Common Formative Assessment Inquiry & Action

1. Common Formative AssessmentInquiry & Action RESEARCH & EVALUATION Bakersfield City School District September, 2013

2. Objectives • To refine our understanding of formative assessment as a process. • To clarify the steps for developing common formatives.

3. Reflection • List the kinds of assessments you have already used in your classroom experience • Try to list as many specific examples as you can.

4. Pair Share Using that list, think about the consistency with which we…. • Elicit evidence of learning • Immediately adjust instruction when necessary • Provide student feedback • Collaborate with students around assessment

5. Formative Assessment Trans • Formative assessment is a planned process of continuously gathering evidence as the learning unfolds. It is used by teachers and students during instruction to provide immediate feedback. This allows for adjustments to improve learning. CCSSO FAST SCASS Definition (2010)

6. Transformative Assessment Process Using VygotskyZone of Proximal Development (ZPD) Instructional Adjustment Specific Feedback Outside the ZPD Instruction Learning Adjustments Student’s Current Learning Status Scaffolding most powerful Learning Target Formative Assessment Success Criteria Shared with Students Adapted from Heritage (2010)

7. The Power of Common Formatives One of the most powerful, high-leverage processes for improving student learning available to schools is the creation of frequent, common, high-quality formative assessments by teachers who are working collaboratively to help a group of students develop agreed-upon knowledge and skills. • Fullan, 2005a; Hargreaves & Fink, 2006; Reeves, 2004; Schmokler,2003; Stiggins, 2005, Learning By Doing page 55 _________________ ________________ _____________ __________ __________

8. Four Key Questions of a Professional Learning Community • What do we want our students to learn? • How will we know they have learned it? • How will we respond when learning did not take place? • How do we respond when learning has already occurred?

9. What do we want students to know and be able to do? Step One: Identify Learning Target(s) • Learning targets are the skills and concepts paced out in your units that students must master in order to ensure the common core standards

10. What do we want students to know and be able to do? Step One: Identify Learning Target(s) • Look across all three Segments to get a broad sense of how the Unit progresses • Now examine the Segment you are preparing to instruct • Which targets are most important within this segment? • Use the criteria described below to guide your selection: • Endurance – important now and for the future • Leverage– Cross-curricular connections • Readiness – contain prerequisite skills for next grade level

16. Sample Learning Target

17. How will we know they have learned it? • Determine the success criteria of the target • What would proficiency look like? • How do we craft my assessment item to align to the criteria? • What format will we use? • Selected Response- multiple choice, matching, true/false • Constructed Response- short answer • Performance Task- multiple tasks (reading, writing, researching, etc.) • How many questions will we use to assess each target? • How and when will we administer the assessment to ensure needed adjustments will occur immediately? Step Two: Decide How to Assess

18. Sample: Success Criteria _____________________________ _____________________________________________

19. Sample: Crafting Assessment Items Selected Response: How would you explain the relationship between ----- and ------? A. ------- caused ------ to occur. B. ------- happened after ----------. C. ------- happened before --------, but did not cause ---------. D. -------- created a problem, and ----- - helped provide a solution.

20. Quick Check for Quality of Common Formatives • Do items elicit evidence of learning you need in order to diagnose student’s status along the progression of learning? • Do items elicit evidence of learning you need to take action to increase student learning towards the end of the Unit expectations?

21. Objectives • To refine our understanding of formative assessment as a process. • To clarify the steps for developing common formatives.

22. Wrapping Up • Learning by doing • CFA Progress Part II: • How will we respond when learning did not take place? • How do we respond when learning has already occurred? • Principals will email your questions to elizondoe@bcsd.com