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Johnson, Nancy 3.Celebrating Growth over Time: Classroom-BasedAssessment in Language Arts. Literacy ImprovementSeries for Elementary Educators.Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR.Literacy, Language, and Communication Program.Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),Washington, DC.Jul 93RP9100200135p.Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (ForTeacher) (052)

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.Classroom Techniques; Elementary Education;*Evaluation Methods; *Informal Assessment;Instructional Design; *Language Arts; *StudentEvaluation

IDENTIFIERS Alternative Assessment; Authentic Assessment;*Student Centered Assessment

ABSTRACT

Predicated on a belief that assessment and evaluationshould be vital, planned aspects of the curriculum, this bookletdescribes classroom-based assessment that serves to inform teachers,students, and parents of the learner's growth as well as to suggestnext-step instructional goals. Procedures developed by classrcomteachers which integrate assessment within the instructional processinclude a photo album project, writing journals/folders, readinglogs, and anecdotal records. The approach in the booklet wasdeveloped around beliefs that assessment and evaluation are mostvaluable when they are: (1) reflective of what is known aboutlanguage and learning; (2) centered in the classroom; (3) compatiblewith curricular and instructional goals; (4) qualitative as well asquantitative; (5) multidimensional and leading to a profile of growthand progress over time; (6) focused on and developed alongside thechild, parent, and teacher; and (7) informative in guiding decisionsfor next-step instruction. The booklet presents assessment checklistsas a means of demonstrating the growth of the readers and writers intheir classrooms. Fifteen references, six additional resources, andfive resources for checklists are attached. (RS)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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LITERACY IMPROVEMENT SERIESFOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS

Celebrating Growth Over Time:Classroom-Based Assessment

in Language Arts

Nancy j. Johnson

US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL uf :. . ,`,"'E E .

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This publication has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S.Department of Education under contract number RP91002001. The content of thispublication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the t'.S. Depart-ment of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products. ororganizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

s a child, I grew up !n a family with a tradition for celebrat-ing growth. Every year, Dad Johnson would march histhree young daughters downstairs into our unfinished base-

ment. Then one at a time, we'd back our little bodies up againstthe door casing while Dad gently placed a book or a ruler on ourhead. Wherever it touched the wall he'd lightly pencil the date andour initials and then...we'd stand back and celebrate our growthsince last time. We probably also added some typical sisterly com-parisons, but what I most remember about this tradition rests withthe sheer joy of seeing how much we'd grown. We didn't tug onDad's belt buckle and ask, "Daddy, Daddy, ho've I grown?" Wedidn't wait for Dad to calculate median, mode, or standard devia-tion. We didn t defer the how've-I-grown decision to an outsider orto someone bigger and older. We knew. The data was right infront of us and we were included in the review of it. We knewhow much we'd grown and we immediately set about anticipating.even planning for, the next measurement.

I hadn't made much connection to that childhood measurementtradition until a few years ago. With the resurgence of studies andprofessional literature on authentic assess lent, and a widespreadembracing of a whole language philosophy, popular topics haveemerged. Currently, issues related to assessment and evaluation areespecially prominent. Articles on whole language assessment andportfolios can be found in professional journals as well as in popu-lar parenting magazines. Books and monographs on literacy assess-ment are being published in record numbers. Terms like alternativeassessment, authentic assessment, and performance-based assess-ment have become a delight for many classroom teachers and anightmare for many school district assessment directors.

What's driving this intense desire to develop profiles of learn-ing, to abandon time-honored traditional report cards and grades.and to invite children to show us what they know as well as whatthey're ready to learn? I believe that teachers desire to do what myDad did naturally with his daughters many years ago...celebrateeach child's growth over time by using clear indicators that growthis occurring.

A celebratory stance toward assessment may always have beenthere for some teachers. However, in the past few years a growingnumber of teachers, students, and parents have raised criticalvoices towards the outdated, over-used, and even abused instill-

4

aunts of assessment adopted by schools and districts nationwide.We've been faced with a dilemma created by evaluation systemsand materials that don't always match or document what's beingtaught or. more importantly. what's being learned.

Many researchers have concluded that assessment has not keptpace with current advances in language learning theory, research,or practice, citing, for example, reading tests' focus on discreteskills in contrast to current instruction's concern with strategies (Va-lencia & Pearson. 1987: Cambourne & Turbill, 1990: Wiggins. 1989.Shepard, 1989). They have also raised the issue of overreliance onstandardized test scores and other formal testing programs such asNasal unit tests and report card data as not adequately providing anaccurate picture of student growth and achievement.

