Assessing For Learning and Transfer

Pre-Assessment

• Questions for us to consider:• How do I define assessment?• What is the role of assessment in my classroom?• How do I consider both individual and grade-level

expectations?• How will I measure higher-level thinking and

understanding through assessment?• How will I also prepare students for their end of

course assessments?• How will assessment relate to my instruction?

Updating Questions, Concerns, Etc.

Agenda

1. Overview of formative vs. summative, the power of each type of assessment.

2. Developing formative assessments that align with KUDs and build toward performance tasks.

3. Developing performance tasks that show evidence of transfer and meaning (including rubrics).

Michael Jordan:

• “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

In Your Groups…

• Define assessment• What is the purpose of assessment?• How do you most often see assessment

used in today’s classrooms?

On Page 136 of Your Workbook

• What questions do you have about this framework that we will be investigating?

• Individually complete the self-assessment on page 143 and then discuss what areas you would like to improve on.– Use this as a self-improvement guide for the

next two days.

Assessment and Instruction are parts of an interdependent process….

Summative Assessment: (Evaluates students’ grasp of big

ideas, objectives, standards)

Pre-assessment

Ongoing, formative assessment

Instruction: Designed to help students master the objectives while

addressing issues indicated by pre/formative assessments

Reflect

Rev

ise R

evis

e

Reflect

Big Ideas of discipline/ Understanding of student development

Objectives: Understandings, skills, and facts; standards integrated

9

worth being familiar with

important toknow & do

Big ideas

Stage 1: Establishing Priorities around “Big Ideas”

“big ideas”worth

exploring and understanding

in depth40 years

foundational knowledge & skill

4 years

”nice to know”4 weeks

See pages 78-80

Recognizing Effective Assessment

EL Reading: “Learning to Love Assessment”, Carol Ann Tomlinson.

►Video: What is formative assessment? at http://bcove.me/zmouirm8

► Based on the readings and video, identify various assessments types used in your classroom/school, distinguish the purpose and determine the value of each, then look for areas of your instruction where formative assessment might help you and your students.

The Assessment Continuum:Use a Range and Variety of

Assessments– performance tasks and projects

– academic prompts for essays and

reflection

– quizzes and test items

– informal checks for understanding,

including observations, dialogues with

students

Use Formative and Summative Assessments

Formative Assessment (Assessment FOR Learning)

Assessment occurring during the process of a unit or a course.

During the formation of a concept or item. Answers question: How are students doing? What are

they learning? What misconceptions do they have?

Quiz, exit card, bellringer questions, journals, teacher

observations, mid-unit test, one-minute essay

Gives feedback to either the teacher or student (or both) on

what revisions to make to teaching or to student work.

Summative Assessment (Assessment OF Learning)

The assessment done at the end of a unit, course, grade level.

Provides a final summation of learning.

End of chapter, final exam, final draft of writing portfolio, benchmark

test, senior exhibition.

The adding-up or summary stage. Summarizes the learning for both

the teacher and the student.

Assessment-Centered Classrooms

Use ongoing, formative assessments – both formal and informal. Goals:–Uncover students’ misconceptions–Give students the chance to revise and

improve their thinking, as well as to see their own progress

–Help teachers target areas that need to be remediated.

For our purposes, we will “…use the definition offered by Black and William that formative assessment encompasses ‘all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or by students which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they engage’ (pg. 7-8).”

R.J.Marzano

Affective Benefits of Assessment FOR Learning…

►“Self- efficacy is defined as people's beliefs in their own capabilities….People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them. They heighten and sustain their efforts in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense of efficacy after setbacks. They attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which [they believe] are acquirable [rather than to a lack of inherent ability]” (Bandura, 1994, p. 71).

R.Stiggins

Help students understand how to close the gap between where they are now and where you want them to end up:

• Teach them to improve the quality of their work one key attribute at a time, always realizing that they will have to put the pieces together.

• Provide the opportunity for students to sense and understand the improvements that are evident in their work; help them learn to reflect on those changes and why they are happening.

R.Stiggins

Powerful Assessment

• “Formative assessment can help students focus on a task, direct attention towards the processes needed to accomplish this task, provide information about misunderstood ideas, and motivate students to invest more effort.”– Hattie, 2012, p. 115

• What sets powerful assessment apart? Provide some examples.

How Could This Be Used As a Powerful Assessment?

• http://emc7x.edu.glogster.com/assessing-for-learning

Assessment: What Does Brain Research Tell Us?

►FormativeFormative, non graded assessment is less likely to be stressful.

