School Leadership Team Fall Conference West Virginia Department of Education Division of Educator Quality and System Support Bridgeport Conference Center October 18-20, 2010

The Power of a Balanced Assessment System Presented by: Karen Davies, Title I Coordinator Jan Stanley, State Title I Director

Three essential questions What is a balanced assessment system? Has your school implemented a balanced assessment system? How do the teachers utilize a balanced assessment system to promote learning?

Assessment Literacy We need to provide the language and the tools to administrators, teachers and students so they can communicate accurately about assessment.

Common Language?

What is a balanced assessment system? Assessment OF Learning Assessment FOR Learning

In an Effective School … Continuous (Formative) Classroom Assessment For Learning (part of the learning process) Classroom Level Users (Students, Teachers and Parents) Common Formative Assessments (developed by collaborative teacher teams to assess the learning targets) Content Level Users Job-Alike Collaborative Teacher Teams Periodic Benchmark Assessments (customized to assess the learning for a specific time period) Program Level Users (Teacher Teams and School Leaders) Annual Accountability Testing (State Summative Test) Institutional/Policy Users (School, District and State Leadership)

Critical Questions What is the primary aim of the assessment? Who will use the information gathered? What decisions will they make?

Primary Aim of Assessment The primary purpose of assessment is not to rate, rank and sort students, but to provide meaningful feedback that informs decisions.

A Balanced Assessment System Assessment for Learning Classroom Assessment For Learning – A process during learning Formative Assessment – A process during learning Assessment of Learning Benchmark Assessment – An event after learning Summative Assessment – An event after learning

Does

Formative? or Summative? How the results are used tells us if the assessment is for or of learning.

Summative Assessment (Assessment OF Learning) Summarizes student learning at a specific point in time Not designed to give feedback useful to teachers and students during the learning process Utilized to communicate statements of student learning status to those outside the classroom Administered to demonstrate accountability News

Formative Assessment (Assessment FOR Learning) Acknowledges the critical importance of students and teachers working as a team Utilizes strategies undertaken by teachers and by their students that provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged (Black & Wiliam, 1998) Provides continuous descriptive rather than evaluative feedback Advice

Assessment OF and FOR Learning Sort Activity Assessment for Learning Assessment of Learning Not Sure

Reflection Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down 1.Can you explain the key differences in summative, benchmark, formative and classroom assessment for learning? 2.Can you provide examples of each? 3.Can you explain how the results of each type of assessment should be used? 4.How will you use this information in your work?

Has your school implemented a balanced assessment system?

A Balanced Approach Teachers involve their students in classroom assessment, record-keeping, and communication during learning. But, when its time for students to be accountable for what they have learned, the teacher takes the lead in conducting assessments OF learning. -Richard J. Stiggins

Self-Assessment Tool Activity This self-assessment outlines significant commonalities among the practices of the leaders and professional staff in high performing schoolscollaborative processes and assessment practices that produce quality results for student learning. This self-assessment can help each school gauge where it functions on the continuum of implementation.

How do the teachers utilize a balanced assessment system to promote learning?

Four Areas of Assessment Classroom Assessment for Learning Common Formative Assessment Benchmark Assessment Summative Assessment

School Collaborative Teams examine student specific data and establish team SMART goals Assessment processes and practices teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving Monitor progress of School SMART goals Balanced Assessment Practices through Collaborative Team Processes Assessment FOR Learning FORMATIVE CLASSROOM Leadership Team examines school data and establishes school SMART goals based on summative data Key Decisions What comes next in the learning? How can instruction be adjusted based on results/data? Which learning targets require additional attention? Uses Provides descriptive feedback to students Enables students to take responsibility for the learning Supports student motivation and growth Key Decisions Are enough students meeting standards? What changes need to be made about district and school programs and resources? Uses Measures achievement status at a point in time for purpose of reporting and accountability Communicates evidence of performance to parents and community Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness Assessment OF Learning SUMMATIV E SCHOOL-WIDE FOCUS ON LEARNING Addressing the Four Critical Questions 1.What do we want students to learn? What knowledge, skills and dispositions do we expect them to acquire? 2.How will we know if students are learning the essential skills, concepts and dispositions we have deemed most essential? 3.How will we respond when some of our students do not learn? What processes are put in place to ensure students receive additional time and support for learning in a timely, directive and systematic way? 4. How do we enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient ? Monitor progress of Team SMART goals

Collaborative Teamwork Periodic District- Wide Benchmark Assessments Identify learning targets and plan instruction Instruction and ongoing Assessment West Virginia Department of Education Developed by School & School System Improvement Contact Lisa Youell Or Linda Bragg at Monitor learning for progress School Year Summative Assessment Cycle Ongoing Formative Classroom Assessment Cycle Intervention and Enrichment Cycle Establish school SMART goals (for school year) based on analysis of summative data Starting points Assess and monitor for progress Repeat intervention loop as needed Team Processes for Balanced Assessment Practices in Support of Standards-Based Instruction Administer WESTEST2 - State Accountability Analyze WESTEST2 Design common formative assessments Periodic School-Based Benchmark Assessments Create an intervention Plan Collaborative teams establish SMART goals based on grade-level/content data Analyze assessment results Instruction and ongoing Assessment Revise curriculum, instruction and assessments as needed

Assessment Literacy Brooke Godbey Second Grade Student Poca Elementary School Putnam County

Suggested Resources Books Assessment FOR Learning – An Action Guide for School Leaders authors: S. Chappuis, R. Stiggins, J. Arter, and J. Chappuis Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right-Using It Well authors: S. Chappuis, R. Stiggins, J. Arter, and J. Chappuis Balanced Assessment: From Formative to Summative author: Kay Burke (new and available from Solution Tree) Websites Office of Assessment Teach 21 site