Current literacy learning theory honors the interrelatedness ofthe language ans. acknowledges the development of literacy as anongoing process. and honors each learner's unique developmentalprocess of actively constructing meaning. Researchers, teachers,learners. and parents are finding that traditional assessment andevaluation systems no longer make sense. Yet many, perhaps most,schools continue to use evaluation reporting systems that do notserve as indicators of the instruction being evaluated. And many ofthese schools and districts will continue to use these systems, eventhough all of these systems are changeable. Change in educationoccurs slowly. To accomplish it. teachers need support and somegrowth-over-time pieces from the classroom to supplement andcomplement those evaluation and assessment systems that fail to re-veal what learners know and can do as readers and writers. It'spast time to make connections between our philosophy of learningand teaching and the ways we assess and evaluate learners.

While this paper's focus is on classroom-based assessment. it isimperative that this is not separated from evaluation. Evaluationjudgments grow naturally out of 'ssessment evidence. To createthis fit, we need to establish benchmarks or standards againstwhich performance is measured. standards which reflect our under-standings about reading and writing as language processes. Thesemay be organized as a continuum of behaviors similar to thosefound in If ;e Language Arts Potfidio Handbook for the Printan.Grades (1992) and Supporiiirg Lean/fug: UndoNtanding and Assess-ing the Progress ofChildren in the Primary Grades (1992) or pre-sented as reading and writing "bands- similar to those documentedin the Litemcy Profile fIandbuok ;1990). They may also he exam-

5 - 2

fined through reference sets that include descriptions of develop-mental stages with samples of student work at different levels asthe Ministry of Education in British Columbia has developed in twodocuments, published together as Evaluating Writing Across Cur-riculum (1992). We serve ourselves and our students well whenwe are knowledgeable about language, learning and literacy. Themore we understand, the more each piece of assessment informa-tion we examine will inform us (Cambourne, 1988).

This paper describes classroom-based assessment that serves toinform teachers, students, and parents of the learner's growth aswell as to suggest next-step instructional goals. This focus is predi-cated on a belief that assessment and evaluation should be vital,planned aspects of the curriculum and that learners and their par-ents should he involved with the teacher in developing an under-standing of the learner's progress. The approach is also developedaround beliefs that assessment and evaluation are most valuablewhen they are:

Reflective of what is known about language and learning

Centered in the classroom

Compatible with curricular and instructional goals

Qualitative as well as quantitative

Multidimensional and leading to a profile of growth and pro-gress over time

Focused on and developed alongside the primary- stakeholders(child, teacher, parent)

Informative in guiding decisions for next-step instruction

Assessment Informed by andNot Separated from Curriculum

One of the biggest "yes but" concerns raised by teachers inter-ested in creating more authentic assessment measures is the ques-tion, "When do I find the time?" Given a curriculum that is beingrevised annually (if not more often) by new programs, new text-books, and new issues that schools feel pressured to address, it'sno wonder a new view of assessment is often looked at as some-

36

thing els,. to acid to an already crowded school clay. The examplesshared in this paper do not demand more time from teachers dur-ing or beyond the school day. What they do demand is a new lookat the decisions teachers make within the school day. Many teach-ers are finding that planning appropriate instruction, both daily andlong range, becomes much easier when assessment is an integralpart of the curriculum. This in-process assessment as well as theevaluation of products of learning can, and does, inform teachersof what learners know, can do, and may be ready to learn. Oftenthe best assessments are a natural outgrowth of a learning engage-ment and are considered part of a teaching cycle that weaves plan-ning and teaching with evaluating (Dalrymple, 1989). Theexamples in the next sections have been selected to do exactlythatdemonstrate ways to integrate assessment within the instruc-tional process.

Getting Ready/Getting Started

The remainder of this booklet includes assessment checklists,profiles. and procedures developed by classroom teachers as ameans of demonstrating the growth of the readers and writers intheir classrooms. Before any of these are considered for use, it isimperative that teachers first spend time focusing on their goals forreaders and writers and then consider the various assessment proce-dures available to determine how learners meet those goals. I alsourge teachers to adapt the ideas and examples in this booklet andfrom other sources in ways that address their goals and the needsof their students and their school systems.

Developing an accurate and complete picture of a student's pro-gress, strengths, and needs requires a variety of measures. We allknow that the acc mulation and examination of process and prod-uct assessments provides a more accurate. sensitive, and valid pic-ture of a learner than do one-shot, formal, impersonal, andde-contextualized measures. One means of deciding which meas-ures to utilize is through a two-question framework (Routman,1991) that asks, "What do I want to know?" and "How am I goingR) find it out?" An example of such a framework, shown in the ta-ble at right. was developed by Louise Beard. a third grade teacher,during her second year of teaching.

