Mastery Teaching and the Role of Formative Assessments

1. Mastery Teaching and the Role of Formative Assessments by Donna Bradford

2. “Reviving Reteaching”-Robert Marzano • Formative assessment must be used regularly to target areas of deficiency and inform instruction • Reteaching is a natural component in the instructional process • Effective reteaching: • use a different approach than the one used during initial instruction • build upon previous activities • focus on what was missed

3. When & How to Reteach? • During instruction of new content • continual monitoring through periodic questions, observations, student participation etc. • Use “chunking” when presenting information • Well designed questions aimed at key concepts • provide alternative examples or explanations

4. When & How to Reteach? • During review of material required for moving on • temporary study groups based on student needs, led by aide or teacher • enrichment activities • small tutorial groups (peer tutoring) • learning centers

5. “Mastery Learning”-Thomas Guskey • Core components of mastery learning provide the foundation for RTI, UBD, Differentiated Instruction • Founded on Benjamin Bloom’s idea that all students can learn if teachers provide appropriate learning environment and adequate time for learning • The term “mastery learning” coined by Bloom

6. What is Mastery Learning? • a strategy/model of teaching that incorporates using formative assessments as a tool to develop corrective procedures and provide feedback for all students

7. How Mastery Learning Works • All students are given a diagnostic pre-assessment to identify students who may be at risk • Teachers plan and organize units to be taught in two week periods • High-Quality Instruction is delivered • Formative Assessments follow • includes explicit targeted suggestions called “correctives” about what students need to do to correct learning difficulties

8. How Mastery Learning Works • Student completes corrective activities • Parallel formative assessment administered

9. High Quality Instruction • First Level of intervention (RTI Tier 1) • instruction should be multifaceted; adapted to students needs/interests; differentiated based on knowledge, skills, cultural backgrounds • developmentally appropriate • research-based instruction in general ed classroom

10. Formative Assessment • progress monitoring & student feedback • administered weekly or biweekly to measure most important learning goals • variety of assessments used as evidence of student learning

11. Corrective Instruction • Second Level of intervention (RTI Tier 2) • accommodate different learning styles or learning disabilities • cooperative/small groups • peer tutoring • individual instruction, alternative method, additional time for learning • Adds about one or two days to the unit block • Saves time in long run because students are ready to move on to other content

12. Parallel Formative Assessments • second chance for student to demonstrate mastery, grade counts equal to students who passed initial assessment

13. Enrichment activities • enables students to explore topics of interest in greater depth • May involve academic games, multimedia projects, peer tutoring

14. “Using Formative and Alternative Assessments” - Tricia Britton • Student scores on summative assessments improved due to using formative assessments to shape instruction • Formative assessments used: • pretest • “three quick questions” • labs • homework • science project • alternative assignments

15. Alternative Assessments/Rubrics • students choose from a list of options • rubric provided so students know expectations & teacher has objective tool for measuring outcomes • ideas for alternative assignments: • write lyrics for a familiar tune • design a web page • create a concept map & explain it • make a brochure • make a 3D model • Record a Video • Design a poster