Jean Richardson, Mathematics Specialist

Susan Beatty, Daimon LLC

OCTM Conference, October 18, 2013

PURPOSE AND LEARNING

TARGETS

In this morning’s session we will describe the process of transitioning

from traditional methods of assessment to a standards-based system

of instruction, assessment and reporting.

LEARNING TARGET

I can explain how an assessment and

reporting system can be designed to

emphasize individual progress and self-

efficacy.

LEARNING TARGET

I understand how literature, both within

and outside the field of education,

supports the concept of standards-based

grading.

LEARNING TARGET

I can explain how “red flags” concerning

grading can lead to a transformed

learning and assessment system for

mathematics.

LEARNING TARGET

I understand and can explain how a

standards-based system connects

instruction, assessment and reporting.

YOUR LEARNING TARGET

What is your level of understanding of these learning targets?

Self Assessment

IGNITION

Ideas about motivation, mindset, and engagement provide a spark

for the development of student-centered instructional and

assessment practice.

THE STRIVING STUDENT… has a history of low achievement test scores.

A learning disability or a teaching disability?

Robert J. Marzano

THE STRIVING STUDENT… is fix-minded.

Carole S. Dweck, Ph. D.

THE STRIVING STUDENT… is not empowered or motivated.

Daniel H. Pink

Autonomy Mastery Purpose

THE STRIVING STUDENT… feels that education does not feed their spirit.

Ken Robinson, Ph. D.

Education needs transformation rather than reformation… from industrial to organic.

THE STRIVING STUDENT...

feels they “suck at learning”.

Daniel Coyle

Ignition Deep Practice Master Coaching Sweet Spot

RED FLAGS

“Grades must always be based on clearly specified learning criteria. Those criteria should be rigorous, challenging, and transparent. Grades based on specific learning criteria have direct meaning; they communicate what they were intended to communicate.” Thomas Guskey, 2011

RED FLAGS

An “A” looks different depending on which elementary school you attended in grade 5. This is confusing for 6th grade teachers when the students come to learn math at the Middle School.

Teachers at the same grade level give different assessments and use different grading policies.

RED FLAGS

One teacher counts homework completion toward the final grade but another teacher at the same grade level in the same school does not.

Alison receives a “C” in a 4th grade geometry unit but neither the student nor the parent know what specific part of the geometry content is not understood by the child.

RED FLAGS

Jeff, seventh grader, has a 230 RIT Score on the MAP Assessment (above grade level) and has consistently passed the OAA but receives F’s on his report card every quarter.

Sally, sixth grader, is recommended for Math Advantage class after receiving a basic score on the OAA. Her mother is surprised considering she’s always received A’s in math in elementary school.

Annie, sixth grader, is identified as gifted in math yet she lacks confidence and does not believe she is good at math.

MATH ADVANTAGE

Students who were identified as being one to two years behind in math

Second math class in place of elective

Designed to improve efficacy

Based on relationship between student and coach

Use of quality tools and processes

GRASS ROOTS

Teachers started a movement to improve instruction, assessment

and reporting using a standards-based approach.

IN THE BEGINNING…

2010-11 School Year Sixteen middle and high school staff members received in-depth training on 9 instructional design questions.

2011-12 School Year Sixteen additional middle and high school staff members received training on 9 instructional design questions.

Action Research 2010-2013 These 32 teachers implemented The Art and Science of Teaching principles in their classrooms.

AND… 2009-10 School Year

High School PLCs begin discussion of grading practice

2010-13 School Years

High School PLCs develop learning targets, aligned assessments, and achievement levels.

Middle School PLCs in Math and Language Arts develop learning targets, assessments and achievement scales.

Focused

Instruction

…THEN

2009-10 School Year

5th Grade District-wide Math PLC established to address OAA scores

2010-11 School Year

4th through 7th Grade District-wide Math PLCs established

2011-12 School Year

4th through 7th grade standards-based assessment and reporting pilot

…AND THEN.

2012-13 School Year

K-5 Building PLCs established

K-3 Elementary Math PLCs develop achievement scales & learning targets

K-5 LA PLCs begin to develop learning targets, scales and assessments

2013-14 School Year

Elementary and Middle School Science and Social Studies, and Special

Areas begin to develop learning targets, scales and assessments

DISTRICT RESPONSE

2011-12 School Year

A district-wide Assessment and Reporting Committee convened to coordinate the initiatives taking place at elementary (grades 4-5), middle and high school.

