Using Formative Assessment Resources to Promote Student Learning of ELA Instructional Standards

1. Using Formative Assessment Resources to Promote Student Learning of ELA Instructional Standards 2014 ELA Summer Academies Presented by GaDOE Assessment Division K-5:   http://georgiaelaccgpsk-5.wikispaces.com/ 6-8:  http://georgiaelaccgps6-8.wikispaces.com/ 9-12:  http://elaccgps9-12.wikispaces.com/

2. Opening Move for Today: Think About It Read the first three paragraphs from the2-24-14 editorial in Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Deconstruct the paragraphs to identify the key concepts. Underline the key concepts

3. Opening Move and Reflection2-24-14 Editorial in AJC Advocates Formative Assessment

4. Key Concepts in First 3 Paragraphs • Align to what they’re teaching • Ask complex questions • Capture student learning far below and above grade level • Return data quickly • Measure student progress • Ongoing Feedback • Ongoing data on what students learned and didn’t learn • Modify instruction

5. Reflect upon the key concepts and think about how you currently plan, teach and assess classroom learning with your students. To what degree are you comfortable with using formative assessment processes?

6. Formative Assessment Defined Formative assessment refers to the formal and informal ways that teachers and students gather and respond to information about learning. The information that is collected is used to plan the next steps of the learning process.

7. “Major reviews of research on the effects of formative assessment indicate that it might be one of the more powerful weapons in a teacher‘s arsenal.” (Robert Marzano, 2006)

8. Formative Assessment IS… • A process where the teacher is the facilitator of student learning • A process where students are engaged as active participants in their learning • A process where students reflect upon their learning and set goals • A process that improves teaching and learning • A process where students take ownership of their own learning

9. Formative Assessment is NOT… • NOT for grades • NOT as SLOs • NOT as a pretest for SLOs • NOT as criteria for program decisions (such as EIP or REP) • NOT for any other measure other than for diagnostic and instructional planning purposes

10. How can teachers provide learning opportunities that reflect the expectations for student mastery of the standards?

11. Goals for Today • Share formative instructional resources that are currently available to all teachers • Georgia Formative Item Bank (G-FIB) • Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) modules • Share ways that teachers can plan to provide student learning experiences with challenging formative assessment • Discuss and reflect upon how use of formative assessment resources support the TKES standards.

12. Georgia Formative Item Bank (G-FIB)

13. Resource: Formative Item Bank (G-FIB) The purpose of the Formative Item Bank is to provide high quality and appropriately aligned items that assess students’ knowledge while they are learning the state-mandated standards. Use of the items provides students with “hold harmless” learning opportunities to demonstrate what they know. Use of the items during instruction helps teachers gather information about content that students still need to learn. Available via a new online delivery platform in 2014-2015 -- the Georgia Online Formative Assessment Resource (GOFAR).

14. G-FIB Item Grades, Content and Types • Aligned with state-mandated content standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics in grades 3 through high school • English/Language Arts (including Reading): Grades 3 – 8; high school 9th and 10th grade literature and American Literature • Mathematics: Grades 3 – 8; high school Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Advanced Algebra • Includes multiple-choice, but offers teachers primarily constructed-response items that assess grade level standards • Items aligned to multiple standards • One primary standard • One or more secondary standards • Alignment verified by Georgia educators

15. Valuable Features of Formative ELAItems & Passages • Primary standard for each item is reading (either Informational or Literary) • Increased focus on informational reading • Paired passages • Literary with Literary • Informational with Informational • Literary with Informational • Alignment to grade appropriate Lexiles (a mixture of upper, middle and lower range reading passages based upon the Lexile bands for each grade level) • Integration of reading content knowledge and skills with writing skills

16. G-FIB Item Type: Multiple-Choice Multiple-choice items have four (or three) response options that include distractors that represent common misconceptions • Distractor rationales assist teachers in planning instruction to close gaps in learning • 2014-2015 new formative assessment items for 1st and 2nd grade will be added and will include three response options

17. ELA Grade 6Multiple Choice Item Stem Answer Options Answer rationales assist teachers in identifying specific misconceptions students might have.

