1. CFA Seminar 2 1 1 Common Formative Assessments: The Power of Assessments For Learning Somers Public Schools Session #2 Somers Public Schools Session #2

2. CFA Seminar 2 2 2 Essential Question How do Common Formative Assessments connect to other powerful instruction and assessment practices?

3. CFA Seminar 23 Guiding Questions  What are Common Formative Assessments?  What are the components of a quality common formative assessment?  What are the benefits of using common formative assessments to both teachers and students?  What are Common Formative Assessments?  What are the components of a quality common formative assessment?  What are the benefits of using common formative assessments to both teachers and students?

4. CFA Seminar 24 Our Learning Objective Improve our assessment literacy through deeper understanding of the assessment-design process.

5. CFA Seminar 2 5 5 Part 2: Laying The Standards Foundation  Overview of 10 Design Steps  Steps 1-6  Overview of 10 Design Steps  Steps 1-6

6. CFA Seminar 26 Assessment of Only Highest Priority Standards “It is critical that all of the assessed standards be truly significant. From an instructional perspective, it is better for tests to measure a handful of powerful skills accurately than it is for tests to do an inaccurate job of measuring many skills.” W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, 2003, p. 143

7. CFA Seminar 27 Laying The Standards Foundation: Steps 1-6 Step 1: Choose Important Topic Step 2: Identify Matching Priority Standards Step 3: “Unwrap” Matching Priority Standards Step 4: Create Graphic Organizer Step 5: Determine the Big Ideas Step 6: Write the Essential Questions Step 1: Choose Important Topic Step 2: Identify Matching Priority Standards Step 3: “Unwrap” Matching Priority Standards Step 4: Create Graphic Organizer Step 5: Determine the Big Ideas Step 6: Write the Essential Questions

8. CFA Seminar 28 Step 1: Choose an Important Topic to Assess  With colleagues, identify a topic in your selected content area that is essential for students to understand.  Topic examples: sound-letter relationships, making text connections, persuasive writing, informational text, plants, cells, subtraction with regrouping, linear equations, fraction- decimal equivalency, U.S. Constitution, etc.  With colleagues, identify a topic in your selected content area that is essential for students to understand.  Topic examples: sound-letter relationships, making text connections, persuasive writing, informational text, plants, cells, subtraction with regrouping, linear equations, fraction- decimal equivalency, U.S. Constitution, etc.

9. CFA Seminar 29 Step 2: Identify Matching Priority Standards  Review the Priority Standards for your individual grade or course.  Identify those essential standards that match your chosen topic.  Limit the number you select so you can develop a sufficient number of assessment items for each one.  Review the Priority Standards for your individual grade or course.  Identify those essential standards that match your chosen topic.  Limit the number you select so you can develop a sufficient number of assessment items for each one.

10. CFA Seminar 210 Step 2: Identify Matching Priority Standards  5.2.3Recognize main ideas presented in texts and provide evidence that supports those ideas.  5.2.4Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge.  5.2.5Contrast facts, supported inferences, and opinions in text.  5.2.3Recognize main ideas presented in texts and provide evidence that supports those ideas.  5.2.4Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge.  5.2.5Contrast facts, supported inferences, and opinions in text.

11. CFA Seminar 211 Step 3: “Unwrap” Selected Priority Standards  Identify the key concepts (important nouns or noun phrases) by underlining them.  Identify the skills (verbs) by making them bold.  Identify the key concepts (important nouns or noun phrases) by underlining them.  Identify the skills (verbs) by making them bold.

12. CFA Seminar 212 Step 3: “Unwrap” Matching Priority Standards  5.2.3Recognize main ideas presented in texts and provide evidence that supports those ideas.  5.2.4Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge.  5.2.5Contrast facts, supported inferences, and opinions in text.  5.2.3Recognize main ideas presented in texts and provide evidence that supports those ideas.  5.2.4Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge.  5.2.5Contrast facts, supported inferences, and opinions in text.

13. CFA Seminar 213 Step 4 : Create Graphic Organizer  Enables you to represent each of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills in a way that makes sense to you in bulleted list, concept map, or outline  Reveals “at a glance” all the learning targets (concepts and skills)  Referencing graphic organizer sharply focuses instruction and assessment.  Enables you to represent each of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills in a way that makes sense to you in bulleted list, concept map, or outline  Reveals “at a glance” all the learning targets (concepts and skills)  Referencing graphic organizer sharply focuses instruction and assessment.

