2014 CCSS Tools Conference

1. 2014 CCSS Tools Conference Beginning with the End in Mind: Performance Assessment as a Catalyst for Common Core Implementation

2. Setting the Context: Whatis CORE? CORE is a unique ten-district collaborative whose mission is to reform education by: • Closing the achievement gap • Eliminating disproportionality • Increasing student achievement for all students • Ensuring high quality instruction • Guaranteeing student access to college and career standards/curriculum

3. Who is CORE?

4. What was CORE’s Original Focus? • CORE’s first initiative out of the gate (three years ago in April) was the establishment of the Standards, Assessment and Instruction initiative • The 50 member SAI Leadership Team was/is comprised of senior instructional leaders from each of the CORE partner districts • SAI’s initial goal/purpose was to collaborate around the implementation of the CCSS • And it was decided that assessment would be the place to begin this effort

5. Why Begin with Assessment? • We knew that the new SMARTER Balanced assessments would call for students to demonstrate their learning ways that were verydifferent from the existing STAR/CST approach • We hypothesized that focusing on assessment would enable us to “begin with the end in mind” andestablish student learning expectations • We knew that formative assessment, in particular, (i.e., adjusting instruction based on student performance data) was an important—though challenging—component of both initial standards implementation, and ongoing instructional improvement • The CORE Board directed the SAI team to develop and pilot a set of formative assessment tools

6. Performance Task Development Process • During June 2012, approximately 200 participating teachers and other educators joined together to develop 84 performance task modules. • Participants: • Were trained in formative assessment, ELA and Math CCSS, and Smarter Balanced (SBAC) design specifications • Worked in cross-district design teams

7. Module Content/Grade Levels ELA Grades: 1, 4, 7 and 9 Math Grades: 3, 5 and 7

8. Performance Task Assessment Design The CORE Performance Task Assessment Modules are: • Modeled after the SBAC design specifications. • Aligned to the CCSS in ELA and math content.

9. Performance Task Assessment Design • Performance • Task/Product • Analytic Essay Prompt • Quantitative Problem • Scoring Rubric • Information Processing/ • Constructed Response Items • Short Answer • Increasing Rigor High Item Cognitive Demand Mid Item Annotated Student Work Exemplars Cognitive Ramp Teacher Directions Low Item • “Stimulus” • Text • Data Set • Analytic Tools Student Performance Level

10. SBAC Specs for Performance Task-Language Arts

11. SBAC Specs for Performance Task-Math

12. Summer Design Institute: Results • Process Outcomes: Professional Learning about the CCSS, SBAC and Formative Assessment • Product Outcomes: 84 Performance Task Modules developed • Teachers awarded $500 stipends

13. Video

14. Summer Design InstituteParticipant Evaluation Summary

15. Highly Knowledgeable 2 Basic Knowledge 8 9 6 7 3 4 5 Summer Design InstituteParticipant Feedback Perception of Knowledge of CCSS: Before SDI vs. After Before 5.34 After 7.64

16. What was the Assessment Pilot? • The CORE Assessment Pilot was a research initiative to engage classroom teachers in the use and calibration of the CORE-developed Performance Assessment Modules. • All participating teachers provided feedback regarding the content, design and implementation experiences.

17. CORE Assessment Pilot Results • 64 of the original 84 modules selected and revised for content and context alignment • Just over 400 individual teachers across the 8 CORE districts participated in Fall Pilot • Modules were piloted in many more classrooms (i.e., secondary teachers with multiple class sections)--over 15,000 students total • Teachers evaluated student work with Rubrics, selected 8 exemplar samples (2 at each rubric level) • Teachers filled out “experience Log” surveys • Participants awarded $150 stipends

18. Fall Pilot Research Investigation Working in collaboration, California Education Partners, TheCenter for Future Teaching and Learning at West Ed, and the Regional Educational Laboratory West at West Ed, studied the implementation of the performance tasks across all of the piloting districts.

19. Fall Pilot Research Goals The specific goals of this joint research investigation were to: • Garner feedback from teachers on the performance tasks modules to inform the implementation of future CORE initiatives. • Understand teacher’s perceptions and experiences implementing the performance tasks. • Receive feedback through teachers regarding studentlearning and their reactions to the use of the performance tasks. • Understand how the formative assessments help elementary teachers in CORE districts better understand the instructionalshifts called for by the Common Core State Standards. • Understand what participating teachers see as their greatest challenges in teaching to the Common Core, in terms of their own knowledge and skill and any other systemic barriers to change. • Determine what additional/next-step support teachers need.

20. Fall Pilot Research Results

21. Fall Pilot Research Results Three Key Findings: Performance tasks helped teachers understand the Common Core expectations for students Performance tasks helped teachers realize both gaps and alignment between students’ current knowledge and skills and the Common Core expectations Performance tasks helped teachers understand the changes in instructional practice demanded by the Common Core

22. Calibrating Student Work

23. Accessing the CORE Assessment Modules http://coredistricts.org/our-work/standards-and-data-assessments/