Realizing the formidable task of using each and every measure-

7 - 4

WHAT DO I WANTTO KNOW?

HOW AM I GOINGTO FIND OUT?

Oral reading Tape recording/running recordsReading conferencesShared readingPaired reading

Spelling/conventionsof written language

Have-A-Go sheets and pretestsJournal writingWriting conferences

i

Proofreading exercisesDictationProjects and reports

Reading comprehension Reading conferences/retellingsSummary statements for read

aloudsLiterature response logsContributions in literature

discussion groupsWritten testsProjects and reports

I

Reading /writing attitudes Reading logsOral interviewWritten inventoriesJournal writingReadingiNATiting conferences

How student views selfas reader/writer

Self-evaluationsRubricsReport cards

mcnt tool in this framework, Louise wisely selected a few to beginwith. and then focused her framework into a three-year plan. Theimportance of giving ourselves permission to select manageabletools to adapt can't be overstated. Had Louise felt the need toattempt each and every measurement tool under her "How am Igoing to find out ?' column, she would surely have been over-whelmed and may even have missed the many joyful discoveriesthat occurred as she took risks, tried out new procedures. observed

- 5 -

students, recorded information, and grew in her own abilities as alearner-centered, classroom-based evaluator.

Instructional Activities that NaturallyProvide Assessment Information

Photo Album Project

Kindergarten teacher Joan Donaldson involves her students inan individualized year-long project called the "Photo Album Pro-ject." This project serves as a means of recording the child's kinder-garten year in photos and in writing, and provides a ready-made,living record of the children's growth as writers. Each child securesa three-ring notebook (obtained through donations, at minimal costfrom garage sales and business office supply sales, or purchasedfrom PTA monies or educational grants). Joan takes photos of thechildren on a regular basis from the first day of school throughoutthe year. All photos are developed into double prints. Classroomvisitors are invited to bring along a camera, take photos, and de-velop the film as a gift to the class. By October, Joan has estab-lished quite a collection of photographs. At that time sheintroduces the Photo Album Project to the children as a station ac-tivity. On the clays when a group rotates through the photo albumstation, the children scan the photos on display in a pocket chart.When they locate a photo they'd like for their album, they removeit from the pocket, take it to the writing table, select either a linedor unlined 3x5 piece of paper ane write a label for the photothey've selected. Each written photo caption must include the cur-rent date. Children desiring to have their writing "translated" intobook print make that request to a teacher or parent helper. Thephoto and written label are then glued onto a 9x11 piece of paperand placed in the child's photo album. As children work throughthe photo album station throughout the year, their album expandsin volume and their written labels grow as a demonstration of theirwriting skill and competence. Photo captions on the facing page il-lustrate the growth in one child's writing ability just from Decem-ber to February.

The Photo Album Project shows an emerging writer's growingability to use writing in logical, sensible ways that include howmuch each child knows about individual letters and sounds, about

9 - 6 -

spacing between words, about picture/word correspondence,about capitals and punctuation. This project also serves as a naturalmeasure of the child's growth and changes over one schoolyear...in scribbles, pictures, and words! It's easy to note a child'sstrengths as well as areas of needed instruction from viewing thephoto album pages, especially when a teacher has in mind and (.:narticulate benchmarks for stages of development. No separate testis necessary.

Writing Journals/Folders

A writing journal and/or a writing folder is another literacy en-gagement with built-in assessment which demands no additionaltime. The Photo Album Project is a modification of a writing jour-nal. Journals and writing folders, when all writing is dated and col-lected over time, serve as natural storehouses of answers to thequestions, "What does the writer know? What can this writer do?"and "How has this writer grown or changed over time?" For exam-ple, in one first grader's writing journal (see facing page) there's anatural progression from scribble to letter formation to words, theinclusion of spaces between words, and adherence to capital lettersand punctuation.

Given the same twenty minutes of journal writing time daily,this student made the decision in January to eliminate drawing apicture first because, "Then there's not enough time for writing."What does this writer know and what can she do independently inOctober? What does she know and do in November? In December?In April? The answers lie within the scribbles, drawings and writ-ings found in her journal.

Reading Logs

A goal of many teachers is that students read voraciously, devel-oping their own interests and passions as strategic, independentreaders. Evaluating whether this goal is realized demands a differ-ent tool than a traditional paper-pencil test. What it doesn't necessi-tate is an additional evaluation or additional record keeping by theteacher. When students arc invited to keep a record of all thebooks they read over the course of the year, they begin to collectThe evidence needed to paint a picture of themselves as inde-pendent readers.