14. CFA Seminar 214 Step 5: Determine Big Ideas  Big Ideas are what you want your students to discover on their own as a result of instruction and learning activities.  Big Ideas represent the main ideas, conclusions, or generalizations about the “unwrapped” concepts and skills in a focused instructional unit of study.  Should be drawn from your curriculum documents  Big Ideas are what you want your students to discover on their own as a result of instruction and learning activities.  Big Ideas represent the main ideas, conclusions, or generalizations about the “unwrapped” concepts and skills in a focused instructional unit of study.  Should be drawn from your curriculum documents

15. CFA Seminar 215 Big Idea Definitions Big Idea  An open-ended, enduring idea that may apply to more than one area of study (broad)  Student-worded statement arising from an integrated understanding of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills just studied (topical)  The student’s answer or response to a related Essential Question! Big Idea  An open-ended, enduring idea that may apply to more than one area of study (broad)  Student-worded statement arising from an integrated understanding of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills just studied (topical)  The student’s answer or response to a related Essential Question!

16. CFA Seminar 216 Broader Big Ideas Broader Big Ideas are the generalizations derived from one area of study that connect to and can be found in several subject matter areas. People can justify their conclusions with observable data.

17. CFA Seminar 217 Topical Big Ideas Topical Big Ideas relate primarily to the inherent understanding in a particular course of study or section of the standards. The position of a digit determines its value in a number.

18. CFA Seminar 218 Examples of Topical Big Ideas  Objects can be compared, classified, and sorted by their different attributes.  Knowing who one is writing for is essential to engaging the readers.  Mathematical formulas and estimates both provide shortcuts for determining needed mathematical information.  Objects can be compared, classified, and sorted by their different attributes.  Knowing who one is writing for is essential to engaging the readers.  Mathematical formulas and estimates both provide shortcuts for determining needed mathematical information.

19. CFA Seminar 219 Step 5 Activity: Determine the Big Ideas  Review your “unwrapped” concepts on graphic organizer.  Decide the main or essential understandings you want students to realize on their own by the time they take the common formative (post-) assessment (draw from curriculum documents).  Transfer to the CFA Planning Template  Review your “unwrapped” concepts on graphic organizer.  Decide the main or essential understandings you want students to realize on their own by the time they take the common formative (post-) assessment (draw from curriculum documents).  Transfer to the CFA Planning Template

20. CFA Seminar 2 20 Questions, Not Statements Will stimulate student curiosity to find the answers

21. CFA Seminar 221 Guidelines for Writing Essential Questions  Can you write engaging questions that lead your students to discover the Big Ideas on their own?  Can you make your Essential Questions open-ended?  Can you write questions that take students beyond who, what, where, and when to how and why?  Use curriculum document questions and rewrite in “kid-friendly” terms.  Can you write engaging questions that lead your students to discover the Big Ideas on their own?  Can you make your Essential Questions open-ended?  Can you write questions that take students beyond who, what, where, and when to how and why?  Use curriculum document questions and rewrite in “kid-friendly” terms.

22. CFA Seminar 222 Essential Questions to Guide Instruction & Assessment From “ Unwrapping ” the Standards, Larry Ainsworth, 2003. What are literary devices? Why do authors use them? (Literary devices enhance and deepen fiction ’ s impact upon the reader.) What are literary devices? Why do authors use them? (Literary devices enhance and deepen fiction ’ s impact upon the reader.) This is an example of a “one-two punch” question. The Big Idea in parentheses is an appropriate response to the second question.

23. CFA Seminar 223 Examples of Topical Big Ideas With Corresponding Essential Questions  How is one group of objects different from another? (Objects can be compared, classified, and sorted by their different attributes.)  How can an author “capture” an audience? (Knowing who one is writing for is essential to engaging the readers.)  Why learn mathematical formulas? How do estimation and formulas work together? (Mathematical formulas and estimates both provide shortcuts for determining needed mathematical information.)  How is one group of objects different from another? (Objects can be compared, classified, and sorted by their different attributes.)  How can an author “capture” an audience? (Knowing who one is writing for is essential to engaging the readers.)  Why learn mathematical formulas? How do estimation and formulas work together? (Mathematical formulas and estimates both provide shortcuts for determining needed mathematical information.)

24. CFA Seminar 224 Step 6 Example: Reading Comprehension Essential Questions With Corresponding Big Ideas 1. Are main ideas by themselves enough for us to believe them? (Main ideas must be supported with evidence from text and supporting details.) 2. What are conclusions and generalizations? How do we arrive at them? (We draw conclusions and make generalizations from what we read and from our own experiences.) 3. Facts, opinions, inferences! What’s the difference, and why should we know? (Knowing the differences between facts, opinions, and inferences helps you make your own decisions about what you read.) 1. Are main ideas by themselves enough for us to believe them? (Main ideas must be supported with evidence from text and supporting details.) 2. What are conclusions and generalizations? How do we arrive at them? (We draw conclusions and make generalizations from what we read and from our own experiences.) 3. Facts, opinions, inferences! What’s the difference, and why should we know? (Knowing the differences between facts, opinions, and inferences helps you make your own decisions about what you read.)

