Ideas for modules Assessments Formative Assessment: The formal and informal practices that teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning. Formative assessment is also sometimes referred to as assessment for learning. Formative Instructional Practices: The term we use to refer to the practice of formative assessment and assessment for learning. Formative instructional practices are the formal and informal ways that teachers and students gather and respond to evidence of student learning. Summative Assessment: Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness. Learning Targets: Statements of intended learningwhat students should know and be able to do. 5 Keys to Assessment Roll over for quotes. Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness . What does this mean at the classroom-level? Summative assessment is used to determine class grades and report achievement. These grades come in many formsletters, numbers and comparisons to a standard. Summative assessment is formally reported to students and parents, as in a report card. Sometimes an assessment starts out being summative, but when it is evident that students didnt get it, it becomes formative.. Sometimes an assessment starts out being formative, but when results reveal that students attained mastery, it becomes summative. What does this mean at the program-level? Summative assessment is used at the program level to makes judgments such as determining how many students are meeting standards in a particular grade for the purpose of accountability.. Information from summative assessments are reported to many stakeholdersthe educators, the school board and the community. Lets review. Summative assessment is using evidence of student learning for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness. A Word from Classroom Assessment Specialist and Author Jan Chappuis Summative assessments arent bad or wrong. Theyre just not formative; they have a different purposeto report out level of achievement. Mislabeling them as formative will not cause them to generate the achievement gains noted in research studies. Formative assessment Is a powerful tool in the hands of both teachers and students, and the closer to everyday instruction, the stronger it is. Classroom assessment, sensitive to what teachers and students are doing daily, is most capable of providing the basis for understandable and accurate feedback about the learning, while there is still time to act upon it. And, it has the greatest capacity to develop students ability to monitor and adjust their own learning. In their article Inside the Black Box, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam recommend the following formative instructional practices to improve student achievement. Increase opportunities for students to communicate their evolving learning during instruction. Increase descriptive feedback, reduce evaluative feedback. T Increase self and peer assessment. ) 2 The Importance of Learning Targets Designing, selecting and using quality assessment terris and tasks that are aligned to the learning targets matter too. It is the information gleaned from accurate assessments that enables teachers and students to make sound decisions about next steps in lnslnjction. This information provides the basis for descriptive feedback that we will refec to often as effective feedback. What makes feedback effective? It causes action that moves learning forward. BACK CONTiNUE B Use a review or summary of what they have learned. Clicking a button and it tell you if your are correct with more information. Different characters giving reflections. Reflective Questions Shading Characters for feedback Move sticky note to tell how they are doing. Survey type Questions Learning Targets #2 Learning Targets: Statements of intended learningwhat students should know and be able to do Deconstruct/Deconstructing Standards: The process of breaking down a broad or complex standard or goal Into smaller, more explicit learning targets; often the terms unpack or unwrap are used to mean the same thing Scaffold/Scaffolding Standards: The process of deconstructing standards and breaking them into smaller, more explicit learning targets, and then organizing the targets in a progression that makes sense for learning Standard: The shortened term we will use when we are referencing the standard statement OR content statement ? Consider the following questions: ? ? Do you and your colleagues have a shared understanding of what students should know and be able to do? In other words, does mastery of the 5th grade standards look the same in all 5th grade classrooms in your school and across schools in your district? Do your students understand what they should know and be able to do? Do your students focus on what they are learning or what they are doing? CONTINUE A I work with colleagues to deconstruct the complex standards Im 0 assigned to teach. Q l work with colleagues to deconstruct complex standards and am capable of teaching others how to do so. Q l know that many of the standards are complex. and I need to address that to better understand what Im assigned to teach. I sometimes take the time to deconstwct complex standards with colleagues. SUBMIT A Remember, it is important to make the distinction between learning targets and learning activities. Learning targets are the whatwhat students should know and be able to do. Learning activities are the howthe means to an end: the processes; the doing. REFLECT Is your classroom or school driven by learning targets or learning activities? How do you know? Targets for Teachers Clear learning targets help us answer the question: shot.H sT If the learning targets are clear, it is easy to select an appropriate assessment. When curricular priorities are clear, teachers can focus on teaching for a deeper level of understanding rather than rushing through the standards to check them off a list. I Further, by closely aligning the targets with the appropriate assessment method, it becomes easier to disaggregate results and see exactly what students know and where they need more support. In other words, if the assessments are aligned to the learning targets, they will produce information about what has been or will be taught that can be acted upon by teachers AND students. I--rn _ L I liii LJ Benefits of Clear Learning Targets for Students If students know, understand and have a clear vision of the learning targets, they will be able to answer the question: Where am I going? What they are learning remains the focus of Instruction and allows students to understand and act upon feedback, assess and track their own progress toward the targets and set new learning goals. CONTINUE A Write a scenario from your grade and subject for a given learning target. Explain what you would do and say to make the intended learning target for a given lesson clear to students. Answers will vary, but your scenario might look something like this: Okay class; take out your math books. Who remembers what the learning