Enhancing our guiding philosophy of

continuous improvement

-Professional Learning Communities

People

ProductProcess

•Plan Do Study Act (PDSA)

Integration of Continuous Improvement & Curriculumfor Student Achievement

•Building Leadership Teams (BLT)

•SIP

Teaching&

Learning

People

ProductProcess

•Plan Do Study Act (PDSA)•Action Plan

•Building Leadership Teams (BLT)•Action Research Teams (ARDT)

Integration of Continuous Improvement & Curriculumfor Student Achievement

•SIP•Smart Goals

Teaching&

Learning

People

ProductProcess

•Plan Do Study Act (PDSA)•Action Plan•PLC

•Building Leadership Teams (BLT)•Action Research Teams (ARDT)•Classroom Teachers

Integration of Continuous Improvement & Curriculumfor Student Achievement

•SIP•Smart Goals•Student Learning Expectations

Teaching&

Learning

Professional Learning Communities

• Not a new initiative, a way of going moving from School goals to Classroom goals with continuous improvement

• A framework for results-focused discussions

• Opportunities for grade level and like- content teams to focus on improvement

• PLC’s use data and the PDSA process to focus on the success of each student

Pre Planning: Identification of Need1. Develop/Review Student Learning Expectations2. Examine alignment of learning expectations with assessments3. Review assessment data4. Identify areas of need based on assessment

Plan:1. Describe the current process for addressing the identified area of need (flow chart) 2. Review data to determine baseline performance in the specific area identified (Run Chart/Pareto Diagram)3. Identify potential root causes contributing to the identified area of need (Cause & Effect Diagram, 5 Why’s, Relations Diagram)4. Study research-based best practice/improvement theory addressing areas of need

DO1. Plan for implementation of improvement theory (Force Field Analysis, Action Plan)2. Implement research-based best practices improvement theory based on root causes according to the Action Plan3. Monitor the implementation of research-based best practice/improvement theory to insure integrity and fidelity4. Assess student learning

Study:1. Examine student assessment results (compare to baseline)2. Assess the impact of research-based best practice/improvement theory on

student achievement

Act:1. Standardize the implementation of research-based best practice (improvement theory) that improved student learning (revise the flow chart to reflect changes made to the system)2. If improvement theory was unsuccessful continue the PDSA cycle (try another improvement theory based on the next identified root causes)

Action ResearchOverview

for Professional

Learning Communitie

s

Identify areas of Identify areas of strength and weakness?strength and weakness?What do we want students to know?What do we want students to know?

WhatWhat do they know? do they know?WhatWhat have they learned? have they learned?

Most effective/best practice Most effective/best practice teaching and learning strategies?teaching and learning strategies?

Have they learned it?Have they learned it?What do we do if they don’t?What do we do if they don’t?How do we respond if they don’t?How do we respond if they don’t?

HOW do we know HOW do we know if they have learned it?if they have learned it?

What evidence do we have What evidence do we have of the learning?of the learning?

PLC Critical QuestionsPLC Critical Questions What do we want students to know and be What do we want students to know and be

able to do?able to do? Standards/Benchmarks (Learning Outcomes)Standards/Benchmarks (Learning Outcomes) Classroom SMART goalsClassroom SMART goals

How will we know if they can do it?How will we know if they can do it? Formative assessmentsFormative assessments Multiple data setsMultiple data sets

How will we respond when they can’t?How will we respond when they can’t? Differentiated InstructionDifferentiated Instruction Systems of intervention (supplemental to Systems of intervention (supplemental to

intensive)intensive)

StudentStudent Crucial QuestionsCrucial Questions

What do I need to know?What do I need to know? Where am I now?Where am I now? How do I get there?How do I get there? What happens if I fail?What happens if I fail?

CRCSD Areas of FocusCRCSD Areas of Focus2006-2008 & ongoing

CRCSD Student Learning Expectations

Iowa Professional Development ModelIowa Professional Development Model

2007-2009

Formative Assessment

Learning Communities

Learning Target

Instruction Assessment

District Focus for the Year

Refinement of PracticeRefinement of Practice

What’s the purpose for What’s the purpose for assessment?assessment?

Two Purposes for AssessmentTwo Purposes for Assessment

SUMMATIVESUMMATIVE• AssessmentsAssessments OFOF LearningLearning

– How much have students learned How much have students learned as of a particular point in time?as of a particular point in time?

FORMATIVEFORMATIVE• AssessmentsAssessments FORFOR LearningLearning

– How can we use assessment How can we use assessment information to help students information to help students learn more?learn more?

Purpose:Purpose:Assess to meet Assess to meet whosewhose needs? needs?

