The Power of Formative Assessment to Advance Learning

The Power of Formative Assessment  When assessments are used throughout the learning process, they can inform instruction, identify needed modifications, and serve to motivate students toward higher achievement.  Effective formative assessment allows us to become much more precise and successful in our teaching…and our ability to promote all students’ success as a result of it…

Activator: A Think-Pair-Share Warm-Up Directions:  Think: Create written definitions for each of the terms presented on your handout.  Pair: Partner with another participant and compare your definitions and reflections.  Share: With your partner, be prepared to share key insights from your discussion with the rest of the group.

Revisiting Our Workshop Ground Rules  Use your “Question Collector” handout to keep track of questions and issues that emerge for you.  Use the “Note-Taking Guide” to track big ideas, examples, connections, and things you’d like to try out.  Take responsibility for your own learning.  Participate actively.  If something is not clear, ask questions.  Listen to learn.  Be respectful of participants and presenter.  Honor time limits.  Silence cell phones.

Desired Outcomes By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:  Explain the ways in which effective formative assessment can enhance student motivation and achievement.  Describe and apply a six-step process for using formative assessment to address the unique learning needs of diverse students.  Use formative assessment to build students’ awareness of their own thinking and learning.  Apply formative assessment strategies to check for and promote student understanding.

The Big Ideas of Our Agenda  Formative v. Summative Assessment  The Importance of Pre-Assessment and Diagnosis  The Relationship Between Formative Assessment and Student Achievement  A Six-Step Process for Using Formative Assessment to Promote Student Growth  Formative Assessment and Student Understanding  Action Planning for Follow-Up

Learning Partners: Activity One  Identify a learning partner for each of the identified categories.  Ask that person to sign his/her name on the designated line.  Next, find your “Formative v. Summative Assessment” partner (Partner One).  How do you both explain the differences between these two types of assessment? How do you perceive them being used in your current school or district?

An Introduction to Formative Assessment  What is formative assessment? Why is it so important?  How does it differ from summative assessment? According to Sue Brookhart: “Formative assessment happens as learning is taking place and the information that comes from it actually helps more learning take place…Summative assessment involves checking at the end to see what was accomplished…”

Why Is Formative Assessment So Important? According to Doug Fisher: “Formative assessments are tools that teachers use along the way during instruction to make mid-course corrections, to accelerate some students or to go back and re- teach other students…to notice students who need a little bit of extra attention—whether small group instruction or whole class…”

The Role of Pre-Assessment and Diagnosis  A key use of formative assessment is to determine what students already know and are able to do at the beginning of a lesson or unit, i.e., their readiness levels and background knowledge.  We need to determine if students are ready to begin learning the identified content and related learning targets.  This process also helps to identify students who can do more advanced work—as well as those who require extra coaching and support to be ready to learn identified curriculum goals.

Formative Assessment and Student Achievement (Part I)  How can formative assessment promote student responsibility for learning?  How can it increase student motivation?  How can it promote a culture of cooperation?

Formative Assessment and Student Achievement (Part 2) According to Doug Fisher: “Formative assessments are quick. The data is available to the teacher almost immediately…They are tools that teachers can use right now, today, tomorrow, or fairly soon thereafter to plan instruction for their students…”

Formative Assessment and Student Achievement (Part 3) According to Sue Brookhart: “When a teacher is really trying to build a sense of trust with the students, and really explains to the student how the information is used, students begin to see ‘this thing of pre- assessment [involves] an adult really trying to help me grow as a learner. And when I participate in this the very best I can, then I’m a partner in my own learning process…’”

Learning Partners: Activity Two  Find your “Impact of Assessment on Student Learning” partner (Partner Two).  How would both of you summarize the key ideas from this section of the workshop?  To what extent do you both agree with the ideas and assertions presented in this section of the DVD?  What are the implications for your schools and districts?

A Six-Step Process for Using Formative Assessment to Promote Student Growth  Step One: Understanding the learning target  Step Two: Producing work related to the learning target  Step Three: Comparing performance on the work with the learning target(s)  Step Four: Evaluating strengths and weaknesses  Step Five: Giving clear and specific feedback for improvement  Step Six: Closing the gap between what the student already knows and the learning target

Learning Partners: Activity Three  Find your “Six-Step Process for Using Formative Assessment to Promote Student Growth” partner (Partner Three).  What are your shared—and differing—opinions about the six- step process presented in this section of the workshop?  To what extent do you both agree with the ideas and assertions presented in this section of the DVD?  What are the implications for your schools and districts?

Strategies for Checking for Understanding (Part I)  How can formative assessment promote student understanding?  How can teachers use research-based formative assessment strategies to enhance student engagement and motivation?

Strategies for Checking for Understanding (Part 2) According to Doug Fisher: “Checking for understanding is one of the ways that communication patterns are established. Checking for understanding allows teachers to have conversations about the content—what’s supposed to be learned […and why…]. Checking for understanding also informs the teacher about effective approaches and less effective approaches for individual students…”

Strategies for Checking for Understanding (Part 3) Sue Brookhart asserts: “If you ask students: ‘Do you get that?’—they’ll all say, ‘Sure!’…Wouldn’t you? But if you ask them to describe [or explain] something… ‘Tell me what the most important thing I just asked you to do, was…’… ‘Tell me why you think we’re doing this…’… ‘Tell me again what it is we’re supposed to do…’ Then you’ll be able to understand what they really think…[and understand]…

Strategies for Checking for Understanding (Part 4)  Oral Language Activities  Asking a Range of Questions  Integrating Writing into the Learning Process  Turning Summative Tests and Quizzes into Opportunities for Self-Reflection and Strategy Identification  Projects and Performances

Learning Partners: Activity Four  Find your “Strategies for Checking for Understanding” partner (Partner Four).  What are the student behaviors you both look for when you are observing for student understanding?  To what extent do both of you agree with the DVD’s assertions about the relationship between formative assessment and student understanding?  What are the implications for your schools and districts?

GO-GO-MO: Give One, Get One, Move On  Individually, fill in TWO boxes with ways that you can apply the content in this session in your role as a classroom teacher.  Get up and find others with whom to share.  Give one idea away and get an idea from each person you meet. Your goal is to have a different idea in each box.  When you have completed all boxes, be seated.

Learning Partners: Activity Five  Find your “Action Planning: Ideas for Applying Key Strategies” partner (Partner Five).  As you both reflect on your experience in the workshop, what do you both plan to apply from it in your school or district?  What follow-up professional development would you both find beneficial?

Workshop Evaluation Please complete the “Evaluation” questionnaire, using this as an opportunity to reflect on:  The most useful parts of the workshop…  What you plan to do as a result of the workshop…  What you might like to learn more about as a result of the workshop…  Suggestions can you make for future workshops involving formative assessment…