Ongoing Assessment of Student Learning

1. Ongoing Assessment of Student Learning Virginia Beach City Public Schools Vanguard Support Team Balanced Assessment

2. Module Goals • Explore the vital role of ongoing, formative assessment within a unit of study • Identify and review examples of ongoing assessment intended to inform instruction • Consider opportunities for employing a variety of ongoing assessment pieces within a unit of study • Review protocols for examining student work

3. Enduring Understandings • Ongoing assessment informs instructional planning and the need for differentiation. • Ongoing assessment tasks anchor curricular units and guide instruction. • The use of ongoing assessment enables a teacher to modify learning opportunities presented to students.

4. Essential Questions • How can ongoing, formative assessment inform instructional planning and needed differentiation? • What ongoing assessment tasks will anchor curricular units and guide instruction? • When should a teacher use formative assessment as a measure of student understanding?

5. Compass to 2015 Strategic Goal: Recognizing that the long range goal of the VBCPS is the successful preparation and graduation of every student, the near term goals is that by 2015, 95% or more of VBCPS students will graduate having mastered the skills that they need to succeed as 21stcentury learners, workers, and citizens.

6. Strategic Objective # 2 VBCPS will develop and implement a balanced assessment system that accurately reflects student demonstration and mastery of VBCPS outcomes for student success.

7. Rigor Teachers Relevance STUDENTS Resilience 21st Century Curriculum and Instruction Balanced Assessment Relationships Community Outreach & Service Responsiveness To Students Support Staff Administrators 7

8. “Teach, Test, and Hope for the Best?” Discuss with a shoulder partner: How do teachers typically assess students’ understanding? Where does ongoing, formative assessment fit into this process? McTighe and Wiggins 2004

9. Thinking Like an Assessor • Question 1: • What kind of evidence do we need? McTighe and Wiggins 2004

10. Thinking Like an Assessor Question 2: Does the proposed evidence enable us to infer a student’s knowledge, skill, or understanding? McTighe and Wiggins 2004

11. Thinking Like an Assessor Question 3: What specific characteristics in student responses, products, or performances should we examine? McTighe and Wiggins 2004

12. ACTIVITY # 1

13. What evidence illustrates progress toward mastery of a VBO? • Choose a Virginia Beach Objective (VBO) from your content area. • What product or performance would you choose to assess the VBO? • What should the student workexhibit? Now, discuss with a shoulder partner: How would you utilize the student work to inform and modify your instruction?

14. Formative Assessment • Provides information to guide teaching and learning. • Includes formal and informal methods such as quizzes, oral questioning, observations and reviews of draft work. • Improves instructional methods and student feedback throughout the teaching and learning process. • Used to modify and validate instruction. McTighe and Wiggins 2004

15. Formative Assessment What do the experts say? http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2091

16. Benefits of Formative Assessment • Informs both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made • Helps teachers determine next steps during the learning process as the instruction approaches the summative assessment of student learning • Ensures that students achieve, targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame McTighe and Wiggins 2004

17. Types of Formative Assessment • Observation • Questioning • Discussion • Entrance/Exit Tickets • Learner Response Logs • Peer Review • Think-Pair-Share • Four Corners McTighe and Wiggins 2004

18. Protocols for Examining Student Work “Looking at Patterns in Student Work” • Everyone in the group brings samples of student work. • Pass the work around in a circle; look for patterns, contradictions, and themes. • Share questions raised and discuss implications for refinement of practice. • Establish next steps. www.nsrfharmony.org

19. Protocols for Examining Student Work “Suggestions for Bringing Student Work for Equity Conversations” • Teacher brings student work along with a “genuine inquiry” question related to equity. (Example: Is there evidence that the rigor I hoped for exists in this assignment?) • The teacher then reflects on answers and defines next steps. www.nsrfharmony.org

20. Giving Feedback • Feedback given (as part of formative assessment) helps learners become aware of gaps between their desired goals and their current knowledge, understanding, or skill. • Feedback leads students to the actions necessary to achieve their learning goals. • Formative assessment through self-evaluation helps students monitor their own growth. McTighe and Wiggins 2004

21. ACTIVITY # 2

22. Think about a recent time when you praised a student.  • Describe the student’s task and the praise you gave. • Analyze your recognition as effective or ineffective according to Robert Marzano’s “Guidelines for Effective and Ineffective Praise.” Marzano 2001

23. The Road Ahead Discuss with a partner: How do these understandings support a balanced assessment system within your classroom? • Ongoing assessment informs instructional planning and the need for differentiation. • Ongoing assessment tasks anchor curricular units and guide instruction. • The use of ongoing assessment enables a teacher to modify learning opportunities presented to students.

24. Closing Thoughts "The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." ~Mark Van Doren

25. References Chappuis, S., & Chappuis, J. (2007/2008, December/January). The best value in formative assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 14-18. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec07/vol65/num04/The-Best-Value-in-Formative-Assessment.aspx Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Popham, W. J. (2009, April). A process—not a test. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 85-86., 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.ped.state.nm.us/QualityAssuranceSystemsIntegration/dl09%20/ELL%20Summit/A%20Process-%20Not%20a%20Test.pdf Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (expanded 2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wren, D. G. (2008). Research brief: Using formative assessment to increase learning. Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.vbschools.com/accountability/research_briefs/ResearchBriefFormAssmtFinal.pdf