learning occurs? How useful is the resulting learning progression in practice? (Adapted from Masters & Forster, 1997)

Margaret Heritage