target was from yesterday? Righti Round decimals to a given place-value. Today, we are going to practice rounding decimals to given place-values by participating in a decimal hunt. I will give you a decimal, and then you will have to hunt on your paper for the correct answer. You and your partner will check each others answers and I will help answer questions that you may have. This way, I will be able to see who needs help and who s ready to move on. Please turn to page 145. Check your partners book. Make sure your partner knows where we are. is everybody ready? Read the directions on page 145, and when you know what youre supposed to do, come up to the front and get your materials. Then, before the activity begins, the teacher asks students to recall the learning target. BACK CONTINUE Need a symbol for each Learning Target Types Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Skill Targets Product Targets Knowledge targets represent the factual information, procedural knowledge, and conceptual understandings that underpin each discipline. Reasoning targets specify the thought processes students are to learn to do well within a range of subjects. Skill targets are those in which a demonstration or physical skill-based performance is at the heart of the learning. Product targets describe learning in terms of artifacts in which Creation of a product is the focus of the learning target. With product targets, the specifications for quality for the product itself are the focus of teaching and assessment Why Classify Learning Targets? Knowing how to categorize learning targets by type will allow you to: Examine the intended learning in your curriculum. Is it clear to you what students are expecteJ to know and be able to do? Deconstruct complex standards efficiently. If a standard is complex and needs to be deconstructed into smaller, manageable learning targets. knowing the types of learning underpinning the mastery of the standard helps in this process.. Select the appropriate assessment method. Classifying learning targets is a necessary step in planning an assessment. It helps identify the assessment options appropriate to each target. Steps to Create Clear Learning Targets #1 Deconstruct the content standard if needed. #2 Rewrite the learning targets in student- friendly language. #3 Organize learning targets into a logical progression, considering targets that: Lay the base for learning (foundation learning) Demonstrate mastery of the standard Go beyond the standard # 1 Step #1: Deconstructing Complex Standards Identifying the types of targets found in the curriculum helps develop our understanding of what students should know and be able to do. Only by having clarity ourselves, can we create and share learning targets for students in a language they will understand. For complex standardsstandards that include several subsets of learning targetswe need to deconstruct the standard. This process is best done in teams of educators, coming to consensus on the intended learning and on the stepping stones to get there. Benefits of Deconstructing Complex Standards This process helps ensure that teachers collectively: Know the ultimate learning target type represented in the standard (knowledge, reasoning, performance skill or product). Teach and assess all of the content that is expected in the standard. Teach and assess at the level of rigor or cognitive demand that is the intent of the standard. Ensure a solid understanding of the intended learning that comes before and after this standard. It is important to recognize that this relevant learning that comes before and after the standard may happen within a school year or course, or it may come in the grades or courses before and after the standard that is being taught. Deconstructing a Standard: Reading Example Follow along as we deconstruct a Grade 6 Common Core State Standard (CCSS). Grade: 6 Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. Common Core State Standards Initiative, Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Washington. DC: Council of Chief State School Officers & National Governors Association. (hereafter referred to as CCS.S. 2010) onsider the previous discussion about target types. Choose the Itimate target type for the standard above: easoning Q Skill Q Product SUBMIT__J Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (CCSS, 2010) pjj Underpinning Learning Targets Consider the knowledge, reasoning, skills and products that underpin the standard. Review the lists below. Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Define: Trace the argument and specific An argument claims in a text A claim DIstinguish between supported and Identify a claim made in a text unsupported claims Identify the reasons and evidence in the text Evaluate the argument and its specific claims in a text There are no skill or product targets underpinning this reading standard. Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims In a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. {ccss, 2010) Define any academic language of the standard that needs clarification.. Argument: According to the Common Core State Standards document, an argument is a reasoned, logical way of demonstrating that the writers position, belief or conclusion is valid. (CCSS, 2010) Claim: According to the Common Core State Standards document, claims are about determining the worth or meaning of a literary work or works. {CCSS, 2010) Some teachers may also want to have conversations about what counts as evidence. Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (ccss, 2010) Review the intended learning that comes before and after this standard. Grade 5: Roll over here to view the underpinning targets that make up this standard. Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills Standard: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points n a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). (CCSS, 2010) Grade 7: Roll over here to view the underpinning targets that make up this standard. Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills Standard#:8 Standard: Trace &nd evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidenpe is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. (CCSS, 2010) In this sample, we looked at the standard statements that bookend grade 6. Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (ccsS, 2010) Based on professional judgment and experience, is there anything else about this standard you should consider? Students are Introduced to the language of argument and claim in the 6th grade. Through fifth I grade, this standard is about supporting the authors point. A common misconception students have with argumentation is that it is acceptable to use their own opinion as a claim to support an argument. What have we learned while deconstructing this Common Core reading standard? The ultimate target type is reasoning. Several underpinning targets make up this standardknowledge and reasoning targets. Students are introduced to the key academic language of argument and claim in sixth grade. The following language appears in the College and Career Readiness Standard: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. This standard builds from grade 5 and new academic language is introduced in grade 7. Again, the work of deconstructing standards Is best done In teams. This example clearly demonstrates the power of working in vertical teams of teachers. By collaborating on the deconstruction of the standards colleagues have the opportunity to teach and engage in powerful conversations. What we did.. essica i...ynlcar Q, One of the most important things that we did to expand on our formative assessment practices was to deconstruct the state standards and indicators. Our sixth grade English department requested two professional development days to create common definitions and understandings of the content standards and indicators. We felt that we needed to be on the same page as to what we were teaching, but how we got there was up to us as professionals. We wanted the focus of this time to be very intentional and specific, so we set norms at the beginning. We wanted to make sure that we stuck to one topic at a time and the time wasnt about sharing this is what I do in my classroom, that it was more about what we need to teach and how we get there. During this time we reviewed several sources of information: standards and indicators at our sixth grade level and the grade levels before and after, standardized testing information, and a variety of classroom resources. Together we deconstructed the indicators into their underpinning learning targets. We created common definitions and I can statements, added resources, and developed assessment questions. We also began to note lessons and ideas we each had for teaching each target. [co1Tr 112 Step #2: Rewrite the learning targets in student-friendly language. In this step, use your Deconstructing a Standard work to write student- friendly learning targets. Possible learning target stems include: Ican... We are learning to... I know... It is important to remember that the language you use in student-friendly learning targets can vary depending on what is age-appropriate and what works best for different subjects. As teachers, we still want our students to master the academic language they need to be successful, not only for the sake of high-stakes assessments but as competent learners in various disciplines of study. Knowledge target: Define an argument. SLT: I can define argument. Knowledge target: Define a claim. SLT: I can define claim. Knowledge target: ldenh[y a claim made in a text. SLT: I can find a claim made in a text. Knowledge target: Identify reasons and evidence in the text. SLT: I can find the reasons and evidence that support (back up) a claim. Reasoning target: Trace the argument and specific claims in a text. SLT: I can trace, or follow, an argument and specific claims in a : text. This means I can find the claim made, find the reasons and evidence that support the claim, and explain how the reasons and evidence link to the claim. Reasoning target: Distinguish between supported and unsupported claims. SLT: I can determine whether a claim is supported by evidence or not. Reasoning target: Evaluate the argument and its specific claims in a text. SLT: I can evaluate, or judge, the argument and its specific claims in a text. This means I can tell whether the reasons and evidence provided for a claim are logical and sufficient (enough) to support that claim. Take a look at the Student-friendly Learning Targets (SLTs) below. These are based on the 6th grade reading standard that we deconstructed earlier in this module: Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims In a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (ccSs, 2010) Consider This (rollover) Step #3: Organize learning targets into a logical progression. Why organize the learning targets this way? Be clear with yourself and with your students about which targets are part of mastering the standard, which are prerequisite targets and, If needed, which targets are for students who have mastered the standard (i.e. what comes next in their learning?). I Going Beyond the Standard These targets are for students who have already mastered the standard or learning goal and are ready for enrichment. You can go beyond with content, levels of cognitive demand or combination of both. (Note: greater text complexity works too.) Mastering the Standard These targets are the minimum level all students need to master. Mastering these targets means that the student is working on + grade level. Laying the Base (Foundation Learning) These targets are the learning targets that students must know and be able to do in order to learn the mastery targets. Step #3: Organize learning targets into a logical progression. For this example we are looking at the Grade 5 standard from the same strand and topic to determine the relevant foundational learning. Grade: 5 Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills Standard: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). (Ccss, 2010) Laying the Base (Foundational Learning) I can explain how an author uses evidence and reasons to support particular points in a text.. I can identify an authors particular points in a text. I can identify which evidence and reasons support each point. I CONTINUE A Step #3: Organize learning targets into a logical progression. The Grade 6 standard we just deconstructed detemiines the mastery learning. Grade: 6 Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims In a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (ccss, 2010) Mastering the Standard. I can evaluate, or judge, the argument and its specific claims In a text. This means I can tell whether the reasons and evidence provided for a claim are logical and sufficient (enough) to support that claim. I can determine whether a claim is supported by evidence or not.. I can trace, or follow, an argument and specific claims in a text. This means I can find the claim made, find the reasons and evidence that support the claim, and explain how the reasons and evidence link to the claim. I can find the reasons and evidence that support (back up) a claim.. I can tnd a claim made in a text.. I can define claim. I can define argument. BACK CONTINUE B Step #3: Organize learning targets into a logical progression. For this example we are looking at the Grade 7 standard from the same strand and topic to determine the learning that is going beyond. Grade: 7 Strand: Reading Informational Text Topic: Integration of Knowledge and Skills I Standard: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims In a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. (CCSS, 2010) Going Beyond the Standard. I can assess the relevance of evidence for specific claims in a text. I can assess the sufficiency of evidence for specific claims In a text. I can assess the reasoning in a text is sound.. I can define relevant evidence, sufficient evidence and sound