A Balanced Approach to Standards, Assessment and Reporting Standards Based Report Cards

1. A Balanced Approach to Standards, Assessment and ReportingStandards Based Report Cards Dr. Jim Powell “The success of any organization of any organization is contingent upon clear, commonly defined goals. A well-articulated focus unleashes individual and collective energy. And a common focus clarifies understanding, accelerates communication, and promotes persistence and collective purpose. “ (ASCD)

2. What basis beliefs impact the implementation of a standards based environment? • We can agree upon and define what we want our students to know and be able to do. • Children can learn and do those things. • Children can recognize the quality of the standard and strive toward it. • Teachers can clearly understand and articulate the quality of the standard and teach toward it. • Parents can understand student growth toward achievement of the target. Hitting the Bull’s eye. Criteria made public.

3. Impact on students: More focused (especially underachieving students). Demand learning target. More likely to express learning needs – specifically. Develops a learning culture. Quality of work improves. Behavior improves. Persevere longer. Greater ownership of learning as responsibility shifts from teacher to student. Automatically self-evaluative. More enthusiastic about learning. Impact on teachers: More focused. Sharpens teacher understanding of learning target. Expectations rise. Focus on quality rather than getting everything done. More critical of activities. Reinforces relevant vocabulary. Assists in reflection of lesson and learning that occurred. Strengthen connections with parents related to child’s strengths and weaknesses. Clear Targets

4. Without Clear Targets We Can’t Do Any of the Following… • Know if the assessment adequately covers and samples what we taught. • Correctly identify what students know and don’t know and their level of achievement. • Plan next steps in instruction. • Give detailed, descriptive feedback to students. • Have students self-assess or set goals likely to help them learn more. • Keep track of student learning target by target or standard by standard. • Complete a standards-based report card.

5. Clear Learning Targets • We need clear targets to… • Know if the assessment adequately covers what we taught • Correctly identify what students know and don’t know • Have students self-assess or set goals for future study that are likely to help them learn more • Keep track of student learning target by target • Complete a standards-based report card

6. “By setting out clearly in their own minds what they wanted the students to learn, the teachers would be in a position to find out what the ‘gap’ was between the state of students’ current learning and the learning goal and to be able to monitor that ‘gap’ as it closed.” • Assessment for Learning: putting it into practice

7. Learning/Achievement Targets Statements of what we want students to learn and be able to do.

8. Students who can identify what they are learning significantly outscore those who cannot. • Robert Marzano

9. “Any student who leaves school still needing their teacher to tell them that they’ve done well has not yet learned to hit the target. They’ve not yet learned to recognize good thinking.” • Rick Stiggins

11. Learning Targets A learning target is an achievement expectation we hold for students. It’s a statement of what we want the student to learn. Is this a target? • Math • Decimals • Page 152 in the book • Going on a decimal hunt • Read decimals and put them in order

12. A Mathematics Example Subject • Math • Decimals • Page 152 in the book • Going on a decimal hunt • Read decimals and put them in order Topic Assignment Activity Learning Target

13. The giving of marks and the grading function are overemphasized, while the giving of useful advice and learning function are underemphasized. --Black & Wiliam,1998 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

14. All Knowing Provider Facilitator and Mentor Master Coach Follower Passive Recipient Learning Participant Active Self-Starting Learner Adapted from Quality Learning Australia Pty Ltd. 2008

16. 4 = Consistently meets and exceeds the grade level standards. • 3 = Consistently demonstrates ability to apply concepts/skills independently. • 2 = Continues to work towards an understanding of concepts/skills. More practice experience is needed. • 1 = Having great difficulty demonstrating an understanding of concepts/skills. • Blank area = Not sufficient documentation at this time. • 3 = Consistently demonstrates ability to apply concepts/skills independently. • 2 = Continues to work towards an understanding of concepts/skills, more practice and experience is needed. • 1 = Having great difficulty demonstrating an understanding of concepts/skills. • Blank area = Not sufficient documentation at this time.

17. So, what’s the target in this Standard? Students will represent the path of light as it interacts with a variety of surfaces (reflecting, refracting, absorbing). • Know that light has a source • Represent the straight-line path of light • Know that we see objects because light is reflected from the object in its path to our eyes • Describe light that is reflected; refracted; absorbed by an object

18. Needed Improvements to Realize Gains • Increased commitment to high-quality classroom assessments • Increased descriptive feedback; reduced evaluative feedback • Increased student involvement in the assessment process Black and Wiliam, 1989

19. Summative Assessment Objective/Benchmark: First Grade Reading /English Language Arts Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Overall Target Type: Knowledge  Reasoning  Performance Skill  Product Learning Targets What are the knowledge, reasoning, performance skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective? Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets Product Targets Distinguish the uses or meanings of a variety of words (word choice) Holds a pencil correctly Print letters correctly Space words Use lines & margins Stretch out sounds in words to create a temporary spelling of a word Write sentences with varied beginnings Know what a sentence is Understand concept of word choice Formative/Classroom Assessment for Learning

20. Summative Assessment Standard/Objective: Drive with skill. Type:  Knowledge  Reasoning  Performance Skill Product Learning Targets What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective? Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets Product Targets • Know the law • Understand informal rules of the road • Understand what different parts of the car do • Read signs and understand what they mean • Understand what “creating a danger” means • Understand what “creating a hazard” means • Other? • Analyze road conditions, vehicle performance, and other driver’s actions • Compare/contrast this information with knowledge and past experience • Synthesize information and evaluate options to make decisions on what to do next • Evaluate “Am I safe?” and synthesize information to take action if needed. • Other? • Driving actions such as: steering, shifting, parallel parking, looking, signaling, backing up, braking, accelerating, etc. • Fluidity/automaticity in performance driving actions. • Other? None Since the ultimate type of target is a performance skill, there are no embedded product targets Formative/Classroom Assessment for Learning

21. A Balanced Assessment System Assessment of Learning • Summative Assessment • An event after learning • Benchmark Assessment (Common or Interim Assessments) • An event after learning Assessment for Learning • Formative Assessment • A process during learning • Classroom Assessment For Learning • A process during learning