1. Assessment Literacy: a Necessary foundation in the state of Michigan
February 19, 2014 MSTC Clinic A 10:20-11:35 am

2. Session Purpose & Outcomes
Familiarize with NEW MI Assessment Literacy Standards
Explore implications of assessment literacy for variety of stakeholder groups
Gather your feedback regarding desired/necessary future PD, resources, tools.

3. Setting the Stage…
OUR CONTEXT

4. Remember society’s demands of its school:
ALL students lifelong learners
Narrow achievement gap among students
Universal graduation for students
All students ready for colleges or workplace training
Raise achievement levels students
excerpted Rick Stiggins MDE- DAS 2013 Fall Conference presentation

5. So, how are we doing so far?
NAEP scores have flat-lined for decades
Drop out rates remain stable and high; some are astronomical
USA’s place in international rankings stable
Excellent teachers and new teachers are leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers
excerpted Rick Stiggins MDE- DAS 2013 Fall Conference presentation
How many students drop out in the U.S. every day? 7,000. Eric Jensen presentation KCPIE 2/12/2013

6. Our Context: assessment in all of this…
Public accountability for test scores supposed to improve schools (local, state, national, international)
Linking federal funding to test scores supposed to improve schools
Writing tougher standards & tests—raising the bar supposed to improve schools
Competing for federal $ -- RtT, NCLB, -- supposed to improve schools…
Evaluating teachers based on annual test scores is supposed to improve schools
Adapted from Rick Stiggins MDE- DAS 2013 Fall Conference presentation

7. How is this possible? No assessment training for teachers or admins
Lack of assessment literacy among policy makers at local, state, and federal levels
Little awareness throughout of how to link assessment to teaching and learning
No norm for quality assessment in higher ed.
Aggressive selling of test services to unqualified users
Standards of quality ignore 99% of assessments
Technical apps exacerbate quality problems
excerpted Rick Stiggins MDE- DAS 2013 Fall Conference presentation

8. What is “Assessment Literacy”?
When thinking about a person being assessment literate, what might he/she believe, know, and be able to do?
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY—Time permitting.
Think about this question and jot down your thoughts on an index card. (3 mins)
With an elbow partner, talk about this question. (4 mins.)
**If you don’t do the Optional Activity, start here.**
Explain “assessment literacy”.
Assessment literacy is the set of beliefs, knowledge and practices about assessment that lead a ____ (fill in the blank; teacher, administrator, etc.) to use assessment to improve student learning and achievement.“ [Go to the next slide.]
The Assessment Literacy Standards created by the MAC answer this question.

9. Pause and Self-Assess

10. What does assessment involve?
Making expectations explicit and public
Setting appropriate criteria and high expectations for learning quality
Systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards….and
Using the resulting information to document, explain, modify, and improve performance.

11. ASSESSMENT LITERACY STANDARDS
Overview…
ASSESSMENT LITERACY STANDARDS

12. ALS Development The MAC has developed assessment literacy standards
These standards will describe the dispositions, knowledge and skills needed by all parties regarding student assessment
The goal is to provide a common basis for work to help all become more assessment literate

13. ALS Development
After internal review and revision, several external reviewers were asked to comment on the standards. These included:
Susan Brookhart
Carol Commodore
Margaret Heritage
Ken O’Connor
Jim Popham
Rick Stiggins
MASSP, MEMSPA and MASCD

14. Assessment Literacy Standards
Students and Parents
Teachers
Building Administrators
District
Administrators
Local and State Policymakers
Administrator Certification
Pre-service teachers
Standards were created for all these groups.
The assessment literacy standards roll-up into the next level. For example, some of the teacher standards are included in the principal standards, and so on.
This is by design. As a principal, you need to know a certain set of standards, and you also need to know some of the teacher standards.
Although these standards were created for K-12 education, we also see these as informing training and support at the higher-ed, in terms of pre-service teachers and administrator programs.

15. Assessment Literacy Standards
Dispositions
Knowledge
Performance
“What does an assessment literate person believe and know about assessment, and what is such a person able to do?“
We refer to these things as dispositions, knowledge, and performance.
These are the concepts/constructs within which specific, detailed standards were developed.

16. Standards are lettered and numbered for easy reference.
Let’s take a peek inside the standards for teachers so you can see how the structure is set up.