reasoning. Note: Notice that some of the academic language found in the Mastering the Standard targets included language such as sound reasoning that is not formally introduced in the CCSS until grade 7. However, in order to reach mastery in grade 6. students need to be able to evaIuate an argument and claim. In doing so, they would be evaluating if the reasoning and evidence are sound and logical. DOWNLOAD O Download F: Student-Friendly Learning Targets Reading Example Reminders. There are some standards that dont need to be deconstructed. Simply convert those standards to student-friendly language by clarifying key terms.. For all standards, consider the foundational learning; however, mastering these targets does not mean that a student has mastered the grade-level standard.. You may not always create targets for Going Beyond the Standard. However, it is always a good idea for you and your students to know where the learning leads next even if you dont tackle it this year.. Dont lose sight of the key academic language. Define key terms as necessary, but you want your students to master academic language, too.. PIctures and symbols can work well to help create student-friendly learning targets, particularly in the younger grades. There is no right number of targets for learning. Like teaching students a game, some students need more directions to be a competitive player than others.. If the targets you create are not clear when you share them with students, revise and edit as needed.. This is complex work, so collaborate with your colleagues to make meaning of the standards. B DOWNLOAD - Download G: O Student-Friendly Learning Targets Template Read below the three ways to make the learning clear to students. Roll over the Tips for more information. 1. State the learning target in its original form. (Tip) 2. Create a student-friendly version of the learning target and then share It. 3. Create a student-friendly rubric by: Converting an adult-version of a rubric that you have. (Tip) Creating a rubric with your students that helps to clarity the learning target. (flp) In either case, the student-friendly targets are the descriptors of the rubric. Keep in mind that the sharing of the learning target cari be both verbal and written. Faking the Learning Clear to Students Learning targets are a powerful educational tool when students understand them. Making targets clear requires that we take into account the complexity of the intended learning, the subject, and the students age and readiness. Students need to be able to answer the question, Where am I going? Simply posting a learning target on the wall, without ensuring student understanding, is not enough. The timing for sharing the learning target during Instruction depends on the learning target itself. You may want an engagement activity that leads students to the learning target. With a science demonstration, for example, you may want your students to discover the target. However, it is important that students know the difference between the learning target and the activity or demonstration that the teacher uses to make progress toward the target. CASI 2e Without clear targets, students lack the Information they Q) need to self-assess, set goals, and act on the descriptive - feedback they receive. Poorly defined learning expectations cause similar problems to poorly defined behavior expectationsconfusion and conflictwhich sets students up for failure down the road. No clear targets = No self-assessment No clear targets = No student goal setting No clear targets = Student confusion and conflict No clear targets = No acting on descriptive feedback Imagining a Target-Rich Learning Environment Brainstorm a list of ways to share learning targets with REFLECT students. If it helps, imagine a target- rich learning environment. Imagine what you would see and hear.. What would you and your students be doing? What would you and your students be saying? How might a target-rich environment benefit student learning? Correct! False. As with any commercially-developed product, educators still must be the ultimate experts regarding any tool or resource used with students and learning targets are no exception. Assessment literacy requires that teachers create andlor adapt targets to ensure that the wording aligns with the Intent of the standards and Is clear to the students who are working to master them. Moreover, the process of creating clear targets gives educators the opportunity to reflect on how to best make the learning clear for students. CONTINUE ( Learning Targets: True or False? Check your understanding of learning targets. It helps students and teachers to organize learning targets in a logical progression for instruction. Correct! True. Learning targets in isolation sometimes fail to communicate to students what this learning is connected to and where It goes next. By displaying and verbalizing learning targets, and making the connections between them, students are better able to understand where they are in the learning progression. Understanding the learning progression benefits teachers as well. How? A part of this process is considering the foundational learning students must have in order to master the new teaming and where the learning goes next. It urges teachers to fully understand the standards before and after the ones they teach as well as knowing if this learning is a priority for this grade level or grade level bandthe one opportunity that students have to access these particular standards. ______________ CONTINUE Learning Targets: True or False? Check your understanding of learning targets. Having subject-matter expertise Is important in deconstructing standards and creating targets. Correct True. In order to deconstruct the standards and scaffold them into a logical learning progression, you must have content knowledge in the subject. If you dont, its even more imperative to work with colleagues to learn together. CONTINUE Learning Targets: True or False?,) Check your understanding of learning targets. Correct False. There are many right answers when it comes to creating targets. It is Important that the targets are clear and concise and appropriate for the audience, but the ideal learning target is what worts for the students who are doing the learning. Often educators try to condense a learning target Into one succinct statement. Sometimes this works, and sometimes It does not. Again, the purpose is to make the learning clear to students. It can be a statement, a paragraph, a statement with bullet points, even a graphic representation. CONTINUE 1 There Is a single correct set of targets for every standard, and teachers must invest the time required to get to the perfect targets. Module 3 Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Student Learning Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Student Learning In this module, we wIll focus on the fonnalive use of evidence. You will learn bow lo ensure Ihat the evIdence you coIled accurately ref leda student