18. G-FIB Item Type: Constructed-Response Most items are Constructed-Response that can be aligned to multiple standards or multiple domain areas of the content standards • Short constructed-response (single word, phrase or sentence with limited set of corrected answers; scored correct or not correct) • Extended-Response • Preponderance of items at DOK 3 and 4 • Constructed-response items require students to provide explanations/rationales, provide evidence, and/or to show work • May allow for multiple correct responses or methods for correct answers • Provide teachers with evidence of true student understanding of content and process • Scored through use of a rubric and associated student exemplars

19. G-FIB Rubrics for Extended-Response Items Holistic Scoring 5-point scale (0 – 4) • 4: Thoroughly Demonstrated • 3: Clearly Demonstrated • 2: Basically Demonstrated • 1: Minimally Demonstrated • 0: Incorrect or Irrelevant

20. G-FIB Exemplars & Student Anchor Papers • Exemplars provide a prototype answer – the “ideal” response • Student Anchor Papers are sets of responses from actual Georgia students, collected during item pilots • Scored by trained raters using rubric • Allow teachers to review and compare their own students’ work to the sample responses for each score point • Help standardize expectations of the standards • Score point and annotations provided for each sample response Note: The pilot was conducted using standard administration procedures in order to ensure that results were comparable across the state. When items/tasks are used during instruction, these administration rules do not have to apply and student results may vary; thus, teachers may want to modify the rubrics and even raise expectations. Rubrics and exemplars should remain focused on high expectations.

21. Do Students Need Experience with Constructed-Response Items and Activities?

22. Yes, Absolutely – to demonstrate mastery of ELA standards The intent of the English Language Arts Standards is to ensure that all students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of high school. • To demonstrate mastery, students must be able to integrate the content knowledge and skills in the domains of reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. Reading and writing skills are closely linked. • Students must readily undertake close, attentive reading of a variety of texts. • Student must read critically to build knowledge and expand experiences. • Students must provide evidence of how they know and be able to make cogent, well-supported arguments. • Students must be able to write well – including such skills as clearly presenting and organizing ideas for purpose and audience and adhering to standards of English grammar, syntax, and conventions.

23. Overall ELA Pilot Summary Data

24. Key Findings from Pilots • Students should be earning 3s or 4s to demonstrate grade-level mastery of the standards • Preponderance of score points 1 and 2 because of • Incomplete responses • Responses hampered by writing skills • Lack of understanding the distinctions between such direction words as “describe,” “explain,” “analyze,” “take a position and support,” “provide evidence,” etc.

25. How Can I Use G-FIB Items?

26. Uses of G-FIB Items • Instructional Tool • Formative Assessment Tool • Feedback Tool

27. Instructional Tool • Teach students both content and processes demanded by state-mandated standards • Define and demonstrate the expectations of the standards • Teach students how to read and approach a complex problem or question • Lead students through pursuing answers to items that have multiple steps and that require extended responses • Give students examples of how to use information from a reading passage in order to respond to items about the text • Provide opportunities to practice keyboarding skills and to respond to items online

28. Instructional Tool • Direct instruction • Demonstration lesson with active discussion • Cooperative learning group activity • Feedback provided by teacher • Inclusion classes with multiple adult supervisors/coaching • Homework (ONLY following extensive explanation and experience with open-ended items provided by the teacher in the classroom) • Parent Night activity where parents and their children work together • No grades----rubric score accompanied by written and/or oral feedback highly suggested

29. Formative Assessment Tool • Selected Response Items • Rationales provide the teacher hints as to what common misconception students may have about the content • Illuminates the basic skills that students have not mastered • Helps determine readiness to proceed to instruction geared to higher levels of understanding • Results provide guidance to design differentiated instructional opportunities/interventions • Extended Response • Student work shown demonstrates misconceptions with skills and processes of problem solving • Student explanations and justifications indicate strength/weaknesses in depth of thought and understanding • Illuminates students’ ability to think at the levels indicated by state-mandated standards • Results provide guidance to design differentiated instructional opportunities/interventions