Formative assessment builds competence, which makes summative assessments less stressful.

Effective assessment is an effort in clarity, not in judgment.

Summative Students may or may not retain info after taking a test

(especially if they don’t see a need to retain it). 21st century skills require use of knowledge, not retention,

so we need to prepare students for divergent and executive thinking.

Divergent and evaluative questions engage multiple areas of the brain. When more areas of the brain have to respond, there is a greater likelihood of endorphins being released and greater learning.

Tasks being aligned with learning goals (that are clear and known to the students) will lead to better performance

Performance tasks that are layered and authentic attach meaning and challenge students, which can lead to increased retention and achievement.

Allow them to show what they know rather than what they memorized, forgot, or never learned.

► From Sousa and Tomlinson (2010) Differentiation and the Brain.

21

Transfer tasks (Performance): different types

Mathematically model complex phenomena Tell and justify your own “history” of an event, era

Write effectively for a genuine audience and purpose

Speak effectively and sensitively in the target language, in a culturally-demanding situation

Respond to a specific Request for Proposals as an artist, with an appropriate portfolio of work

Adapt your strategy in a game with an opponent whose strength plays to your weakness

Discussion: Wormeli on Assessment

► Watch the videos► After each one, jot down some ideas about

how his ideas might be included in your assessment plan.

► At the end I would like you to share your ideas.

► Some questions to get things going: What benefits might standards-based grading

have on schools? Teachers? Students? Are there any drawbacks to these changes? Think about the practicality of the suggestions.

Understandings Serve as…

Velcro

Bloom Levels (2001)

Remember Remember Remember Remember Remember Remember

Understand Understand Understand Understand Understand

Apply Apply Apply Apply

Analyze Analyze Analyze

Evaluate Evaluate

Create

RECALL

USE

CREATE

DO

What?

What should we assess?

• Categorize what you listed under the following three aspects:

1. Grade-level expectations

2. Individual expectations

3. Working smart: habits, effort, response to feedback, etc.

assessments serve

different purposes…

“The quality and quantity of feedback is directly proportionate to theincrease in student achievement”

Grant Wiggins

Some teacherstalk about---

LEARNING

Some teacherstalk about---

GRADES

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

VS.

• Can these two coexist peacefully?• Should one receive emphasis over the other?

Quote Discussion

►Select one of the following quotes on the next slide. How does this play out in the classroom?

►Get with one other person who has chosen the same quote.

►Share your ideas.►Get with someone else who chose a

different quote. Share again►Group discussion

► “We need both standards of achievement and defensible rates of progress. Students go to school to make progress beyond what they bring at the start; hence progress is among the most critical dimensions for judging the success of schools.” P. 59

► “The aim of feedback is to assist students moving from what do I know and what can I do, to what do I not know and what can I not do, to what can I teach others and myself about what I know and can do. This leads to higher engagement and confidence which tends to lead to more effort.” P. 121

► “Students prefer feedback that is forward looking (i.e. next steps), related to the indicators for success in the lesson, just in time, individualized, and about the work the students do, not the students themselves.” P. 131

Formative assessment is critical

►We do too much “testing” and not enough “feedback giving” The research is clear: lots of formative

assessment is key to the greatest gains in learning, as measured on conventional tests.

Some of the Most Powerful Influences on Student Achievement (Hattie, 2012)

►Providing Formative Evaluation (Ongoing)= .90

►Feedback = .75►Metacognitive Strategies = .69

Nine Guidelines For Providing Feedback (Shute, 2008

p.136) Focus feedback on the task and not the learner Provide elaborated feedback (what, how, why) Present this feedback in manageable units Be specific and clear with feedback messages Keep feedback as simple as possible, but no simpler Reduce uncertainty between performance and goals Give unbiased, objective feedback, written or via

computer Promote a learning goal orientation via feedback

(errors are welcome and essential) Provide feedback after students have attempted a

solution (leading to more self-regulation).

7 Keys To Effective Feedback (Wiggins)

►Read the Article, then select two keys to focus on.

Effective Feedback

► Video: “Key Characteristic: Results in Rapid Feedback” (http://bcove.me/k0u24cpl )

► Try and think of two groups of students in your class based on a recent lesson, one with some grasp of the material, and one with a strong grasp of the material. Provide feedback to each student based on the guidelines provided by Wiggins in Seven Keys to Effective Feedback.

“Assessment is today’s means ofunderstanding how to modify

tomorrow’s instruction.”

Carol Tomlinson

A Private Universe: Revisited

• Why did these misconceptions persist?• What could the teacher have done

differently?