learning, whether for formative or summallve use. You also will explore ways to document evidence for fo.nietive use. ( Module Learning Targets: These larqets help ) 1. Know how to collect accurate formative evidence ansv.er the question, % of student learnIng. Where an, I going? I ( 2, Know how to docwnent formative evidence of 1% student learning. CON1INUE Selected Response Assessment: Students select the correct or best response from a list. Wrir Resr.e Asessirrth Students construct an answer in response to a question or task. This includes short answer and extended written response. Students perfo a task ere they engage in a mal time performance (a demonstration) or create a product The performance or product is evaluated using a rubric that describes levels of quality. Prsorial Communicition Ass ment: Students provide evidence of their learning by engaging in structured and unstructured interactions. These may include answering questions and participating in conversations. Assessment Event: An activity that serves as a source of information providing evidence of student learning. Evidr -. Information about student learning gathered through formal and informal assessment events. Sound Purpose + T:;s + Assessment = ACCURACY Design As a teacher, you make assessment choices on an ongoing basis.. What drives your choices? Do you use commercially-developed, locally-developed, or personally- developed assessments? I-tow do you determine that (he assessments you use, whether developed by others or by you, are of high quality?. In other words, how do you know your assessments are yielding accurate information about what students have learned or will be expected to learn? CONTINUE A Collecting Accurate Documenting _ Information Assessment + It Well e You Can Use! Information As you work through this module, ask yourself the following questions:. How do I determine which assessment method will yield the most accurate information for a given learning target? What do I need to do to ensure the evidence I collect can be used formatively? What do I need to do to ensure the evidence I collect matches what I taught? What are ways to document formative evidence? There are four design requirements that are Q., important to consider when designing assessments. i Select the assessment methods to match the learning targets you are teaching. 2 Use an appropiate sample size. 3 Write andior select only high-quality assessment items, tasks, and scoring rubrics. 4 Control tot bias. Possible Assessment Methods. Selected Response Multiple Choice - True/False Matching - Fill In. Extended Wntte R.,og e. Performance Asses....it. Personal Communication - QuestIons - Conferences - IntervIews Rules of Engagement. These assessment methods are not Interchangeablethey work differentially well with different kinds of learning targets. None of the methods is inherently superior to the others Assessment Methods 2 What about exhibitions of mastery, group projects, worksheets, posters, f brochures, PowerPoint presentations, and the other ways that students show their achievement? Arent they methods of assessment? All of these performances and artifacts can be classified within one of the four basic assessment methods. Exhibitions of mastery and group prcects usually take the form of extended written responses, performance assessments, or personal communications, Worksheets contain various types of items, most frequently selected response or written response questions. Posters and brochures are generally tasks assigned to the context of performance assessment. Ifa content standard calls for students to develop and use a PowerPoint presentation, there are two separate learning targets at workthe creahon of the slides themselves arid the skillful use of them in a presentation. Both would be assessed using a performance assessment. 7CLOSE ( Assessment Methods # 1 What about portfolios? I notice they arent listed as a method. Where do they fit in? Portfolios can be a powerful aid to learning. However, a portfolio is not an assessment method, but a vehicle for teachers and students to use to track, reflect on. and communicate about achievement. Typically, a portfolio contains a collection of evaluated work, each piece of Which is the result of an assignment or task. The individual pieces represent responses to some form of assessmentselected response, written response, performance, or personal communicationbut the portfolio itself is the repository of evidence. not the stimulus that produced its ingredients.. CLOSE Matching Assessment Methods to Learning Targets Lets focus on the first design requirement: O Select the assessment methods to match the learning targets you are teaching. Why? The accuracy of any classroom assessment depends on selecting the appropriate assessment method that matches the achievement target to be assessed. Acceptable matches result in accurate information gathered as efficiently as possible. Mismatches occur when the assessment method is not capable of yielding accurate information about the learning target. All assessment, regardless of method selected, need to go through the same development steps to ensure quality. Those steps are called the Assessment Development Cycle, and they are organized Into three stages: Planning Stage. Development Stage Use Stage Although these steps may look imposing at first, they outline a common sense process and many of the steps will be familiar to you. With a little practice, these steps become second nature. CONTINUE B Planning Stage: Determine who will use the assessment results and how they will use them. e Determine who will use the assessment results, how they plan to use them, and whether J the planned use is formative or summative. Keep in mind these conditions are necessary for a formative event:. The assessment instrument or event is designed so that it aligns directly with the content standards to be learned.. AIl of the Instrument or events Items or tasks match what has been or will be taught.. The instrument or event provides information of sufficient detail to pinpoint specific problems, such as misunderstandings. so that teachers can make good decisions about what actions to take, and with whom.. The results are available in time to take action with the students who generated them.. Both teachers and students do Indeed take action based on the results. Planning Stage: Identify the learning targets to be assessed. List the learning targets to be assessed, along with their classification (knowledge, reasoning, skill, or product). If the target is complex or unclear, clarify it or deconstruct It first, following the process outlined In the Clear Learning Targets module. Specifying the intended learning targets is impottant because the breadth and depth of a learning target will affect how much coverage It will need on the assessment and in Instruction. Clarifying the targets is important because different target types require different assessment methods. Planning Stage: Select the appropriate method or methods. Once