A district-wide survey was conducted to determine teacher readiness for a move to standards-based assessment and reporting

2012-13 School Year

Ongoing work of district-wide Assessment and Reporting Committee

MISSION STATEMENT

The highest level of student achievement occurs in an instructional and assessment environment that values

Creative, dynamic, collaborative instructional design

A consistent assessment framework

A fair and accurate reporting system that reflects student understanding of specific learning targets

Homework that provides a link between practice and achievement

Continuous communication that empowers student progress and encourages parental involvement

MISSION STATEMENT

Therefore, a culture of excellence is defined by

Instructional design that employs various delivery methods in order to best meet the diverse learning styles of every student

Frequent and varied assessments, both formative and summative, that are aligned to specific learning targets and provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery

MISSION STATEMENT

Systematic grade reporting that offers relevant and explicit feedback and facilitates student achievement

Homework that is differentiated and that deepens student understanding of the specific learning target

Communication that is transparent, timely, useful, incisive, recognizes parents as partners, and promotes student achievement

BASIC PRINCIPLES

Assessment and grading theory and practice must be aligned with a district-wide system

The purpose of reporting grades is to provide feedback for students, parents and teachers

Standards-based assessment scores provide more valid information about student progress than the aggregated course grade

BASIC PRINCIPLES

Assessments must measure understanding of the learning target

Teacher judgment based on evidence from formative and summative assessments is a component of determining the student’s level of achievement

BASIC PRINCIPLES

Information from formative assessment must be used to adjust instruction

Students need useful feedback from formative assessments in order to improve

Students must be able to make a connection between practice and achievement; they must understand that intelligence is not fixed

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING

When converting a proficient level of understanding of a standard to a letter grade, the grade is B.

Clarification:

Letter grades calculate on the report card based on entering levels of

understanding in the grade book - Level 3 is considered proficient and

converts to a B

All grade levels: assessments should provide meaningful feedback in

the form of levels (0 through 4) or comments: no points, percentages or

letter grades

BASIC PRINCIPLES: LEARNING

TARGETS

Teachers must connect assessments to specific learning targets and make students aware of the connection before the assessment is given (what standards?).

Clarification:

“I can” statements in student-friendly terms must be communicated verbally, in writing and visually (posted) prior to the lesson

Written assessments must include an “I can” statement to clarify the learning target

BASIC PRINCIPLES: ASSESSMENT

Scores must be based on the student’s level of understanding of the learning target.

Clarification:

Students are evaluated based on their level of understanding of each learning target

Checkpoints are for learning: are assessed as proficient or not proficient (P or NP)… this information directs future intervention or enrichment

Summative assessments are a summary of learning: are evaluated using levels of understanding (1 through 4 with 3 being proficient)

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

DEMONSTRATING UNDERSTANDING

Students should have more than one chance to show what they know and are able to do.

Clarification:

If a student does not reach proficiency (P) on a checkpoint, he/she will have a chance at a second trial after intervention… this second trial may be oral or through observation

If a student does not reach proficiency (level 3) on a summative assessment, the team may allow a retake…this decision should be based on the student’s prior level of engagement and life skills

BASIC PRINCIPLES: LIFE SKILLS

Student behaviors and attitudes toward learning (life skills) must be assessed separately from achievement of the standard.

Clarification:

The student’s level of understanding is based on summative data only and must not be affected by Life Skills

Behavior, Working in Groups, Work Completion, and Participation are life skills assessed on a scale from 1 through 3 with 3 being the highest

BASIC PRINCIPLES: HOMEWORK

The purpose of homework is to practice and to prepare for new learning.

Clarification:

Legitimate purposes for homework include frontloading, practicing a skill or process that students can do independently but not fluently, elaborating on information that has been addressed in class to deepen students' knowledge

Homework should be differentiated based on student need

BASIC PRINCIPLES: HOMEWORK

The purpose of homework is to practice and to prepare for new learning.

Clarification:

In the grade book, homework is recorded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory/Incomplete (S or U), Exempt (X), Missing (Z).

The student’s level of understanding is based on summative data only and must not be affected by homework

THE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Standards-based systems include both formative and summative

assessments aligned to specific learning targets.

STRUCTURE & TERMINOLOGY

Domains are the broad categories within the content area. For example, in Math, the domains are Number and Quantity, Operations and Algebra, Geometry, and Measurement, Data, Statistics and Probability.