Essential Question

►Why do teachers fail to use formative assessment? What can be done to increase the use of formative assessments in schools?

Why Formatively Assess?

What is formative-assessment?

► Finding out:

What students know (or don’t know) about what you’re about to teach

What students are interested in

How students best process information

FA Examples

VIDEO 1: Elementary teacher Andrea Fulginiti works with students on note-taking and summary skills in their comparison of historical fiction vs non-fiction history texts.

►http://bcove.me/j7fsovan

VIDEO 2: Example is from science class; lab experiment.

► http://bcove.me/yqfxheco

Students who are struggling with the

concept orskill

Students withsome understanding

of concept or skill

Students whounderstand theconcept or skill

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Readiness Groups

EXIT CARD GROUPINGS

Teaching Channel Ex’s

►Exit cards►Podcasts

3-2-1 Cards

Name:

►3 things I learned today about ecosystems

►2 questions I still have/ am confused about…

►1 thing I would like to learn more about…

ENTRY CARDS

Another Alternative….

Metaphor Lesson

ENTRY CARD

Name: ____________ Period:_____

►What is a “metaphor”?

►Give at least two examples.

►Explain why song-writers and poets use metaphors.

Two Tasks…

“ME” Metaphor Poem► Write a poem describing yourself using a series of

metaphors and similes. You can describe both what you are and what you are not.

► Try using couplets – and strive for about 5-7 couplets. See page 314 an 315 for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Basic understanding – Assignment follows mini-lesson on metaphors)

“ME” Metaphor Poem• Choose something to compare yourself to. It can be something

in nature, a machine of sorts, a song, a force, and animal, a color—the only thing it CAN”T be is another person.

• Strive for at least 4 stanzas (line lengths in stanzas can vary).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Advanced Understanding – Complete assignment independently)

A

B

Frayer Diagrams

DEFINE IT

LIST EXAMPLES LIST NON-EXAMPLES

GIVE IMPORTANCE

TOPIC or CONCEPT

You can change the

category titles to suit your instructional

needs.

Unit “Hook” Example

Where Do you have it?

“Shrew” Characters who

had it:

“Shrew” Characters who lacked it:

Where do you lack it?

POWER

Economics Example

DEFINE IT

LIST EXAMPLES LIST NON-EXAMPLES

GIVE IMPORTANCE

Free Enterprise System

Think-Pair-Share

NOTE: SEE

PACKET

Windshield Check

►CLEAR – “I get it!”►BUGS – “I get it for the most

part, but I still have a few questions.”

►MUD – “I still don’t get it.”

Alternative Method:

Thumbs-up/Wiggle palms/Thumbs down

Graffiti

►Similar to “Carousel” Students move in small groups to

respond to different questions with new material.

Great way to begin and end activities►Another Option – “Roundtable”

One pencil and piece of paper per small group

Group members write one idea and pass; no talking, but may pantomime

THINKING ABOUT ON-GOING ASSESSMENT

Formal• Journal entry

• Open response question• Home learning

• Notebook• Oral response• Portfolio entry

• Question writing• Exit cards

Informal• Anecdotal records

• Observation by checklist• Skills checklist

• Class discussion• Small group interaction

• Teacher – student conference

• Instructional Questioning

Example: Informal Checks for Understanding (p. 234)

Hand Signals Instructional Questions Index Card Summaries/Question Questions Box/Board Analogy Prompt Web/Concept Map One-Minute Essay Misconception Check Wordle.net

Stage 2

Individual Learning Checks

Creating Formative Assessments

►Brookhart Action Tool

Pre-Assessment or Diagnostic

Assessment for your Unit

Pre-assessment is a type of formative assessment for the teacher to gain information about what the student already knows about concepts, knowledge or skills to be taught in the unit

“What is most important is that teaching is visible to the student, and that the learning is visible to the teacher. The more the student becomes the teacher and the more the

teacher becomes the learner, then the more successful the outcomes.”

Hattie, 2012, p. 17

Willingham Article Graffiti

►Relate this article to the need for pre-assessment (and formative assessment)

►What key components of pre-assessment need to be included to avoid the issues of familiarity and partial access?

►What issues do you find with his argument? Think about the evidence he cites.

Pre-assessment Is...

Any method, strategy or process used to determine astudent’s current level of readiness or interest in order

toplan for appropriate instruction.

