From Compliance to Commitment: Implementing a District-wide Portfolio Initiative

1. From Compliance to Commitment: Implementing a District-wide Portfolio Initiative Astrid Fossum, Mathematics Teaching Specialist, fossumag@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Mary Mooney, Mathematics Teaching Specialist, mooneyme@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Beth Schefelker, Mathematics Teaching Specialist, schefeba@milwaukee.k12.wi.us www.mmp.uwm.edu

2. In this session participants will: • Develop an understanding of a process used for implementing a portfolio assessment system. • Engage in discussion regarding benefits and challenges of establishing a portfolio system. • Examine portfolio samples to define purpose of collection. • Examine samples of portfolios used in an urban K-12 system.

3. MMP School Learning Team Leadership Structure 204 MTLs 60 Gr 8-9 Principal Other Key Teachers Math Teacher Leader LiteracyCoach IHE Faculty Mathematics & Math Education District Mathematics Leadership (MCS, MTS)

4. MMP Learning Team Continuum

5. The “Big 5” Strategies A Framework for the MMP District Mathematics Initiative • Teachers will: • Administer frequent and “smaller” assessment items. • Provide a balance of constructed and selected response assessment items. • Develop effective and descriptive feedback for their students. • Design student work folders (portfolios). • Be involved in regular professional development in mathematics.

6. Current Monitoring Practices • P5 programming at limited school sites. • Individual folder system used to record summative data. • Student interaction with contents is often limited. • Impact on instruction is unclear, though often passed on year to year. • K-12 mathematics needs consistency.

7. Our journey begins with many questions… • How do we begin to change pedagogical beliefs on the uses of a portfolio system? • How do we demonstrate the portfolio as a tool to reflect work already being done? • How do we move teacher practice from “looking” to “utilizing” student work as a lens for understanding student thinking, as well as a basis for making instructional decisions?

8. Phases of Portfolio DevelopmentPhase1: The fast and the furious K-8 Schools: • Schools given autonomy to develop a system that fit their individual school initiative. • Created something quickly with little input from full staff. • Added mathematics to current P5 system. • Developed folders that held similar characteristics to current system (summative). • Viewed by teachers as an “add on” to their work.

9. Phase 2: Wait and See “The District Will Tell Us What To Do” • What are “the district” expectations for the folders? • How much work do we collect? What work do we collect? • Who uses the folder? • When will “the district” make the folder we are to use?

10. Phase 3: Our Learning Process

11. Transition to College Math CommitteePhase 1:What do all these tests mean? • Committee designed the High School Mathematics Assessment Folder • Currently, schools are participating on a voluntary basis • Wanted a tool to guide conversations with students about their mathematics learning • Use the work samples as a counseling tool and evidence for high school math sequence. • How summative data is used to make decisions about students learning progression and potential for success. • Viewed by teachers as an “add on” to their work.

12. Will they really know if we are doing this? Who keeps them? What about our mobility rate? Will the guidance counselors use them? How do we find the time to talk with students? Phase 2: Who collects the assessment folders?

13. Phase 3:Our Learning Process

14. Auer Avenue School (K-8) • Process developed from a need to collect data documenting mathematics instruction practices. • Portfolios include student work samples and CABS for each math content strand taught. • Portfolios are used to focus discussions regarding instructional practices and progress toward educational plan goals.

15. Engaging Students in the Assessment Process • Each student (K-8) was provided an assessment binder. • Students are provided feedback of their progress. • Students are learning to self-assess, reflect and monitor their learning.

16. Results of Auer Avenues School-wide Assessment Initiative Staff: • Instruction is focused on student needs; frequent interventions are planned and carried out. • Collaboration has increased between teachers in and across grade levels. Students: • Students are aware of their strengths and weaknesses in mathematics; understand their role in the learning process. Overall outcome: • State assessment results report an increase in achievement in all grade levels 3 - 8!

17. Milwaukee High School of the Arts • Teachers have determined that too much work turns their portfolio into product, not process. • Working toward use by teachers, parents, counselors, administrators. • Portfolios are sent home after graduation and students are encouraged to share them with their post-secondary advisors.

18. MHSA Results…3 years of using the assessment folder… • Students • looking back at their work and reflecting on progress • can articulate what their misconceptions were • written reflection, as a self assessment tool, on work samples • enjoy opportunities to talk with teachers about their learning in mathematics • increased ownership

19. Current StatusPortfolio Implementation • All phases of implementation. • MTLs, Learning Teams, Math Departments, School Staffs are: • Building a system to fit their needs. • Working out the kinks by “starting small”. • Understanding the importance of involving students in the process. • Exploring ways to incorporate student reflection and involvement. • Conversations are shifting from developing a folder “of” learning… to a system “for” learning.

20. Resources • Danielson, C., & Abrutyn, L. (1997). An Introduction to Using Portfolios In the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. • Stiggins, R.J., Arter, J., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2006). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning; Doing It Right- Using It Well. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. The Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP), an initiative of the Milwaukee Partnership Academy (MPA), is supported with funding from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EHR-0314898