Much More Than an Exit Slip

1. Much More Than an Exit Slip Principles, Processes, and Practices of Effective Formative Assessment Eric Kalenze School Improvement Specialist Minneapolis Public Schools

2. Agenda • Introduction: Pre-assessment, Agenda, Learning Targets • Thought Exercise: Personal learning challenges • Defining Formative Assessment • Research/rationale • Process features toward optimal effectiveness • Types • Processing Exercise (and FA example): Triangle-Circle-Square • Focused Instruction’s Formative Assessment tools • WRAP, Exit Slip

3. Module Learning Targets Learning Targets I can understand formative assessment as a ‘feedback loop’ process. I can recall the five critical features in creating strong formative-assessment feedback loops. I can choose effective formative assessment strategies for informing my instructional decisions.

4. Thought Exercise – A Personal Learning Challenge • Call to mind a personal example of something you have learned to do well, but that was originally challenging. • On provided note paper, record answer to #1 with a brief description of the process you followed to reach mastery (2-3 minutes) 3. Discuss challenge-to-mastery experience with 1-2 tablemates; note commonalities, patterns, & prepare to share (2-3 minutes)

5. Why Formative Assessment? The Research Black & William, 1998: • Concluded that student learning gains triggered by formative assessment processes among largest ever reported for educational interventions, with largest gains being realized by low achievers. Hattie & Timperley, 2007: • Upon review of 196 studies describing nearly 7000 effects on student learning, concluded teacher feedback had greater positive effects than students’ prior cognitive ability, socioeconomic background, and smaller class size

6. Formative Assessment:The fuel (or engine) of MPS’s Focused Instruction

7. Defining Formative Assessment CAUTION! Formative assessment should not… • …be constructed without definite purpose related to success criteria and subsequent planning • …be viewed exclusively as more frequent, finer-grained tests • …act as a unit of study’s endpoint or summative activity

8. Defining Formative Assessment Rather, Formative Assessment is… • ‘…a process that is fundamental to the practice of teaching and learning.’ (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) • Directly, explicitly connected to learning goals & success criteria • Executed with students’ potential stumbling blocks—and teachers’ possible follow-up strategies—in mind • A way to ‘feed forward’ into teachers’ instructional decisions (Fisher & Frey, 2012 NCTE)

9. CreatingSturdy Feedback Loops Assessment PLANNING Curriculum, Interventions FEEDBACK, EVALUATION Front-End Planning (Learning goals, matched assessment options) Instruction Portions of concept map from American Evaluation Association

10. Formative Assessment: The Process Five Critical Features for Effective Use • To effectively establish and use formative assessment processes, FAST SCASS* recommended five critical features: • Learning Progressions • Learning Goals and Success Criteria • Descriptive Feedback • Self-assessment and Peer-assessment • Collaboration * - the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards, that is

11. Formative Assessment: The Process 1. Learning Progressions • Plot a ‘trajectory of learning’ in advance (William & Black, 1998) • To remain on the trajectory, what should students understand? By when should they understand it? • Answers to above questions provide basis of items to assess.

12. Formative Assessment: The Process 2. Learning Goals & Success Criteria • Defining success and checking against it—by teacher and student • Provide models of what hitting the learning target looks like • Structure exercises so students can self- and/or peer-compare to successful models (see also Critical Feature #4) • Provide feedback to close gaps between current learning and desired learning goals

13. Formative Assessment: The Process 3. Descriptive Feedback • Assessment results more than just scores and grades: should provide beginning of collaboration toward success between teacher & student • The most effective feedback happens to improve learning whilelearning is occurring/evolving(remember the feedback loop) • Fisher & Frey (San Diego State Ed Professors, at 2012 NCTE Conference): • 1st error, correct • Recurrence of error, track and assign student to help group • In help group: re-teach specific skill/subject matter, and HAVE STUDENTS CORRECT THEIR OWN ERRORS • Use assessment to understand gaps, but be ready with ideas, strategies, & tasks students can use to close the gaps

14. Formative Assessment: The Process 4. Self- & Peer-assessment • Students should assess one another against understood success criteria “…people providing feedback benefit just as much as the recipient, because they are forced to internalize learning intentions and success criteria in the context of someone else’s work...” (William, 2006) • Also a good assessment opportunity, as instructive about gaps

15. Formative Assessment: The Process 5. Collaboration • Effective formative assessment is truly a joint activity—between teacher-student AND teams of teachers • Teacher purposefully sets learning target • Teacher obtains definite understanding of student’s position with regard to learning target • Student assumes responsibility for reaching target, with teacher and peers as support • Teachers collaborate with colleagues to determine interventions, curricular adjustments, etc., in PLCs according to student work/data—“feeding forward”

16. Processing Activity (and nifty formative assessment instrument) :Triangle-Circle-Square Triangle-Circle-Square

17. Assessment: Types & Terms • Formative • Assessment FOR Learning • Preassessment - Assessment of PRIOR Learning • Summative • Assessment OF Learning

18. Pre-Assessment

19. The Role of Preassessment in Differentiation • You are “looking back” to determine level of mastery students bring to your course. What do they remember from past experiences. • Also “looking forward” to determine what content, skills, and processes in the curriculum have already been mastered. • Assists you in determining an appropriate timeline for instruction. • Enables you to determine points where flexible grouping and tiered activities are best placed.

20. Formative Assessment Strategies

21. Much More Than an Exit SlipConclusion For our continual improvement, please complete provided Exit Slip. Your input is appreciated! For presentation materials, additional info/resources, or general questions, contact Eric Kalenze, School Improvement Specialist Eric.Kalenze@mpls.k12.mn.us 612.668.0653