you have classified learning targets by type, decide which assessment method or methods to select by referring to the guidelines described In the Target-Method Match Summary Chart downloaded earlier in this module. Planning Stage: Sample Size. Sampling means determining, How much evidence is enough? Sample size is in large part determined by teacher judgment. Assessments must include enough questions or tasks to lead to a confident conclusion about how each student perfonned in attempting to master each relevant standard or target. We must decide how much evidence is enough for each target. The guiding principles for sampling are: The broader a learning target is in scope, trie larger me sample you will need to ensure it is covered thoroughly.. The more important the learning target is as a foundation of later learningthat is, the more confident you want and need to be about student masterythe larger your sample should be.. The more important the decision to be made on the basis of results (formative or surnrnative), the larger and more precise the sample must be. Development Stage: Develop or select items, exercises, tasks, and scoring procedures. Developing and selecting high-quality assessment content is an important step of the assessment development cycle. This step requires that we adhete to guidelines established for each assessment method. Because of the many variables in this process, it is outside the scope of this course to fully address it. To learn moie, we recommend reading Chaptets 5-B of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, 2nd Edition. Use Stage: Conduct and score the assessment. When you select or create assessments for formative use, you also must consider how to report those results. If the intended user is yourself, what type of breakdown of results will serve your formative purposes best? if the intended user is the student, how will you report results to communicate their strengths and areas for further study? In effective formative use, it is especially important that these results be timely. Use Stage: Revise as needed for future use. This is the final check of the assessment. Did It do what you needed it to do?. Were you able to use the results for the (formative) decisions you Intended to make? Were students able to use the results to understand their strengths and identity areas that need more work?. Was there complete alignment between what you taught and what you assessed? Consider having students help in this analysis. Were parts of the test a surprise to them? Did it seem out of balance with what they thought was most important to learn? Did a source of bias oi distortion creep in and affect results? Combining Planning Decisions into a Test Blueprint Creating or selecting an assessment without having a blueprint can result in mismatches between Instruction and assessment. A test blueprint is simply a record of the decisions you make in steps 2, 3 and 4. What learning targets the assessment should cover? Which assessment method or methods to use? How much weight each learning target will receive? It is most useful when you are assessing more than one learning target. Audit an Assessment for Clear Learning Targets Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Student Learning Formative Instructional Practices Work independently, with a partner, or with your learning team to complete the following activity. First, select an assessment that you have not personally developed. Then, follow these steps. 1. Analyze the assessment item by item or task by task. Identify and write down what learning each item or task assesses. Describe the learning in whatever terms you want. If two or more items or tasks address the same learning, use the same terms to describe that learning. Note the number of points each item is worth. 2. Organize the learning targets into a test blueprint. Transfer the information from step one to a test blueprint chart. 3. Question the blueprint. Does this match what you taught and what you expected students to learn? Are some learning targets overrepresented? If so, which one(s)? Are some learning targets underrepresented? If so, which one(s)? Are any important learning targets you taught left out? If so, which one(s)? Do all items on the test align directly with the content standards you have taught? Does the sample represent the learning appropriately? Does the number of points for each learning target represent the amount of time you spent on it relative to the whole? If not, which ones are out of balance? Does the number of points for each learning target represent its relative importance within the whole? If not, which ones are out of balance? 4. Adjust the blueprint, as needed. Add or delete learning targets to reflect what you taught and what you deemed most important to learn and assess. Adjust the number of points each target receives to reflect the amount of time you spent teaching each learning target and each targets relative importance to the content as a whole. Download C Adapted with permission from Classroom assessment for student learning (2nd ed.) p. 119, by Chappuis, J., Stiggins, R., Chappuis, S. & Arter, J Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. CASL2. Now I begin my instructional design process long before I start a unit. I take the standards Q for the unit and deconstruct them into the knowledge, reasoning, skill and product targets that make up each standard. I then decide how I will assess each target during the unit and at the end of each unit. A test plan for the end-of-unit assessment is created, paying attention to match the target to the correct assessment method and determining the proper question sample size. With my targets developed and unit assessment determined, I now turn my attention to selecting instructional strategies that will enable my students to reach the targets. Before I would pick activities that tied in to the big idea, now I select those that attend to a specific target or group of targets. Any activity, lesson, or strategy that doesnt move students toward mastery of a target is weeded out of my instructional plans. Throughout the unit, students receive feedback on their performance on targets along with a discussion of how they can close the gap to mastery. Then on the unit assessment, student performance is broken out by target so that students can see how they did on each individual target. This diagnosis allows for continued, focused work on gaining target mastery. BACK CONTINUE b Decisions ? vr au me evidence students give you eacn aay, wnat wiii oe ? ? used formatively? # 1 Plan which events will be used formatively and which will be used summatively... Of the formative evidence, what do you need or want to track? #2 Determine what formative data to track. Where, physically, will you keep the information? #3 Identify a system for tracking formative and It. summative data that supports your use of each. How students will track and reflect on their progress is addressed In the module Student Ownership of