Why do we assess student learning?

1. To inform instructional decisions To encourage students to try to learn Why do we assess student learning?

2. Best Practices in Assessment • Assessments are used as teaching and learning tools for the teacher and students. • Assessment is an ongoing process which provides formative and summative feedback to students. • Assessment tools are selected from a wide range of options. • Assessment criteria is communicated precisely and publicly prior to students beginning the task and clearly communicates how competency or proficiency is to be demonstrated.

3. Functions of Assessments • Pre-Assessment • Formative Assessment • Summative Assessment

4. Pre-assessment Definition: gathering and analyzing baseline data about what students know and can do as they enter the learning experience. Examples: • Diagnostic questions • “Pre-test” given before a unit – focus on content and/or skills • KWL Chart

5. How does this help? • Where am I going? • Where am I now? • How can I close the gap? • What do I do if they already know it?

6. FormativeAssessment Definition: ongoing assessments that identify the next steps in order to improve learning. Examples: • Questions during instruction • Daily checks of progress on long-term assignment [i.e. portfolios of research] • Initial drafts of work

7. How does this help? • Where am I now? • How can I close the gap? • This is the place to incorporate an information problem solving process. • [i.e. DDDEEE, Big Six]

8. Assessment is REALLY FORMATIVE when: • Its purpose is to support – not merely monitor – learning • It provides descriptive feedback • It helps students progress up the standards • It builds confidence, self-efficacy

9. Summative Assessment • Definition: • assessments that summarize the level of learning in relation to the standards. • Examples: • Formal observation • Final papers or products • Unit tests or final exams

10. How does this help? • Was I successful? • Did the students reach the objective? • How can I use the data to reflect on my practice and make adjustments for future instruction?

11. Questioning during Instructional Time • Time is one of our most valuable resources in instruction. • Teachers spend 35 to 50% of their instructional time utilizing questioning. • Are we asking the wrong questions?

12. Are We Asking the Wrong Questions? • On average, 60-70% of questions asked during instruction are lower cognitive/literal questions, most of which require the use of rote learning/memory. • The focus of questions is typically checking for comprehension. Have students learned the book content? Are they paying attention?

13. Are We Asking the Wrong Questions? • How can we maximize instructional time to improve student achievement and promote learning? • By making more effective use of the instructional time spent on questioning!

14. Asking Questions to Promote Learning Shifting the emphasis from learning content to learning processes will enable students to: • React to data • Think critically • Actively seek understanding to problems

15. Asking Questions to Promote Learning Asking Questions to Promote Learning If we expect students to engage in more creative and stimulating thought processes, we must encourage them to do so by asking higher level/inferential questions!

16. Lower Cognitive Questions • Ask the student to recall verbatim or in his/her own words material that was previously read or taught by the teacher. • Also known as fact, closed, direct, recall, or knowledge questions.

17. Higher Cognitive Questions • Ask the student to mentally manipulate bits of information previously learned to create an answer to support an answer with logically reasoned evidence. • Also known as open-ended, interpretive, inquiry, inferential, and synthesis questions.

18. Asking Questions to Promote Learning A good rule of thumb – a minimum of 1/3 of time allotted to questioning in both instruction and assessment be devoted to levels above memory. [Sanders]

19. Asking Questions to Promote Learning Asking Questions to Promote Learning • Questions need to be planned ahead of time • Look for questions that will guide the students through further investigation and deeper understanding • Balance factual/literal questions with higher cognitive/inferential questions.

20. Promoting Learning Questions that provide students with the opportunity to think and the teacher with the opportunity to check for understanding. Instructional strategies that promote active participation.