Using Classroom Data to Drive Classroom Instruction Peggy Dersch and Jana Reiter Assessment FOR Learning

You will have an opportunity to... Expand your view of the PURPOSE of assessment. Begin to think about how to use FORMATIVE assessments to make instructional decisions. What is this about?

What’s the purpose of assessment? How do we use the results? Pair and Share:

The Testing Explosion 1940’sCollege admission 1950’sCommercial tests 1960’sDistrict-Wide testing 1970’sStatewide testing 1980’sNational Assessment 1990’sInternational assessments 2001NCLB legislation This is all about SORTING the kids AFTER the learning.

Two Purposes for Assessment SUMMATIVE Assessments OF Learning How much have students learned as of a particular point in time? FORMATIVE Assessments FOR Learning How can we use assessment information to help students learn more?

Another way to look at it... Teach a unit---give a test. Teach another unit—give a test. At the end, give a really big test! Teach...assess the learning....teach some more...assess the learning... adjust my teaching...assess the learning...is this working?...adjust the teaching TEST! These are SUMMATIVE assessments These are FORMATIVE assessments

Possible Assessment Methods  Selected Response  Multiple Choice  True/False  Matching  Fill in  Extended Written Response  Performance Assessments  Personal Communication  Questions  Conferences  Interviews

Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Formative Assessment:  Feedback is frequent  Students are involved  Results USED to adjust teaching and learning  Use can affect motivation of learners Largest Gain for Low Achievers

THREE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap? Plan learning experiences and instruction. Determine acceptable evidence. What is my learning target?

The Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Where am I going? 1.Provide a clear statement of the learning target 2.Use examples and models Where am I now? 3.Offer regular descriptive feedback 4.Teach students to self-assess and set goals How can I close the gap? 5.Design focused lessons 6.Teach students focused revision 7.Engage students in self-reflection; let them keep track of and share their learning AND TEACHERS!

George’s Math Test Two teacher samples Your turn! Using the assessment you brought, try assigning a “learning target” to a few items. How Formative Assessments can help kids and teachers

What if your STUDENTS could analyze their own learning, according to your targets? “You Be George” How Formative Assessments can help kids and teachers

A: How does this help George? B: How does this help George’s teacher? How Formative Assessments can help kids and teachers Timed Pair Share:

Primary Motivator Student’s Role Teacher’s Role Assessment OF Learning Assessment FOR Learning Follow test administration procedures Itemize targets, inform students, involve students, adjust teaching Joy of learning and expectation of success. Strive to see the target, use results to do better next time Promise of reward, fear of punishment Strive for highest score/avoid failure

Assessment: Two Purposes Assessment of Learning (Summative) Assessment for Learning (Formative) strives to document student achievement. diagnoses a student’s strengths and weaknesses by providing results that are unique to individual students. provides summative results at the end of a unit or course of study. informs students about themselves and helps them learn how to take charge of their own progress.

Two Purposes—Boiled Down Assessment OF Learning Assessment FOR Learning Essential Question: What have students learned? Essential Question: How can we help students learn more?

It’s not really the assessment that is different, it’s how it is USED. If it’s used to grade the learning that has occurred, it is summative (OF). If it’s used to gauge where we are and where we still need to improve, it’s formative (FOR). Two Purposes—Boiled Down

A second key of assessment for learning... Evaluative vs. Descriptive Feedback

Dig up some memories... Think of a time when YOU were assessed, and the experience was positive. Think of a time when YOU were assessed, and the experience was negative. Share in your groups...

What Makes Feedback Effective? Describes features of work or performance Points out strengths and gives specific information about how to improve Relates directly to the learning targets and/or standards of quality

Descriptive or Evaluative? Try harder next time. 70% You maintained eye contact with your audience throughout your whole presentation.

Descriptive or Evaluative? What you have written is a hypothesis because it is a proposed explanation. You can improve it by writing it as an “if....then....” statement. Your work is consistently above average.

Descriptive or Evaluative? B+ Good work! You made some simple mistakes with multiplying three-digit numbers. Next time, take a few minutes when you’ve finished to check your work.

The hopeless response... I don’t understand. I have no idea what to do. I’m no good at this anyway. I give up. “I got a D. I always get Ds in math.”

The productive response... I understand the results. I know what to do next. I’m okay. I choose to keep trying. The student’s emotional reaction to results will determine what that student does in response!

The Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Where am I going? 1.Provide a clear statement of the learning target 2.Use examples and models Where am I now? 3.Offer regular descriptive feedback 4.Teach students to self-assess and set goals How can I close the gap? 5.Design focused lessons 6.Teach students focused revision 7.Engage students in self-reflection; let them keep track of and share their learning

Balanced Assessment Summative Provides evidence of 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

Is there anything you have learned today that you could utilize within 10 days? Is there anything else you could utilize within three weeks? Think time..... Talk time... The Ten Day Test