Assessment Inventory for School Districts

CCSSO NCSA | Austin, TX

June 30, 2017

Setting the Context: Achieve’s National Poll of Parents and Voters on Assessments

o Tests that are most valued measure real learning, assess problem solving and critical thinking, and determine baselines for knowledge.

o Parents and voters know very little about new statewide summative assessments.

o In states where there is significant pushback, messages from those who oppose Common Core and new assessments are often all that has been heard. Most think overtesting is because of federal requirements.

o Basic information, especially information that explains why assessments are good for kids, is badly needed.

o However, a plurality of voters and a majority of parents say students are given too many standardized tests in public schools.

o There are legitimate concerns from parents and the public about too much testing.

o The volume of testing goes well beyond those required by states, and the layers of state, district, and school assessment do not always add up to a cohesive, aligned, informative whole.

o Achieve’s Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts is designed to assist districts and their communities in taking stock of their assessments and assessment strategy.

Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts

What is the Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts?o The objective is to determine the minimum testing necessary to serve

essential diagnostic, instructional, and accountability purposes.

o Taking stock and then taking action requires significant district commitment.

o The inventory tool is only one element of a thoughtful longer processthat both productively acknowledges concerns about testing and leads to real changes in testing practice.

o The inventory is not a one-time event. Districts should regularly re-examine their assessments in light of changing district needs and improvement in available assessments.

o The inventory and related resources are free to use and adapt.

Assessment Inventory resourceso Training materials

o District guidance

o Sample teacher, parent, and student focus group and survey protocols

o Considerations for Special Education Assessment Systems

o Considerations for Assessment English Language Learner Students

o Assessment 101 resources for school board members

Components of the Assessment Inventory

Four Stages of the Process

Reflect and Plan

Conduct the Inventory

Analyze the Inventory

Make Recommendations

Stakeholders recommended to be part of a leadership team and/or consulted during the process

District leaders should ensure that they have the necessary district and school staff involved in an inventory leadership team and/or consulted during the process. Districts should think about the role of the following stakeholders:

o District Assessment Director/Coordinator

o Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

o District financial staff

o School board members

o Data Coaches

o School leaders including principals, instructional coaches, and lead teachers

o Teachers

o School counselors

o Parents

o Students

Reflect and Plan: Guiding Questions

o Districts use a set of guiding questions to initiate the planning process.o What is the district context in which the inventory is being

considered?

o What are the objectives of the student assessment inventory?

o Who will collect the information needed for the inventory table? How will they access that information?

o What is the scope of the inventory? Which assessments should be included and excluded from the inventory table?

o What individual or entity has the authority to act on the results of the inventory? Who will be making the recommendations?

Conduct the Inventory: Inventory Table

o The are three types of questions in the table:

o Basic information questions

o Use/purpose questions

o Operational questions

Inventory Table: Basic Information Questions

Inventory Table: Use/Purpose Questions

Inventory Table: Operational Questions

Incorporate Stakeholder Feedback

o Stakeholder feedback is critical to inform the inventory process and promote transparency.o Which stakeholders are most critical to engage through your

assessment inventory process?

o When and how often will you engage these stakeholders?

o What is the current level of stakeholder awareness and support?

o When, where, and how will their support be needed?

Analyze the Inventoryo In analyzing the inventory, it is critical to do several

levels of analysis.o Developing a student-level perspective by looking across all

assessments students take at a particular grade level or grade band, and then by particular student needs and characteristics.

o Identifying assessments that the district will continue to administer, ensuring a shared understanding of their intended purpose(s) and actual use(s), and determining if any changes are necessary (e.g., to improve test quality, alignment, or utility).

o Identifying the assessments that may be eliminated or where significant changes are necessary.

o Helping districts build toward recommendations while re-engaging with key stakeholders to review potential options and decision points.

Make Recommendationso Based on the inventory analysis, what recommendations will

the district make to streamline and/or strengthen its assessment program?

Assessment Inventory Results

Examples of momentum

o Connecticut provided nearly 50 grants in 2015 to go through an assessment inventory process in 2015.

o Delaware provided grants to all districts in 2015-16 to use Achieve’sassessment inventory process, as well as inventory all statewide assessments.

o North Dakota is currently piloting the assessment inventory with four districts.

o Arkansas is currently piloting the assessment inventory with 12 districts.

o Several states have modified and highlighted the assessment inventory (ID, IL, MI)

o Achieve has directly supported districts with sub-grants, cross-district convening, and technical assistance:

o HQAP project with 15 districts in 4 states (CT, IL, OH, TN)

o Partnership with NSBA to support 8 districts in 3 states (IL, NY, WA)

o National Network to support 12 districts across the country

Resultso Reduction or elimination of assessments. In two sites, Illinois and Ohio,

reductions in testing were significant, particularly for benchmark/interim and K-2 diagnostic assessments for reading.

o Increased engagement with stakeholders. All sites reported benefits from engaging stakeholders in the process.

o Identification of training needs. Several districts identified the need to provide training to teachers and other staff on the purpose, administration, and retrieval and analysis of assessment data. Assessment literacy training was also identified as a priority, particularly how to make informed decisions about procurement and how to appropriately interpret assessment results.

Advancing the Conversation

Benefits to Advancing the Worko Driving a process to streamline assessment pushes the conversation about

quality and can help create the conditions to spur innovation.

o Engaging with stakeholders – including students, parents, and educators –throughout the process can help build the narrative for the story you want to tell.

o Evidence and feedback gathered can be used to demand better, higher quality, and more aligned assessments. This is particularly helpful in vendor selection, and even more powerful when done collectively as a district or group of districts.

o This process helps build assessment literacy for all involved – this is good professional learning.

o This process can provide greater transparency and strengthen communication amongst stakeholders – push on the public reporting and data elements of the remaining assessments.

Thank you!

o For more information: www.achieve.org/assessmentinventory

o Jacob Mishook, Director, Assessment and Accountability, Achieve | jmishook@achieve.org