Learning. In this segment, we will focus on teachers systems for tracking, or documenting, formative (and summative) evidence. If you are looking for information about grading and reporting, you will find some recommendations at the conclusion of this segment. assessment Events Serving More Than One Purpose Can an assessment event serve BOTH formative and sumrnative purposes? Yes! Many assignments include both formative and summative events. For example, a writing assignment is a formative event during the pre writing, revising, and editing phases: Teachers provide feedback Students work in groups to offer each other feedback Students peer edit The same assignment becomes a summative event when students turn in their final drafts to be graded. If you want an assignment to serve both purposes, plan a timeline for the formative events In advance. You will be able to use some information formatively without writing anything down: Answers to instructional questions In-class practice exercises. Any other InformatIon used to make Immediate instructional decisions Written records can include: Results from formatIve quizzes Rubric scores that track progress throughout a project Other information used to monitor student progress Other Information used to determine Instructional grouping Read the graphic below to review what evidence to track, track and report, or record and grade. Diagnostic and Practice Events In-class work: exercises, problems, tasks Homework that is for practice. TrIal, feedback, and Track (Teacher andlor Student) Academic Progress. Learning gains. Improvement over time. Specfic strengths and areas needing work Skills of Independence and Cooperation. Work habits. Attendance CooperationlGroup skills Organization skills Behavior AcademIc honesty Selection of Achievement Items for Grading Purposes. Periodic assessments. Final exams and papers ReportslProjects Culminating demonstrations of learning Track and Report Report and Grade Sum Total of Everything Students Do In School/Classroom Selection of Most Valued Items for Reporting Purposes revision Quizzes and other formative assessments Adapted from Ken OConnor, unpublished wo.ksho materials, Adapted with permission. Identify System for Tracking Formative and Summative Data It is helpful to keep the rule form follows function in mind. How you want to use the information should drive your decision about how to organize it. For example: Summative information = electronic gradebook for easy grade calculation Formative information = hardcopy records for access on the fly CONTINUE A Record-Keeping Guidelines We suggest three record-keeping guidelines that apply to both summative and formative Information to maximize the usefulness of your entries: A. Organize entries by learning target. B. Track information about work habits and social skills separately. C. Record achievement by raw score, it practical. CONTINUE B A. Organize the entries by learning target. Consider the advantages to tracking progress by learning target instead of tracking by assignment name or assessment category (homework, quizzes, tests): Helps you Identity Individual and group needs for further learning Allows you to quickly see who needs Intervention Helps you determine which learning targets need reteaching Enables you to speak knowledgeably about the specifics of a students achievement during conferences. Makes it easy to transfer your summative data into standards-based reportrng formats C What labels and categories do you use in your gradebook? BACK CONTINUE I (name) ___________ am submitting Absent work and/or Late work for credit. I understand that this slip e to accompany any work that is being turned in late and that I can use ONLY one (1) sup per assignment. Todays date: __________ I was absent on this date: __________ Assignment title:________________ Assignment due date: My assignment was late days because: D A hurricane snatched it from my hands. D I was sooooo sick, I couldnt get out of bed. D My dog/cat ate it. D I was and homework was not exactly the most important thing on my list of things to do that night. D Other (please specify and be honest): _____________. Upon returning to school following an abeence, It Is a students responsibility to contact the teacher to request make-up work. The contact should be made on the day the student returns to school. This is my... First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh late assignment (1st and 2nd) Student Signature: _______________________________________ (3rd, 4th, 6th, & 6th) Parent Signature __________________Date ________ (7th) Administrators signature___________________________________________ In aider to receive credit, you must turn in this form stapled to your completed assignment. Sourc.: J.wce Cynkar, urubli.h.d claaetoom m.t.r.l., OI.ne.ngy Local School Diimnc*, L.wi. C.ne.i. OH. 2011 B. Track information about work habits and social skills separately. Why is it important to track work habits and social skills separately?. Figuring them in the grade distorts the record of achievement. Embedding them in grade hides underlying behavior problems. Tracking them separately helps to raise awareness of problems that underlie achievement difficulties. Calling them out separately helps students understand what is expected. Tracking them separately places emphasis on skills as necessary for success in college and career. C. Record achievement by raw score, if practical. When we record a percent or a summative mark, such as a letter grade, the detail is lost. For example, if a student gets 2 out of 3 points correct on an assignment, you could record it as: % D On a different task, the student could get a score of 12 out of 18, which you could record as: 12I18 67% D If each of these assignments covers the same learning targets, which captures the most reliable estimate of student achievement? C. Record achievement by raw score, if practical. Keeping raw scoresthe number of points awarded in relation to the number possibleprovides the most options for accurate use of information. Raw scores give Instant access to the sample size, for example, 415 or Having access to raw scores also helps with weighting decisions when combining information to calculate a final grade. __ I____I Grading aside, why Is this new way of tracking I evidence better? When we have the details about the learning targets at our fingertips, track work habite and social skills separately, and record by raw score when possible, we are better equipped to: Provide accurate feedback Plan for differentiated Instruction DIagnose underlying work habit problems Track student progress toward maste.y of the learning targets and standards Complete s standards-based report card CASL2e Elizabeth Schroeder Q First, I used to grade every piece of work that my students completed. I was of the mindset that work is not valued unless ills acknowledged... and I thought that acknowledgement was a letter grade. Second, I used to use what I call a tracking sheet that students could use to follow their