A Balanced Approach to 21 st Century Assessment

1. A Balanced Approach to 21st Century Assessment Lisa Youell Superintendent’s Center for 21st Century Schools West Virginia Department of Education

2. Is it on the test? Don’t worry, it’s Not On The Test!

3. Physical Exam Once a Year… • Yields indicators of one’s health • Concerns about the final numbers • Doctor makes recommendations

4. Doctor’s Recommendations? Focus on the Exam Once a Year Focus on Healthy Practices Daily Practice good habits on a daily basis Drink water every day Eat more fiber Eat fruits and vegetables Eat less fat Exercise/walk Avoid tobacco • For 3 months before the next exam do the following: • Exercise • Get more sleep • Eat oats everyday

5. Once a Year… School’s Annual Checkup • Yields indicators of school’s progress • Concerns about the final numbers • Principal makes recommendations

6. School’s Annual Checkup Focus on the Test Once a Year Focus on Daily Practices Become assessment literate Use day to day classroom assessment practices that involve students directly in self-assessment, goal setting, and communicating about their own learning Collect a continuous stream of evidence of student learning Use assessment information formatively to plan further instruction • For 3 months before the test do the following: • Look at the data • Determine weaknesses • Practice test items with standardized format

7. We are living in the old system while we are trying to build a new system.

8. Annual Accountability Testing (State Summative Test) Periodic Benchmark Assessments Continuous Classroom Assessment For Learning Institutional/Policy Users (School, District and State Leadership) Program Level Users (Teacher Teams and Leaders) Classroom Level Users (Students, Teachers and Parents) In a Perfect System…

9. Research on Assessment & Student Achievement British researchers Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam completed a comprehensive review of 250 international studies exploring the connection between formative assessment practices and student achievement (1998)

10. Research on Assessment & Student Achievement • Does improved formative assessment cause better learning? • Do formative assessment practices need improving? • Is there evidence about how to improve formative assessment?

11. Needed Improvements to Realize Gains • Increased commitment to high-quality classroom assessments • Increased descriptive feedback; reduced evaluative feedback • Increased student involvement in the assessment process Black and Wiliam, 1989

12. Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Classroom Assessment for Learning:.4 to .7 Gain .7 Standard Deviation Score Gain = • 25 Percentile Points on ITBS • 70 SAT Score Points • 4 ACT Score Points Largest Gain for Low Achievers

13. A Productive Multi-Level Assessment System • Is needed to be sure that all instructional decisions are informed and well made • Is needed to meet the informational needs of all users at all levels • State • District • School • Classroom (teachers and students)

14. A Balanced Assessment System Assessment of Learning • Summative Assessment • An event after learning • Benchmark Assessment (Common or Interim Assessments) • An event after learning Assessment for Learning • Formative Assessment • A process during learning • Classroom Assessment For Learning • A process during learning

15. Critical Questions • What is the primary aim of assessment? • Who will use the information? • What decisions will they make?

16. Common Language? Summative Assessment Formative Assessment Assessment FOR Learning Benchmark Assessments Assessment OF Learning Classroom Assessment For Learning

17. Assessment OF LearningUsers Uses  What  How  When • Turn to your neighbor and discuss the key differences in benchmark and summative assessment.

18. Assessment of Learning Periodic (3 or 4 times during the year Annual

19. Primary Users Benchmark Summative

20. Typical Uses Summative Benchmark

21. Assess What? Benchmark Summative

22. Assess How? Summative Benchmark

23. Assess When? Benchmark Summative

24. Assessment for Learning Users Uses  What  How  When Turn to your neighbor and discuss the key differences in formative and classroom assessment for learning.

25. Assessment for Learning

26. Needed Improvements to Realize Gains • Increased commitment to high-quality classroom assessments • Increased descriptive feedback; reduced evaluative feedback • Increased student involvement in the assessment process Black and Wiliam, 1989

27. Primary Users Classroom Assessment for Learning Formative Assessment Student as Decision Maker

28. Typical Uses Classroom Assessment for Learning Formative Assessment Descriptive Feedback

29. Typical Uses Classroom Assessment for Learning Formative Assessment Student Involvement

30. Assess What? Formative Assessment Classroom Assessment for Learning Learning Targets

31. Learning Targets A learning target is an achievement expectation we hold for students. It’s a statement of what we want the student to learn. Is this a target? • Math • Decimals • Page 152 in the book • Going on a decimal hunt • Read decimals and put them in order