30. Feedback Tool • Student responses help teachers provide feedback to students about: • Where am I going? (What are the standards and what does it look like to master the standards?) • Where am I now? (Where is the student on the road to mastery?) • What is my next step? (What does the student have to do in order to go from where they are in their knowledge and understanding to where they have to be?) • Helps teachers provide quality feedback • Discussions • Written Comments • Rubric descriptions • Combinations of feedback modes (recommended)

31. www.gadoe.org/GeorgiaFIP • A professional learning resource to teachers • A blended model of learning • Organized around major concepts • Using clear learning targets • Collecting and documenting evidence of learning • Providing effective feedback • Developing student ownership of learning

32. English/Language Arts Set Grade 4

33. Standards to be Assessed • ELACC4RL1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. • ELACC4L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. • ELACC4L2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

34. Passage: Clang, Clang, Clang!Literary Passage Summary This literary passage is a story about a boy named Marcus who heard a mysterious sound and he led his family in a search for the source of the sound. His sister guessed it could be a neighbor cutting down trees and his brother thought it could be someone building a house in the woods. After some sleuthing and thought, Marcus ultimately determined that his dad was the source of the noise and discovered the special reason why his dad was making the noise to get Marcus’ attention.

35. Example ItemEnglish Language Arts Grade 4 Standards: RL.4.1; L.4.1; L.4.2; DOK 3

36. Rubric

37. Exemplar

38. Sample Student ResponseScore 4 The student demonstrates a thorough understanding of this response. Part A: Elizabeth says that someone might be cutting down a tree. Samuel says someone might be building a house. Part B: Elizabeth's explanation is incorrect because a axe would make a thudding sound, and a saw eould make a buzzing sound. Samuel's explanation is incorrect because it was a SOS signal that he remembered from a magazine. The student answers the two questions in Part A correctly. In Part B, the student thoroughly explains why each of Marcus’s sibling’s explanations is incorrect, using many specific examples from the story. The student uses complete sentences and correct punctuation and grammar in the writing.

39. Sample Student ResponseScore 3 partA His brother said it could be someone working in the woods.His sister said somone was cutting down a tree.partB It would make three dings then stop then do it agin.If it was a saw cutting down a tree it would have cep going.And if it was people bulding a hous it would have cep going to. The student demonstrates a clear understanding of the response. The student answers the two questions correctly in Part A. In Part B, the student clearly explains why each of Marcus’s sibling’s explanations is incorrect, using a few relevant details from the story; some details may be general. The student uses complete sentences and correct punctuation and grammar in most of the writing.

40. Sample Student ResponseScore 2 • His siter thought someone was chopping down trees. His broter thought someone was building a house. His sister was wrong because chopping down trees sounds like "THUD" and "BUZZ" so she was wrong. His brother was wrong cause building a house unds like "BAM" so he was wrong to. The student demonstrates a basic understanding of the response. The student answers the two questions correctly in Part A. In Part B, the student attempts to explain why each explanation is incorrect, using minimal support from the story. ). Some elements of the explanation or text support may be irrelevant or incorrect. The student uses complete sentences and correct punctuation and grammar in some of the writing.

41. Sample Student ResponseScore 1 PartA Mark said Maybe somebody is building a house. Elizabeth ignored him, because she was going to see Princess and The Pea. The student demonstrates a minimal understanding by answering only ONE of the two questions correctly (Part A). The student response to Part A is partially correct given that Elizabeth’s guess is not addressed. There is no response to Part B. The student uses complete sentences and correct punctuation and grammar in some of the writing.

42. English/Language Arts Set Grade 8

43. Standards to be Assessed • ELACC8RI1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. • ELACC8W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. • ELACC8L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. • ELACC8L2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

44. Paired PassagesPassage #1—Persuasive Essay Passage Summary The first passage, Bacterial Warfare, in this paired set of passages is a persuasive essay about how the current trend of fighting bacteria can be dangerous given that when you kill bad bacteria, you also kill bacteria that is beneficial . The author refers to excessive use of anti-bacterial products as “bacterial warfare” and attempts to persuade the reader to reconsider their germ-killing practices in hopes of preserving the good bacteria that benefit living things.

45. Paired PassagesPassage #2—Informational Essay Passage Summary The second passage in the paired set of passages is entitled Irradiated Food. This passage is an informational essay in which the author explains the routine process of irradiating food as being safe and beneficial in preserving foods and preventing the spread of disease by food.

