1 Assessing our Classroom Olympians NSCTA Olympics: Training for Change September 26, 2008 Bethany Brunsman & Leslie Lukin, ESU #18.

1

Assessing our Classroom Olympians

NSCTA Olympics: Training for Change

September 26, 2008

Bethany Brunsman & Leslie Lukin, ESU #18

2

What is Assessment?What is Assessment?

a process of gathering data to determine what students know & are

able to do; and to determine how much they have learned.

ExamplesExamples::Traditional ‘tests’Traditional ‘tests’

Student demonstrations/performancesStudent demonstrations/performances

ObservationsObservations

Other forms of professional judgmentOther forms of professional judgment

Affective data—perception, anxiety, self-reflectionAffective data—perception, anxiety, self-reflection

Other data such as graduation rates, attendance, Other data such as graduation rates, attendance, behaviorbehavior

3

Students

Curriculum

Instruction Assessment

What is assessed must align with what is essential to learn.

The what and how of instruction must align with what is essential to learn.

The what and how of assessment must align with the what and how of instruction.

The system should align with student needs, ways of

knowing/doing, etc.

4

Represents a collection of evidence, Represents a collection of evidence, not an eventnot an event

Planned for prior to instructionPlanned for prior to instruction Aligns with the content of learningAligns with the content of learning Aligns with the context of learningAligns with the context of learning Supports student learning against Supports student learning against

standardsstandards Supports instructional Supports instructional

decisions/adjustmentsdecisions/adjustments Occurs formally and informally for Occurs formally and informally for

continuous monitoringcontinuous monitoring

Classroom Assessment:Classroom Assessment:

5

Classroom Assessment:Classroom Assessment:

Gathering accurate information aboutGathering accurate information about

student knowledge, skill, and perception to:student knowledge, skill, and perception to: Understand current statusUnderstand current status Monitor and inform over timeMonitor and inform over time Identify gapsIdentify gaps Plan instructionPlan instruction CommunicateCommunicate

Support Student Learning

Support Instructional Decisions

6

Keys to Quality Classroom AssessmentKeys to Quality Classroom Assessment

Key 1: Why Assess?Purpose?

Users?

Key 1: Why Assess?Purpose?

Users?

Key 3: Assess How?What method?Quality items?Sampled how?

Avoid bias?

Key 3: Assess How?What method?Quality items?Sampled how?

Avoid bias?

Key 4: Communicate How?Info management?

Reporting?

Key 4: Communicate How?Info management?

Reporting?

Key 2: Assess What?Learning targets?

-clear-good

Key 2: Assess What?Learning targets?

-clear-good

Key 5: Student InvolvementStudents are users of info

Key 5: Student InvolvementStudents track progress & communicate

Key 5: Student InvolvementStudents participate in the assessment process

Key 5: Student InvolvementStudents need to understand targets

Accurate Assessment

Effectively Used

Reproduced with permission: Assessment Training Institute

7

What is essential for What is essential for teachers to be assessment teachers to be assessment

literate?literate?Understand both assessment and evaluationUnderstand both assessment and evaluationKnow what it means to assess wellKnow what it means to assess well Purpose of assessment(s)Purpose of assessment(s) Types of assessmentTypes of assessment Attributes of qualityAttributes of quality Appropriate/effective use of dataAppropriate/effective use of data

Understand how to align purpose, use, and typesUnderstand how to align purpose, use, and typesKnow how to involve students in assessment Know how to involve students in assessment Understand the impact on student learningUnderstand the impact on student learning

8

Alignment & Alignment & ConsistencyConsistencyare Criticalare Critical

Use aUse aPlan, Plan,

Framework,Framework,or Mapor Map

Map assessment & Map assessment & instruction onto same instruction onto same

essential outcomes frame essential outcomes frame of reference!!of reference!!

9

Think about your classroom assessments:

•What classroom assessments do you What classroom assessments do you currently have in place?currently have in place?

•What have you done to ensure that What have you done to ensure that these assessments meet the standards of these assessments meet the standards of quality? What else could you do?quality? What else could you do?

10

Formative vs. Summative Assessment

11

Summative Assessment = Assessment Summative Assessment = Assessment OFOF Learning Learning:

Assessments used to determine how much students have learned at a particular point in time in order to report achievement status.

Formative Assessment = Assessment Formative Assessment = Assessment FOR FOR Learning Learning:

All activities undertaken by teachers and their students that provide information to be used as feedback:

to adjust instruction in support of additional learning, to guide and support student learning, and to support the closing of gaps in learning.

12

Achieved Gain Associated with Number of Achieved Gain Associated with Number of “Formative” Assessments over 15 Weeks“Formative” Assessments over 15 Weeks

Number of Assessments

Effect Size Percentile Gain

0 0 0

1 0.34 13.5

5 0.53 20.0

10 0.60 22.5

15 0.66 24.5

20 0.71 26.0

25 0.78 28.5

30 0.82 29.0 The Art and Science of Teaching, p.13The Art and Science of Teaching, p.13

13

Why is Assessment Why is Assessment FORFOR Learning Learning

critical in the classroom?critical in the classroom?If done ‘right’ it provides:

a picture of the learning target that the student can ‘see’specific, descriptive, and meaningful feedback in student languagemodels/examples of strong and weak workopportunities for peer and self-assessment

It engages:Teachers in continuous monitoring and reflectionteachers in devising lessons that ask students to focus on one aspect of improvement at a timestudents in the process of focused revision/improvementStudents in self-reflection, helping them to self monitor and share what they knowstudents and teachers in goal setting

14

REMEMBER, it is all about purpose:

•An assessment itself isn’t inherently formative or summative

•The use of the assessment results determines how it is characterized.

