Unit 3: Assessment Literacy for Educators

Assessment Literacy Module

California Department of EducationTom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Welcome to Unit 3

Welcome to Unit 3 of the Assessment Literacy Professional Learning Module. The purpose of this unit is to explore the concept of assessment literacy and to identify specific attributes of assessment-literate educators.

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Learning Objectives for Unit 3

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

Explain the multiple purposes and uses ofstudent assessment.

Explain the concept of assessment literacy.

Explain a four-step, integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle.

Identify the attributes of an assessment-literate educator.

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Purposes and Uses of Assessment

Consider federal, state, local, and classroom uses of assessment as you think about and respond to the questions below:

1. Why do we assess students?

2. What are the purposes of student assessment?

3. Who are the users of assessment?

4. How do educators use assessment information?

Assessment Purpose and Use Graphic Organizer

Handout

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Purposes and Uses of Assessment

View the completed graphic organizer to compare your answers and ideas.

Assessment Purpose and Use Graphic Organizer Completed

Handout

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Assessment Information Usage

In the following video clip, Dr. John B. King, New York State Commissioner of Education, talks about the use of assessment information. As you watch, compare Dr. King's key points to the ideas you recorded in your Assessment Purpose and Use Graphic Organizer.

“Commissioner King in Conversation: How Do the Common Core Assessments

Fit into our Children's Education?” http://vimeo.com/62342578

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Types of Assessment Information

Note how the authors of a publication titled, Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right – Using It Well (2011) address the need for and use of different kinds of assessment information:

“Who uses assessment information? The first answer that may come to mind is ‘the teacher,’ followed perhaps by parents, students, administrators, and the public. They all need assessment information to make decisions, but they make different kinds of decisions. No one assessment can fill everyone’s information needs;…the different users at each level face different decisions and, therefore, need different kinds of information to do their jobs of (1) supporting and (2) certifying student learning.”

—J. Chappuis, Stiggins, S. Chappuis, & Arter 2011

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Types of Assessment Information

Recall that the Recommendations for Transitioning California to a Future Assessment System emphasized the development and implementation of an assessment system focused on teaching and learning rather than accountability. The SSPI specifically recommended an assessment system that:

Has a primary purpose of modeling and promoting high-quality teaching and student learning activities

Includes a variety of assessment approaches and item types

Is aligned with college and career readiness, addresses 21st Century Skills, and has meaning for students

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Types of Assessment Information

Respond to the questions below:

1. In what ways might data from assessments be used at the school and classroom levels?

2. Explain why no single assessment is sufficient for making educational decisions.

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Integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle

The following quote highlights the critical role of assessment in the teaching and learning process:

“Assessment is an integral part of a cycle of standards, curriculum, and instruction that forms an ongoing feedback loop to provide desired information to teachers, parents, and students."

–Recommendations for Transitioning California to aFuture Assessment System 2013

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Integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle

The graphic we will review next illustrates the major phases involved in designing and implementing an Integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle at the classroom level. Each of the four phases in this cohesive cycle will be explored in greater detail throughout the module. In this unit, the assessment literacy attributes that educators need to effectively implement the teaching-assessment cycle will be identified.

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Integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle

There are four key phases in an integrated Teaching-Assessment cycle:

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Assessment Literacy at the Classroom Level

The following quote from Test Better, Teach Better by W. James Popham highlights a key aspect of assessment literacy:

“Just about everyone realizes that if a teacher does a great instructional job, that teacher's students will usually perform better on tests. It's the other side of the equation that is less often understood, namely that how a teacher tests–the way a teacher designs tests and applies test data–can profoundly affect how well that teacher teaches. The connection between one's teaching and one's testing is a critical one that, if properly understood, can lead to a substantial increase in instructional effectiveness" (2003).

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Assessment Literacy Defined

A key question to consider when defining assessment literacy is:

What do teachers need to know and understand about assessment to strengthen the critical connection between teaching and assessing student learning?

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Assessment Literacy DefinedReview the following definitions of assessment literacy put forth by experts in the assessment field. What common words or phrases do you note?

“...the knowledge about how to assess what students know and can do, interpret the results of these assessments, and apply these results to improve student learning and program effectiveness."

–Webb 2002

"Assessment-literate educators…come to any assessment knowing what they are assessing, why they are doing so, how best to assess the achievement of interest, how to generate sound samples of performance, what can go wrong, and how to prevent these problems before they occur."

–Chappuis et al. 2011

"Assessment literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills educators need to: (1) Identify, select or create assessments optimally designed for various purposes…and (2) Analyze, evaluate, and use the quantitative and qualitative evidence generated by…assessments…to make appropriate decisions…to advance student learning."

–Kahl, Hofman, & Bryant 2013

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Assessment Literacy Defined

Reflect on how the quotes on the previous slide relate to your role. What are your assessment responsibilities as an educator?

1. Create a bulleted list of your professional responsibilities related to assessing student learning.

2. Which items on your list relate to the attributes of assessment-literate educators described in the assessment literacy definitions above?

