The Progress Report Card

1. The Progress Report Card September, 2011

2. Agenda • Introduction and Overview -15 minutes • Activities 1 and 2 - 45 minutes • Activity 3 (with break) – 60 minutes • Assessment For/As/Of Learning Definitions - 15 minutes • Activity 4 - 60 minutes • LUNCH • Summarizing AM and Connecting With PM- Progressing Well, Progressing Very Well, Progressing With Difficulty- 30 minutes • Activity 5 - 60 minutes • Debriefing Activity - 15-20 minutes • Team Time - 30 minutes • Last Words/Parking Lot/AER Gains Site - 15 minutes

3. Purpose of Session • To clarify policy • To assist in the process of completing the Progress Report Card • To confirm what’s going well “The Progress Report Card gave me the freedom to teach” (Ontario teacher)

4. Session Learning Goals We are learning: • To align effective practicesin assessment for/as learning with the Elementary Progress Report Card • To develop and usecommon language regarding the Elementary Progress Report Card • To develop criteria for writing effective comments • To develop a process for writing personalized, clear, precise and meaningful comments

5. Elementary Progress Report Card-1 • Based on two years of provincial consultations with teachers, parents, principals, and students • Facilitates better communication among parents, teachers, and students

6. Elementary Progress Report Card-2 Provides an opportunity to: Conduct and provide feedback related to assessment for learning and assessment as learning; Establish a positive relationship between teachers, parents, and students; Involve parents as partners in a conversation about learning and assessment, and what they can do to support their child’s learning.

7. Elementary Progress Report Card-3 Provides an opportunity to: • Identify strengths and areas for improvement in student progress early in the school year • Develop strategies to • improve student learning; • involve students in the improvement of their own learning (e.g., through self-assessment and goal setting).

8. Differences Between the Progress Report Card and the Provincial Report Card-1

9. Differences Between the Progress Report Card and the Provincial Report Card-2

10. Differences Between the Progress Report Card and the Provincial Report Card-3

11. Similarities-1

12. Similarities-2

13. Assessment For/As Learning Practices Engineering effective questions, conversations and learning tasks Learning Goals Gathering Information Success Criteria Descriptive Feedback Peer- and Self-Assessment Individual Goal Setting

14. Assessment for/as Learning After watching this video, discuss with your elbow partner what report card comments you would write based on the interactions of students and teachers in the classroom. Segment 1 – The Foundation of Assessment for Learning

15. Placemat Activity 1 Minds On “Studies show that students perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their education. This is the basis for the principle that students and parents should be kept fully informed about the student’s progress.” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, And Reporting In Ontario Schools, p. 8)

16. Placemat Activity 2 Beginning of Reporting Period • End of Reporting Period Ongoing Communication with students and parents During Reporting Period Ongoing communication-1

17. Ongoing communication-2 • Beginning of Reporting Period • Communication may include: • providing an overview of expected learning • conducting and communicating the results of diagnostic assessment • making phone calls or sending letters of welcome to parents • meeting with students to discuss goal setting and success criteria, and communicating these to parents, as appropriate • conferencing with students and, where appropriate, with parents Beginning of Reporting Period • End of Reporting Period Ongoing Communication with students and parents During Reporting Period

18. Ongoing communication-3 Beginning of Reporting Period • End of Reporting Period Ongoing Communication with students and parents • During Reporting Period • Communication may include: • conferencing with students and, where appropriate, with parents • monitoring student progress (e.g., using tracking sheets, exit tickets, or passes) and involving parents when appropriate • providing descriptive feedback to students on a regular basis in the classroom and to parents through phone calls or notes sent home • maintaining communication through student agendas, which may be sent home to parents • creating newsletters about learning goals and success criteria • sending home completed assignments showing teacher feedback for parental review and signature • maintaining a website outlining learning goals, success criteria, and assignments (Note: Teachers need to be cautious about relying solely on electronic feedback, as not all parents may be able to access electronic communications) During Reporting Period

19. Ongoing communication-4 • End of Reporting Period • Communication may include: • having conversations with parents and students about information on report cards • scheduling student-led conferences • clarifying goals for learning and goals for further instruction through teacher-parent conferences, phone calls, meetings, or notes Beginning of Reporting Period • End of Reporting Period Ongoing Communication with students and parents During Reporting Period

20. Placemat Activity 3 Tapping into Collective Wisdom Discuss effective practices from the identified area at your table. Record your responses on the chart paper.

21. Carousel Move to the next table. Read the chart from that table, discuss as a group, and add new practices to the chart paper. When you return to your original table, discuss the additions to your chart, and then post on the wall.

