LeaPS Learning in Physical Science February 24, 2011 A MSP Grant through KDE and Administered by University of Kentucky PIMSER Math and Science Outreach Welcome!

Project Goals for LeaPS Overall goal: Students will learn targeted physical science concepts (structure and transformation of matter, force & motion) Goal 1: Enhance teacher content and pedagogical knowledge of targeted physical science concepts Goal 2: Improve Teacher Instructional Practices Goal 3: Enhance Administrator Support

Review from December Assessment Of vs For Content: Reaction Rates ELA Science Literacy Standards

The Plan for Today Literacy Standards and EXPLORE Models & Modeling Content: Conservation of Mass & Evidence for Atoms Formative Assessment

Literacy Standards for Science Learning Targets: –To identify CCR implications and connections to EPAS.

P12 Math Science Outreach7 Overview of EPAS Purpose of: –EXPLORE: To determine readiness for freshmen year of high school –PLAN: To predict ACT score –ACT: To predict success for freshmen year of college. Accountability: –Provide interventions for students not meeting benchmarks Science Test Format: –EXPLORE-28 items, 30 minutes –PLAN-30 items, 25 minutes –ACT-40 items, 35 minutes

P12 Math Science Outreach8 Three Formats Data representation (graphs, tables, and other schematic forms) Research summaries (descriptions of one or more related experiments) Conflicting viewpoints (expressions of several related hypotheses or views that are inconsistent with one another)

Let’s Take the Each of you will be taking ½ of the science test. You will have 16 minutes. Please work alone.

Where do you stand? Examine the national, state, and school data. Where is your school with respect to national and state trends? Do you notice any trends in science? How do your science scores compare to other subjects?

What was required? Think back to the items on the EXPLORE. Why do students struggle with this test (besides the time factor)? In order to be successful on these items what skills, knowledge, and/or competencies would students have to have? Work with a partner and generate a list.

What are the Instructional Implications? What are we doing currently to help students meet the rigor of this kind of assessment? In order to improve student performance, what types of instructional and assessment experiences do we need to provide?

How can the Literacy Standards help? Examine each strand in the reading standards and identify the key expectations for each strand. Compare these expectations with your earlier generated lists. If students meet these standards at the end of each grade band, would you predict that their performance would improve? Will they be more CCR?

Literacy Standards for Science Learning Targets: To identify CCR implications and connections to EPAS. What are some implications for instructional design based on your comparison?

Scientific Models Learning Target –I can synthesize information from different sources to refine my personal definition of scientific models. –I can identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for my classroom/school.

Scientific Models Find a quote concerning scientific models that is either closest to your personal definition or that you have questions about. Have a standing meeting and discuss the quote, your definition, and/or your questions with the group by that quote. Determine a summary statement about the quote and discussion as a group.

Scientific Models Complete the left-hand side of the anticipation guide concerning scientific models. Read the article, “Models are the Building Blocks of Science,” and complete the right-hand side of the anticipation guide. Individually, identify any discrepancies pre- and post-reading. Reflect upon why you might have had or not have had these discrepancies.

Scientific Models As a school team, discuss the following: Why might it be important to purposefully develop students’ understanding of modeling in science? How are we currently addressing modeling for each grade level? Identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for your school.

Scientific Models Learning Target –I can synthesize information from different sources to refine my personal definition of scientific models. –I can identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for my classroom/school.

Let’s Move Into Grade Level Tables 1 table-- 8 th grade 1 table-- 7 th Grade 2 tables-- 6 th Grade

Content Building

Formative Assessment Learning Target: –I can explain the research on the benefits of FA. –I can formulate a rule for formative assessment. –I can evaluate assessment scenarios for FA attributes.

Why Use AFL? What does the Research Say?

Research consistently shows that regular, high-quality FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT increases student achievement.

