Understanding by design Assessment Focus

1. Understanding by designAssessment Focus October 4 and 5, 2011

2. Getting Started What is our purpose and where are we going?

3. purpose • To refine our understanding of assessment in all its forms and consider its link to renewed curricula. • To provide time to reflect and collaborate with others. • To continue to work through the UbD process.

4. Agenda • 9:00 – 9:30 Assessment in the NESD • 9:30 – 12:00 Summative assessment (Criteria and rubrics) • 1:00 – 2:00 Formative assessment and feedback • 2:00 – 2:45 Reporting • 2:45 - 3:00 Final “Go Round”

5. Generating parking lot questions • Line up according to birthdates. • In your group, generate questions you have about formative assessment, feedback, summative assessment and reporting. • Be prepared to share questions.

6. Destination partners • Find your destination partner sheet • Sign up four different people for your four different pairings

7. Assessment in the nesd How do we define assessment and what tools should we use?

9. Find your Hawaii partner. • Consider: • What is authentic assessment? • Why do we assess? • What do we assess?

10. Authentic assessment • Authentic assessment clearly assesses the outcomes in a context that reflects the actual learning experience. In other words, we assess in the exact same way we have invited students to learn. • Authentic assessment also invites us to ask how students may come to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained and assess them based on that information.

11. Assessment plan • An assessment plan clarifies the learning destinations through establishing criteria. • It clarifies how evidence of learning will be collected – through products, observations and conversations. • An assessment plan is realized over the course of an entire unit and, ultimately, over the course of a year. • It aims to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. • It clarifies how students will be assessed formatively and summatively, how they will be offered feedback and how their progress will be reported.

12. In the North East School Division we believe: • Effective instruction depends on high quality assessment. Each assessment must reflect learning outcomes and standards of quality understood by all staff members. • The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Therefore, we expect all assessments to provide accurate and timely information about student achievement. It is the expectation of the NESD that all assessments will be directly linked to specific student learning outcomes, use assessment methodology appropriate for the subject/grade level, and allow for effective and frequent communication of results. • Assessment can serve as a powerful form of instruction. By involving students in the assessment of their own achievement under direct supervision, teachers can use assessment and feedback to ensure students progress towards meeting the expected learning outcomes for each subject, at each grade level. • A variety of assessment events based on consistent, outcome-based assessment tools are considered appropriate within the NESD. Any progress report should result from varied assessment events, using criterion-established tools (rubrics). • A differentiated approach allows all students to be assessed on the same student learner outcomes in a manner appropriate to each individual. • Achievement and behavior should be assessed and reported separately. The purpose of this practice is to enhance and clarify information shared with others in order to make informed decisions about how learning will move forward

13. When thinking like an assessor, we ask… When thinking like an activity (only) designer, we ask… Two approaches to thinking about assessment • What would be sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding? • What are the different types of evidence I can use to assess student learning? • Against what criteria will I consider work and assess quality? • Did the assessments reveal and distinguish those who really understood from those who only seemed to? Do I know why mistakes were made? • What would be fun and interesting activities on this topic? • What projects might students want to do? • What tests should I give based on the content I taught? • How will I give students a mark and justify it to their parents? • How well did the activities work? • How did students do on the test? Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

14. What is assessment? • Assessment for Learning • Assessment as Learning Formative • Assessment of Learning Summative

15. Assessment FOR Learning • Gather as much data as possible about what students know and can do in order to understand where the learning gaps may be. • Using assessment tools (such as rubrics) to make instructional and learning decisions. • Using assessment to plan for future learning (pre-assessments, formative assessments)

16. Assessment AS learning • Coming to know the criteria by which learning will be measured so students come to recognize their own growth and opportunities for further learning. • Using assessment tools (such as rubrics) to clarify the learning destination before and during learning. • Using assessment to increase learning.

17. Assessment OF Learning • Strategies designed to confirm the degree to which students have met curriculum outcomes or the goals of their individualized programs. • Assessment of learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning

18. So how does assessment fit into Understanding by Design?

19. Stage Two of the Planning process Once outcomes are understood in their complexity and intent, it is time to consider how to assess learning both formatively and summatively. It is time to clarify the learning destination (criteria).

