Classroom Assessment for Student Learning

1. Classroom Assessment forStudent Learning

3. Used with skill, assessment can • Motivate the unmotivated • Restore students’ desire to learn • Encourage students to keep learning • Create—not simply measure—increased achievement --Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004

4. What assessment practices motivate students to improve their learning?

5. Who Uses Assessment Information, and How? Beginning with the person whose birthday is closest to today and moving clockwise, assign the following roles: • Student • Parent • Teacher • Principal • Athletic coach • Guidance counselor

6. Write your role in the blank on the handout.Answer #1 individually (3 – 5 minutes), then beginning with the “student,” share your list with others at your table.When all roles have shared, notice what conclusions you are drawing about classroom assessment. Note and discuss your responses to question #2.

7. Some Conclusions • Data must be sound because major decisions that affect students’ well-being are made on its basis. • Assessment data is used for many purposes beyond grading. • Students are crucial decision-makers, whose information needs must be met.

8. Think of a time you were assessed and it was a negative experience. What made it negative?

9. Now think of a time you were assessed and it was a positive experience. What made it positive?

10. Emily’s Story:Assessment for Learning • Read Emily’s story and the two papers she wrote. • Then read Emily’s interview with Rick Stiggins after the school board meeting.

11. What did Emily’s teacher do that helped Emily succeed?

12. Krissy’s Experience • Read the story of Krissy’s assessment experience. • What did this teacher do that made it difficult for Krissy to achieve the learning goals?

13. What are the essential differences between Emily’s and Krissy’s experiences? How did ASSESSMENT AFFECT MOTIVATION in these two students’ experiences?

14. New Mission, New BeliefsKeynote Presentation Featuring Rick Stiggins

15. What assessment beliefs in our system are most in need of change?If those beliefs changed, what changes in practice would follow?

16. What actions can you take to improve your assessment environment?

17. Inside theBLACK BOXRaising Standards Through Classroom Assessment AReview of Research on the Effects of Formative Assessment by Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam

18. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:All those activities undertaken by teachers and by their students [that] provide information to be used asFEEDBACK to modify the teaching and learning activitiesin which they are engaged.--Black & Wiliam, 1998

19. Research consistently shows that regular, high-qualityFORMATIVE ASSESSMENTincreases student achievement.

20. Activity Directions • Read through the excerpt from “Inside the Black Box.” • Note the 3–5 most important points to you. (5 minutes) • Share with a group of 2 or 3 others at your table. (5 minutes)

21. According to the Black & Wiliam article: Which formative assessment practices are ESSENTIAL to improved student achievement?

22. Black & Wiliam Review of Research:1.Does better FORMATIVE assessment = higher learning?2. Does formative assessment need improving?3. What improvement is needed?

23. Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Formative Assessment:.4 to .7 Gain .7 Standard Deviation Score Gain = • 25 Percentile Points on ITBS (middle of score range) • 70 SAT Score Points • 4 ACT Score Points Largest Gain for Low Achievers

24. Recommended Practices • Increased descriptive feedback, reduced evaluative feedback • Increased student self-assessment • Increased opportunities for students to communicate their evolving learning during the teaching

25. The ultimate user of assessment information is the student.

26. CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTGUIDING PRINCIPLES • Gather accurate information about student achievement • Use assessment process and results to promote maximum student learning

27. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right—Using It Well

28. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION DESIGN ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT TARGET

29. ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE

30. Key 1: Clear Assessment Purpose Always begin by asking • What decisions? • Who’s making them? • What information will be helpful to them?

31. What’s the PURPOSE for assessment?

32. Two Purposes for Assessment SUMMATIVE • Assessments OF Learning • How much have students learned as of a particular point in time? FORMATIVE • Assessments FOR Learning • How can we use assessment information to help students learn more?

33. Balanced Assessment Formative Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed Summative Provides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness Assessment for learning Use assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning Assessment for learning Use classroom assessments to inform teacher’s decisions Formative uses of summative data Use of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students

34. Key 1: Clear Assessment Purpose Always begin by asking • What decisions? • Who’s making them? • What information will be helpful to them?

35. ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE TARGET

36. Key 2:Clear Learning Targets • Know what kinds of targets are represented in curriculum • Knowledge • Reasoning • Performance skill • Products • Master the targets ourselves • Know which targets each assessment measures • Make learning targets clear to students, too.

37. Clarifying Learning Targets • Begin with state standards • Order in learning progressions, if needed • Deconstruct into clear learning targets leading to each standard • Communicate the learning targets in advance in language students can understand

39. DESIGN ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE TARGET

40. Key 3: Sound Assessment Design • Select a proper method • Select or create quality items, tasks, and rubrics • Sample appropriately • Prevent bias • Design assessments so students can self-assess and set goals based on the results

41. Possible Assessment Methods • Selected Response • Multiple Choice • True/False • Matching • Fill in • Extended Written Response • Performance Assessment • Personal Communication • Questions • Conferences • Interviews

42. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION DESIGN ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE TARGET

43. Key 4: Effective Communication • Provide students with timely, accurate descriptive feedback • Involve students in tracking and communicating about their learning • Use grading practices that accurately communicate about student learning • Interpret and use standardized test results correctly

44. My definition of feedback:Characteristics of effective feedback:

45. Effective Feedback… • Directs attention to the intended learning, pointing out strengths and offering specific information to guide improvement • Occurs during the learning process • Addresses partial understanding • Does not do the thinking for the student • Limits correctives to the amount of advice the student can act on

46. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION DESIGN ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE PURPOSE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT TARGET

47. Key 5: Student Involvement • Students are identified as important users of assessment information • Students understand the learning targets and standards of quality • Students have opportunities to receive and give feedback • Assessments are designed so that students can use the results to self-assess and set goals for further action • Students keep track of and share their achievement Assessment FOR Learning!

48. Why Assessment for Learning Works • When students are required to think about their own learning, articulate what they understand, and what they still need to learn, achievement improves. • --Black and Wiliam, 1998

49. Assessment for Learning Strategies Where am I going? 1. Provide a clear statement of the learning target 2. Use examples and models Where am I now? 3. Offer regular descriptive feedback 4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals How can I close the gap? 5. Design focused lessons 6. Teach students focused revision 7. Engage students in self-reflection; let them keep track of and share their learning

50. Understanding the Importance of the Keys to Quality • Which key(s) to quality did the negative experiences violate • Which key(s) to quality did your positive experience reinforce? • See if you can categorize the experiences according to the keys to quality.