Social Studies Classroom Based Assessments (CBAs ) Tacoma Public School K – 5 Implementation Plan

What Does the Law State?  By , school districts shall have:  Assessments to assure that students have an opportunity to learn the EALRs in social studies, the arts, and health and fitness…school districts shall annually submit an implementation verification report…  To meet the 2004 provisions districts should: Require one CBA per grade level or per social studies course from 3rd through 12th grade

Civics CBAs……… HB 2579 (2006)  Beginning school districts shall require students in the fourth or fifth grades, the seventh or eighth grades, and eleventh or twelfth grades to each complete at least one classroom-based assessment in civics.

What are the Social Studies Classroom-Based Assessments?  Definition: A classroom-based assessment (CBA) is a measure of student learning and progress while participating in a regular school learning situation.  The Social Studies CBAs are multi-stepped tasks or projects aligned to specific state standards (Social Studies EALRs), which target skills and knowledge necessary for engaged, informed citizenship.

Goals of the CBAs = Authentic Intellectual Work Goals of the CBAs = Authentic Intellectual Work  Construction of Knowledge  Disciplined Inquiry  Value Beyond School

“Authentic Intellectual Work” (Newmann) “Authentic Intellectual Work” (Newmann)  Construction of Knowledge : using or manipulating knowledge as in analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation, rather than only reproducing knowledge in previously stated forms.  Disciplined Inquiry: gaining in-depth understanding of limited topics, rather than superficial acquaintance with many, and using elaborated forms of communication to learn and to express one's conclusions.  Value Beyond School: the production of discourse, products, and performances that have personal, aesthetic, or social significance beyond demonstration of success to a teacher.

How should the CBAs be used/administered in the classroom?  Design As a centerpiece for instruction around a theme (e.g., social justice), topic (e.g., American Revolution), or key social studies concept (e.g., democracy).  Research Projects Students can do as part of the teaching process to demonstrate learning [Not stand alone]  “Individual student effort” (final response)

How flexible are the CBAs?  Teachers have a great deal of choice in how to use these assessments!  Choose when to include the performance in their teaching  Determine the content focus of the issue or question to be examined  Include additional rubrics  Whole class, group, or individual  Redesign the format

Is there any aspect of the CBAs that is not flexible?  The Rubric Page!  The CBAs require using the common rubrics that have already been developed, piloted, and vetted. While teachers can add to the rubric page for any CBA, they should not cut out any aspect of the rubric.

District Action Plan K-5 Implementation Develop  School centered learning communities  Implementation Plans for Integrating Social Studies  CBA unit models for 3-5 grade level  Web-based and professional development formats  CBA resources and starter libraries  A process to maintain a profile, database and resource network Deliver  Professional Development  Survey (at the end of )  Scoring Training

K-5 CBA Implementation Teacher Responsibility  Grades K-5 School centered learning communities develop implementation plans for integrating Social Studies EALRs K-5  Grades K-5 Begin social studies content integration scaffolding within reading and writing, building skills toward the CBAs  Grades 4/5 Pilot a Civics CBA “Whose Rules” or “You Decide”  Grades 3 Pilot a recommended grade level CBA

Tacoma Public Schools Social Studies CBA Support Network Teachers Students District Administration Principals Instructional Facilitators Department Chairs Teacher Librarians WLMA School Centered Learning Communities & Planning Team Relationships Language Arts The Arts Technology Community Resources

3 – 2 – 1 Reflection  3 Things we learned today:  2 Questions we have:  1 Thing we will do:

Contact Information Ginni Fay, Facilitator K-12 Social Studies / Health Fitness Curriculum & Instruction District Web Site: Tacoma Public Schools Curriculum & Instruction Web Site