progress on learning targets, formatives, and summativean organizer to remind them of the goals, take part in their own learning, and give them a way to evaluate their own work and progress. However, it was Thit or miss with the tracking sheet, and it was hard to keep it up-to-date and was eventually placed in their binder unfinished. Lastly. I used to let everyone take the summative test at the end of the unit, regardless of their completion or understanding of their practice work. This procedure resulted in many incomplete assignments and lower scores on the summative exam. Now I... I still acknowledge every piece of work my students complete. However, I have developed a new way to look at standards, learning, and grading. I began educating students, parents, and ME that everything does not need to be given a letter grade. I now show formative worl as collected in the grade book. I still check their assignments to make sure that they understand the learning goal before moving on; but I check student work with them, individually, giving them direct feedbackas they do the work and while it is fresh in their mind instead of by me on my sofa at home. The value is now my time instead of a grade. J!l 7 I... CASI 2. The next thing I changed was the unit tracking sheet. I kept the main portions of the document to gauge their learning, tweaking a few words here and there; but the major change came in the use of the page. The students now refer to it every day, bringing it with them as we check their practi work. I make initials on the work they complete and then at the end of the summative exam they evaluate their progress, charting the course of work. The last thing I changed was the requirements to take the summative exam. Previously, I would allow students to take the test if some of their formative work was not turned in. I had a certain day that it was scheduled and everybody took it. CASI 2e Now, I have a test day, but only the students who have successfully completed the formative work are allowed to take it. If a student does not get to take the test that day, it is their responsibility to finish their practice work and then take the test on their own time. What I notice as a result... WOW! So many things to report as change! My students are more engaged in their learning. They enjoy showing me their work instead of placing it in a box for a grade. They put more effort in their practice, knowing that I will be reviewing it with them, and they enjoy the one-on-one attention. Secondly, I now have a tracking sheet that is used as a personal assessment piece, a quick look for a parent or conference meeting, and a gauge for standards- based learning. Lastly, my students WANT to complete their practicebecause a lack of effort or incomplete means NO GRADE in my class. And the biggest change has been the numbers of incomplete work to report. It is now nonexistent. CASt 2o 7th-grade English language arts teacher, Elizabeth Schroeder Q Jerome School District Jerome, lO The accuracy of any classroom assessment depends on selecting the appropriate assessment method that matches the achievement target to be assessed. Acceptable matches result in accurate information gathered as efficiently as possible. Mismatches occur when the assessment method is not capable of yielding accurate information about the learning target. Module 4 Analyzing Evidence and Providing Effective Feedback In this module, you will expand on what you learned in the module Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Student Learning. You will learn how to best use methods of assessment formatively n order to analyze evidence and provide students with effective feedback. Module Learning Targets: 1. Know how to use each method of assessment formatively in order to analyze evidence of These targets help student learning. answer the question, Where am I going? 2. Understand what makes feedback effective. 3. Know how to provide effective feedback. Getting Started This module consists of two segments, each taking about an hour to complete. Segment One: Analyzing Evidence: Learn ways to use methods of assessment formatively in order to analyze evidence of student learning. Segment Two: Effective Feedback: Understand the different types of feedback and learn research-based practices for providing effective feedback. REFLECT Please record your responses to this modules activities and reflective questions in a notebook or journal for use in group activities/discussions. [iey Terms ffective Feedback Feedback that moves learning forward Succec Feedback: Feedback that helps students focus on what was done well Intervention Feedback: Feedback that helps the student focus on what needs work and provides guidance for what to do about it Evidence: The terni we use to refer to the information about student learning that is gathered through formal and informal assessment events kssessment Events: The terni we use to describe an activity that serves as a source of information providing evidence of student learning Before giving an assessment to your students, ask yourself, How can I use the results to improve student learning? Assessment methods enable us to gather and use assessment data to improve student learning. Most assessments fit into one of four basic methods. The followIng pages will show you how to use each method to improve student learning. CONTINUE 1 Students are able to be evaluated according to each learning outcome1 and this has obvious benefits: a) I can reteach sections (learning outcomes) on which the entire class scored poorly or below competency. b) An individual student can retest a single section or multiple sections depending on how he or she performed. c) Student can easily identify and focus on the areas in which they know they can improve. As the facilitator, I can effectively and efficiently administer retests, d) as I am only retesting and remarking those sections that have been identified. Read how one teacher changed his approach to utilizing selected response assessments. 2 Struggling learners usually start with the section they know best, and research shows that success breeds success. I am able to quickly evaluate it there is a strong correlation between the value of each section and the amount of time allotted to it in class. I have constructed retests that have the same sections and values, but 4. different questions or question formats. It is very easy to administer these retests and to determine if authentic learning has occurred. This structure is a very good way to use both formative and summative -. assessments in the same way and at the same time. Students feel a sense of ownership and control not present in conventional testing formats. 1. Very positive student reactions to this system. 2. Incredible parent support and encouragement. 3. Increased student participation in re-learning activities. 4. Less stress and pressure at the time of the first evaluation. CASL 2o High School social studies teacher Myron Dueck SD 67 (Okanagan-Skaha) Pentlcton, BC, Canada