Secondary Credit Assessment System Edward Roeber Kim Young Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability

1. Secondary Credit Assessment System Edward Roeber Kim Young Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability 1

2. What is the Secondary Credit Assessment System? • A balanced assessment system comprised of: • End-of-course assessments (summative assessment) • Assessments to be used throughout the school year (interim benchmark assessments) • Assessments to be used on a daily basis by teachers (formative assessment) • All assessments measure the High School Content Expectations (HSCEs) 2

3. Balanced Assessment System • We need a balanced assessment system - one that honors the work in classroom assessment and is aligned to the state and district assessments • A variety of approaches to assessment are needed - perhaps more assessment, but of different kinds • All assessments need to work in the same direction - a coordinated system of assessment 3

4. What is a Balanced Assessment System? • Formative • Supports on-going learning in the classroom • Interim • Provides periodic snapshots of student achievement at the district level • Summative • Assesses student learning at the conclusion of a phase of learning • All parts work together and are equally important 4

5. Balanced Assessment Systems • Assessment should be continuous - the assessments should measure student progress over time (days, weeks, months, and the school year) • Are a variety of formal and less formal assessment methods used on an on-going basis? • Assessment is integrated - does the assessment system fit into the larger educational system? • Is assessment seamlessly integrated into instruction? 5

6. Balanced Assessment Systems • Are a variety of high quality assessments being used? • Do all assessments meet professional standards (reliability, validity, and so forth)? • Are the assessment purposes clearly spelled out and are assessments used that can achieve these purposes? • Do all students participate in assessments appropriate for them? • Do assessments have positive consequences - for students, educators, parents, and others? 6

7. What are Summative Assessments? • State Level • Michigan Educational Assessment Program • Michigan Merit Examination • MI-Access • English Language Proficiency Assessment • Secondary Credit Assessment System • District Level • Norm-referenced tests 7

8. Uses of Summative Assessments • Determine the extent of student learning at the end of each course/credit area • Determine if students have earned the credit • Help determine if the rigor of the course/credit area is adequate • Improve the rigor and content of the course/credit area • Key Question: Did students learn what they should have? 8

9. Other Uses of Summative Assessment • Determine priority schools for the interventions required by Federal (and state) law • Guide state-level assistance to “high priority” schools - those continuing not to make Adequate Yearly Progress • Fund schools - could be general state aid and/or special programs to impact struggling schools • Allocate human resources - such as providing staff or consultants to provide supportive management advice and strategies to schools 9

10. What are Interim Assessments? • Periodic assessments given school- or district- wide during the school year • Measure the school’s or district’s curricula in important content areas • Provide evidence that all students have been taught key skills • Serve to reinforce a common curriculum and sets of learning experiences 10

11. Interim Assessments • District-constructed assessments, or • Commercially-available assessments • Replicas of the MEAP or other state assessments • Pacing assessments that follow the curriculum • Assessments that do not follow MEAP nor the district curriculum • Key Question: Are students in each school on track for proficiency? 11

12. Interim Assessments • Unit tests given at the end of each instructional unit throughout the course/credit • Advantages • May determine if students are learning the enabling skills • Might catch students who are experiencing difficulties in learning before they fall far behind • Challenges • Instructional sequences are not always universal - are multiple forms of the assessments needed? • Are the assessments of high quality and/or match instruction? 12

13. Uses of Interim Assessment • Inform students and parents about the level of student achievement and improvement efforts under way • Assure consistency of instruction across schools and the district • Increase instructional alignment - horizontal and vertical • Program evaluation - evaluate the effectiveness of new initiatives 13

14. Rick Stiggins, 2002 • “If we wish to maximize student achievement in the U.S., we must pay greater attention to the improvement of classroom assessment. Both assessment of learning and assessment for learning are essential. But one is currently in place, and the other is not.” 14

15. What is Formative Assessment? • Classroom-based assessments used on an on-going basis in every classroom • Carefully thought-out strategies to engage students in learning in and outside of the classroom • May encourage different ways of learning - moving from passive to active student learning • May encourage student self-assessment/self-monitoring 15

16. CCSSO Draft Definition of Formative Assessment • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes. FAST/SCASS Austin, Texas October 2006 16

17. Formative Assessment • Teachers are engaged actively in the assessment process by: • Sharing instructional targets with students • Questioning students • Observing students • Examining and evaluating student work • Providing feedback to students • Determining instructional implications of the assessments • Conferencing with students, other teachers and parents 17

18. Formative Assessments • Students are actively engaged in the assessment process by: • Learning what is expected of them • Taking responsibility for their own learning • Actively participating in the learning process • Participating in how students document what they have learned and how they learned it • Demonstrating their learning to peers, educators and their parents 18

19. Uses of Formative Assessment • Guide student learning on a daily basis by providing information about what critical skills were and were not learned • Provide extra learning opportunities to students who are struggling academically • Provide additional learning opportunities for students who are doing well academically • Report student progress to students, parents, and other educators • Key Question: Has each student learned? 19

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23. What are ways we can assess students? • Selected-response tests - multiple-choice, true-false, matching • Written response - short-answer, extended response • Observation • Structured • Unstructured • Samples of Student Work 23

