1. A District’s Journey Implementing Assessment For Learning Practices With Fidelity Missouri School Boards’ Association Annual Conference September 26, 2014

2. The District 32 schools 3 high schools 6 middle schools 20 elementary schools 3 early childhood centers Approximately 2400 employees 18,183 students 1441 teachers 65.1% with advanced degrees

3. The District 23.9% Caucasian population 75.1% Minority population 71.9 % African American 2.1% Hispanic 1.1% Asian 57.8% Students eligible for free/reduced lunch 2.8% Dropout rate 92.8% Graduate and attend higher education

4. The District Fully accredited Active, supportive, united and engaged Board of Education

5. Why is assessment literacy important?

6. “Innovations that include strengthening the practice of formative assessment produce significant and often substantial learning gains.” --Black & Wiliam, 1998, p. 140 Research

7. .4 to.7 gain.7 standard deviation score gain =  25 percentile points on Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)  70 SAT score points  4 ACT score points Largest Gains – Low Achieving Students! How much were the learning gains?

8. Assessment Literacy … describes the set of knowledge and skills educators need to gather information about student learning.

9. What’s the purpose of assessment? How do we use the results? Two Important Questions

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

11. 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

12. 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!

13. Goal To increase student achievement in the Hazelwood School District, we will implement, with fidelity, a balanced assessment plan incorporating the principles of Student-Involved Assessment For Learning in all classrooms by 2013-14. Informational Meeting

14. YEAR ZERO Where have we been?

15. "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." Margaret Mead Year Zero

16. The Conversation Rick Stiggins One chance for success Get it right the first time! Be deliberate Build capacity of District Leadership Team (*) Develop principals and teachers (*) Give them permission to lead (*) Build ownership Commit to the process (*) Year Zero

17. The Process January, 2011 Presented to initial overview Learning Leadership Team Presented to Teacher Advisory Committee Presented to Paul Alvord, HNEA President February, 2011 Presented to HNEA Executive Team March, 2011 Presented to Principals Asked principals to share with staff Presented to Curriculum Coordinators Presented to Special School District Area Coordinators Presented to Coordinator of Professional Development Year Zero

18. The Process April, 2011 Determined Steering Committee Attended Leading PD in Seven Strategies of Assessment FOR Learning - Naperville, Illinois) May, 2011 Sent HSD staff email to invite them to one of four informational meetings Submitted article in HSD Staff Talk regarding the Assessment Literacy Pilot Held first informational meeting June, 2011 Held second, third and fourth informational meetings Year Zero

19. The Process July, 2011 Attend Assessment Training Institute Summer Conference August, 2011 Held introductory meeting September, 2011 Held second meeting Year Zero

20. The Meeting At the table Assistant Superintendent Director of Professional Development President of the Teachers’ Association Forming the Committee Size Composition Year Zero

21. Composition NameYears Teaching GenderRaceArea of District Grade/ Subject Position Person 15 yearsMaleCaucasianWest9 th Science Teacher Person 212 yearsFemaleAfrican American Central2 nd Teacher Person 37 yearsMaleCaucasianCentral7 th Math Teacher/ Team Leader Person 415 yearsFemaleCaucasianWestPreK-5Principal Person 52 yearsFemaleIndian American East12 th ELA Teacher Person 620 yearsMaleAfrican American EastPreK-5Inst. Specialist Year Zero

22. Initial Steering Committee Alvord, Paul—President of Teachers’ Association Brown, Paula—Director of Professional Development Clifton, Gerri—Instructional Coach Dirnbeck, Susan—Learning Facilitator DuMont, JoAnne—Learning Facilitator Hinds, Tracy—Instructional Specialist Kelly, Jacqui—Principal McPherson, Lisa—Teacher Muse, Angie—Teacher Reiter, Crystal—Principal Rizzo, Mike—Teacher Tobias, Grayling—Assistant Superintendent Year Zero

23. Our Learning Training, Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Bonding Leadership Laying the groundwork Year Zero

24. Seven Strategies Training Naperville, Illinois - April, 2011

25. May 18, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ The Learning Center Board of Education Room June 1, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. @ The Learning Center Board of Education Room June 1, 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. @ The Learning Center Board of Education Room June 8, 3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. @ Hazelwood Central Fieldhouse Volunteer Teacher Meetings

26. Cohort A Informational Meetings 2011

27. Learning Teams Two to six individuals who have committed to meet regularly for an agreed amount of time guided by a common purpose.

