A Formative Assessment System That Really Works Lee Ann Pruske, MTS Kim O’Brien, MTL Milwaukee Public Schools National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Indianapolis, IN April 13, 2011

In this session participants will: Examine how teacher teams utilize a formative assessment system to improve teaching and learning of mathematics.

Comprehensive Mathematics Framework

Constructed Response Problem You have 12 blocks. Some of the blocks are black and some of the blocks are green. There are no other blocks of any color. There are three times as many black blocks as green blocks. What fraction of the blocks are green?

MMP Learning Team Continuum Aligned with Formative Assessment Principles (1) Prior to teaching, teachers study and can articulate the math concepts students will be learning. (2) Teachers use student-friendly language to inform students about the math objective they are expected to learn during the lesson. (3) Students can describe what mathematical ideas they are learning in the lesson. (4) Teachers can articulate how the math lesson is aligned to district learning targets, state standards, and classroom assessments (CABS), and fits within the progression of student learning. (5) Teachers use Classroom assessments that yield accurate information about student learning of math concepts and skills and use of math processes. (6) Teachers use assessment information to focus and guide teaching and motivate student learning. (7) Feedback given to a student is descriptive, frequent, and timely. It provides insight on a current strength and focuses on one facet of learning for revision linked directly to the intended math objective. (8) Students actively and regularly use descriptive feedback to improve the quality of their work. (9) Students study the criteria by which their work will be evaluated by analyzing samples of strong and weak work. (10) Students keep track of their own learning over time (e.g., journals, portfolios) and communicate with others about what they understand and what areas need improvement. Stage 1 Learning Targets Stage 2 Align State Framework and Math Program Stage 3 Common CABS Stage 4 Student Work on CABS Stage 5 Descriptive Feedback on CABS Understand importance of identifying and articulating big ideas in mathematics to bring consistency to a school’s math program. Develop meaning for the math embedded in the targets and alignment to state standards and descriptors and to the school’s math program. Provide a measure of consistency of student learning based on standards/descriptors and targets. Examine student work to monitor achievement and progress toward the targets and descriptors. Use student work to inform instructional decisions, and to provide students with appropriate descriptive feedback.

Assessment for learning Assessment for learning is about far more than testing more frequently or providing teachers with evidence so they can revise instruction, although these are part of it. Assessment for learning must actively involve students. Richard Stiggins

Milwaukee Public Schools F. J. Gaenslen Elementary School o K4-8 th grade o 690 students o87% Free & Reduced Lunch o46% Special education o 47 classroom teachers o7 special education resource teachers o16 MRP units (24% of students) o 1 Math Teacher Leader

F. J. Gaenslen Grade Level Meeting Structure Who- grade level teachers and special education resource teacher (K5-8) When- 45 minutes weekly- alternating between literacy and math ◦ Students are in gym, art, library Embedded school-wide practice since Monthly staff meetings- cross grade level discourse opportunities

Formative Assessment Process at Gaenslen School ( ) 8 times a year from October - May Grade level teams chose a common constructed response problem ◦ 5 times aligned to current classroom content instruction ◦ 3 times district “on demand” prompts by grade level Administer prompt with students Sort work by math criteria- usually 3 piles Teachers write descriptive feedback on the student work Mini lesson addressing student misconceptions Students retake assessments Second attempts are scored and used summatively Adjust next steps on teaching concepts

Student Work with Feedback Effective feedback is differentiated by student needs Student A- detailed and open ended Student B- less wordy, very direct, specific Student C- more directed, less narrative

Gaenslen Record Keeping 3 point rubric ◦ 0, 1 point for correct math answer ◦ 0, 1, 2 points for process First try (pre feedback) Second try (post feedback ) ◦ Used summatively to generate semester proficiency scores ◦ Local data for School Improvement Plan

Next Steps - Plan for Year 2 Teacher buy-in of formative assessment process was cemented Students in all grades improved their ability to communicate their mathematical reasoning on constructed response problems Next steps to increase the cognitive demand of Constructed Response problems

Life Happens - Budgets Happen May MPS teachers laid off Gaenslen lost 6 teachers 7 teachers new to the school 5 teachers changed grade levels ◦ Net change of 18 of 31 teachers MTL and principal remained the same, with same mathematics focus Impact on school was to rebuild the new teams using common assessments and descriptive/effective feedback

Year 2: Continue with process described at all grade level meetings Differentiate Based on Teacher needs ◦ Some teams revised CR prompts to increase cognitive demand ◦ Some teachers began including student-to- student feedback

Research by: John Hattie “ The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”

2010 Wisconsin State Assessment Results F.J. Gaenslen School increased student mathematics proficiency 4.2% as a whole school measure

T he Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP), an initiative of the Milwaukee Partnership Academy (MPA), is supported with funding from the National Science Foundation Resources: Lee Ann Pruske, MTS Kim O’Brien, MTL