• provides data to determine options for students • helps determine differences before planning

• helps teacher design activities that are respectful and challenging

• allows teachers to meet students where they are• identifies starting point for instruction

• identifies learning gaps• makes efficient use of instructional time

Common Types of Readiness or Pre Assessments

► K-W-L Check► Pre-test► Skills Check► Misconception check► Writing samples or journal with prompt► Mind mapping (graphic organizer)► Checklist through observation, cruising► Student products and work samples► Interviews or oral defense► Draw what you know► Anticipation/reaction guide► Informal Q and A

Identify Pre-Assessments

The most effective summative: Authentic Performance

Assessment The most effective performance assessments

are developed to show transfer of learning in the most “real world” or authentic tasks.

In a UbD unit, the authentic performance assessments should assess the understandings

as much as possible. That may mean two or three small authentic assessments during or one large assessment at the end of the unit.

What Does it Mean To Promote Authentic Learning?

• Freeman Hrabowski and UMBC

Let’s Examine A Previous Performance Task

• Use page 91 in your High Quality Units (Orange) books.

• Using the chart on 95 (and the six facets of understanding), quickly brainstorm how you might better measure meaning and transfer.

• Pages 197-206 in your workbooks will help you generate ideas for quality performance tasks.

6 Facets of Understanding: When Students Really Understand

– explanation – student theories - ‘the why’– interpretation – meaning, stories, translations

made by student– application – of knowledge in (new) context – perspective – awareness of other points of

view, critical stance– empathy – “walk in the shoes of...”– self-knowledge – wisdom, “knowing thyself”,

aware of one’s prejudices and habits of mind

Scenario Example for Science– The goal is to determine the best solution for evaluating

water quality and usability for recreational purposes in your city.

– Role: You are the director of the water authority– Audience are members of the city council who must

make final decisions on usability based on your recommendations.

– Situation: You must plan and assess the water quality from at least 5 different fresh water locations in your city, conduct experiments, and write a report for non-scientists on your findings and recommendations.

– Products or Performances: Identified experiments, tests, and results from 5 water samples. Written or oral report with visuals and recommendations to explain the conditions and analysis of each water site.

Something to Keep in Mind

► Reliability vs. Validity Reliability measures the extent to which

you will get consistent results with a measurement

Validity measures the extend to which the measurement actually assesses the intended goal

► How might you improve validity and reliability in your classroom?

► Use pages 177-179 in your workbooks to check for validity of your performance task.

Rubrics

Analytic vs. HolisticGeneric vs. Task Specific

• Which do you prefer and why? • What about with your students? Which

might they prefer?• Pages 182-196 have plenty of examples

that will help you develop rubrics.

What Good Are Rubrics?

• Content/Coverage: What counts? What they see is what you’ll get.– Does it cover everything of importance?– Does it leave out unimportant things?

• Clarity: Does everyone understand the terms and criteria used?– Are terms defined?– Are various levels of quality defined?– Are there samples of work to illustrate levels of quality?

• Practicality: Is it easy for both teachers and students to use?– Would students understand the terms and criteria used? Is there a student-friendly

version?– Could students use it to self-assess?– Is the information provided useful for planning instruction?– Is the rubric manageable?

• Technical Quality/Fairness: Is it reliable and valid?– Is it reliable? Would different raters give the same score?– Is it valid? Do the ratings actually represent what students can do?– Is it fair? Does the language adequately describe quality for all students? Are there– racial, cultural, gender, or other biases?

Stiggns/ETS 2008

R.Stiggins

Still Needs Work Well on Its Way Ready to Use

No reason for assessment is apparent and none can be inferred from the context; it is not clear why the assessment is being conducted.There seem to be too many purposes (users and uses) and the assessment couldn’t possibly serve them all.The specified purpose is inappropriate – the information gathered will not serve the needs of the intended users.If an assessment FOR learning context, the assessment will not serve to build student confidence.

Users and uses can be implied but are not made explicit.There is some question about whether the assessment can fulfill its intended purpose.If an assessment FOR learning context, the assessment may be encouraging.

Intended users and uses are explicitly stated. It is clear that the assessment will help them.If an assessment FOR learning context, the assessment will provide motivational support for students to shine for excellence.

Rubric Workshop

• Begin working on a rubric based on the examples that you’ve been exposed to so far. Keep in mind that you will be using this to assess your performance assessment. – Analytic or holistic?– What characteristics or indicators of

quality might you be looking for?– What about degrees of quality?

Post-Assessment

• Questions for us to consider:• How do I define assessment?• What is the role of assessment in my classroom?• How do I consider both individual and grade-level

expectations?• How will I measure higher-level thinking and

understanding through assessment?• How will I also prepare students for their end of

course assessments?• How will assessment relate to my instruction?