Today’s Training Topic: Formative Assessment On the index card write: your name grade level(s) taught your favorite subject/content to teach two things you hope to learn from this training

Formative Assessment Background and Basics

Why Index Cards?? Prime Brain All students have the expectation that they may need to provide input. Make sure students have a chance to be successful. Do not call on students as a classroom management technique.

Calling on Students “Random” Every student has opportunity to be selected, each time. Eliminates teacher bias- equal distribution of student involvement Quick, user-friendly Can also be used for easy grouping

We/I pledge to… Have fun, but take our learning seriously. Avoid flat butt/achy back syndrome Focus discussion about what is best for kids To let you know why I am doing what I am doing during the training.

Essential Questions What makes effective classroom assessments? What are the differences between formative and summative assessments? What is formative assessment? Why is it so important? What are the components of formative assessment? What are some examples of formative assessments and when would I use them?

What their professors are thinking… “We taught ‘em; they just didn’t learn it.

How do we know that our students are learning what we intended them to learn? This cartoon depicts what happens when we make assumptions?

What is assessment? What makes up effective classroom assessment? Assessment is the process of collecting information. In the classroom, it is the gathering of evidence of student learning and a tool that informs and encourages student growth. Assessment is the process of collecting information. In the classroom, it is the gathering of evidence of student learning and a tool that informs and encourages student growth. Effective assessment provides evidence of student performance relative to content and performance standards. It provides teachers and students with insight into student errors and misconceptions and helps lead the teacher directly to action. As educators, we should strive to create and maintain effective classroom assessment practices, including both high-quality formative measures and summative assessments. Effective assessment provides evidence of student performance relative to content and performance standards. It provides teachers and students with insight into student errors and misconceptions and helps lead the teacher directly to action. As educators, we should strive to create and maintain effective classroom assessment practices, including both high-quality formative measures and summative assessments.

Stand and Deliver Protocol Choose a group facilitator and recorder. Facilitator stands in the center of a circle formed by his/her table group members. He/she will read aloud the answers to the questions on the slide to the group. Group members form a circle around the facilitator, close their eyes and raise hands high when the facilitator reads any important words or phrases. The recorder circles/highlights words that group members have indicated are important (raised hands). Recorder shares results with the table group.

What Is assessment? What makes up effective classroom assessment? Assessment is the process of collecting information. In the classroom, it is the gathering of evidence of student learning and a tool that informs and encourages student growth. Assessment is the process of collecting information. In the classroom, it is the gathering of evidence of student learning and a tool that informs and encourages student growth. Effective assessment provides evidence of student performance relative to content and performance standards. It provides teachers and students with insight into student errors and misconceptions and helps lead the teacher directly to action. As educators, we should strive to create and maintain effective classroom assessment practices, including both high-quality formative measures and summative assessments. Effective assessment provides evidence of student performance relative to content and performance standards. It provides teachers and students with insight into student errors and misconceptions and helps lead the teacher directly to action. As educators, we should strive to create and maintain effective classroom assessment practices, including both high-quality formative measures and summative assessments.

When teachers’ classroom assessments become an integral part of the instructional process and a central ingredient in their efforts to help students learn, the benefits of assessment for both students and teachers will be boundless. -Thomas Guskey

Types of assessment Diagnostic Assessment – to identify preconceptions, lines of reasoning, and learning difficulties Formative Assessment- planned process in which teachers or students use assessment-based evidence to adjust what they are currently doing Summative Assessment – measures and documents the extent to which students have achieved the learning target ESC 12/SLC October 2010/Teach Learn-Gen Ed

Formative: when the cook tastes the soup. Summative: when the guests taste the soup. Analogy 1

If we think of our children as plants … Summative assessment of the plants is the process of simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare and analyze measurements but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the plants. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their needs - directly affecting their growth. Cultivating our Garden Analogy 2

Expert-Speak Jigsaw Protocol Eight experts will be sharing their best thinking about Formative Assessment. 1.Divide the 8 summaries amongst your group members. 2.Each member will read his/her summary and take notes over the important ideas shared by the expert. 3.When the group has completed the reading/writing, each person will share notes from his/her expert. The goal is for the entire group to have notes written down for all 8 experts. 4.As a group, record the common threads (ideas) that surfaced from the 8 expert summaries.

Definition of Formative Assessment- CCSSO Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

Evolution of Definitions “… often means no more than that the assessment is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching.” (Black and Wiliam, 1999) “… provides feedback which leads to students recognizing the (learning) gap and closing it … it is forward looking…” (Harlen, 1998) “ … includes both feedback and self-monitoring.” (Sadler, 1989) (Sadler, 1989) “… is used essentially to feed back into the teaching and learning process.” (Tunstall and Gipps, 1996) Formative assessment

Characteristics of Formative Assessments They are assessments for learning, not assessments of learning. Designed to assist learning, not grading. Make students’ thinking visible to themselves and to others.

Key Features of Formative Assessment Formative assessment is a process not any particular test. Formative assessment is a process not any particular test. Formative assessment takes place during instruction. Formative assessment takes place during instruction. The function of this feedback is to help teachers and students make adjustments to improve students’ achievement of the intended learning targets. The function of this feedback is to help teachers and students make adjustments to improve students’ achievement of the intended learning targets.

What about the research? John Hattie, who reviewed 7,827 studies on learning and instruction reached this conclusion… John Hattie, who reviewed 7,827 studies on learning and instruction reached this conclusion… “The most powerful single innovation that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops’ of feedback.” The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops’ of feedback.”

Components of Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment Help teachers make adjustments that will help ensure students achieve, standard-based learning goals within a set time frame, as soon as they see the understanding of the students. Four main points for formative assessment according to research, which include questioning, feedback through grading, peer- and self- assessment, and formative use of summative test.

Questioning Preparing questions allows an opportunity for deeper thinking and provides teachers with significant insight into degree of understanding. Helping students ask better questions is another aspect of this formative assessment strategy. “Wait time” has to be increased to several seconds to give the students time to think and everyone should be expected to contribute to discussion. Follow-up activities have to be rich, in that they create opportunities to extend and apply students’ understanding.

Feedback Through Grading One of the key concepts of engaging students in the assessment of their own learning is providing them with descriptive feedback as they learn. Written tasks, alongside oral questioning, should encourage students to develop and show understanding of the key features of what they have learned. Comments should identify what has been done well and what still needs improvement and give guidance on how to make that improvement. Opportunities for students to respond to comments should be planned as part of the overall learning process.

Peer- and Self-Assessment Students need to be involved both as assessors of their own learning and as resources to other students. Students should be taught the habits and skills of collaboration in peer assessment, both because of intrinsic value and because peer assessment can help develop the objectivity required for effective self-assessment. Students should be encouraged to keep in mind the learning targets of their work and assess their own progress toward meeting these targets as they proceed. Then they will be able to guide their own work and become independent learners.

Formative use of Summative Test When a comprehensive assessment program at the classroom level balances formative and summative student learning/achievement information, a clear picture emerges of where a student is relative to learning targets and standards. Students can be engaged in a reflective review of their work to enable them to plan their revision effectively. Students can be encouraged to ask questions and mark answers so as to gain an understanding of the assessment process and further refine their efforts for improvement. Students should be encouraged through peer and self assessment to apply criteria to help them understand how their work might be improved.

Exit Pass As a result of today’s workshop, how has my understanding of formative assessment changed?