Welcome to the Educator Enhancement Academy English Language Arts and Literacy Grades 6-12 We are glad you are here! Day 3

Discussion – Day 2 Exit Slips Facilitating Day 2

Question Formulation Technique 1.Provide a question focus: Smarter Balanced Assessment 2. Participants brainstorm questions. 3. Participants revise and edit questions. 4. Participants prioritize questions. 5. Participants and facilitator agree on next steps. 4

Table Discussion At your tables, share the information you found on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium website as you were looking for answers to your questions.

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A Balanced Assessment System Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness All students leave high school college and career ready Teachers and schools have information and tools they need to improve teaching and learning Interim assessments Flexible, open, used for actionable feedback Summative assessments Benchmarked to college and career readiness Teacher resources for formative assessment practices to improve instruction

>K-12 Education, >Teachers

>K-12 Education, >Teachers

>K-12 Education, >Common Core State Standards Tools and Resources

>K-12 Education, >Common Core State Standards Tools and Resources, >Sample Items and Tasks for ELA/Literacy – Higher Education Webinar

>Smarter Balanced Assessments

ELA Claims Overall Claim for Grades 3–8 “Students can demonstrate progress toward college and career readiness in English language arts and literacy.” Overall Claim for Grade 11 “Students can demonstrate college and career readiness in English language arts and literacy.”

ELA Claims Claim #1 – Reading “Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts.” Claim #2 – Writing “Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences.” Claim #3 – Speaking and Listening “Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.” Claim #4 – Research/Inquiry “Students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.”

Taking a Look at Sample Items rg/itempreview/sbac/ELA.htm rg/itempreview/sbac/ELA.htm

Quick Write How will the Smarter Balanced Assessment system affect classroom instruction and assessment practices in our classrooms?

LUNCH

Evidence-Centered Design

The three basic elements of ECD are: 1.Stating the claims to be made about the test takers. 2.Deciding on the evidence that is required to support the claims, and 3.Administering the test items that provide the required evidence.

Evidence-Centered Design Definition Evidence –Centered Design provides a chain of evidence-based reasoning linking assessment performance to the claims to be made about test takers.

Using Evidence-Centered Design to Guide Instructional Design What evidence is required given the expectations set forth in the identified objective(s)? What are the key features that must be included in the assessment item? Will the item I have created allow for the production of the evidence I am seeking? Is there anything about this item that may make it more difficult to collect evidence from some students?

After Researching Sample Task Task: After researching ______________(informational texts) on _____________ (content), write ___________(essay or substitute) that argues your position on _____________(content). Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. (Argumentation/Analysis)

After Researching Sample Task Task: After researching informational and biographical texts on the legacy of Henry Ford and the Wright brothers, write an essay that argues your position on which of these inventors had the most impact on modern American society. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position. Additional templates can be found at

Task Requirements Use exact wording of the task template. Watch for alignment with the CCSS Literacy Standards at appropriate grade level. Consider additional standards (Learning Skills and Technology Tools) –as well as the CCSS for speaking and listening- in addition to reading and writing at appropriate grade level. Add appropriate state content standards Provide source information for standards you use Use an exact rubric and include in module

A Great Teaching Task Addresses content essential to the discipline, inviting students to engage deeply in thinking and literacy practices around that issue. Makes effective use of the task template’s writing (also do not forget speaking) type (argumentation, information/explanation or narrative) Selects reading texts that use and develop academic understanding and vocabulary

A Great Teaching Task, cont. Designs a writing prompt that requires sustained writing and effective use of ideas and evidence from the reading tasks Establishes a teaching task that is both challenging and feasible for students, with a balance of reading demands and writing demands that works well for the intended grade and content.

Rigor and Relevance A Acquisition B Application C Assimilation D Adaptation KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE TAXONOMYTAXONOMY Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Understandin g Awareness APPLICATION MODEL KnowledgeApply in discipline Apply across disciplines Apply to real world predictable situations Apply to real-world unpredictable situations

The Rigor/Relevance Framework A Acquisition B Application C Assimilation D Adaptation Relationships KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE TAXONOMYTAXONOMY Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Understanding Awareness APPLICATION MODEL KnowledgeApply in discipline Apply across disciplines Apply to real world predictable situations Apply to real- world unpredictable situations

What does instruction that leads to students having the skills, knowledge and understandings necessary to provide this type of evidence of their learning look like?

Debriefing and Planning Smarter Balanced Assessment Evidence Centered Design

Quick Write What can you do to ensure your students are ready for the Smarter Balanced Assessment in ?

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Facilitation Skills What does it mean to facilitate another person’s learning?

The biggest difference between training and facilitating is the difference in the ratio of learner involvement vs. trainer involvement. A good facilitator’s only job is to get the participants to come up with questions and answers.

Characteristics of the Facilitator One who is committed to…. “asking” rather than “telling.” Paying personal compliments Asking for other’s opinions rather than always having to offer their own Emoting but being able to be restrained when the situation requires it. Drawing energy from outside themselves rather than from within Basing decisions upon intuitions rather than having to have the facts

Characteristics of the Facilitator One who is committed to…. Demonstrating sufficient self-confidence that they can look someone in the eye when talking with them Being more persuasive than sequential Being more enthusiastic than systematic Being more like a coach than a scientist Being more like a counselor than a sergeant Keeping the big picture in mind while working on the nitty-gritty

Competencies of the Facilitator Uses time and space intentionally Is skillful in evoking participation and creativity Is skilled in reading the under-lying dynamics of the group Maintains personal integrity Is capable of maintaining objectivity Assumes responsibility for the group journey Demonstrates professionalism, self confidence, and authenticity

Qualities of an Effective Facilitator Organization skills Listening for understanding Observing nonverbal messages Questioning (as opposed to telling) skills Conceptual and systemic thinking (ability to put it all together) Knowledge of content fits the outcomes Setting up learning environment by posing problems, questions, tools and other means to stir the mind and body to learn.

Qualities of an Effective Facilitator Ability to use out-going participants to get the discussion rolling and then shut them down and make room for the quiet ones Ability to sense when a quiet person or an important person has something to contribute Ability to pace discussion and change the level of discussion at appropriate time (from brainstorming to evaluation to decision to action planning) Ability to steer the group in a positive direction and to help it pull out of a problem or salvage any degree of agreement there may be so that the session can end on a positive note with a sense of direction

Anyone who is willing to be flexible and not bound by, or slave to, their natural social style can be a facilitator.

Training is a process whereby a trainer (who has subject matter expertise, adult learning understanding, and presentation skills) leads a group of trainees in acquiring new skills, knowledge or understanding. Usually there is some measureable outcome whether it is the performance of some job skill or the acquisition of some information.

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