Reading Logs or Reading Records are most effective when

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they're uncomplicated and don't demand mini-book-report informa-tion from the reader. The most informative logs we've found foryounger children are those that ask the reader to list the hook titleand rating (child's personal rating of the hook usually on a 1-5scale). Older readers often find additional information useful in de-veloping their sense of preferences as a reader. For example, Read-ing Logs for older readers often include columns requestingauthor's name, book or genre type (e.g. myste series book, po-etry), date started and date finished, and number of pages read. Al-ways included, regardless of age level, is a value line or ratingscale. Readers, even young readers, like to evaluate a hook'sworth. What better and more natural way to present self-evaluationas something feasible?

Two different Reading Logs are shown on the following pages.The first, developed by a first grade teacher, is modified by astudent who can't quite fit book title and author on one line.

. 9- 2

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Total number of pages read:

Respond to your reading. What did you like and dislike? What wasspecial about this group of books?

What do you plan for your reading for the next period?

Teacher response:

4

Following the student's lead, this teacher changed the format to runhorizontally across the page, listing only the date, book title, andrating. As the school year progressed, and as the children grew intheir competence, the vertical format was re-introduced along withthe audition of author's name. Note how the reader in the StudentRecord Form on page 10 made room for what most mattered tohimthe hook title and the hook ratings. At six years old he wasjudicious with most of his ratings, but gave The Very Hungry Cater-pillar a generous 25 (out of a 1-5 point scale)! is there any doubtas to this young reader's favorite hook?

The Reading Record on page 11 (developed by a fifth gradeteacher) mo,, the reader toward some thoughtful reflection. Atthe conclusion of every ten books read independently, the readeris asked to respond: What did you like and dislike? What was spe-cial about this group of books? What do you plan for your readingfor the next period? The bottom of the reading log also leavesroom fm- a teacher response. In this fifth grade classroom, theteacher holds a conference with the reader after ten books arcread. This 3-5 minute conference can be used to celebrate. to focusand set goals, to ponder reading patterns, whatever the teacher andreader see as worthy of discussion based on the information raisedby the Reading Record and the reader.

To support students in their process of rating a book, someteachers keep a wall poster prominently displayed near classroomlibrary shelves examining the question, "What Makes a Good BookGood?" This serves to prompt students in their growing criticalanalysis of the hooks they read and the ratings they apply to thesebooks. The wall chart is always a work in progress as students readmore widely in a variety of genres and express interest in expand-ing the chart to accommodate their broadening awareness.

To maintain student motivation in keeping Reading Records,some teachers have found more success using them for shorter peri-ods of timetwo to four weeks at the end of the year for youngreaders or one to two weeks prior to the end of each semester forolder readers. Regardless of the time frame used, these recordshold students accountable. for their reading and develop an aware-ness of their progress (Routman, 1988).

Anecdotal Records

One of a teacher's most valuable assessment tools is the keep-

15 - 12-

ing of informal anecdotal notes related to specific learners in theprocess of authentic learning events. Careful observations, or whatresearcher Yetta Goodman (1978) so appropriately termed "kidwatching," can provide us with a sense of the learner's processes,rather than an overreliance on the learner's products. Both processand product pieces are invaluable tools to provide a big-pictureview of the learner. Once they've determined what literacy behav-iors to monitor, the frustration many teachers have with kid watch-ing is making time to document. Those who've specified the focusof their observations, set up a workable system, and made time forrecord keeping find anecdotal records both feasible and invaluable.

If a teacher has as a goal for student readers the developmentof self-monitoring strategies as they read for meaning, a naturalway to assess this is by listening to students read. While oral read-ing isn't a sure guarantee that a reader comprehends, includingtime to retell can offer a sense of this. Many teachers, at all gradelevels, have determined that anecdotal notes serve to establish anongoing record of a reader's strategies and comprehension. Theseteachers also agree that notations are easiest to capture during one-on-one time with a reader. To do this, it's important to set aside atwenty-to-thirty minute time block three to five days a week (oftenthis occurs during SSR or during independent reading time). A stu-dent meets with the teacher for approximately five to ten minutes.bringing with them the hook they'd like to read aloud. (If a teacherspends time with three students three times a week, she can keepindividual notes on every reader in class once every three weeksthat's two annotated conferences per student every six weeks, 10-12 a year!) Young readers cLn usually read and retell an entirehook during this time; older readers are asked to select a 100 wordpassage to read aloud. The teacher listens, makes note of one ortwo strategies the reader uses effectively. notes an area or two ofstruggle, and perhaps writes down an instructional tip they sug-gested to the reader. The key is not to write clown everything...start by listing one reading strength, one area of demonstratedneed, and one instructional suggestion.