25. CFA Seminar 225 Step 6 Activity: Write the Essential Questions  Look again at your Big Ideas.  What questions could you ask students that would lead them to discover your Big Ideas (draw from curriculum documents)?  Write your Essential Questions on the CFA Planning Template  Can you include any “one-two punch” questions?  Check: Do your Big Ideas answer or respond to your Essential Questions?  Look again at your Big Ideas.  What questions could you ask students that would lead them to discover your Big Ideas (draw from curriculum documents)?  Write your Essential Questions on the CFA Planning Template  Can you include any “one-two punch” questions?  Check: Do your Big Ideas answer or respond to your Essential Questions?

26. CFA Seminar 226 Using Essential Questions To Establish Student Learning Goals  Teachers post in the classroom the Essential Questions and share them with students at the beginning of an instructional unit.  Establish student learning goal – to be able to answer or respond to the Essential Questions with student-worded Big Ideas by end of instructional unit!  Teachers post in the classroom the Essential Questions and share them with students at the beginning of an instructional unit.  Establish student learning goal – to be able to answer or respond to the Essential Questions with student-worded Big Ideas by end of instructional unit!

27. CFA Seminar 227 Benefits of Essential Questions  Teachers use as instructional filter for selecting lessons and activities that advance student understanding toward Big Ideas  Students develop their understanding of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills as they move through instruction and activities.  Teachers use as instructional filter for selecting lessons and activities that advance student understanding toward Big Ideas  Students develop their understanding of the “unwrapped” concepts and skills as they move through instruction and activities.

28. CFA Seminar 228 Benefits of Essential Questions  Promote students’ integrated understanding of “unwrapped” concepts and skills in their Big Idea responses.  The third section of the common formative assessment requires students to respond to the Essential Questions with the Big Ideas stated in their own words and supported by explanation.  Promote students’ integrated understanding of “unwrapped” concepts and skills in their Big Idea responses.  The third section of the common formative assessment requires students to respond to the Essential Questions with the Big Ideas stated in their own words and supported by explanation.

29. CFA Seminar 2 29 Break Time!

30. CFA Seminar 230 Writing Assessment Items to Get at Identified Standards/Skills Step 7: Write Selected-Response Items. Step 8: Write Constructed-Response Items (extended- or short-). Step 7: Write Selected-Response Items. Step 8: Write Constructed-Response Items (extended- or short-).

31. CFA Seminar 231 First Know Your Purpose  The purpose of assessment, in general, is to find out what your students know and are able to do with regard to the standards you are teaching.  The purpose of Common Formative Assessments, in particular, is to evaluate your students’ understanding of the Priority Standards.  The purpose of assessment, in general, is to find out what your students know and are able to do with regard to the standards you are teaching.  The purpose of Common Formative Assessments, in particular, is to evaluate your students’ understanding of the Priority Standards.

32. CFA Seminar 232 Then Determine Evidence Needed To Make Inference  Once the essential purpose of assessment is identified, educators must ask the critical question: “What kinds of assessments will provide the best evidence as to whether students have met this singular purpose?”  Once the essential purpose of assessment is identified, educators must ask the critical question: “What kinds of assessments will provide the best evidence as to whether students have met this singular purpose?”

33. CFA Seminar 2 33 The Two Major Assessment Formats 1.Selected-Response 2.Constructed-Response 1.Selected-Response 2.Constructed-Response

34. CFA Seminar 234 Types of Selected-Response  Requires students to select one response from a provided list or provide very brief answer  Types include: multiple-choice, True/False, matching, short answer or fill-in from provided list  Requires students to select one response from a provided list or provide very brief answer  Types include: multiple-choice, True/False, matching, short answer or fill-in from provided list

35. CFA Seminar 235 Selected-Response: Benefits and Drawback  Benefits: Student answers can be quickly and objectively scored as correct or incorrect. Can be used to efficiently assess students’ knowledge of factual information, main concepts, and basic skills.  Drawback: Tends to promote recall or memorization of factual information, rather than evidence of higher-level understanding—unless items deliberately designed to do so.  Benefits: Student answers can be quickly and objectively scored as correct or incorrect. Can be used to efficiently assess students’ knowledge of factual information, main concepts, and basic skills.  Drawback: Tends to promote recall or memorization of factual information, rather than evidence of higher-level understanding—unless items deliberately designed to do so.

