Formative Assessment: Not Just Another Test December 4, 2008 SCDN Quarterly Meeting Nancy Gerzon and Adam Tanney New York Comprehensive Center Assessment Team
Dec 26, 2015
Formative Assessment:Not Just Another Test
December 4, 2008SCDN Quarterly Meeting
Nancy Gerzon and Adam TanneyNew York Comprehensive Center Assessment Team
Learning goals for today’s session
I will… • Learn about the CCSSO definition of formative
assessment and how it is being applied in NY state• Develop awareness about the New York Formative
Assessment Project being implemented in Syracuse City School District
• Explore lessons learned from state’s implementing formative assessment practices
• Provide input to New York Comprehensive Center staff on potential application of formative assessment practices in New York State
Who we are…New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC) is a federally funded technical assistance center with the task to increase state capacity to meet the goals of NCLB
Adam Tanney:
NYCC Assessment Team member (RMC). Expertise in education policy, school improvement models and group facilitation
Nancy Gerzon:
NYCC Assessment Team leader (WestEd). Expertise in data use practices, classroom assessment, and district reform
The NYCC Assessment Team is tasked with building capacity and knowledge at NYSED in the area of comprehensive district assessment, with formative assessment as one component.
New York Formative Assessment Project at Syracuse City Schools
A collaborative effort among:
• the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC)
• the New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC)
• the New York State Education Department (NYSED)
• Syracuse City School District (SCSD)
The New York Formative Assessment Project is focused on increasing formative assessment practices in 10 SCSD pilot elementary schools in grade 4 and 5 mathematics
Many thanks to partners who are here today - Chris Vogelsang and Karen Markhoff from Syracuse, Howard Goldsmith and Anne Schiano from NYSED
CCSSO Definition of Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
1. Individually reflect on the CCSSO formative assessment definition (in your packet) (Think)
2. Underline three key words in the definition that you believe are “most” important (Think)
3. In pairs, discuss your choices. Note similarities and differences in your choices (Pair/Share)
Handout
CCSSO
Definition
CCSSO Definition of Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
Show of hands…
• Raise your hand if you know someone who has a different definition of formative assessment than the one that we have presented from CCSSO
• How this frames a starting point in this work
An Ongoing Process To:
• Elicit evidence about student learning
• Provide feedback to teachers and student about learning
• Use feedback to adjust instruction and learning tactics in real time
• Close the gap between the learner’s current state and desired goals
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IS…
Syracuse Formative Assessment Project – Four Goals
Increase effective data use practices (for short, medium and long-cycle assessments)
Build assessment literacy and agree on expectations for data use from all assessments
Scale up research-based classroom formative (short-cycle) assessment practices in math
Identify, develop and implement medium-cycle assessment tools
In order to build knowledge and capacity at NYSED to support schools and districts in NY to implement formative assessment
This work was different because …
• Capacity Building approach – expectation is that Syracuse does the hard work of teacher training and implementation
• “Train the coaches” model, math ISTs doing most of the work
• There was no clearly outlined path.
• Built trust, transparency, and a desire to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” (part of Fullan’s sixth secret of change)
• All teacher professional development and training paid for through Syracuse budget and grants (Chris will talk more about this)