32. Summative Assessment Objective/Benchmark: First Grade Reading /English Language Arts Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Overall Target Type: Knowledge  Reasoning  Performance Skill  Product Learning Targets What are the knowledge, reasoning, performance skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective? Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets Product Targets Distinguish the uses or meanings of a variety of words (word choice) Holds a pencil correctly Print letters correctly Space words Use lines & margins Stretch out sounds in words to create a temporary spelling of a word Write sentences with varied beginnings Know what a sentence is Understand concept of word choice Formative/Classroom Assessment for Learning

33. Summative Assessment Standard/Objective: Drive with skill. Type:  Knowledge  Reasoning  Performance Skill Product Learning Targets What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective? Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets Product Targets • Know the law • Understand informal rules of the road • Understand what different parts of the car do • Read signs and understand what they mean • Understand what “creating a danger” means • Understand what “creating a hazard” means • Other? • Analyze road conditions, vehicle performance, and other driver’s actions • Compare/contrast this information with knowledge and past experience • Synthesize information and evaluate options to make decisions on what to do next • Evaluate “Am I safe?” and synthesize information to take action if needed. • Other? • Driving actions such as: steering, shifting, parallel parking, looking, signaling, backing up, braking, accelerating, etc. • Fluidity/automaticity in performance driving actions. • Other? None Since the ultimate type of target is a performance skill, there are no embedded product targets Formative/Classroom Assessment for Learning

34. Clear Learning Targets • We need clear targets to… • Know if the assessment adequately covers what we taught • Correctly identify what students know and don’t know • Have students self-assess or set goals for future study that are likely to help them learn more • Keep track of student learning target by target • Complete a standards-based report card

35. Assess How? Classroom Assessment for Learning Formative Assessment

36. Assess When? Classroom Assessment for Learning Formative Assessment

37. Classroom Assessment for Learning The only difference in Formative Assessment (as described above) and Classroom Assessment for Learning is the student involvement component.

38. What Are the Benefits of Assessment FOR Learning ? • Making student thinking and understanding more visible • Using results primarily to shape and adjust what happens next in classrooms, rather than to provide a grade or mark • Using assessment to encourage, not discourage, student effort • Engaging students in thinking about themselves as learners

39. Review of Research Literature …achievement gains from using such assessment-for-learning strategies were “among the largest ever reported for educational interventions.” -Black and Wiliam (1998) • More frequent testing does not necessarily mean greater gains. • The strategies Black and Wiliam refer to involve students in the entire process.

40. What a Difference a Word Makes Video Presentation by Rick Stiggins

41. A Balanced Approach “Teachers involve their students in classroom assessment, record-keeping, and communication during learning. But, when it’s time for students to be accountable for what they have learned, the teacher takes the lead in conducting assessments OF learning.” -Richard J. Stiggins

42. Assessment OF and FORLearning Sort Activity: • Assessment for Learning • Assessment of Learning • Not Sure

43. Needed Improvements to Realize Gains • Increased commitment to high-quality classroom assessments • Increased descriptive feedback; reduced evaluative feedback • Increased student involvement in the assessment process Black and Wiliam, 1989

44. Descriptive or Evaluative Feedback? You made some simple mistakes multiplying 3-digit numbers.

45. The giving of marks and the grading function are overemphasized, while the giving of useful advice and learning function are underemphasized. --Black & Wiliam,1998 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

46. Feedback • Take a minute to read over the research on effective feedback (handout). • Discuss with those at your table. • Summarize important ideas from the research and draw conclusions about effective feedback.

47. Effective feedback points out successes and gives specific information about how to improve the performance or product.--Black & Wiliam, 1998: Black et al, 2002; Bloom, 1989; Brown, 1994

48. Effective learners operate best when they have insight into their own strengths and weaknesses and access to their own repertoires of strategies for learning.--Brown, 1994

49. Feedback is effective when it offers information about progress relative to the intended learning goal and about what action to take to reach the intended learning goal.--Hattie & Timperley, 2005

50. Comments directed to the quality of the work—what was done well and what needs improving—increase student interest in the task and level of achievement.--Butler, 1988