28. ATI Conference July, 2011

29. YEAR 1 Where have we been?

30. Cohort A 220 volunteers Two books: Main Text: Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Support Text: Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Expectation: read, attend, implement Paid for meeting attendance Year One

31. Meeting Parameters Monthly Choice of meeting days Central location Mixed PreK-12 grouping Facilitated by the steering committee Year One

32. YEAR 2 Where have we been?

33. Cohort B 445 volunteers Not paid for attendance One text: Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Expectation: read, attend, implement, and keep a portfolio. Year Two

34. Cohort B Introductory Meetings 2012

35. Cohort B Training 2012-2013

36. Cohort A – Year 2 Training 188 volunteers Not paid for attendance Two books: Main Text: Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Support Text: Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Expectation: read, attend, implement, and keep portfolio.

37. Cohort A Training 2012-2013

38. Tom Schimmer Training February 27 and 28, 2013

39. Building Leader Training March, 2012 Teacher Leaders and Administrators

40. Honor and Recognize! Individual Certificates for Cohort A and Cohort B April, 2013

41. Celebrate! April, 2013

42. Student Training Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee High School students were introduced to the strategies their teachers will be using in the classroom.

43. Parent Training Parents Key Communicator Training sessions One Training/Introduction during 2011-2012 Two Trainings during 2012-2013 Strategies 1-3 Strategies 4-7

44. Board Training Board of Education Overview and Board updates two times in public session during 2011-2012 2012-2013 Board was extensively trained in Workshop and Public Session All seven strategies were introduced – a modified version of the teacher training

45. YEAR 3 Where have we been?

46. The Summer Institute Three day training (Supported by presenters from ATI) July 22, 23, 24 Voluntary – over 600 attendees Lays the foundation for the year’s upcoming professional development Differentiated (Learners classified as Year One, Year Two, or Year Three.) 979 out of 1441 teachers trained Year Three

47. The Summer Institute Year Three Seven Strategies Cohort C – First Year of Learning 2013-14

48. The Summer Institute Year Three Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Cohort B – Second Year of Learning 2013-14

49. The Summer Institute Year Three Assessment Literacy Grading Practices Cohort A – Third Year of Learning 2013-14

50. Assessment Literacy Parent Night

51. Parental Support

53. Importance of Celebration District Building Leader End of the Year Celebration 2013-14

54. 2013 – 2014 Steering Committee

55. What are the results?

56. 2014 District Highlights Four schools earned between 70% – 79% of the points Ten schools earned between 80% – 89% of the points Seven schools earned between 90% – 98.6% of the points *** Three schools earned 100% of the points *** District: 82.9%

57. HSD Earns National Recognition from Pearson Barrington Elementary Cold Water Elementary Garrett Elementary McCurdy Elementary Walker Elementary

58. Barrington Elementary

59. Cold Water Elementary

60. Garrett Elementary

61. McCurdy Elementary

62. Walker Elementary

63. REFLECTION What have we learned?

64. What We’ve Learned Cultivate teacher leadership Teacher presentations and videos Expanding steering committee Developing building leaders

65. What We’ve Learned Support leaders’ learning Additional training Planning discussions Presentation skills

66. What We’ve Learned Consider accountability Feedback via collegial conversations. Feedback via walk- throughs. Feedback via evaluation tools.

67. What We’ve Learned Learning spirals. At first, strategies bent to fit schema. Transformation of philosophy is slow.

68. What We’ve Learned Process develops leaders. New roles – teacher leaders, building teacher of year, team leaders, coaches, curriculum coordinator, assistant principals, principals, assistant superintendents, superintendent.

69. What We’ve Learned Board involvement and support are crucial to success

70. Get Started, Go Slow, Don’t Stop!

71. Ms. Desiree D. Whitlock, Master CBM*, President Dr. Brenda C. Youngblood Ph.D., Advanced CBM*, Vice President Mr. Karlton Thornton, Master CBM*, Secretary Mr. Mark Behlmann, Master CBM*, Treasurer Mrs. Ann Gibbons, Master CBM*, Director Mrs. Cheryl Latham, Advanced CBM*, Director Mr. Chuck Woods, Master CBM*, Director

72. Contact Information Dr. Grayling Tobias, Superintendent, Hazelwood School District gtobias@hazelwoodschools.org THANK YOU!

73. A District’s Journey Implementing Assessment For Learning Practices With Fidelity Missouri School Boards’ Association Annual Conference September 26, 2014