Fred Gross Education Development Center, Inc.

1. Teaching Teachers to Implement a Comprehensive Approach to Formative Assessment in Middle Grades Mathematics Classrooms Fred Gross Education Development Center, Inc.

2. Goals for the session Participants will leave with: • A deeper understanding of formative assessment • A model to help inform teachers about formative assessment • A means to connect formative assessment and reflective practice.

3. Agenda • What is formative assessment? • Why study it? • A professional development model for middle school math teachers • Formative Assessment as a Reflective Practice

4. What is Formative Assessment? “Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.” Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

5. Why Formative Assessment? “…there is strong evidence that formative assessment can raise standards of pupil achievement: Black & Wiliam, 1998 “The process used by teachers and students to recognize and respond to student learning in order to enhance that learning, during the lesson (Bell & Cowie, 2001, p. 536) Formative assessment is a planned process in which assessment-elicited of students’ status is used by teachers to adjust their ongoing instructional procedures or by students to adjust their current learning tactics (Popham, 2008, p.6)

6. Why Formative Assessment? Field Work Large urban district attempting to implement formative assessment in mathematics at the elementary level. Different level of discussion about instructional practices I used to think that formative assessment was just the assessment teachers use to figure out if students understood the lesson or not, but I now think that formative assessment is a process which is a series of planning, reflection, and feedback by the teacher and the student. This process seems to be something I have been missing from my own teaching. (Heritage, 2010, p. 5)

7. Why Professional Development in Formative Assessment? • “…the research literature, points to the need for an effective professional development program that provides a comprehensive model of formative assessment in mathematics classrooms” (Popham, 2008; Heritage et al., 2008) • Existing programs present some aspects of formative assessment (Bright & Joyner, 2004; Vermont Institute, 2008) but none present the full range that we, and others consider critical (CCSS), 2008; Wiliam, 2007)

8. What is our Project? Formative Assessment in the Mathematics Classroom: Engaging Teachers and Students (FACETS) A 5-year project Develop a 2-year intensive profession development model to build middle grades mathematics teachers’ knowledge and implementation of formative assessment. Funded by the National Science Foundation

9. Overall Design of the FACETS Project Year 1: • Immersed in the Research Literature • Design the Professional Development for the First Cohort Year 2 & 3: Cohort 1 • Pilot Study of the Professional Development Model Year 4 & 5: Cohort 2 • Field Test of the Professional Development Model

10. Professional Development Structure

11. Target for Professional Development

12. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT as a REFLECTIVE PROCESS

13. Reflective Process: Fundamental Questions “How does the learning of mathematics evolve for students?”

14. Reflective Process: Fundamental Questions “How does the learning of mathematics evolve for students?” “How do you convey important mathematics goals to students? How do you help them understand what it will look like when their learning is on track?”

15. Reflective Process: Fundamental Questions “How does the learning of mathematics evolve for students?” “How do you convey important mathematics goals to students? How do you help them understand what it will look like when their learning is on track?” “How do you gather and interpret evidence of students’ understanding?”

16. Reflective Process: Fundamental Questions “How does the learning of mathematics evolve for students?” “How do you convey important mathematics goals to students? How do you help them understand what it will look like when their learning is on track?” “How do you gather and interpret evidence of students’ understanding?” “How do you provide effective feedback to students to move their learning forward?”

17. Reflective Process: Fundamental Questions “How does the learning of mathematics evolve for students?” “How do you convey important mathematics goals to students? How do you help them understand what it will look like when their learning is on track?” “How do you gather and interpret evidence of students’ understanding?” “How do you provide effective feedback to students to move their learning forward?” “How do you involve students more fully in gauging their own learning? (Questions – pg. 3)

18. Although we don’t yet know everything about the most effective learning environments, the existing research on cognition and motivation provides clear and strong evidence that activating students as owners of their own learning is an essential component. Wiliam, 2011, p.151

19. Quote from Participating Teacher I’m really understanding that with FA, ultimately it’s about getting students engaged in their own learning. Classroom culture is so important – students stick their heads out (like a little turtle) and as they figure out it’s safe to share their thinking, then they do it more and more. I’m seeing that change.

20. FACETS: 2 Reflective Practices Learning Group Teachers meet on a monthly basis to discuss their understanding of formative assessment Online Component Web based discussions between monthly learning groups Development of lesson plan

21. FACETS: Reflective Practices Learning Group • Teachers discuss specific aspects of what they are learning in their understanding and implementation of formative assessment • Discussion about having students read the SC at the end of small group work and identify whether they had met the success criteria. The participants fairly spontaneously began making suggestions for ways in which they could increase their own referral to SC in the lesson, along with how to get the students to do it. • Share examples of what they are trying to write and do in their math classes • Pose questions to clarify their own thinking and the thinking of others.

22. FACETS: Reflective Practice Lesson Development Online • Teachers created a Formative Assessment Plan for one lesson • Teachers implemented the lesson • Teachers reflected on the lesson (See blank template in your packet – pg. 4/5) (See completed template in your packet – pg. 6/7)

23. Planning • Defining the Learning: • What is to be learned (LI)? • How will students show they have learned this (SC)? 2. Working towards the learning: • How will the lesson's activities help build a shared understanding of the SC? • How will student communicate their thinking during the learning tasks? • What are potential barriers or sticking points? Where will you get evidence whether these barriers or sticking points are an issue for any students? • At what key points during the lesson might you give formative feedback? 3. Gauging Success: • At what key points during the lesson should you refer to the SC? • When will evidence be collected? • What type of evidence will be collected? • How will students gauge their own success?

24. Reflection 4. Implementing the Lesson: • What do you see as the high points and low points of the lesson, in terms of your and your students' use of FA? • Do you have an example of formative feedback to share, given by you or by one of your students? • Do you have an example to share of student ownership and involvement? 5. Determining Next Steps: • To what extent were each of the SC met? • What trends are evident? • What are your next steps?

25. Formative Assessment as a Processfor Reflection Activity You will: • Discuss a question prompt by table group • Record ideas generated from your discussion • Share at least one idea with the whole group

26. Activity: Table Discussion Question: What makes it hard for math teachers to reflect on their practice? • Assign a scribe at your table • At your table share your thoughts in response to the question. • The scribe will compile ideas generated by the table group and share out at least 1 idea.

27. Thank you for participating in today’s workshop For more information about the FACETS project contact: Fred Gross Education Development Center, Inc. fgross@edc.org