Syracuse Formative AssessmentProject Structure
NYCCAACC SED
Principalsof the 10 Schools
Math Coaches
Ten Schools
DistrictLeadership
Team
Year 1 Accomplishments
NYCCAACC SED
Principalsof the 10 Schools
Math Coaches
Ten Schools
DistrictLeadership
Team
1. Shared expectations for use of data, development and use of the “Assessment Approach”
Year 1 Accomplishments
NYCCAACC SED
Principalsof the 10 Schools
Math Coaches
Ten Schools
DistrictLeadership
Team
2. Developed shared definition of formative assessment and how it is different from interim tests.”
Year 1 Accomplishments
NYCCAACC SED
Principalsof the 10 Schools
Math Coaches
Ten Schools
DistrictLeadership
Team
3. Built conceptual understanding of formative assessment and its attributes.
An example how the Formative Assessment Steering Committee has worked to make sense of how assessment cycles apply in Syracuse
(it’s in your packets, on left side)
Attributes of Formative Assessment
• Learning Progressions
• Learning Goals• Specific
Feedback• Collaboration• Self and Peer
Assessment
Attributes offormative
assessment
Learning Progressions
Learning Goals
Specific Feedback
Collaboration
Self andPeer
Assessment
Learning progressions should articulate the sub-goals of the ultimate learning goalLearning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain, and show the trajectory of learning along which students are expected to progress
Learning Progressions
NY State Math Core Measurement Strand
Students will determine what can be measured and how,
using appropriate methods and formulas
5.M.1 Use a ruler to measure to the nearest inch, 1/2, 1/4, & 1/8 inch
5.M.2 Identify customary equivalent units of length
5.M.3 Measure to the nearest centimeter
5.M.4 Identify equivalent metric units of length
5.M.5 Convert measurement within a given system
5.M.6 Determine the tool and technique to measure with an appropriate level of precision: lengths and angles
Attributes offormative
assessment
Learning Progressions
Learning Goals
Specific Feedback
Collaboration
Self andPeer
Assessment
Learning Goals and Criteria for SuccessLearning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.
Teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal.
This information should be communicated using language readily understood by students, and may be accompanied by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria.
Standard Units Can Have Fractional Relationships
Learning Goal Success Criteria FA Strategy
Understand that a unit
of measure is proportional to its whole.
By comparing parts of a
whole, identify the fractional relationship.
Create a model and name
fractional parts.
Explain why the parts are proportional.
Any unit of measure
can be divided into any number of equal sub units, because any linear measurement tool is a number line.
On a number line from 1-12,
accurately plot fractional parts from ½ to 1/12.
On the number line my whole
numbers increase left to right and are equally spaced but fractions’ denominators decrease from right to left. Explain why.
Explain the relationship
between the number line and ruler.
On a number line can
“s”accurately plot fractional units and explain why this is an accurate representation of fractions.
Written explanation about
reason for decrease in denominators.
Attributes offormative
assessment
Learning Progressions
Learning Goals
Specific Feedback
Collaboration
Self andPeer
Assessment
Descriptive feedback to students
Is linked to the learning goal and success criteria
Enhances learning without assigning grades, scores or comparing students
Identifies gap between current learning and desired goals that provide students a recipe for action
• Where am I now?• Where am I going?• How do I get there?
Descriptive Feedback
“Feedback loops include a teacher who knows which skills are to be learned, who can recognize and describe good performance, demonstrate good performance, and indicate how poor performance can be improved.”
(Sadler 1989, p.120)
Erin is a 4th grade inclusion class teacher
Talks about the impact formative assessment has had on her teaching and her students’ learning.
Describes the particular role of descriptive feedback in the changes she and her students have made
Voices from Syracuse
Attributes offormative
assessment
Learning Progressions
Learning Goals
Specific Feedback
Collaboration
Self andPeer
Assessment
Collaboration
• A classroom culture of trust in which teachers and students are partners in learning.
• Ongoing interactions between teachers and students.
• Students are active agents in learning.
Attributes offormative
assessment
Learning Progressions
Learning Goals
Specific Feedback
Collaboration
Self andPeer
Assessment
Self and Peer-Assessment
• Self assessment: students monitor their own learning using established criteria to indicate what success looks like, and they adapt their learning to achieve success.
•Peer assessment: students analyze each others’ performance using established criteria and provide descriptive feedback to each other for continued improvement.
PD Focus: non-negotiable PD Focus: non-negotiable formative assessment strategies formative assessment strategies
(Heritage)(Heritage)1. Clarify and share intentions and criteria2. Engineer effective classroom discussions and questions3. Provide feedback
that moves learners forward
4. Activate students as owners of their own learning
5. Activate students as instructional resources for one another
Voices from Syracuse continued
• Melanie– middle school math coach
– Describes how formative assessment work has imparted a new “how-do-we-use-this-to-inform-our-next-move” approach to her teachers.
– Describes the intentionality and planning that formative assessment requires and lays that as an area for continued focus.
Closing
1. Move into role alike groups
2. Discuss and write 2 things you’d like additional support from NYCC on.
• Consider (or don’t) the menu of possibilities on chart paper.
• Consider the challenges & possibilities raised from Syracuse videos.
3. Commit to one thing you’ll collectively do without us to advance your knowledge and skill.
4. Share out.
More about the Syracuse project
• Lessons learned http://www.aacompcenter.org/cs/aacc/print/htdocs/aacc/ny_lessons.htm.
• Bibliography of articles NYCC has used with Syracuse http://nycomprehensivecenter.org/initiatives/inits_assess/resources