24. What are ways we can assess students? • Performance Events • Individual interviews • Hands-on performance assessments • Performance Tasks • Individual assessments • Group performance assessments • Projects • Datafolios • Portfolios 24

25. Secondary Credit Assessment System • Measure the same skills using different measures of the same skills • Develop and make available the following assessments • End-of-course exams used at the end of the year • Interim assessments used at the end of instructional units • Formative assessments used in daily instruction 25

26. Developing the Needed System • Examine the high school content expectations: • Select the high priority skills for the summative exams • Create instructional modules around which to build interim assessments • Determine the instructional sequences within which to create instructionally-embedded assessments • Determine what types of measures will be used? • Selected-response and constructed-response items • Performance assessments • Other assessment types 26

27. Developing the Needed System • Use existing item development contractor in the short-run to develop assessments needed in 2008 • Competitively bid the SCA system: • Create 3 versions of each summative assessment annually • Offer summative assessments in paper-based and electronic formats • Create 2 versions of each interim assessment annually • Offer interim assessments electronically or give districts a pdf of each assessment 27

28. Developing the Needed System • Select a separate contractor for work with local educators on formative assessments • PD on creating classroom assessments • Practice unpacking the standards • Develop instructional strategies related to the HSCEs • Create assessments embedded within instructional • Support the work of local learning communities as they use the instructional strategies and assessments • Utilize a statewide network of ISD/RESA and local district trainers to support local district work 28

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30. How Will Formative Work be Carried Out? • Develop ISD/RESA teams to sponsor work groups of local educators • Leadership team from one or more ISDs/RESAs plus LEAs • Working groups of teachers and curriculum specialists in the four content areas • Professional development assistance provided by MDE and others • Use other existing resources with an interest in improved instruction and assessment 30

31. How Will Formative Work be Carried Out? • There are existing “learning communities,” formal and informal, across the state already engaged in thinking about • How students learn best • How teachers can draw out the best from students • How we know whether students have learned • How educators can learn more about learning, teaching and assessment • Develop other learning communities in the state 31

32. Want More? • Dr. Rick Stiggins “Creating a Balanced Assessment System for Student Success” Wednesday, March 7, 2007 10:00 – 11:30 am www.mistreamnet.com To be archived at www.mistreamnet.com 32

33. Even More Than That? • High Schools of Purpose:Learning for All! With Karen Bailey • May 1 & 2, 2007 – Holiday Inn-South, Lansing • May 3 & 4, 2007 – Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse City • HS Learning Teams of 3 – 7, cross content, within content, cross ISD teams 33

34. What Work Will be Done? • Develop model instructional lessons that address parts of the high school content expectations • Build a variety of assessments within these instructional ideas • Try out these lessons and assessments with students • MDE: Collect, select and share the ideas • SCAS website: www.michigan.gov/scas 34

35. Balanced Assessment Leadership Group • ISD/RESA/ESA • Local • Professional Groups • Administrators • Teachers • Policy • Promotion of balanced assessment literacy • advisory 35

36. Beginning the Journey….. 36

37. Phase 1 Building Background Knowledge of Learning Teams Keys to High Quality Assessment Common Assessments 37

38. Phase 2 Learning Teams Continue The Learning Grading HQ Rubrics Examining Student Work Building Knowledge Within the School LT facilitates learning with colleagues Classroom embedded practice 38

39. Areas to be Developed • English Language Arts • English 9, 10, 11, and 12 • Mathematics • Algebra I • Geometry • Algebra II • Pre-Calculus • Data and Statistics 39

40. Areas to be Assessed • Science • Biology • Chemistry • Physics • Earth Science • Social Studies • American History and Geography • World History and Geography • Economics • Civics 40

41. 2006-2007 Priorities • Complete the prototype assessments • Algebra I • Geometry • Offer the prototype assessments to local districts via pdf’s in the spring • Permit local district that wish to use the prototypes to assess students to do so 41

42. 2007-2008 Priorities • Depending on the level of funding available next year, create the following assessments • Mathematics: Algebra I and Geometry • Science: Biology • English: English 9 • Social Studies: None? • Begin working to create an electronic delivery system for the interim and summative assessments 42

43. Beyond 2008 • As resources permit, create the additional assessments • Try to develop the assessments needed by students as they progress through high school • Attempt to fully develop the system by 2010 • Try to build both the interim and summative assessment components at the same time, and create new forms of each annually to keep the test pool “fresh” • Work with other partners (e.g., states, contractors, and others) who share a common interest in collaborative work 43

44. Summary • Our goal is to seek to improve how students are taught, as well as how they are assessed • Emphasize improved student learning, not just higher test scores. • Continue to seek to improve educator skills in instruction, as well as assessment • Build a balanced assessment system with coordination among the parts 44

45. Summary • The requirement to assess the High School Content Expectations will be used as the basis for modeling a balanced assessment system that includes formative and interim assessments • Engage educators across the state in developing these formative and interim assessments • Begin this activity this year and support it as it grows and spreads • Recruit local and ISD educators who want to be part of building this new system 45

46. For Questions and Comments • Edward Roeber • Kim Young Michigan Department of Education Office of Educational Assessment & Accountability P.O. Box 30008 Lansing, MI 48909 RoeberE@michigan.gov YoungK1@michigan.gov 46