Components of Quality Classroom Assessments

1. Components of Quality Classroom Assessments Mitch Fowler School Data Consultant, Calhoun ISD fowlerm@calhounisd.org

2. Questions about Assessment • How do we evaluate students? • What kinds of assessments are there? • How often do you assess students? • What makes a good assessment? • What do you do with the assessment data? • What do you do with students who don’t do well on assessments? • What changes are made based on assessment data? Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

3. Stiggins’ - Keys to Assessment Quality • Clear Purpose • Clear Target • Accurate Assessment • Effective Communication Stiggins, R. (2007). Assessment for learning: An essential foundation of productive instruction. In D. Reeves (Ed.), Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning (pp. 58-76). Bloomington: Solution Tree

4. Key 1 Purpose

5. TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS PROJECTS STATE TESTS TESTS ONE SIZE FITS ALL? QUIZZES INTERVIEWS COMMON ASSESSMENTS Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

6. Types of Assessments • Summative • Tied to accountability • School AYP • Teacher • Student • State testing, mid-term and final exams, exit tests • Formative • Check for understanding • Show of hands, tests and quizzes, projects, papers Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

7. Summative Assessment • It is an assessment OF learning. • It answers, did the student learn? • It is designed for accountability. OF Revised from “Data for Student Success” by Maureen Slamer

8. Formative Assessment • It is an assessment FOR learning. • It informs both teacher and student. • It guides instruction. • It helps students understand their next steps. • It supports learning. FOR Revised from “Data for Student Success” by Maureen Slamer

9. Summative and Formative Assessments • Take a moment to jot down the difference between summative and formative assessments. • Share with someone next to you. • Share with the group. Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

10. Key 2 Clear Targets

11. Clear Learning Targets • Know what kinds of targets are represented in curriculum • Know which targets each assessment measures • Communicate the learning targets in advance in language students can understand Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

12. Kinds of Targets • Master content knowledge • Use knowledge to reason and solve problems • Demonstrate performance skills • Create quality products Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

13. Clear Targets: Benefits to Students • Students who could identify their learning scored 27 percentile points higher than those who could not (Marzano, 2005). Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

14. Learning Targets • Any achievement expectations we hold for students • Statements of what we want students to learn Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

15. Which of these are actually learning targets? • Senior Project • Model of a Fort • Present a Persuasive Argument • State Report • Diorama Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

16. A Social Studies Example Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

17. Kinds of Learning Targets • Knowledge • Reasoning • Skill • Product Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

18. Kinds of Learning Targets - Knowledge Master factual and procedural knowledge, to be learned outright or retrieved. • Recognizes and describes patterns • Understands long-term psychological benefits or regular participation in physical activity • Explains the important characteristics of U.S. citizenship. • Knows that energy can be transformed between various forms. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

19. Kinds of Learning Targets - Reasoning Use knowledge to reason and solve problems. • Uses statistical methods to describe, analyze, evaluate, and make decisions • Analyzes fitness assessments to set personal fitness goals, strategizes ways to reach goals, evaluates activities. • Examines data/results and proposes meaningful interpretation. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

20. Kinds of Learning Targets - Skill Demonstrate mastery of specific performance skills • Measures length in metric and US units • Reads aloud with fluency and expression • Dribbles to keep the ball away from an opponent • Participates in civic discussion with the aim of solving current problems • Uses simple equipment and tools to gather data Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

21. Converting Learning Targets to Student-Friendly Language • Identify important of difficult learning goal. • Identify word(s) needing clarification. • Define the word(s). • Rewrite the definition as an “I can” statement in terms that your students will understand. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

22. Student – Friendly Language • Word to be defined: Summarize • To give a brief statement of the main points, main events, or important ideas • Student-friendly language: • I can summarize text. • This means I can make a short statement of the main points or the big ideas of what I read. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

23. Student – Friendly Language • Learning Target: “Deeply examine policy issues…” • Word to be defined: Examine • A process by which problems, alternate views and reasons for differing views for a given situation are understood. • Student-friendly language: • I can “examine”. • This means I can state the problems, describe alternative views, and understand the reasons for these different views. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

24. Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets Summary • Things to remember: • Convert complex or unfamiliar targets to student-friendly language • Post them or have students keep tem • Connect learning targets to activities Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

25. Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets Summary • Things to remember: • Convert complex or unfamiliar targets to student-friendly language • Post them or have students keep tem • Connect learning targets to activities Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

26. Key 3 Accurate Design

27. Sound Assessment Design • Select a proper assessment method • Select or create quality items, tasks, and rubrics • Sample – gather enough evidence • Control for bias • Design assessment so students can self-assess and set goals Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

28. Possible Assessment Methods • Selected Response • Multiple Choice • True/False • Matching • Fill in • Extended Written Response • Performance Assessment • Personal Communication • Questions • Conferences • Interviews Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

29. Sound Assessment Design • Assessment methods match learning targets • Sample is representative of what is taught • Items, tasks and scoring guides are well-written • Bias is avoided Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

30. Target – Method Match Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

31. Key 4 Effective Communication

32. Effective Communication • “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving must be ‘dollops of feedback’.” - John Hattie (1992) Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

33. Effective Communication • “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving must be ‘dollops of feedback’.” - John Hattie (1992) Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

34. Summary of Research • Feedback from classroom assessments should give students a clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might improve. • Feedback on classroom assessments should encourage students to improve. • Classroom assessment should be formative in nature. • Formative classroom assessments should be frequent. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

35. Effective Communication • Provide students with descriptive feedback • Involve students in tracking and communicating about their learning • Use grading practices that accurately communicate about the student learning Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

36. What makes feedback effective? • Describes features of work or performance • Relates directly to the learning targets • Points out strength and gives specific information on how to improve. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

37. Evaluative vs. Descriptive • Evaluative feedback sums up achievement and assigns a label. It expresses a judgment. • Descriptive feedback offers information that can be used by students to take action to improve. Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.