22. Gallery Walk Have one person in your group stay at your chart to explain it to other people and to identify the three most effective practices. The other members of the group take a few minutes to walk around the room and read the posted charts. Use your placemat to record information.

23. Assessment for learning “Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there.” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, And Reporting In Ontario Schools, p. 31)

24. Assessment as learning “Assessment as learning focuses on the explicit fostering of students’ capacity over time to be their own best assessors, but teachers need to start by presenting and modelling external, structured opportunities for students to assess themselves.” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, And Reporting In Ontario Schools, p. 31)

25. Assessment of learning “Assessment of learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning. It often contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect students’ futures.” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, And Reporting In Ontario Schools, p. 31)

26. Sources of evidence to assess student learning Conversations Products Observations

27. Question Placemat Activity 4 How do you know your students are learning? List all the ways you know your students are learning. Write them on your placemat.

28. Directions: Activity 4 Use the post-its notes at your table to re-classify the list that you created. Use blue post-its to indicate items that represent Assessment Of Learning and use yellow post-its to indicate items that represent Assessment For/ As Learning. WRITE ONE ITEM PER POST-IT

29. Activity 4 (continued) Place each of your post-it notes on the triangle at your table as an example of observations, conversations and products.

30. Balanced Assessment Conferences Notes Journal Blogs Moderated Online forums Teacher/Student feedback Focused conversations Portfolio Conferencing Conversations Running Record List of Books Read Vocabulary Checklists Observation Checklist Anecdotal observation Questioning Presentations Listening Speaking Problem Solving Group Skills Performance Tasks Assignments Test Scores Reader Responses Tests Portfolios Checklists Videos Journals Projects Graphs Observations Products

31. Common Understanding “The purpose of assessment is not to rate, rank, and sort students, but to provide meaningful feedback that leads to high performance for all students.” (Marzano and Heflebower)

32. Placemat Activity 5 What does Progressing….. • Well • Very Well • And With Difficulty… MEAN? Based on assessments for, as, and of learning to date

33. Progressing Well Sample Descriptors • Demonstrates ongoing, consistent improvement towards meeting the provincial standard by the end of the term/year • Evidence that student is meeting or will meet the provincial standard • Other sample descriptors… Includes specific next steps

34. Progressing With Difficulty-1 Sample Descriptors Demonstrates that the student will require improvement and/or assistance to meet the provincial standard at the end of the term/year Evidence that student is not meeting or will not meet the provincial standard Other sample descriptors… Includes specific next steps

35. Progressing With Difficulty-2 Ongoing communication with parents is key if a student receives progressing with difficulty. Parents should be informed about progressing with difficultyprior to receiving the Progress Report Card.

36. Progressing Very Well Sample Descriptors Demonstrates ongoing, consistent improvement towards meeting or exceeding the provincial standard by the end of the term/year Very consistent evidence that student is meeting or will meet, or is exceeding or will exceed, the provincial standard Other sample descriptors… Includes specific next steps

37. Creating the Criteria for Effective Comments Think-Pair-Share Think… • Read the sample comments . • Co-create criteria for effective comments.

38. Co-creation of Criteria for Effective Comments

39. Criteria for Effective Comments-1 • Comments that are personalized, clear, precise and meaningful • Refer to specific evidence of learning gathered from conversations, observations and/or products • Reflect the interests, learning preferences and readiness of the student • Use a positive tone and student-friendly vocabulary that has been shared with parents. • Identify gaps in learning

40. Criteria for Effective Comments-2 • Focus on knowledge, skills and criteria identified in curriculum • Describe significant strengths that students need to continue to demonstrate • Identify next steps for improvement that: • Provide concrete next steps for student, and • Provide specific suggestions for how parents can support student learning

41. Criteria for Effective Comments-3 • Use language that parents understand • Make references to particular strands, when appropriate • Provide parents with personalized, clear, precise, and meaningful feedback • Help parents understand how they can support their children at home • Avoid repeating curriculumexpectations or achievement chart

42. Applying the Criteria Focusing on • Strengths • What is the learning (knowledge and skills) • Next steps for improvement

43. Revising Progress Report Card Comments • Based on the criteria that we have co-created, revise each of the Progress Report Card comments • Share your revised comments with an elbow partner and peer assess

44. Comments Focusing on Strengths • Do the comments focus on specific aspects of knowledge, skills, and other criteria or elements identified in the curriculum (i.e., overall expectations, criteria/categories in the achievement chart, strands, fundamental concepts, subject-specific processes)? • Do the comments describe significant strengths that the student has demonstrated and needs to continue to demonstrate?

45. Team Time

46. Wrap Up Discussion