The Assessment Investigation Sue Taylor-Foley Consultant for Research, Planning and Technology South Shore District School Board

Assessment is like solving a puzzle. You need to collect all the pieces so that you can evaluate the whole picture.

Let’s Investigate… What is assessment? What is Evaluation? How do teachers use these to inform inform instruction? What is the Grade 6 Literacy Assessment? How can this be used in context of classroom assessments?

Some who can read this will likely have no problem understanding this… K K3 *P2tog, YO*P2tog, K3 (33st) K K3*P*K3 K3 *inc1, K1*inc 1, K3 (47 st)

But, if you don’t knit it may seem like another language to you even if you can read what it says!

Still others will understand this without any difficulty. IM :-ll PCM L8R I CNT SPK WRK NW THNQ S.

But, if you don’t use text messaging on your cell phone or PDA this won’t be too familiar to you either. Translation of message- I’m angry, please call me later. I can’t speak I’m at work now. Thanks Sue

But, what if you didn’t understand those??? Does it mean you are not literate? What does it mean?

“The longer I write and read, the more I learn; writing and reading are lifelong apprenticeships…” By Donald M. Murray

Student literacy Reflects previous years of schooling Experiences at Home Communities Experiences Varied background experiences

Teachers address learning strengths and needs in the classroom. They use curriculum guides that are based on outcomes. They assess and evaluate students to inform their instruction. They build on student strengths and teach to develop their areas of need.

What is Assessment? Assessment is the process of gathering information on student learning.

What is evaluation? The process of analyzing, reflecting upon and summarizing assessment information and making judgments and/or decisions based on the information collected.

Assessment and Evaluation are not an issue of trial and error but one of informed decision making by looking at the whole student in a variety of ways.

Assessment + Evaluation (of outcomes being taught) = Informed Instruction

Variety of methods that teachers use to assess student literacy Portfolios Anecdotal Records Teacher made tests Checklists Outcomes tracking Analysis of written work Running records Miscue analysis Conferences Demonstrations Journals Presentations Rubics Observation Stage of reading development Stage of writing development Benchmark materials Self-assessments Surveys Questionnaires Video/audio tapes Projects

We also use… Provincial testing information when available.

Grade 6 Literacy Assessment October 14-17/03 -measured selected grade 5 Language Arts Outcomes

Language Arts Outcomes Measured

The Assessment Looked at a few selected outcomes that can be measured in this type of testing format. Looked at questions that challenged students at the comprehension and analysis levels of questioning.

Purpose of Assessment To monitor progress of students in meeting selected reading/viewing and writing outcomes from the ELA curriculum To identify struggling students so that support can be provided Also “assessing education system… let’s us know if system is working as we expect”

Who took the assessment? All grade 6 students in Nova Scotia Exception- students who have documented Individual Program Plans in Language Arts Students on Modified Programs did write with modifications noted on student response sheet

What was provided by the Department prior to the assessment? an information pamphlet to take home to their parents prior to testing A practice test and practice scantron sheet to complete ( on one poem section) the week prior to the assessment An information meeting (attended in June or on Oct. 6) A teacher information guide received in Sept. A practice test to use with students the week prior to testing Website on the Dept of Ed. for assessment For Students For Teachers

Test format- referenced to specific outcomes Reading and Viewing section (6 parts)  Short story  Information text (e.g. following instructions)  Visual media text  Information text (e.g. non-fiction)  Poetry  Information text (e.g.. Table of contents)  Questions are at Comprehension and Analysis levels  This section was answered on the scantron sheet provided

Specifically Students answered questions about a story they read about a Baby-Sitter Students answered informational questions about the information found on a box of Kraft Dinner Students answered questions about an advertisement from a Zoological Society on Giant Pandas Students answered questions on a pamphlet about Bats Students answered questions on a poem also about Bats

Writing Transactional writing (e.g.. Letter) –Ideas –Organization –Matters of correctness Literary Prose (e.g.. Narrative story) Ideas Organization Matters of correctness

Specifically Students had a letter writing task they were given –information to read before writing –planning to write –wrote a first draft –used a checklist to review their first draft –wrote their second and final draft –used a checklist to review their final draft Students were also asked to write a creative writing piece (some supports and guidelines were also given for this)

Then what happened? In November there was a marking session for the two writing sections in which a number of our grade 6 teachers took part. A computer at the Department of Education marked the Scantron section of the Assessment. Teachers receive an outcome by outcome report. Results will be distributed to students and parents from March Reports to Parents will indicate if their child has met expectations or not in reading and viewing and in writing.

Outcomes measured by Grade 6 Literacy Assessment Provides an additional piece of information Results can be used with other assessment information the teacher has collected Can be used when assisting students to reflect on and assess their own learning Data can be used to help reflect on ways to continuously improve the school program May identify students who are struggling. May provide a flag to look at other areas of strength or need a student may have in reading and/or writing.

Items to consider Classroom assessment is not based on a single test or measure Test results for the Grade 6 Literacy Assessment are received at least 4 months after students have taken the assessment and are based on outcomes from Grade 5 Only selected items that can be measured in this type of assessment are included Student results will be reported in limited terms.

Reports on the Assessment will indicate that this student has… Met the expectations in Reading and Viewing. Met the expectation in Writing. Not met the expectations in Reading and Viewing. Not met the expectations in Writing.

Supports for Struggling Students- Support is to begin/continue in Grade 6 Support is to continue in junior high Assessment Evaluation Instruction

What is happening currently to support readers and writers at your school?

Reading Recovery in Grade 1 Reduced class size in early grades In depth training on teaching reading in P-3 (AYR) Training in reading and writing teaching in 4-6 (AYR & WIA) Implementation of Active Readers in Junior High November Inservice focused on assessment, and the reading and writing connections. Additional classroom resources received from Province to support teacher professional growth and classroom reading collections. Literacy Mentor Consultant of Program Support Over 50 teachers involved in Leadership Teams Technology Mentors in most Elementary Schools

Those supports are in addition to… What your child’s teacher is doing to support learning on a daily basis in the classroom.