20. Summative assessment

21. rubrics What are they really supposed to do for me and my students?

23. Looking at rubrics • Find your Argentina partner and look at the rubric samples provided for your subject area. • Consider: • What task are these rubrics assessing? • What values do these rubrics communicate? What do they say is most important about this task?

24. Sticky note brainstorm5 minutes Using the same rubrics, write down your observations, comments or questions about the rubrics provided. Put one idea/ sticky note.

25. Sharing10 minutes Join with another pair. Share your sticky notes with each other. Sort sticky notes into general categories of commentary/ questions.

26. Here’s what/ so what/ now what 10 minutes Choose three and use the following prompts to reflect: 1) Here’s what we notice… 2) So what does this say about rubrics/assessment/ learning, etc.? 3) Now what we propose is… Be prepared to share 5 minutes

27. Remember: Understanding is not yes or no; it is a matter of degree. It is a continuum!

28. Criteria • Ask yourself: What will students need to do in order to demonstrate the knowledge and skills required in this outcome?

29. Performance Standards • How will I know how far and deep they need to travel in their understanding? • What is the continuum of learning for this outcome? What will it look like? • How can I help myself and others come to understand how learning progresses?

30. USC 5.1 Analyze personal eating practices. Key verb – Analyze, which means examining relationships, making connections and supporting ideas with examples, details and explanations.

31. SS 4.4 Demonstrate an understanding of line symmetry by: Identifying symmetrical 2-D shapes Creating symmetrical 2-D shapes Drawing one or more lines of symmetry in a 2-D shape

32. Rubrics… • Clarify the learning destination before day-to-day planning occurs through establishing criteria. • Help students to see exactly where the learning is headed. • Can be used formatively as well as summatively. • Articulate how learning can continue.

33. Rubric design • If possible, gather samples (written, video, photos, etc.) of student work • Use samples to clarify performance standards • Start discussions with the level you want all students to reach (ex. a 3 on a 4 point rubric) • Avoid numbers in performance indicators (ex. Is able to list three out of four…) • Keep descriptors positive - For example “Needs editing” instead of “Many mistakes.” The first descriptor tells a student how to improve. • Numbers on rubrics are challenging because some students track for “just enough” instead of for success. • Avoid including criteria that measure adherence to directions of a task instead of mastery of the outcome (ex. Included title).

35. Continue with your Argentina partner. • Referring to your UbD plans/ unpacked outcomes and curricular documents, consider: • Where do we get our criteria for assessment? • Where do we get clarification about the degree to which levels of understanding or skill are required (descriptors or performance standards on a rubric, for example)?

36. Using curriculum corner • How do we use Curriculum Corner? • How do we use rubrics already posted?

37. Look at a rubric for a subject you will be teaching and consider: • What does this rubric tell us about how learning will look? • How does it inform our teaching? • How does it help students?

38. Group share • What did we come up with? • How are our rubrics similar? How are they different?

39. Parking lot • With your Argentina partner, look at the Parking Lot questions. • Generate answers to as many questions as possible.

40. Lunch 12:00 – 12:45

42. Thailand Partner • Consider: • How does “posting” rubrics impact our practice? • How can you imagine using rubrics in the learning process?

43. Benefits of rubrics • Students learn more quickly what it takes to produce high quality performances or products and what it takes to demonstrate deep understanding. • Students develop the ability to self-assess well. • Parents can gain insight into their children’s strengths and the next step in their learning. • Teachers have better information to guide the next steps in instruction. • Teachers can give feedback to students that describes exactly what they are doing well and what they need to tackle next.

44. Outcomes to criteria to learning plan • With your Thailand partner, consider: • How does determining the criteria clarify the Learning Plan? • How does the unpacked outcome help?

45. Health 5

46. USC 5.1 Analyze personal eating practices. Key verb – Analyze, which means examining relationships, making connections and supporting ideas with examples, details and explanations.

50. Formative assessment and feedback