Yes, Virginia, There IS Assessment in Library Media Instruction!

Yes, Virginia, There IS Assessment in Library Media Instruction! Andy Spinks Supervisor of Library Media Education Cobb County School District

Introduction/Context • Not program assessment, Not grading • Level of assessment: • Institutional level • Program level • Classroom level • Curricular Focus: • Separate/Additional assessment of information literacy • Collaborative assessment of curriculum standards relating to information literacy

Why Assess?

Why should LMS’s participate? • Have an impact: • Ensure that all students become information literate • Work more efficiently: • Don’t spend time doing things that don’t lead to student learning • Demonstrate your importance: • The data you gather provide evidence that your program directly contributes to student achievement.

21st Century Education Assessment New Methods for a New Mission

Change in Mission for Education • OLD: Sort students into a rank order • Good for students who are good at school • Bad for students who don’t succeed initially • Creates a destructive feedback loop: the good get better and the bad drop out • NEW: Help ALL students succeed • Adjust & differentiate instruction so that every student meets standards

Balanced Assessment • Assessment Of learning • Summative: takes place after the learning experience • measures student success/failure • Assessment FOR Learning (AFL) • Formative: takes place during the learning experience • Provides feedback to student and teacher • Allows for corrective action so that all students succeed

Assessment FOR Learning (AFL) • Provides feedback that informs teachers’ instructional decisions • Allows for instructional changes during the learning experience, rather than measuring results afterward • Provides positive motivation and encouragement to students • Uses a “carrot,” not a “stick.” (Fear and intimidation do not motivate at-risk students. • Provides evidence of successes and describes pathways to continued growth (scaffolding).

Students as Instructional Decision-Makers • Students are the most important audience for assessment data. • Based on assessment feedback, they decide whether to try harder or stop trying. • Feedback that says “You failed!” causes students to stop trying. • Feedback that says “You got this part right, and here is how to get the next part right.” motivates students to continue. • If students stop trying, we have failed. All other instructional actions are irrelevant.

Advantages of AFL • Continuous, ongoing feedback allows student and teachers to make real-time adjustments • Breaks the destructive feedback loop of the old methods • Research has clearly shown that it works.

Assessment in Library Media Instruction Roles of the Library Media Specialist in Assessment

Common Assumptions/Understandings • Good library media instruction is • Collaboratively planned with teachers • Co-taught (both are engaged in instruction) • Integrated with subject area curriculum • Project-based • Inquiry-based • Designed to engage higher order thinking

Co-Planning of Assessment: Goals • Collaborate with teachers in the earliest stages of assessment planning • Co-design projects that • Employ inquiry learning • Align with curriculum standards • Incorporate information literacy elements • Engage higher-order thinking skills • Allow for differentiation • Co-develop assessment rubrics

Co-Planning of Assessment: First Steps • Identify teachers with whom you already have good collaborative relationships • Identify teachers who are open to change • Suggest small adjustments to the projects you already do with these teachers • During initial collaborative planning for the project • At the beginning of the term, before they have started planning

Co-Planning of Assessment: Examples • Allow students to choose their own topics and allow/encourage them to make creative topic choices. • Add elements that require students to compare, contrast, evaluate, or create information. • Broaden/Narrow source requirements • Add citation requirements, even for presentations • Create a schedule of sub-goals or progress indicators within the project to guide students through the project. • Others?

Co-Assessment During Co-Teaching • Whole-group instruction • Teacher & LMS can swap off ; one performs informal assessment & individual assistance while the other gives instruction to the group • Small Group or Individual Instruction • LMS can provide individual feedback and scaffolded instruction to students as they complete the project (even after the class visit) * This requires that the LMS know the standards, understand the assignment and maintain open communication with the teacher.

Co-Evaluation of Assessment Data • After the project is completed, the LMS can join the teacher in • Examining student work samples • Reflecting on the what worked & didn’t work • Using this information, they can • Make adjustments to the plan for “next time.” • Pro-actively improve similar projects in other classes • Promote the role of the library media program in student achievement!

Review: Why Participate in Assessment? • Improve the effectiveness of your program • Improve student achievement for all students, especially those who struggle • Gather concrete data that directly shows your program’s contribution to student achievement & support of curriculum

Thanks for being here! • Discussion • PowerPoint & selected resources online: http://www.andyspinks.com/conferences

Yes, Virginia, There IS Assessment in Library Media Instruction!