Performance-Based Assessment – Focus on Presentational Writing

August 18,19,& 20, 2008

Workshop

Goals for the Workshop Gain knowledge and understanding of

performance based assessment (PBA) for Presentational Writing & Interpretive Reading

Analyze and distinguish effective & ratable PBAs from less effective and unratable PBAs

Apply workshop concepts to develop effective performance-based assessment tasks, prompts, and associated scoring rubrics

3 Day Progression… Day 1: Interactive Input

Day 2: Guided Practice

Day 3: Independent, (but collaborative) Practice

Why?

“Ultimately, we want students to grow to be independent. For them to do that, they have to have a sense of what the criteria (are) that make them successful. For a long time, the criteria (have) been a mystery to students…”

R.J. Tierney, M. Carter, & L. Desai

Portfolio Assessment in Reading-Writing Classroom

Student assessment should be grounded in the authentic, real-life activities that are carried out in the classroom. Because effective language learning is meaningful, enjoyable, and interactive, assessment should reflect a similar focus… Students engaged in this process become more and more actively involved in their learning.

(Armstrong, 1998, p. 233)

“Writing well is one of the greatest intellectual challenges; no wonder it is difficult to teach students to write meaningfully, coherently, persuasively in a foreign language.”

Marva Barnett, University of Virginia

Secondary Goals Value of teaching writing as a process Various ways to develop students’

writing skills (including peer editing) Research connections to ODE

graduation standards

What is Performance-Based Assessment (PBA)? Monitors students’ progress in relationship to

learner outcomes Requires students to create answers or

products/presentations/performances demonstrating their knowledge and skills applicable for real-life based purposes

Differs widely from traditional testing (single answer or fill in the blank).

PBA - Some Key Points

It takes time to develop, implement, refine, and get to that “comfort” zone in using PBA

BUT THE PAY OFF IS TREMENDOUS!

Key Point #1

Instructional design and decisions should start with assessment

What do we want students to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? How will I use the results?

Key Point #2 Students should know the criteria

and what’s expected UP FRONT.

Performance-based task(s) Scoring Guides (rubrics) Exemplars of “excellent” work

Key Point #3 Practice, practice, practice…

improves performance! Research supports the notion that all

students (especially low achievers) will improve when given multiple opportunities to practice

When students feel “successful & hopeful” their motivation & performance increase

Key point #4 - Knowing the targets, feedback, & reflection

Function Frameworks & LinguaFolios

“…when student are informed about the learning targets from the beginning, engage in self-assessment, keep track of and regularly reflect on their own growth, and play a role in communicating their learning – the achievement gains are profound, especially for low achievers.” Rick Sitggins, ETS

Major Key Point #5 Curriculum-embedded

performance and “on demand” performance are not equal… Students tend to perform higher in

classroom activities, then they do when assessment is “on demand”

WYSI (not) WYG

Key Point #6 Instruction and assessment should be

congruent.

Proficiency-oriented instruction should be matched with proficiency-based assessment

Key Point #7 Student Involvement: A sound

assessment system involves students in self-assessment, recording keeping, and/or communication.

Course GoalsEssential Learnings

National Standards

State & District Standards

Function Frameworks

ODE Essential Skills Requirements for the Graduating Class of 2012

In accordance with OAR 581-22-0615 Assessment of Essential Skills, the graduating class of 2012 will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the following Essential Skills in order to receive a high school diploma:• Read and comprehend a variety of texts• Write clearly and accurately • Speak clearly and coherently• Apply mathematics in a variety of settings

Writing Work Samples Expository Persuasive Narrative

Definition: b. “Essential Skills” means process skills that

cross academic disciplines and are embedded in the content standards. The skills are not content specific and can be applied in a variety of courses, subjects, and settings.

Characteristics of Effective PBA Tasks

Students are active participants Intended outcomes are clearly identified

& guide the design of the performance task

Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of those intended outcomes when completing the task

Improving Test Scores Becoming a better Reader & Writer in a

world language results in improved standardized test scores in English.

Research has shown that the skills you develop in the second language are transferred to skills in the first language.

Some Issues to Think About Developing a series of PBA writing

tasks & prompts (also for speaking) Producing ratable student work samples

(on-demand vs. edited) Getting all teachers on the same page Inter-rater reliability in scoring student

work samples

Writing As A Process

Essential Question:

Why do we need to teach a Writing Process? How can it help students?

Writing as a Process - Article

1)Form into 6 groups of 3 to 4 each2) Read the Section for your group• Read independently, highlighting key

phrases• Conduct a table discussion and come

up with at least 3 to 4 key points from your section for sharing

• Share out

Writing process

Invention Collection Organization Drafting Revising Proofreading

Invention: coming up with your topic

Brainstorming: Getting your ideas on

paper so you can give yourself the widest range of topics possible

Brainstorming: coming up with ideas that interest you

Listing:Political apathyAnimal abuseNFL instant replayAir pollutionTelemarketing scamsInternet censorshipNBA salary caps

Paper Topics

Brainstorming

Clustering: mapping out ideas

MEInternet censorship

telemar-ketingscams

NFL instantreplay

NBA

politicalapathy

three-partysystem

salarycaps

sportsmanship

animalabuse

First Amendment

Flag Burning Amend-

ment

Collection

Gathering ideas Locating and

evaluating research

Conducting interviews

Organizing: putting information in an outlineOUTLINE

I. IntroductionA. Grab attentionB. State thesis

II. BodyA. Build pointsB. Develop ideasC. Support main claim

III. ConclusionA. Reemphasize main idea

Drafting

Give yourself ample time to work on your project.

Find a comfortable place to do your writing.

Avoid distractions. Take breaks.

Revising: reviewing ideas

Review higher-order concerns: Clear communication of

ideas Organization of paper Paragraph structure Strong introduction and

conclusion

Proofreading

Review later-order concerns: Spelling Punctuation Sentence

structure Documentation

style

Proofreading tips Slowly read your paper

aloud. Read your paper

backwards. Exchange papers with a

friend.

NOTE: Spell check will not catch everything, and grammar checks are often wrong!