Teachers who maintain a separate page of ongoing anecdotalnotes for each child need waste no time moving post-it notesaround or cutting and pasting notes taken randomly throughout thereading workshop. When all students have their own page ofnotes, prior to starting a reading conference they can (and should!)read and reflect on their own patterns, their growth, and the areas

-12- 16

they've set as goals. Some teachers keep anecdotal notes on confer-ence sheets stapled to the inside of each student's reading work-shop folders (see sample below). This way they're available to thestudent at all times. They also serve as an ongoing record to dis-cuss with parents during conference times. Other teachers keepreading notes in a three-ring notebook, with separate sections foreach student. Neither method is better. A teacher needs to selectand fine-tune a note-taking procedure that is manageable and notso cumbersome that it's abandoned after the first few weeks of use.

Another means of taking individual reading notations is bymaintaining a checklist along with anecdotal notes. One form, de-veloped by elementary reading specialist Chris Walling (see sampleon page 15), lists specific reading strategies and behaviors to listen

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Each of these rc.::ording methods offers teachers, students, andparents specific, learner-centered reading process information thatprofiles growth over time as well as making note of areas for in-struction and more learning. When teachers start with their own jot-tings, gradually they'll develop a checklist that's most workable fortheir goals and purposes. As these checklists are developed someteachers find it valuable to borrow from and adapt the frameworkof others. A few resources for checklists are included at the end ofthis booklet.

The Learner as Informant

One of the most informative pieces of assessment comes di-rectly from the learner. Whether in kindergarten, sixth grade, orhigh school, students know a great deal about learning and aboutwhat was, or wasn't learned. Too often schools have neglected toinclude the learner as a key participant in the assessment process.This section offers numerous ways to invite the learner into theprocess as a means of informing the other stakeholders. In thesepieces students might reveal self-perceptions, beliefs, and goals. Inall cases, these self-reflections should be natural outgrowths of on-going classroom engagements with reading and writing.

Literature Circles Self-Evaluations

Lisa Norwick's sixth graders have recently finished their firstliterature circle experience. One culminating event was the develop-ment of an extension project. These projects were completed indi-vidually, in pairs, triads, or in literature circle teams and were thenpresented to the class, parents, and other visitors. Following thepresentations, Lisa asked her students to respond to the following:

1. What does your extension do to help people understandand appreciate the literary aspects of the book? Please give specificexamples from your extension project.

2. Does your extension project show your best effort and timewell spent? Explain.

One of Lisa's goals for her first round of literature circles wasthat students' gain appreciation for development of the literary

'J- 1 6

elements of setting, character, plot, and theme. This self-evaluationreturned that focus to the students. Their responses gave her someinsight into how they understood literary elements and how effec-tively they portrayed some of these elements in their own work.

Lisa also asked her students ro complete a self-evaluation formwith a checklist and a space for a listing of future goals (see thesample on page 18). This form clearly lists the participatory eventsof literature circles as well as providing a focus on behaviors usedwhen students read independently and in community with others.This self-evaluation form was introduced and demonstrated duringa mini-lesson and then students were given adequate time to com-plete it. Every self-evaluation was returned with thoughtful re-sponses. In classrooms where students are involved withassessment at all stages it shouldn't be surprising that, when asked,students really do know how they're progressing and what goalsare most manageable and meaningful for them.

Self-Reflections

While not all learners are as articulate as these sixth graders,that shouldn't stop teachers from inviting students to self-reflect.Kindergarten teacher Lavon Rosendahl interviewed her studentsprior to parent conferences by asking the children to look at theirwriting folders and compare writing done in September with writ-ing done in January. She prompted their reflections with: What doyou notice about your writing? How has your writing changedsince September? What's hard/easy about writing? Which piece isyour best and why? She took the time to sit with each young writerand served as a scribe to capture their responses.

Bethany: "We didn't write then. Now I put spaces so youknow if it is a word that connects together. Now I can writewords. What things are easy or hard when you write? That's ahard question."

Caleb: "I started writing better and writing what they soundedlike. I can write words better and I can write faster. I can read bet-ter. You have to write the sounds. Trying to write a long wordthat I haven't heard before is hard. Short words are easy. My bestpage is because I like football."

