Assessment Literacy in a Standards-Based Urban Education Setting Norman L. Webb Wisconsin Center for Education Research University of Wisconsin-Madison American Educational Research Association New Orleans, LA April 2, 2002 Session 13.1 Supported by a grant from the Joyce Foundation

General Research Question: What capacity is needed in the district to implement successfully a Balanced Assessment Program?

Organizational Structure Schools Leadership Educational Services Research and Assessment Curriculum/ Instruction Technology Technical Services

Definition of Assessment Literacy The knowledge about how to: assess what students know and can do, interpret the results from these assessments, and apply these results to improve student learning and program effectiveness.

Assessment and Standards History in MPS 1991K-12 Teaching and Learning Goals Grade 4 Writing Performance Assessment 1993School-to-Work Program State WKCE grades 4, 8, and Curriculum specialists begin work on grade-level expectations Grades 11 and 12 Mathematics Performance Assessment 1996MPS School Board Adopts Graduation Requirements Middle School Proficiencies (Grade 8 in 2000) High School Graduation Requirements (Grade 12 in 2004)

Assessment and Standards History in MPS (continued) District administers performance assessments in writing, math, science 1997State requires all districts to adopt standards 1998MPS School Board Adopts K-12 Academic Standards and Grade- Level Expectations (ELA, M, SCI, SS) 2000MPS School Board adopts Balanced Assessment System 2000Middle School Proficiencies goes into effect 2001Longitudinal assessment Rdg/ELA, Math grades 3, 5, 6, 7, Middle School Proficiencies phased out

MPS Balanced Assessment System Grade ExternalInternal State Assess- ments Longitudinal Assessments Classroom-Based Assessments Central Assessments School-Site Assessments 4 K5Rdg 1, Writing 1, Math 1 2 3WRCTMathWritingRdg, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 4WKCE 2 Rdg, Writing, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 5Rdg/ELA, MathWritingRdg, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 6Rdg/ELA, MathWritingRdg, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 7Rdg/ELA, MathWritingRdg, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 8WKCE 2 Rdg, Writing, ELA, Math, Sci, SS 9Rdg/ELA, MathELA, Math, Sci, SS 10WKCE 2 ELA, Math, Sci, SS 11HSGT 3 ELA, Math, Sci, SS 12HSGT 3 ELA, Math, Sci, SS

MPS Balanced Assessment System (continued) Notes: 1 Beginning with the school year, results from the Wright Group’s On-the- Mark Assessment will provide data for the Reading and Writing Classroom Assessments in K5-2 across all schools districtwide. 2 WKCE subtests include: Writing, Rdg/ELA, Math, Science (Sci), Social Studies (SS). 3 HSGT subtests include: ELA, Math, Science (Sci), and Social Studies (SS). 4 School-site classroom assessments will be scored and recorded at the schools. Central Services will provide examples of assessments in each content area that model a standards-based approach, but schools will be able to select or develop their own assessments instead. Results from Classroom Assessments in K-8 will be recorded as proficiency levels and results in will be recorded as GPAs for the purposes of student accountability under Promotion and Graduation Requirements, Policy Board approved assmt sy#1B7.xlsMPS Office of Research and AssessmentRevised: June 2001

Teachers’ Needs as Perceived by Curriculum Specialists Ability to write classroom assessments based on standards Using assessments to inform instruction Understanding that assessment is not just testing Different methods and strategies of assessment Aligning curriculum with standards Awareness of teaching standards Looking at student work and scoring it Lack of reliability and consistency among teachers in scoring Evaluating grade-level work

Initial Two-hour Workshop Design I.Assessments types II.Uses for different assessments III.Types of assessment items IV.Types of scoring schemes V.Measuring students’ attainment of standards

System Criteria Quality of Assessments Saturation Alignment with Standards

Other Issues Reaching all teachers in the district Standardize the use of rubrics by the content areas Attend to student work in assessment development