Investigating Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting Hamilton Wentworth DSB Fri Apr 8, 2011 MaryLou Kestell

Learning Goals Creating and using assessment for and as learning to improve student engagement and achievement in mathematics Identifying success criteria for a unit of study Gathering assessment of and as learning data Evaluating based on a collection of data and a unit rubric

Day 1 : Instruction and Assessment Overview Growing Success What do math coaches need to know? What do teachers need to know? Planning a Unit of Study with Success in Mind Overall / Specific Expectations Articulate Success Criteria Define collaborative learning tasks Identify a collection of assessment data to be used for evaluation Create assessment recording forms, rubrics, and assessment of learning scoring guides to evaluate the unit Enhance chapter by creating strategies to be used throughout instruction Assessment for learning Assessment as learning

In Between Day 1 and Day 2: Instruction and Assessment Implementing the unit plan: Between Mar 1 and Apr 7 classroom teachers will: teach a unit on fractions (developed by us) while focusing on assessing for, as and of learning in order to improve student achievement gather all work from 5 students (sorted into piles of assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning) and bring in the student work to be analysed and evaluated by all of us.

Assessment for and as learning For Exit card Blue / red dots on index card (thumbs up / thumbs down or red-yellow- green) Turn and talk Think-pair-share Student identification of learning goal Observation (CIL form) Frayer model

Day 2: Evaluating Evaluating our experience Moving from Assessment to Evaluation Stop – Start – Continue What changes do we make? why? And how? Creating tools for math coaches / facilitators to use with teachers Assessment for learning Assessment as learning Assessment of learning Evaluating

Today, Apr 8, :30 - 9:15 Examining New Thinking Research about Learning and Purposes for Assessment 9:15 – 10:15Organizing and labeling Student Work Samples »(5 students per class) »Record class, student, work sample »(e.g., A1.01 that is Class A, Student 1, work sample.01,.02,.03, …,.10) 10:15 – 10:30 Break 10:30 – 11:00Moving from the Success Criteria to Unit specific Achievement Chart 11:00 – 12:00Holistically score student work samples : Level 1, 2, 3, 4. Record these scores (We need a centre for this.) 12:00 – 12:45Lunch 12:45 – 2:00Identify anchors for future assessment of Work Samples 2:00 – 2:30 Assign an Evaluation and write descriptive feedback based on Success Criteria 2:30 – 3:30Evaluating our Action Research - Report? - Next Steps for our Learning?

NEW ASSESSMENT IDEAS Revolution or evolution?

Research and thinking inform new practices Moving from a 20 th century thinking and research to a 21 st century view that recognizes new thinking and research about learning and the purposes of assessment

Reading The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture

Groups Separate the article into parts and have different people read different sections Highlight important parts and be ready to share. In your groups, appoint a time keeper a chair a recorder a reporter

20th Century Paradigm Behaviorist Learning Theories Test-teach-test Knowledge as bits Intelligence as innate, unitary, and fixed Psychology EducationMeasurement Schools as factories Educational objectives = jobs Achievement is the accumulation of bits of knowledge Objective tests to measure achievement Adapted from Shepard (2000)

Emergent Paradigm Intellect is socially and culturally developed Learners construct knowledge and understanding New learning shaped by prior knowledge Cognitive and Constructivist Learning Theories Reformed Vision of Curriculum Assessment All students can learn Encourage critical thinking and problem solving Fostering habits of mind A process rather than an event Students active in evaluation process Provides feedback for both teaching and learning Adapted from Shepard (2000)

Some basic premises All students can learn –All students need opportunities to show what they know and can do Learning is complex –Assessing learning is equally complex Assessment can inform learning –Assessment is ongoing and embedded in instruction

Shifts in mathematics assessment towards NCTM, 1995 From: Who is out front

Shifts in mathematics assessment Assessing students’ full mathematical power Giving students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their full mathematical power Basing inferences on multiple sources of evidence Viewing students as active participants in the assessment process Comparing students’ performance with established criteria Aligning assessment with curriculum and instruction Regarding assessment as continual and recursive Developing a shared vision of what to assess and how to do it Using assessment results to ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve their potential Holding all concerned with mathematics learning accountable for assessment results towards NCTM, 1995

Ontario policy statements – Growing Success Assessment as, for, and of learning Role of assessment in improving student learning Your responsibilities (e.g., transparent, ongoing, descriptive of actions that would improve achievement)

HWDSB AER Project This is what we have planned What issues do we need to address?

Moving from Success Criteria to Unit Specific Achievement Chart

Holistically Score Student Work Samples 1.Pile the work Into Levels 3-4 and Levels a) Go back through and examine again to determine the level 3s compared to level 4s b) Go back through and examine again to determine the level 2s compared to level 1s

Review the Student Work Samples As you do this… Identify samples of work that clearly show each area of the achievement chart. These would act as anchors for future evaluation of samples. Identify what information you are getting from each piece of work What “other” tools (e.g., checklist, rubric, scoring guide, marking scheme) would a teacher need to assign an “evaluation” to the work? Let’s discuss Do we separate (as, of, for?)

Review the Student Work Samples Use your empty Achievement chart to write in visible criteria for each area of the achievement chart. Describe –Level 4 student work –Level 3 student work –Level 2 student work –Level 1 student work Write descriptive feedback to students about what they need to do to improve a level

Evaluating our work: What did we learn? 1.about assessment for, as and of learning? 2.writing Success Criteria 3.using Success Criteria with students and teachers? 4.about additional tools teachers need to do this? 5.about what we need to continue to work on improving student achievement ?

Evaluating our work: What did we learn? 6.Creating tools for math coaches / facilitators to use with teachers Assessment for learning Assessment as learning Assessment of learning Evaluating

Before I show you what else is on the WIKI…

Exit Card: What does this mean to you? “ The purpose of assessment is to improve student learning.” Ontario Ministry of Education

But you need to know what you need to assess before you start your unit of study…

Tools for Writing Success Criteria