May 17, 2013 James H. Stronge Stronge & Associates

1. Building Better Assessment Skills: How Effective Teachers Use Assessment to Drive Student Learning May 17, 2013 James H. Stronge Stronge & Associates

2. Project-Based Learning Case in point

3. Assessing Project-Based Learning • Assess a multitude of complex learner outcomes • Assess student learning in authentic ways • Opportunities to build on students’ learning by tracking progress

4. Which of these will have the most direct effect on individual student learning? Classroom Assessment District Curriculum and Assessments State Standards and Assessments

5. Why is Classroom Assessment so Important? State Standards and Assessments District Curriculum and Assessments Classroom Assessment …Because it is closest to the actual student and to student learning!

6. Study Highlight: What factor had the largest effect on student achievement? Wright, S.P., Horn, S.P., & Sanders, W.L. (1997)

7. Study Highlight: What factor had the largest effect on student achievement? Wright, S.P., Horn, S.P., & Sanders, W.L. (1997)

8. Principles for Using Rubric Data

9. Project: Error Analysis Learning Objectives: • To identify and articulate significant errors in information and processes • To accurately describe the effects of errors on the information or process in which they originate • To accurately describe how errors can be corrected • To use a variety of information-gathering techniques and information resources • To orally communicate ideas clearly and effectively

10. Project: Error Analysis Performance Task: Identify a recent disaster that has been reported on in local newspapers and television stations. Your task is to analyze the dissemination of information to the public, specifically the accuracy of this information and present your findings to a member of the media. The following activities should be conducted as part of the task: • Determine how the media disseminates information to the public and provide examples of inaccurate information provided including examples from a variety of sources including newspapers, television broadcasts, eyewitness accounts, or interviews • Identify how these inaccuracies affected people receiving the information and what could have been done to prevent inaccurate information from being disseminated • Present your findings to a member of the media and record the individual’s response • Present your results to the class

12. Assessment of Project-Based Learning • Focus on important learning outcomes for students • Link to instruction received in the classroom • Assess both what students should know and be able to do and what they were actually taught

13. Principle #1: Disaggregate Data in Multiple Ways • Student Needs • Whole class • Individual students • Groups of Students • Curriculum Needs • Critical Elements on Task • Overall Performance on Task

14. Groups of Students

15. Groups of Students

16. Individual Students Low Performing Students Students 6 & 13 High Performing Students Students 8 & 12

17. Principle #2: Connect the data back to the intended learning outcomes

18. Curriculum Needs

19. Curriculum Needs

20. Principle #3: Provide feedback with rubric language

21. Providing Feedback Look at feedback provided to Student 9 by two different teachers To what degree does each type of feedback impact student learning and inform instruction?

22. Elements of Effective Feedback Honest Does the feedback indicate what is rather than a false sense of mastery? Timely Is the feedback still relevant when it is given back to the students (immediate vs. delayed feedback)? Specific Does the feedback provide specifics to the student as to what criteria the product meets/does not meet and what the student needs to do to improve? Accurate Does the feedback reflect the intended learning outcomes? Constructive Is the tone of the feedback positive, providing ways for the student to improve/continue to perform well? Gareis & Grant, 2008 as adapted from Assessment Reform Group, 1998

23. Does formative assessment work? Improved formative assessments typically yield gains in student achievement roughly equivalent to one to two grade levels in learning. (Assessment Reform Group, 1999; 2011)

24. Effect Sizes of Selected Influences on Student Achievement Hattie, 1999 as reported in Hattie & Timperley, 2007

25. Principle #4: Use rubric data to improve student performance and teacher performance

26. What should the teacher do now with the info? • Reteach critical elements of error analysis and communication • Use flexible grouping to group students both homogeneously and heterogeneously to target different student needs

27. Principle #5: Use rubric data set future performance goals

28. Hunter DentonError Analysis Assignment - October 10% scoring at or above Proficient

29. Hunter Denton’s Goal By March, all students will move up a performance level in each category on the error analysis task.

30. Hunter DentonError Analysis Assignment – October & March

31. Rubric Information should be used to … • Improve student learning • Improve teacher effectiveness

32. Questions?