Allison: "My writing is better now. Now I can write S's. S's arehard. A's are easy, and is and N's. The last page is my best pagebecause i just did it yesterday."

SELF-EVALUATION FORM I

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NameDate el-f-J. 2,09q2

Please use this checklist to help you selfevaluate yourpart in your literature circle.

LY SOMETIMES NOT YET

As I read the story, I make sureit makes sense to me. \\/I prepare for discussion by:

reading the pages thegroup agrees on

thinking about what I wantto share or ask about. \.7

I keep the discussion going by:contributing appropriateInformation and opinions

using active listeningwhen others talk

encouraging other groupmembers.

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I look for connections betweenthe story and things that havehappened to me.

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I look for connections betweenthe story and other literatureI've read. \\/4

My journal entries reflect my personalresponse and understanding of the novelI read.

MY journal entries show effort and timewell spent.

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21

-18-

The responses demonstrate how important it is to gain a senseof children's perceptions as well as the need to guide children inways of looking at products with an evaluative eye.

Luanne Bressler asked her kindergarten learners to draw andwrite a note to their parents for conference time showing whatthey know and can do. The responses illustrated on pa3e 20 tell uswhat these youngsters deem important learning for a kindergartner.

Borrowing from an idea presented in Evaluating Literacy: A Per-spective for Change (Anthony et al., 1991) fourth grade teacherPenny Redman developed a full-page listing of four areas of focusfor her students as they prepared self-reflections for use in parentconferences. The first three statements were completed by the stu-dent: the last statement was completed by the parent at the end ofthe conference:

While you look at my work, please notice these things about it:

These arc the things I can do well:

These are the things I need to improve:

Please make a positive comment to me:

In preparation for this year's first round of parent conferences,Lisa Norwick's sixth graders completed a self-reflection (see the fig-ure on page 21) that became the initial focus of their student-led.parent-teacher-student conference. This self-reflection served as thespringboard for discussion, for sharing samples from writing foldersand reading workshop logs, and for focusing on the aspects oflearning each student wanted their parent to understand.

If evaluation and assessment are to be most effective, theyneed to involve all primary stakeholders. The preceding examplesare only a few ways children and teachers invite parents to share incelebrating their child's success, and success is most certainly thehest springboard for further motivation to learn.

Report Cards

Another example of adapting a valuable idea and making it fityour goals and your students is the Report Card Project. Inspiredby a student-developed Teacher Report Card in Invitations: Chang-ing as Teat:bets and Learners K-12 (Routman, 1991), Louise Bearddesigned a project for her third graders prior to their quarterly re-porting period. This project requires students to decide what areas

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or subjects to evaluate. Then they develop a 3-point rating scaleand decide how they're doing in each area. Students design andmake their own report cards (see the samples on pages 23 and 24)producing an array of what they consider important, how well theybelieve they've worked, and even how much they hope theteacher likes them. These report cards are certainly a reflection ofeach student's personality and ability, as well as what they arethinking!

If we desire an assessment and evaluation process that serveslearners and their needs, it is mandatory that we involve learners inthe heart of the process (Routman, 1991). Student responsibility forlearning leads to independencea goal most would embrace. Tomeet this goal, classroom-based assessment must invite student par-ticipation and support student self-reflection and self-evaluationwith demonstrations of how, when, and why. It is not enough toask students to self-evaluate or to expect students to know how todo something adults have done for themand to themmost oftheir lives. We must share with our students the process of goal set-ting, of focusing on what is meant by effective and strategic read-ing and writing, and of ways o assess and evaluate, realizing thatself-evaluation is as much a process as any new learning.

Inviting and Involving Parents

In an effective assessment program, parents serve as partnerswith teachers and are seen as rich sources of information (An-thony, Johnson, Nickelson, Preece. 1991). In addition to student-prepared focus sheets for parent conferences (as noted on previouspages), there are other ways to invite parents to share in the assess-ment process. At the beginning of the school year, Penny Redman(4th grade) sends a letter home to the parent(s) of each student inher classroom. In the letter she asks:

Please take a few moments to share some of your knowledgeof your child. What do you see as his/her strengths? Weaknesses?What are your child's interests? What arc the things you, as a par-ent, know that would be important for mo. to know? What is yourwish/hope/ dream for you child during this school year?

Many parents labor over this response, caring about theirchild's welfare and trusting that a teacher who asks about it doestoo. This letter can serve as a focus for conferences and progress

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reports, demonstrating to parents that their hopes and dreams fortheir sons and daughters are shared by teachers as well.