•To be of high quality, the assessment should be built to support a particular use.

•A determination should be made at the time an assessment is being developed about whether the use will be primarily formative or summative.

•For SMART Goals, this means the gathering of formative information to monitor and adjust

15

The Key Point:

IF you don’t use the data to change instruction and

learning,

it’s not formative!!!!

16

Typical gain: .4 to .7 standard deviationsTypical gain: .4 to .7 standard deviations

Most studies showed a larger gain for low Most studies showed a larger gain for low achieversachievers

Overall result was typically a reduced Overall result was typically a reduced spread in scores with an overall gainspread in scores with an overall gain

Profound positive effects!

Strengthening Formative Strengthening Formative Assessment Boosts Test Assessment Boosts Test

ScoresScores

From: Assessment for Learning, Black, et. al (2003)

17

Think about classroom formative assessment:

•Which of your classroom assessments Which of your classroom assessments currently function as formative currently function as formative assessments? Which serve as summative assessments? Which serve as summative assessments?assessments?

•Which of your classroom assessments Which of your classroom assessments could be restructured to serve as could be restructured to serve as formative assessments? What would be formative assessments? What would be the benefit?the benefit?

18

Descriptive Feedback

19

Summative Feedback:

Typically uses a single measurement (e.g. grade or score) Typically uses a single measurement (e.g. grade or score) to summarize student workto summarize student work

May compare students to each other or to big picture May compare students to each other or to big picture expectationsexpectations

Generally provides summary/global information—more of a Generally provides summary/global information—more of a survey of learningsurvey of learning

May encourage competition and/or students developing May encourage competition and/or students developing erroneous self-judgmentserroneous self-judgments

Sometimes linked to rewards vs. punishmentsSometimes linked to rewards vs. punishments

Descriptive Formative Feedback: Describes features of work or performanceDescribes features of work or performance Relates directly to learning targets and/or standards of Relates directly to learning targets and/or standards of

quality—typically has more depth and less breadthquality—typically has more depth and less breadth Points out strengths and gives specific information about Points out strengths and gives specific information about

how to improvehow to improve Often uses models in relation to student’s workOften uses models in relation to student’s work May provide strategies for moving forwardMay provide strategies for moving forward

20

Brings assessment into the learning Brings assessment into the learning processprocess

Provides information on the gap Provides information on the gap between current and desired between current and desired performanceperformance

Supports self assessment and self Supports self assessment and self correctioncorrection

Allows students and teachers:Allows students and teachers: to see the consequences of their actionsto see the consequences of their actions to develop a plan for moving towardto develop a plan for moving toward

Descriptive feedback in the Descriptive feedback in the classroom:classroom:

21

Giving a student a grade (A, 1, Great) or a score (67% Giving a student a grade (A, 1, Great) or a score (67% or 80/92) is not effective feedback, even if a few or 80/92) is not effective feedback, even if a few comments are included.comments are included.

Feedback to students must contain enough Feedback to students must contain enough information that the student knows what to do next---information that the student knows what to do next---the student can develop a course of action that is the student can develop a course of action that is productive.productive.

One piece of necessary information shows a student One piece of necessary information shows a student how his/her performance compares to a standard or how his/her performance compares to a standard or model of performance.model of performance.

The way feedback is provided and the content of the The way feedback is provided and the content of the feedback communicate much more than just the feedback communicate much more than just the words or symbols used---there is an impact on words or symbols used---there is an impact on student self concept.student self concept.

An important use of the feedback is for the teacher—An important use of the feedback is for the teacher—to adjust instruction to meet student needs.to adjust instruction to meet student needs.

What is essential for teachers to What is essential for teachers to understand?understand?

22

Reveals theProcess of Learning

Connects Actions& Consequences

•Student•Teacher

Supports Plans for

Moving Forward•Student•Teacher

SupportsSelf Assessment

&Self Corrections

Targets GapBetween

Current & DesiredPerformance

Brings AssessmentInto

Learning Process

Uncovers theImportance of:

•Making mistakes•Taking risks

ClassroomClassroomDescriptiveDescriptiveFeedbackFeedback

23

“Not only must feedback be relative to standards and

performance but assessment for learning must also provide

feedback to the teacher about instruction so that he/she can

construct the instructional focus and set the goals of the lesson

accordingly.”Breakthrough, M. Fullan (p. 19)

24

““First, feedback must provide students First, feedback must provide students with a way to interpret even low scores with a way to interpret even low scores in a manner that does not imply failure. in a manner that does not imply failure. If it does not, students who are fearful If it does not, students who are fearful of failure will continually be discouraged of failure will continually be discouraged when they do not receive high scores. when they do not receive high scores. Second, feedback must help students Second, feedback must help students realize that effort on their part results realize that effort on their part results in more learning (as evidenced by in more learning (as evidenced by higher scores).higher scores).

Robert Marzano. Robert Marzano. Designing a Comprehensive Approach to Classroom Designing a Comprehensive Approach to Classroom Assessment Assessment in in Ahead of the CurveAhead of the Curve (2007) p. 105.(2007) p. 105.

25

Think about descriptive feedback:•How do you currently provide descriptive How do you currently provide descriptive feedback to students?feedback to students?

•How does this align with the purpose of How does this align with the purpose of your classroom assessments (formative your classroom assessments (formative vs. summative)? Are there any changes vs. summative)? Are there any changes that might be beneficial?that might be beneficial?