36. CFA Seminar 236 Reasons FOR Selected-Response  Better content domain sampling  Higher reliability  Greater efficiency  Objectivity  Measurability for higher-level thinking  Mechanical scoring  Better content domain sampling  Higher reliability  Greater efficiency  Objectivity  Measurability for higher-level thinking  Mechanical scoring T. M. Haladyna, Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking, 1997, pp. 65-66

37. CFA Seminar 237 Reasons AGAINST Selected-Response  Emphasis on learning of isolated facts (“Multiple choice testing can lead to multiple choice teaching.”)  Inappropriate for some purposes (writing and creative thinking)  Lack of student writing (unless part of assessment design)  Emphasis on learning of isolated facts (“Multiple choice testing can lead to multiple choice teaching.”)  Inappropriate for some purposes (writing and creative thinking)  Lack of student writing (unless part of assessment design) T.M. Haladyna, Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking, 1997, pp. 66-67

38. CFA Seminar 238 Multiple-Choice To Assess Higher Level Thinking? Common myth is that multiple choice items ONLY assess lower-level thinking skills (recall of information, etc.) and therefore will not be appropriate for evaluating students’ higher-level thinking skills.

39. CFA Seminar 239 Dispelling the Myth  “Research has not yet been done to prove this point (that multiple choice items can only assess lower-level thinking). If you want to measure understanding and some types of mental skills and abilities, multiple-choice formats can be written to measure these behaviors effectively.” T. M. Haladyna, Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking, 1997, p. 98

40. CFA Seminar 240 No Research Support Favoring One Assessment Format “There is simply no body of assembled research indicating that one of these item- types is superior to the other.”  Challenge: Can you write selected- response items to assess students’ higher- level thinking skills as indicated by rigor in “unwrapped” skills? “There is simply no body of assembled research indicating that one of these item- types is superior to the other.”  Challenge: Can you write selected- response items to assess students’ higher- level thinking skills as indicated by rigor in “unwrapped” skills? W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, 2003, p. 64

41. CFA Seminar 241 Constructed-Response  Includes short-response (words, phrases, single sentences, computation, etc.) and extended-response (multiple sentences or paragraphs)  Requires students to organize and use knowledge and skills to answer a question or complete a task  Includes short-response (words, phrases, single sentences, computation, etc.) and extended-response (multiple sentences or paragraphs)  Requires students to organize and use knowledge and skills to answer a question or complete a task

42. CFA Seminar 242 Constructed-Response  More likely to reveal whether or not students have gained integrated understanding with regard to standards they are learning  Requires scoring guide (rubric) to evaluate degree of student proficiency  More likely to reveal whether or not students have gained integrated understanding with regard to standards they are learning  Requires scoring guide (rubric) to evaluate degree of student proficiency

43. CFA Seminar 243 Constructed-Response Items Benefit and Drawbacks  Benefit: Provide teachers with more valid inferences about student understanding than those derived from selected-response items  Drawbacks: Take longer to score; can have errors in design; dependent on student writing proficiency; challenge to score accurately  Benefit: Provide teachers with more valid inferences about student understanding than those derived from selected-response items  Drawbacks: Take longer to score; can have errors in design; dependent on student writing proficiency; challenge to score accurately

44. CFA Seminar 244 More Valid Inferences from Constructed Response “Because a student really needs to understand something in order to construct a response based on that understanding, students’ responses to these sort of items will better contribute to valid inferences (about their actual levels of mastery) than will students’ answers to selected-response items.” W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, 2003, p. 87

45. CFA Seminar 245 How Many Items to Write? “A good guideline for making decisions regarding percentage of importance for each learning target is that the percentage of instructional time and percentage of assessment items should be roughly equal.” R. J. Stiggins, J. Arter, J. Chappuis, and S. Chappuis, Assessment for Learning: An Action Guide For School Leaders, 2004, p. 114.

46. CFA Seminar 246 The Best Guideline  Remember the purpose of your assessment.  Then ask, “How many total items do I need in order to be able to make an accurate inference as to what students know and can do?”  Limit the total number of items so that student papers can be quickly scored and the results used right away.  Remember the purpose of your assessment.  Then ask, “How many total items do I need in order to be able to make an accurate inference as to what students know and can do?”  Limit the total number of items so that student papers can be quickly scored and the results used right away.

47. CFA Seminar 247 A Multiple-Measure Assessment  Our model of common formative assessment includes:  One or more selected-response types  One extended-response item  Student Big Idea responses to Essential Questions  Using a “multiple-measure” assessment enables educators to make more accurate inferences.  Our model of common formative assessment includes:  One or more selected-response types  One extended-response item  Student Big Idea responses to Essential Questions  Using a “multiple-measure” assessment enables educators to make more accurate inferences.