Measurement topics are groups of standard statements that are related within a domain. Assessments are developed at the measurement topic level.

CMP3 Scope and

Sequence for 7th

Grade Math

SEVENTH GRADE DOMAIN & MTs

ACHIEVEMENT SCALE - SHAPES

ACHIEVEMENT SCALE - ANGLES

STRUCTURE & TERMINOLOGY

“I can” statements are specific standards.

▶ These describe what students should know and be able to do at a proficient level

▶ “I can” statements are usually assessed in groups within a measurement topic, although an assessment could contain as few as one “I can” statement

▶ “I can” statements are interpreted by the classroom teacher and may be reworded in language that students can easily understand at a particular grade level

▶ Often, the “I can” statement is deconstructed into more discreet learning targets for students although this is not always necessary

ASSESSMENT

Self-assessment, pre and post instruction

Students are given the opportunity to reflect on their perceived level of understanding of the learning targets before, during and after instruction

This practice engages students in critical thinking about their own learning

Teachers create self-assessment rubrics to suit the students’ developmental level

The self-assessment gives student’s a preview of the learning targets for the unit or measurement topic.

PRE AND POST SELF-ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT

Assessment is a critical component of instruction. The purpose of assessment is to determine the student’s level of achievement of the standard.

Formative: Formative assessment is conducted during the course of instruction to gauge the student’s learning. These are referred to in student-friendly terms as checkpoints.

ASSESSMENT

Feedback from formative assessment helps the teacher know how to adjust instruction and helps the student know where to focus attention

Formative assessment is often used to pre-assess students to facilitate small-group instruction or determine a starting point for instruction

Formative assessment is reported as proficient (P) or not proficient (NP) since it is used during the process of learning

Students who are not proficient on this checkpoint receive additional instruction to

prepare for Trial 2.

ASSESSMENT

Summative: Summative assessment is conducted at the end of a unit of instruction, or at a logical point within a measurement topic that may span the entire school year (more likely in LA).

Summative assessments determine the student’s level of understanding of a measurement topic (unit) within a domain

ASSESSMENT

Summative assessments contain one or more items that measure the student’s achievement of each “I can” statement within a measurement topic

Summative assessments may contain more than one measurement topic

Each measurement topic is assessed individually within the summative assessment

ASSESSMENTS

On summative assessments, students score from level 0 to level 4 on each measurement topic

Teachers may also assign a level midway between, namely 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5

The aggregate of the measurement topic scores on an assessment yields the score for that summative assessment

REPORTING ACHIEVEMENT

TOWARD THE STANDARDS

Teachers enter achievement data into the electronic grade book that

can be viewed by parents in real time.

PINNACLE GRADE BOOK (GLOBAL

SCHOLAR)

Grade book is designed to support SBG

Domains and Measurement Topics are imbedded for every subject

Summative assessments are linked (by the teacher) to MTs

MTs are organized into Domains

Domains are reported quarterly on report card

Students and parents can see progress at the MT level in real time in PIV

DISTRICT GRADING PROCESS: ALL CONTENT AREAS K-8

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS LINKED TO

STANDARDS

The summative assessment covers a unit which may contain more than measurement topic

The summative is scored en total and entered into the grade book as an aggregate level of understanding for the unit

This summative score calculates into the course grade

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS LINKED TO

STANDARDS

The teacher must link the assessment to the measurement topics it contains

All data can be viewed in real time through Pinnacle Internet Viewer (PIV), including the disaggregated measurement topic scores

Units are organized under domains – the domain level is reported quarterly

STUDENT REPORTS IN PINNACLE

INTERNET VIEWER (PIV)

During a marking period, summative scores are aggregated to produce a course grade.

In true standards-based grading, scores are not aggregated but are available as information to students and parents about the students specific knowledge and skills.

Student Report showing all assessment information:

• Checkpoints

• Classwork

• Homework

• Summative

THE REPORT CARD

Traditional report cards provide information at a set point in time,

usually at the end of a quarter year – this is aggregate information.

The report card is a big picture report. Most of the domains span grades K-8, allowing parents and students to see performance in a domain over time.

CONTACT

Jean Richardson

Math Specialist

j.richardson1959@gmail.com

Susan Beatty

President, Daimon LLC

daimoninstructionaldesign@gmail.com