Many teachers set lifelong reading and writing as a goal fortheir students. This, however, is not easy to measure using tradi-tional school-based assessment tools. Teachers desiring this infor-mation have to seek input from parents who see (or don't see)reading and writing products and practices occurring outside theschool day. One way to obtain information about out-of-schoolreading and writing is to request it. This can he done through aform such as the one below:

Child's name

Date written by parent

Parents: I'd like some input from you about your child'sreading/writing activities at home. It will be included inyour child's portfolio with your permission.

At home I see my child's interest and enjoyment as a readerwhen he/she

At home I see my child's interest and enjoyment as a writerwhen he/she

Grand Celebrations

In some schools and districts classroom teachers don't standalone in the development and implementation of assessments thatshowcase a learner's growth over time. An example is what I'vetermed the "Grand Celebration." One place where this occurs isSherwood, Oregon. Committed to writing development, Sherwoodhas every student K-12 select one piece of writing per year to becopied and placed in a permanent writing folder. On the daytwelfth graders rehearse for graduation, they walk across the stageand, rather than receive their diploma, they receive their cumula-tive writing folder. Students who spend all thirteen years in the dis-trict will collect a folder holding thirteen pieces. Those transferringinto the district during ninth grade receive a folder with four pieces(and feel a secret envy for those with pieces from kindergartenon!). It's hard to imagine a better barometer of growth over timethan writing folders with students' own writing at thirteen stages oftheir lives. What a fine school district-based tradition for celebratinggrowth!

-25- (2.")

"What Next?" Thinking AboutClassroom-based Assessment

Focusing on assessment at the classroom level offers many in-sights into our learners and our programs for learning. The exam-ples given here are only some of the ways teachers are conductingliteracy assessment in their own classrooms. It is hoped that theseexamples will result in continued conversation and the sharing ofadditional practical suggestions for organizing assessment in theclassroom. In our conversations it would he wise to consider otherareas related to assessment, some of which are listed in the para-graphs that follow.

Often the best support for classroom-based assessment comesfrom the ongoing opportunities teachers create within the class-room that lead to informal assessmentauthor's chair and time totalk about reading and writing: mini-lessons and focused discus-sions about what makes an effective piece of writing, student main-tenance of writing folders and time set aside to select and savesignificant pieces. Most important is taking time to share the assess-ment process alongside students and allowing space between as-sessment (collection of data) and evaluation (judgments aboutwhat the data shows in relation to standards operating in the class-room). In this way, there's time for growth to be noticeable.

Classroom-based assessment offers us a chance to focus on thegoals we set for learning and the learners with whom we work.Along with the grand idea behind such practice is the reality ofeach of our situations, our differences in knowledge base, and ourcomfort (and discomfort) as we move toward assessment processesand practices that differ from those traditionally used. There are nu-merous print resources to support teachers in their own growthwith assessment and evaluation (see resource lists at the end of thisbooklet). There arc also many colleagues in classrooms next door,in district offices, on university campuses, and at conferences andconventions who are at all stages of the process. (A list of somewith whom I've worked is provided at the end of this booklet.)Colleagues can serve as key resources and support. I recommendwe turn to people and print as guides while taking our own stepsinto classroom-based assessment. There is much to learn...and tocelebrate!

2.9

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References

Anthony, R., Johnson. T., Mickelson, N., & Preece, A. (1991). Evalu-ating literacy: A perspective for change. Portsmouth, NH: Heine-mann.

Cambourne, B. (1988). The whole stoty: Natural learning and theacquisition of literacy in the classroom. Auckland. New Zea-land: Ashton Scholastic.

Cambourne, B.. & Turbill, J. (1990). Assessment in whole-languageclassrooms: Theory into practice. The Elementary School jour-nal, 90 (3), 337-349.

Dalrymple, K. (1989). -Well, what about his skills?" Evaluation ofwhole language in the middle school. In Goodman, K.; Good-man, Y.; Hood, W.; The Whole Language Evahtation Book,Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Evaluating writing across curriculum (RB 0020 and RB 0021).(1992). Ministry of Education, British Columbia, Canada, (604356- 2500).

Goodman. Y. (1978). Kid watching: An alternative to testing. jour-nal of National Elementary School Principals, 57 (4), 41-45.

Language arts portfolio handbook for the primary grades. (RevisedSeptember 1992). Juneau School District. 10014 Crazy HorseDrive, Juneau, AL 99801 (907-789-6356).

Literacy profiles handbook: Assessing and reporting literacy develop-ment, (1990). School Programs Division; Ministry of Education,Victoria, Australia (818-837-3755).