17. Individual Reflection on the Standards
Silently read and record on the standards document:
Feedback on the standards:
Clarifications/suggested revisions
Deletions
Additions
Strengths/positives regarding the standards
Implications for your practice
Individual Reflection (Total time = 20 minutes; 5 for directions, 15 for work time.)
[Explain the task first and then hand out the standards. One copy per person.]
Highlight items that need to be clarified in yellow and suggest revisions.
Clarifications (write in suggested revisions).
Deletions: cross out.
Additions: record in space provided at the back of the standards.
Strengths/positives: record in space provided at the back of the standards.
Ask: “What questions might you have about this activity?” [Answer questions.]
[Hand out copies of the standards.]
Let’s begin. Please read through the standards and respond to these Qs silently. We’ll do this activity for about 15 mins.
[Facilitator will need to keep track of time. ]

18. A Method to Review Multiple Standard Sets
Jigsaw
Groups of 3 or 4 receive a specific set of standards. The group jigsaws reading and reports the assigned reading to their group.
Once each group has read and reviewed their entire assigned set of standards, they report out to the whole group what their set of standards included.
WHILE READING, the group members record their feedback on the standards (clarifications, additions, etc.).
They discuss this and report it to the whole group.
[If you use multiple standards within one session, you want to be sure to tell people NOT TO delete items because the items seem redundant (are repeated in teachers, principals, etc.)] The repetition was done purposefully.

19. What are the Implications?
What are your thoughts about implications of the Assessment Literacy Standards …
For you?
For your building?
For your district?
For higher education?
Silently record your thoughts on an index card.
Give people index cards to write on.
“Individually and silently brainstorm implications about these standards. Record your thoughts and ideas on an index card.”
If participants need help getting started, provide the following prompts/ideas:
How might these standards be used by teachers, students, administrators, etc.?
What type(s) of PD activities might be needed?
What kinds of tools and resources might be needed to help educators learn and apply these standards?
How might these standards affect teaching and learning?
What might be some ways to connect higher education/pre-service teachers with these standards?
Ask a few people to share their thoughts/ideas.
Thank them for this part and move on to next steps.

20. Assessment Literacy for…
STUDENTS

21. Student Assessment Literacy
The documentation of student learning and progress now plays a primary role in how our schools and educational programs are evaluated. Assessment in all its forms (e.g., formative, summative, self-assessment) has become one of the biggest discussion points in education today. Educational accountability, must now be demonstrated in the classroom through the documented collection of student learning evidence.
-- Dr. Raymond Witte

22. “…assessment illiteracy is professional suicide…”
In the words of Popham…
“…assessment illiteracy is professional suicide…”
James Popham

23. Assessment Literacy for…
TEACHERS

24. Consider this…
Research suggests that teachers spend from one- quarter to one-third of their professional time on assessment related activities.
Almost all do so without the benefit of having learned the principles of sound assessment.
Rick Stiggins, 2007

25. Reflection – Agree or Disagree?
“A solid understanding of assessment issues should be part of every teachers’ knowledge base, and teachers should be encouraged to equip themselves with this knowledge as part of their ongoing professional development.”
Dr. Sara Cushing Weigle, Georgia State University

26. Final Reflections
“We owe it to ourselves and our students to devote at least as much energy to ensuring that our assessment practices are worthwhile as we do to ensuring that we teach well”
Dr. David Boud, University of Technology, Sydney

27. Assessment Literacy for…
BUILDING and
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS

30. Assessment Literacy Standards for Building-Level Administrators
There are different purposes for student assessment.
The definitions of and uses for different types of assessment
The differences between the types of assessment tools.
Promoting assessment literacy for self and staff

31. Assessment Literacy Standards for Building-Level Administrators
Providing time and support for staff to implement a balanced assessment system by providing opportunities to develop skills in: Scoring/Analyzing results
Leading dialogues with staff in interpreting results
Clearly explaining how to analyze and use assessment results
Clearly communicating results to various constituents

34. Assessment Literacy Standards for District-Level Administrators
There are different purposes for student assessment.
The definitions of and uses for different types of assessments
The different types of assessment methods and when educators should use each
How to develop or select high quality assessments
Promoting assessment literacy with staff

35. Assessment Literacy Standards for District-Level Administrators
Assuring that each and every staff member is:
A confident, competent master themselves of the targets that they are responsible for teaching
Sufficiently assessment literate to assess their assigned targets
Assisting teachers to collaboratively analyze and use data
Leading dialogues with staff in interpreting results and creating
goals for improvement
Clearly communicating results to various constituents

36. Assessment Literacy Standards and the School Improvement Framework
Standard 3:Assessment
Assessment System
Implements a balanced assessment system and ensures that summative and on-going formative assessments are aligned to curriculum and instruction
Classroom assessments are designed to be developmentally appropriate and are aligned to the depth of knowledge required to demonstrate proficiency with standards
Assessment Literacy Standards: Teachers
Knowledge
The definitions of and uses for different types of assessments
How to unpack standards into clear learning targets and that are written in student-friendly language and that are used as the basis for the everyday curriculum.