ClassroomClassroom Instructional Instructional SupportSupport

PolicyPolicy

StudentsStudents

TeachersTeachers

ParentsParents

Teacher TeamsTeacher Teams

Curriculum Curriculum CoordinatorsCoordinators

PrincipalsPrincipals

SuperintendentSuperintendent

School BoardSchool Board

TaxpayersTaxpayers

LegislatorsLegislators

Balanced Assessment: Balanced Assessment: Meeting the Needs of All Meeting the Needs of All

StakeholdersStakeholders• Administer annual accountability testingAdminister annual accountability testing• Develop interim, short-cycle or Develop interim, short-cycle or

benchmarkbenchmark• Ensure ongoing, accurate classroom Ensure ongoing, accurate classroom

assessments assessments forfor and and ofof learning learning• Consider the student Consider the student as as the most the most

influential userinfluential user of assessment information of assessment information

Assessment for LearningAssessment for Learning

Rick StigginsRick Stiggins

OverviewOverview

SummativeSummative FormativeFormative

ReasonReason

To InformTo Inform

FocusFocus

Assessment Assessment OFOF Learning Learning

Assessment Assessment FORFOR Learning Learning

Check StatusCheck StatusImprove Improve LearningLearning

Others about Others about studentsstudents

Students about Students about themselvesthemselves

StandardsStandards Enabling Enabling TargetsTargets

ExampleExample

Place in Place in TimeTime

UseUse

Assessment Assessment OFOF Learning Learning

Assessment Assessment FORFOR Learning Learning

High Stakes High Stakes External External AssessmentsAssessments

Assessments that Assessments that diagnose needs or diagnose needs or help students see help students see themselves improvethemselves improve

An event after An event after learninglearning

A process A process during learningduring learning

SummativeSummative FormativeFormative

Key IDEA:

Formative assessment can and should be done BY STUDENTS,

as well as by teachers. The key to improvement is how students and

teachers use assessment information.

““Teachers use formative Teachers use formative assessment to inform assessment to inform instructional methods… at the instructional methods… at the very least, teachers should very least, teachers should check for understanding every check for understanding every 15 minutes.”15 minutes.”

-Douglas Fisher-Douglas FisherChecking for Checking for

UnderstandingUnderstanding

Balanced AssessmentBalanced Assessment

FORMATIVE

Formal and informal processes teachers & students us to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning

SUMMATIVE

Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

Use assessments to help students assess & adjust their own learning.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

Use formal & informal classroom assessments to inform teacher’s decisions.

FORMATIVE USES OF SUMMATIVE DATA

Use summative results to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students.

Keys to Classroom Keys to Classroom AssessmentAssessment

• Key 1: Clear PurposeKey 1: Clear Purpose• Key 2: Clear targetsKey 2: Clear targets• Key 3: Sound Assessment Key 3: Sound Assessment

DesignDesign• Key 4: Effective CommunicationKey 4: Effective Communication• Key 5: Student InvolvementKey 5: Student Involvement

Seven Strategies of Assessment FOR Learning

1. Clear & Understandable Vision of Target

2. Examples/models of strong & weak work

3. Regular Descriptive feedback4. Teach Students to Self-Assess & Set

Goals.5. Focus on One Aspect6. Teach Focused Revision7. Engage students in Self-Reflection

%ile

impr

ovem

ent

incr

ease

0

20

80

100

40

60

Starting percentile50th

Starting percentile50th

Teacher assessment effectiveness

StudentAchievement

Increase of 34%ileto 84%ile

13%ile increaseto 63%ile

%ile

impr

ovem

ent

incr

ease

0

20

80

100

40

60

Starting percentile50th

Starting percentile50th

Teacher assessment effectiveness

StudentAchievement

Increase of 49%ileto 99%ile

28%ile increaseto 78%ile

John Hattie—reviewed 7,827 studies on learning and instruction.

Conclusion… “The most powerful single innovation that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops’ of feedback.”

Like most things in education, classroom assessment enhances student achievement under certain conditions only.

• Feedback from classroom assessments should provide students with a clear picture of

their progress on learning goals and

how they might improve

• Feedback from classroom assessment should encourage students to improve.

• Classroom assessment should be formative in nature.

• Formative classroom assessments should be quite frequent.

Why Assessment Why Assessment forfor Learning Learning WorksWorks

When students are required to When students are required to think about their own learning, think about their own learning, articulate what they understand, articulate what they understand, and what they still need to learn, and what they still need to learn, achievement improves. achievement improves.

--Black and Wiliam, 1998; Sternberg, 1996; Young, --Black and Wiliam, 1998; Sternberg, 1996; Young, 20002000

Key IDEA:

Formative assessment can and should be done BY STUDENTS,

as well as by teachers. The key to improvement is how students and

teachers use assessment information.