Routman, R. (1988). Transitions: From literature to literacy.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Routman, R. (1991). ImEtations: Changing as teachers and learnersK-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Sharp. Q. (1989). Evaluation: Whole language checklists for evaluat-ing young children. New York: Scholastic.

Shepard, L. (1989). Why we need better assessments. EducationalLeadership. 46 (7), 4-9.

300

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Supporting learning: Understanding and assessing the progress ofchildren in the primary grades (RB 0018). (1992). Ministry ofEducation, British Columbia, Canada (604-356-2500).

Valencia, S., & Pearson, D. (1987). Reading assessment: Time for achange. The Reading Teacher, 40 (8), 726-732.

Wiggins, G. (1989). A true test: Toward more authentic and equita-ble assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 70(9), 703-713.

Additional Resources

The following is not the most comprehensive listing of re-sources available. It is, however, a list that includes hooks anddocuments most influential in my own growth as I've gained a bet-ter perspective on theory, research, and practice. Undoubtedly youcould recommend some resources that don't appear on this list. Ihope this will prompt some "But, haven't you read...?" discussionsnd perhaps even the development of an annotated bibliographyor a compilation of assessment/evaluation resource reviews writtenby teachers for teachers. You'll know what serves you bestthechallenge is to locate it, adapt it. and share it!

Bouffler. Chrystine (Ed.). (1993). Literacy evaluation: Issues andpracticalities. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Goodman. K., Goodman, Y., & Hood, W. (Eds.). (1989). The wholelanguage evaluation hook. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Graves. D., & Sunstein. B. (Eds.). (1992). Portfolio portraits.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Harp, B. (Ed.). (1991). Assessment and evaluation in wholelanguage programs. Norwood, MA: Christopher-GordonPublishers.

Hill, B., & Ruptic, C. (Eds.). (in press). Putting the pieces together.Norwood, MA: Cl ristopher-Gordon Publishers.

Tierney, R., Carter, M., & I)csai, L. (1991). Portfolio assessment inthe reading-writing classroom. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.

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Resources for Checklists

Clemmons, J., Laase, L., Cooper, D., & Areglado, N. (1993). Port-folios in the classroom: A teacher's sourcebook. New York:Scholastic.

Picciotto, L. (1992). Evaluation: A team effort. New York: Scholastic.

Rhodes, L. (Ed.). (1993). Literacy assessment: A handbook of instru-ments. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Sharp, Q. (1989). Evaluation in the literature-based classroom:Whole language checklists. New York: Scholastic.

Weeks, B. & Leaker, j. (1993). Managing literacy assessment withyoung leaniets. South Australia: Martin Intl. Pty. Ltd.

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'2

Teachers as Resources

Patti KamberFifth Grade TeacherBlakely Elementary School4704 Blakely AvenueBainbridge Island, WA 98110(206) 842-4752

Cindy RupticFirst/Second Grade TeacherBlakely Elementary School4704 Blakely AvenueBainbridge Island, WA 98110(206) 842-4752

Louise BeardThird Grade TeacherPerkins Elementary School4649 Sunnyside Avenue NorthSeattle, WA 98103(206) 632-7154

Lisa NorwickSixth Grade TeacherAudubon Elementary School3045 180th Avenue NortheastRe, _mond, WA 98052(206) 881-9575

Annie CalkinsJuneau School District10014 Crazy Horse DriveJuneau, AK 99801(907) 789-6356

Hillary SumnerLearning Disabilities SpecialistBeaverton School DistrictBeaverton, OR(503) 591-4580

-30-33

About the AuthorNancy J. Johnson is associate professor in literacy education andchair of the Graduate Reading /Language Arts Program at SeattlePacific University.

Literacy Improvement Series for Elementary EducatorsThese topical papers are cleigned to encourage discussion andsupport the planning and implementation of change in schoolliteracy programs.

BcNoming a School Literacy Improvement Pnyect:Some ll'brds or Advice by Joanne Yatvin

Promoting Derelopn2entally Appropriate PracticeThrough Teacher Self-Study by Rebecca C. Severeide

Making Decisions About Grouping in Language Artsby Glenellen Pace

Learning for Life Through Unitersal Themes by Alba D. StevensCelebrating Growth Over Tinier Classroom-Based Assessment inLanguage Arts by Nancy J. Johnson

For additional information about this series or to suggest futuretopics, please contact the Literacy, Language, and CommunicationProgram at (503) 275-9592.

For ordering information, you may call the Document Reproduc-tion Service at (503) 275-9519.

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