assessment crisis: the absence of assessment for learning

Assessment Crisis: The Absence Of Assessment FOR

Learning

By Richard J. Stiggins

Reviewed by Teresa, Seth, Ron, Mitzi, Becky, & Shirley

“ A real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new landscapes but of seeing through new eyes.” - Marcel Proust

Introduction

Discuss the difference between assessment of learning and for learning.

Some Political Viewpoints:

• Use assessment for rewards/ punishments to increase teacher/ student effort

•Intensify intimidation associated with annual testing to force achievement

•Fail to look at how to help students learn or be able to learn

Observations:School administrators have tendencies to bow down to political beliefsThe community wants educators to provide valid and reliable test scores

School Improvement Should Answer These

Questions:How can we use assessments to help all our students want to learn?How can we help them feel able to learn?Can assessment have greater impact?Can state and district assessments help our students want to learn?How can we maximize the positive impact of our scores?

ConsiderationsStandardized testing goes against the “all children can learn” philosophyTeachers must rely on classroom assessment for day to day decision makingBuild assessment systems that balance training and different types of assessmentHealthy assessment environments need to be developed

The Evolution of Our Vision of Excellence

in Assessment

School Improvement Requires:

Articulation of higher achievement standardsTransformation of expectations into rigorous assessmentsExpectation of accountability for student achievement

Assessment provides the evidence of

success on the part of students,

teachers, and the system.

School Improvement

We have set world-class standards as opposed to minimizing competenciesRewards for schools producing high scores, sanctions for schools that do not

Since 1990’s…Involved in international assessment programsInvested billions of dollars to ensure accuracy on these assessments of learningTestimonial belief in the power of standardized testing, we would permit so many levels of testing to remain in place, all at same time and at a very high cost

The Flaw in the VisionAssess to motivateWork hard….fail harder….succeedIf you try to fail and succeed, what have you done?

A More Powerful Vision

A more powerful vision:Assessments of learningAssessment for learning• Keep students learning and remain

confident

Are Teachers Ready?Only 12 states require competence in assessment for teacher licensingMost teacher preparation programs provide no work in assessment literacyAdministrators also lack training in assessment

Are Teachers Ready?Con’t

Nation of educators “unschooled in the principles of sound assessment”Teachers don’t know how to use assessment as a tool for teaching and learningStudent progress often measured incorrectly

Are Teachers Ready?Con’t

Instructional decisions based on misinformationMisdiagnosis of student needsStudents misunderstand their own abilities to learnMiscommunication regarding student progressNo effective assessment for learning in classrooms

Relevant Position Statements

During 1990’s, virtually every professional teaching association adopted standards of teacher competence that include an assessment componentNEA, AFT, & NCME

Relevant Position Statements con’t

These standards are over decade old and still have little impact on teacher and administrator prepJoint commissions call for shift of emphasis from external to classroom assessment and a focus on professional development for educators

Balancing Assessments of and for Learning

Assessments of and for Learning must be . . .

accurate in their depiction of student achievement

used to benefit students

Assessment of Learning . . .

Provides information once a year

Reflects large-group increases or decreases in learning

Gatekeepers for high-stakes decisions

Assessment for learning . . .

Informs moment-to-moment instructional decisions

Manages the learning process as it unfolds

Diagnoses students needs during learning

Stiggins posed a critical school improvement

question : . .

What would happen to standardized test scores if we brought assessment for learning online as a full partner in support of student learning?

Startling Research . . .

Encouraging Answers . . .

What kinds of improvements in classroom assessment practice are

likely to yield the greatest

gains in achievement?

-Black and Wiliam (1998)

Teachers applying principles of assessment for learning by . . .

Increasing the accuracy of classroom assessment

Providing students with frequent informative feedback

Involving students deeply in the classroom assessment, record keeping and communication processes

Reported effect sizes of one-half to a full standard deviation improvement which equates to . . .

gains of more than 30 percentile points

two grade-equivalents

100 points on the SAT scale

Anticipating the Benefits of Balance

The Benefits of Balance For Students:

Confident learners because of success and student permission to take the risk to learnGreater achievement for all studentsReduces the gap between middle and low-socioeconomic status studentsStudents in charge of their own learning

The Benefits of Balance For Teachers:

Students more motivated to learnInstructional decisions informed by accurate information about student achievementSavings in time

The Benefits of Balance For Parents:

See higher achievement and greater enthusiasm for learning from childrenUnderstand children are becoming life-long learners

The Benefit to School Staff

Meet accountability standardsGet public recognitionKnow how to assess for learning

Action Plan

Match every dollar invested for assessment of learning with development of assessment for learningLaunch a comprehensive, long-term professional development program for teachers and administrators to promote assessment literacyChange licensing standards in every state for teachers and administrators to include assessment competency

Action Plan con’t

Change licensing standards in every state for teachers and administrators to include assessment competencyRequire all teacher education programs to include assessment literacy for all prospective teachers

Questions For The Class

1. How would you advise the UNL Curriculum and Instruction professors to prepare UNL student teachers to meet the demands of assessment literacy in their future classrooms?

2. What ideas do you have to share with NDE in the process of changing licensing standards in Nebraska to provide every teacher and administrator with assessment competency?

Questions For The Class con’t

3. Finally, what are your ideas for launching a public relations campaign for educating the entire population about assessment for learning?