48. CFA Seminar 2 48 Writing First-Draft Assessment Items Specific Item Writing Guidelines Step 7: Write Selected-Response Items Step 8: Write Constructed-Response Items Specific Item Writing Guidelines Step 7: Write Selected-Response Items Step 8: Write Constructed-Response Items

49. CFA Seminar 249 General Guidelines for Effective Item Writing  Reflect higher-order instructional objectives  Students should not be able to answer solely from memory—must apply their knowledge, not just recall it  Reflect higher-order instructional objectives  Students should not be able to answer solely from memory—must apply their knowledge, not just recall it W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, ASCD, 2003.

50. CFA Seminar 250 General Guidelines for Effective Item Writing  Questions should be based—in part—on new material (i.e. be able to read or interpret graph they have never seen before)  Be brief and clear—goal is to “test mastery of material, not students’ ability to figure out what you’re asking”  Questions should be based—in part—on new material (i.e. be able to read or interpret graph they have never seen before)  Be brief and clear—goal is to “test mastery of material, not students’ ability to figure out what you’re asking” W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, 2003. R. J. Stiggins, Student-Centered Classroom Assessment, 2 nd ed., 1997, p. 134.

51. CFA Seminar 251 Five Roadblocks to Effective Item-Writing 1.Unclear directions 2.Ambiguous statements 3.Unintentional clues 4.Complex phrasing 5.Difficult vocabulary 1.Unclear directions 2.Ambiguous statements 3.Unintentional clues 4.Complex phrasing 5.Difficult vocabulary W. J. Popham, Test Better, Teach Better, 2003, p. 64

52. CFA Seminar 252 Criteria for Writing Selected-Response Items 1.Write clearly in a “sharply focused manner.” 2.Ask a question with only one best answer. 3.Write items consistent with grade-level reading expectations. 4.Eliminate clues leading to correct answer. 5.Make response options brief. 1.Write clearly in a “sharply focused manner.” 2.Ask a question with only one best answer. 3.Write items consistent with grade-level reading expectations. 4.Eliminate clues leading to correct answer. 5.Make response options brief. Adapted from R. J. Stiggins, Student- Centered Assessment, 2001.

53. CFA Seminar 253 Step 7 Activity, Section 1: Write Selected-Response Items  Choose the particular types (multiple-choice, true-false, matching, fill-in from provided list) that will best meet your purpose.  Continue writing items while referencing the specific criteria provided. (Note: You may wish to review the two or three multiple-choice items you have already written to decide whether or not they meet the specific guidelines.)  Choose the particular types (multiple-choice, true-false, matching, fill-in from provided list) that will best meet your purpose.  Continue writing items while referencing the specific criteria provided. (Note: You may wish to review the two or three multiple-choice items you have already written to decide whether or not they meet the specific guidelines.)

54. CFA Seminar 254 Step 7 Activity, Section 1: Write Selected-Response Items  Remember to design items to match level of rigor in skills!  For multiple-choice, first write the stem; next write the correct/best answer; then write the distracters.  Remember to design items to match level of rigor in skills!  For multiple-choice, first write the stem; next write the correct/best answer; then write the distracters.

55. CFA Seminar 255 Resources for Common Formative Assessment Items  Textbook questions* (that meet criteria for well-written items)  Assessment or evaluation components* of text series  State website for released state exam questions  Textbook questions* (that meet criteria for well-written items)  Assessment or evaluation components* of text series  State website for released state exam questions *Check for permission to duplicate any copyrighted material.

56. CFA Seminar 256 Online Question Banks  NAEP (The Nation’s Report Card) http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ITMRLS/ http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ITMRLS/  State websites with released assessment items  “Banks” of teacher-created common formative assessments following this model  NAEP (The Nation’s Report Card) http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ITMRLS/ http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ITMRLS/  State websites with released assessment items  “Banks” of teacher-created common formative assessments following this model

57. CFA Seminar 257 Step 8 Activity, Section 2: Write Constructed-Response Items  Refer to your “unwrapped” concepts, skills, and Bloom’s Taxonomy levels on your template.  Decide what types of constructed-response items you will write (one extended-response or a few short-response).  Practice writing items referencing the specific criteria provided.  Design items to match level of rigor in skills!  Refer to your “unwrapped” concepts, skills, and Bloom’s Taxonomy levels on your template.  Decide what types of constructed-response items you will write (one extended-response or a few short-response).  Practice writing items referencing the specific criteria provided.  Design items to match level of rigor in skills!