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Assessment of Student Learning

The California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) “…are intended to provide a common language and a vision of the scope and complexity of the profession by which all teachers can define and develop their practice. The standards seek to serve and support professional educators in fulfilling their professional roles and responsibilities from pre-service teacher to experienced practitioner.” (CSTP 2009)

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Assessment of Student Learning

What assessment knowledge and skills are included in the CSTPs? Read Standard 5 to answer that question.

“Teachers apply knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and uses of different types of assessments. They collect and analyze assessment data from a variety of sources and use those data to inform instruction. They review data, both individually and with colleagues, to monitor student learning. Teachers use assessment data to establish learning goals and to plan, differentiate, and modify instruction. They involve all students in self-assessment, goal setting, and monitoring progress. Teachers use available technologies to assist in assessment, analysis, and communication of student learning. They use assessment information to share timely and comprehensible feedback with students and their families."

–CSTPs 2009

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Assessment of Student Learning

Learn more about the CSTPs at http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/CSTP-2009.pdf.

Compare the assessment-related knowledge and skills described in the CSTPs with the list you made in the previous reflection. Discuss how they are the same and how they are different.

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Council of Chief State School Officers

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that focuses on action to improve U.S. education.

The work of this national organization illustrates the wide recognition that assessment is a critical element in the instructional process, and recently developed the Draft National Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) Standards.

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Council of Chief State School Officers

Below are some characteristics identified by the CCSSO as necessary for assessment-literate teachers. How does this set of characteristics compare to the CSTPs and the definition of assessment literacy provided previously in this unit?

1. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learners’ progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learners’ decision making.

2. The teacher uses assessment to engage learners in their own growth.

3. The teacher implements assessment in an ethical manner and minimizes bias to enable learners to display the full extent of their learning.

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Council of Chief State School Officers

Read Attributes of Effective Formative Assessment at http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2008/Attributes_of_Effective_2008.pdf.

For additional information about the work of the CCSSO visit http://www.ccsso.org/.

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Council of Chief State School Officers

Review the assessment-related job responsibilities you identified earlier in the unit. Add to your list based on the attributes described in the CSTP and FAST standards.

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Attributes of Assessment-literate Teachers

Assessment-literate teachers:

1. Understand the purpose for specific assessments.

2. Establish learning objectives based on content standards and assessment data.

3. Identify, select, and/or create appropriate assessments.

4. Implement multiple levels of assessments.

5. Gather accurate, relevant student performance information.

6. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate student performance data.

7. Use assessment results to make decisions to advance student learning.

8. Plan, differentiate, and modify instruction based on assessment data.

9. Continuously monitor student progress.

10. Provide feedback to students and their families about student learning.

11. Involve students in the use of their own assessment data.

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Attributes of Assessment-literate Teachers

Refer to the Teaching-Assessment Cycle handout to aid your thinking as you review each component of the cycle.

Teaching-Assessment Cycle

Handout

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Attributes of Assessment-literate Teachers

Think about the four phases of the Teaching-Assessment Cycle. How do the Assessment Literacy Attributes fit into this cycle?

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Ranking Attributes

Arrange the Assessment Literacy Attributes into rank order from 1 to 11 based on your perception of your greatest personal strengths and the areas where you have the most potential to learn and grow.

Ranking Attributes

Handout

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Ranking Attributes

Record one or two personal learning goals for strengthening your assessment literacy skills and knowledge.

When you finish, compare your list to those of your colleagues. What do you have in common? How do your strengths differ?

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Summary of Unit 3

There are multiple users and uses of assessment data. Users range from federal legislators to teachers, students, and families, each needing different kinds of assessment information to make decisions about teaching, learning, and assessment. No single assessment or test can satisfy the varied needs for information.

The definition of “assessment literacy” can be personalized to fit unique contexts, but in general, it means “the knowledge about how to assess what students know and can do, interpret the results of these assessments, and apply these results to improve student learning and program effectiveness” (Webb 2002).

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Summary of Unit 3

Attributes of assessment-literate educators include the ability to:

1. Understand the purpose for specific assessments.2. Establish learning objectives based on content standards and

assessment data.3. Identify, select, and/or create appropriate assessments.4. Implement multiple levels of assessments.5. Gather accurate, relevant student performance information.6. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate student performance data.7. Use assessment results to make decisions to advance student

learning.8. Plan, differentiate, and modify instruction based on

assessment data.9. Continuously monitor student progress.10. Provide feedback to students and their families about student

learning.11. Involve students in the use of their own assessment data.

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Summary of Unit 3

Respond to the questions below to check your understanding of the ideas in Unit 3.

1. Identify at least three users of student assessment data and describe how they use assessment information.

2. Briefly explain each of the four steps in the integrated Teaching-Assessment Cycle.

3. What is meant by the term “assessment literacy?”

4. Identify what you consider to be the three most important attributes of an assessment-literate educator and explain why you chose those particular attributes.