46. Example ItemEnglish Language Arts—Grade 8 8th Grade ELA Standards: RI.8.1; W.8.2; W.8.4; L.8.1; L.8.2; DOK 4 Consider the topic of protecting people from harmful bacteria. Select ideas from both “Bacterial Warfare” and “Irradiated Food” to organize into a multiple-paragraph essay that identifies and argues for the best ways to protect people from harmful bacteria. Be sure to complete ALL parts of the task. Use details from the text to support your answer. Answer with complete sentences, and use correct punctuation and grammar.

47. Rubric

48. Exemplar Response There are many types of harmful bacteria in the world, and it is important for people to be protected against them. There are many ways to do this. Food is one place where dangerous bacteria can live. In order for food to be fresh and safe to eat, a process called irradiation is often used. According to the article “Irradiated Food,” the process kills bacteria that cause food to spoil so it is edible for a longer time. Irradiation also kills Salmonella and E. coli bacteria that cause food-borne illness. People can protect themselves from the harmful bacteria in food. Harmful bacteria are located in many places, not just in food. Bacteria can be in our bodies, on our clothes, inside our homes, and outside in nature. Some bacteria are harmful and can cause illnesses and diseases like strep throat and ear infections. To protect against these types of bacteria it helps to use antibacterial soaps and detergents that kill bacteria. Not all bacteria are bad however. The article “Bacterial Warfare” says that helpful bacteria in antibiotics can be used to kill harmful bacteria that cause illness. People have found many ways to protect against harmful bacteria.

49. Student ResponseScore 4(This student response continues on the following slide.) The student demonstrates a thorough understanding of writing a persuasive response by selecting many specific ideas and details from both “Bacterial Warfare” and “Irradiated Food” to support their thesis. Both of the selections have the same central concept; keeping people safe from harmful bacteria. "Bacterial Warfare" explains how people try too hard to stay safe from bacteria, and that all of these anti-bacterial products we use are actually hurting the helpful bacteria as well. "Irradiated Food" explains a way of keeping food preserved so bacteria cannot infect it and spoil it, and how people view this method. "Bacterial Warfare" says that humans are using too many anti-bacterial products. I don't agree with this. I say that humas are using just enough products as of today. The products we use do kill harmful bacteria and are preventing people from geeting sick, or reduce the chances of them getting sick. Yes, some of these products do kill helpful bacteria, but based on what I've heard in school, it kills very few helpful bacterias, and the few they do kill end up being replaced because of reproduction. All of the anti-bacterial products listed in "Bacterial Warfare" are much more helpful than they are harmful, and I disagree with the fact that this selection makes them out to be bad. The student states that statements from “Bacterial Warfare” are incorrect, stating that antibacterial products are more helpful than harmful. The student defends their position with examples from the text. The response demonstrates a thorough command of the conventions of standard English even though there are a few minor convention errors, the meaning is clear throughout the response.

50. Student ResponseScore 4(continued from pervious page) The student accurately describes that the author of “Irradiated Food” adequately describes the process of radiating food and the ways the author is convincing. "Irradiated Food" explains the food preserving method of irradiation. Irradiation is where they take a radioactive material and has gamma-rays come off of said material, through packaging, and into the food. This, evidently, prevents food from spoiling and lengthens food's shelf-life. There are people who are concerned with the fact radioactive waves are being sent into the food when, according to the selection, the food doesn't even come out toxic. I agree with the author of this selection. This is mainly due to the fact that they were quite convincing in their writing. The author gave good reasons as to why irradiation is a good technique, and they were hard to challenge since they were backed up with evidence from scientists. Yes, both of these slections have similar concepts, but "Bacterial Warfare" isn't neccessarily agreeable seeing as it doesn't provide very many reasons to back up the ideas. "Irradiated Food", on the other hand, is extremely agreeable, and provides reasons as to why someone should agree. The student provides a thorough conclusion that notes that both reading selections have similar concepts but that the student agrees with one passage and not the other. The response demonstrates a thorough command of the conventions of standard English even though there are a few minor convention errors, the meaning is clear throughout the response.