37. Assessment Literacy Standards and the School Improvement Framework
Shared Understanding
All educators can communicate the appropriate purposes and uses of assessment.
Reports of student data are communicated to students and parents in a manner that they can understand.
Dispositions
An effective assessment system must balance different purposes for different users and use varied methods of assessment and communication.
Performance
Communicate effectively with students, parents, other teachers and administrators about student learning.

38. Assessment Literacy Standards and the School Improvement Framework
I. Data Analysis and
Decision-Making
Educators use a combination of student achievement, demographic, process and perception data over time to make informed instructional decisions to meet individual student needs
Assessment data are used to place students, monitor progress and drive timely interventions.
Knowledge
There are different purposes for student assessment: Student improvement; Instructional program improvement; Student, teacher or system accountability: Program evaluation; Prediction for future performance or achievement
Different users have different assessment purposes
Different assessment purposes may require different assessment methods

39. Assessment Literacy Standards and the School Improvement Framework
J. Student Involvement in
the Assessment Process
Students understand the criteria and expectations for demonstrating their learning.
Students receive descriptive feedback based on student performance, as well as guidance on how to improve.
Students are taught how to self-assess and plan for improvement.
Students learn to track and use their own achievement data and related feedback to monitor, evaluate, and reflect on how to improve their own performance.
Knowledge
How to engage students in using their own assessment results for reflection and goal setting
How to provide effective feedback from assessments suitable for different audiences: descriptive vs. evaluative
Performance
Support student use of assessment feedback to improve attitudes, aspirations, mindsets and achievement.

40. Case Study…
POLICYMAKERS

41. Assessment Literacy Standards for Policy Makers
Balance is needed in an assessment system because: 1. Different users have different assessment purposes 2. Different assessment purposes may require different assessment methods There are different purposes for student assessment: 1. Student improvement 2. Instructional program improvement 3. Student, teacher or system accountability 4. Program evaluation 5. Prediction of future performance/achievement

42. Assessment Literacy Standards for Policy Makers
The differences between the types of assessments in a balanced system of assessment:
1. Summative Assessments Interim Benchmark Assessments Formative Assessment
There are different ways to measure student achievement; each has advantages and challenges.

43. Assessment Literacy Standards for Policy Makers
There are different ways to report results: 1. Norm-referenced interpretations 2. Criterion-referenced interpretations 3. When each type of interpretation may be more useful There are several essential technical standards for high quality assessments: 1. Reliability – Do the assessments produce replicable scores? 2. Validity – Is there evidence that supports the intended uses of the assessment? Assessments can be purchased or developed locally; each approach has advantages and challenges.

44. Assessment Literacy Standards for Policy Makers
There are a number of steps in the assessment development process to produce high quality assessments. Quality assessment of any type requires adequate funding and time. Users of the assessment require time to learn to administer and use the assessment results appropriately, and resources may be needed to carry out these activities. Should know which student measures are appropriate for teacher and administrator evaluation.

45. Assessment Literacy…
RESOURCES AND
NEXT STEPS

46. Putting the Standards to Use
Professional development for K-12 teachers, administrators, etc.
Workshops, full-length courses, tools and resources, etc.
Higher Education
Pre-Service Teachers, Administrator Certification
Future collaboration with other organizations (PD, development of public policy, etc.)
Here are some of the ways we envision putting the standards to use.
This concludes our session. Please put your index cards and standards docs in the middle of the table. I’m going to collect them to help us be sure to get all of your ideas. THANK YOU!
[Collect the index cards and the standards documents.]

47. Time to Process Now, think about two questions:
If Michigan educators had achieved these standards, what would be different in Michigan’s students?
If this is a preferred future, what would need to be done to push this vision forward?
You may wish to turn and talk about this for a few minutes add, to your index cards – we would like to collect these.

48. Thank You!
For more information about the MAC or the Assessment Literacy Standards please visit the MAC website.