Research on Effects Black and Wiliam (1998) International Research Review –.4 to.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain –Largest Gain for Low Achievers – les/2009/02/blackbox_article.pdfhttp://blog.discoveryeducation.com/assessment/fi les/2009/02/blackbox_article.pdf Bloom (1984) Mastery Learning Research 1.0 S.D. Gain Rivals One-on-One Time

Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Formative Assessment:.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain= 25 Percentile Points ITBS (middle of score range) 70 SAT Score Points 4 ACT Score Points Markedly Reduced Score Gaps Largest Gain for Low Achievers

We know of NO OTHER WAY OF RAISING STANDARDS for which such a strong case can be made on the basis of evidence of such large learning gains. - Black and Wiliam, 1998

Unprecedented Gains Achieved Through High Impact Practices: Increased descriptive feedback, reduce evaluative feedback (CASL Chs. 2, 7, 9) Increased student self- and peer- assessment (CASL Chs. 1, 2, 5, 11,12) Increased opportunities for student to communicate their evolving learning during the teaching (CASL Chs. 1, 9, 12) Source: Inside the Black Box (Black & Wiliam)

Formative Assessment: Three Guiding Questions Where are you trying to go? Where are you now? How can you get there?

We must overcome the awful inertia of past decades. Michael Fullan

Balanced Assessment Goal of SB 1 Summative Provides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness Assessment for learning Use assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning Formative uses of summative data Use of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students Formative Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed Assessment for learning Use classroom assessments to inform teacher’s decisions

OF or FOR: Which is it? SAT Thumbs up/Thumbs down Clickers Final exam Mid-week Quiz An essay Science Journals Football Practice Science Experiment Class Discussion Socratic Seminar Commercial online skills assessment Exit/Entrance Slip A Speech ACT Band Tryouts

One More Look Examine the types of assessment on Table 3-3. Based on the descriptors, decide if the use is formative or summative.

Agree or Disagree Read the statements and mark whether you agree or disagree. Use pp in the CASL book to check your answers. Please complete the after reading portion at the bottom of this sheet.

What’s the Rule? In light of the previous activities, develop your rule for determining if an assessment is formative or summative.

Five Attributes that Render FA Most Effective Learning Progression –Clearly articulated sub-goals of the ultimate learning goal Learning Goals and Criteria for Success Descriptive Feedback –Evidenced based feedback that is linked to the instructional outcomes and criteria for success Self- and Peer- Assessment Collaboration –Teachers and students are partners in learning.

Classroom Vignettes Examples and Counter-examples of FA Individually, read vignette 1. Determine if FA practices are present and provide justification for your reasoning. Discuss with an elbow partner.

Classroom Vignettes A Examples and Counter-examples of FA Number off 2-5 at your table, if more than 4 people, keep numbering. Read the vignette that corresponds to your number. Determine if FA practices are present or not and justify your choice. Starting with vignette 2, provide an overview of your vignette, and share your justifications. Compare your responses to the rationales provided by the FAST/SCASS project through CCSSO.

Classroom Vignettes B Formative Assessment in Practice Read the first vignette. Analyze your assigned vignettes using the 5 attributes of effective formative assessment and discuss with your table. Working in pairs, select 2 different vignettes from the seven that remain. Highlight where you see the attributes evidenced. Provide a brief overview of your vignettes and indicate how it aligned with the five attributes. As each table pair shares, begin to look across the vignettes and focus on ways one attribute appears across multiple vignettes.

Does your rule work? Thinking back to the vignettes you have discussed, did the formative assessment rule you developed earlier work? Modify your rule if necessary.

“Bubble” Probe How can the probe be used formatively? What FA attributes could be used with this probe to increase student achievement?

What about your own assessments? Examine the assessment examples/list that you have used. Which of these assessments were used formatively? Summatively? Do your formative assessments align with your rule? What changes may you need to make?

So What? What are the implications for….. –…Student Motivation? –…Assessment Literacy? –…Balanced Assessment? –…Instruction?

Formative Assessment Learning Target: –I can explain the research on the benefits of FA. –I can formulate a rule for formative assessment. –I can evaluate assessment scenarios for FA attributes.

Next Meeting Prep: Educational Leadership Skim the article “Every Day in Every Classroom”. Select an assessment strategy that you have never used before. Utilize this strategy before the next meeting. Be prepared to discuss in March—bring student samples if appropriate.

The Plan for Today Literacy Standards and EXPLORE Models & Modeling Content: Conservation of Mass & Evidence for Atoms Formative Assessment

For Next Time Our next meeting will be March 17 th at the Morehead Conference Center. Read article Every Day in Every Classroom. Pick 1 strategy from article to try with students—bring back results to May meeting.