Assessment FOR Learning – FOR Learning – A Balanced ApproachA Balanced Approach

Purposes

Identify components of a balanced Identify components of a balanced assessment system.assessment system.

Discuss appropriate uses of assessment Discuss appropriate uses of assessment tools and techniques.tools and techniques.

Discuss the need for a balanced system to Discuss the need for a balanced system to improve student learning.improve student learning.

How Are You Assessing?How Are You Assessing?

At your table divide into two groups, At your table divide into two groups, identify all the assessments you use. identify all the assessments you use. With the total group at your table compare With the total group at your table compare and contrast the ways you assess student and contrast the ways you assess student learning. Identify the most commonly used learning. Identify the most commonly used and the most unique approaches, record and the most unique approaches, record on chart paper.on chart paper.Write each type of assessment on a Post-Write each type of assessment on a Post-it note.it note.Put the Post-it notes aside until later.Put the Post-it notes aside until later.

Shifts in Assessment PracticesShifts in Assessment Practices

FROM:FROM:Separating sSeparating successful ccessful from unsuccessful from unsuccessful learnerslearnersPrimarily summative Primarily summative

Focus on large-scale Focus on large-scale assessmentsassessmentsTeacher directedTeacher directed

TO:TO:Ensuring universal universal competence/successcompetence/success

Balance of formative and Balance of formative and summativesummativeBalance large-scale w/ Balance large-scale w/ classroom assessmentclassroom assessmentTeacher and student Teacher and student focusedfocused

Balance Both Sides of Assessment

Summative Formative

Large-scale Classroom

Balanced Assessment System

Assessment FOR Learning(Formative)

Includes instructionally embedded activitiesUsually teacher/locally developedYields rich diagnostic informationHappens while material is being taughtInforms and focuses instructional decisionsIsn’t used for grades

Assessment OF Learning(Classroom Summative)

Occurs after material is taughtIncludes unit tests and other graded performancesCan be developed locally or purchasedCounts toward gradesIsn’t diagnostic

Benchmark / Interim / Interim AssessmentsAssessments

Are usually a form of summative assessmentAre usually a form of summative assessmentCan be used as an early warning of Can be used as an early warning of performance on later high stakes testsperformance on later high stakes testsOften constructed by external sourcesOften constructed by external sourcesCan cover some or all of a year’s Can cover some or all of a year’s curriculumcurriculumProvides broad domain or Provides broad domain or sub-domain coverage (coverage (minimallyminimally diagnostic) diagnostic)Results raise programmatic questions that Results raise programmatic questions that require further investigation (*formative require further investigation (*formative for program – not current student)for program – not current student)

High Stakes High Stakes Accountability Tests Tests

Provide broad domain or subdomain Provide broad domain or subdomain coverage (minimally diagnostic).coverage (minimally diagnostic).Usually constructed by an external source. Usually constructed by an external source. Results raise programmatic Results raise programmatic questions that that require further investigation.require further investigation.Satisfy accountability requirements – state Satisfy accountability requirements – state and federal.and federal.Can give the “big picture” view of state and Can give the “big picture” view of state and school performance.school performance.

Three Types of Assessment

“(In)formative Assessments,” Harvard Education Letter, 2006

SummativeInterim/

BenchmarkFormative

Key Question

Do you understand?

(yes or no)

Is the class on track for

proficiency?

What do you understand?

When Asked

End of unit/ term/year

6 – 10 times per year

Ongoing

Timing of

Results

After instruction

endsSlight delay Immediate

Assessment: Knowledge of Students

In-depth knowledge of specific students

National State District Classroom Assessments Assessments Assessments

Assessments

Marzano, 1996

Assessments have various purposes, provide answers to different

questions, address different users, and have varying implications for an

assessment system.

Classroom Assessment User: Student EDge(PDK), 2006

Important Question

to be Answered

Implications for the Assessment System

What am I supposed to learn? Accurate assessments must reflect the learning targets.

What have I learned already, and what do I still need to work on?

Continuous sequence of accurate CA must provide descriptive feedback in student-friendly terms during learning.

Have I met or am I progressing toward the standards?

Assessments must provide evidence of mastery throughout the year.

Have I met the state achievement expectations?

Annual state assessments reporting standards mastered/not yet mastered.

Classroom Assessment User: Teacher EDge(PDK), 2006

Decisions to be Made Implications for the Assessment System

What are my students supposed to learn?

All assessments must reflect these targets; it must be clear which target any assessment reflects.

What have they learned already, and what do they still need to learn?

Continuous sequence of accurate classroom assessments used during the learning to provide picture of progress toward mastery of standards.

Classroom Assessment User: Teacher EDge(PDK), 2006

Decisions to be Made Implications for the Assessment System

Which students need special services?

Assessments must provide evidence of students’ relative status or progress to determine eligibility.

Have my students met or are they progressing on the important achievement standards?

Periodic, interim benchmark assessments reflecting student mastery of standards throughout the year.

Did they meet state achievement expectations?

Annual assessments of each student’s mastery of each state standard.

Instructional Support User: Principal, Curriculum Leader, Teacher Teams

EDge(PDK), 2006

Decisions to be Made Implications for the Assessment System

What standards are students expected to master by subject across our classrooms?

Assessments must accurately reflect these standards and classroom learning targets.

Which standards are students mastering or progressing toward? Are there problem areas?

Comparable evidence of student learning status collected periodically during the year.

What standards are students to master across our classrooms, grades, and schools?

Assessments must accurately reflect these standards.

Did enough of our students meet standards this year?

Annual assessments reveal how each student does on each standard.

Policy-Level User: Superintendent, Various Policy Makers (EDge, PDK,2006)

Decisions Implications for the Assessment System

What standards are to be met? Assessments must accurately reflect these standards.

Which of these standards are students mastering or making progress toward in what schools?

Comparable evidence of student learning status collected periodically during the year.

What standards are students expected to master in our schools?

Assessments must accurately reflect these standards.

How many of our students are meeting standards?

Comparable evidence of student learning status collected periodically

Did enough of our students meet standards this year?

Annual assessments show how each student scored on each standard.

Balanced Assessment System

“To maximize student success, assessment must be seen as an instructional tool for use while learning is occurring, and as an accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred. Because both purposes are important, they must be in balance.”

From Balanced Assessment: The Key to Accountability and Improved Student Learning, NEA (2003)

Emotional Dynamics of Assessment

Productive

Leaves student confident and willing to try

Helpful to teacher if assessment reveals what comes next in learning

Counterproductive

Leaves student confused, frustrated, and ready to give up

Leaves teachers with no idea of what to do next

Rick Stiggins,

2006

Essential Classroom Assessment

Teachers are assessment literate.Classrooms reflect a balanced assessment system.Teachers are skilled users of both formative and summative assessment.

Standards are the Foundation for Curriculum, Instruction, and

Assessment

Identify important learning

Manageable in number

Clearly articulated

Developmentally reachable by students

Organized in learning progression

Mastered by the teachers

Formative Assessment CCSSO FAST SCASS

Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to

adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’

achievement of intended outcomes.

Define AssessDefine Assess

Comes from the Latin verb ‘assidere’ Comes from the Latin verb ‘assidere’

meaning ‘to sit with.’ in assessment one is meaning ‘to sit with.’ in assessment one is

supposed to “sit with” the learner. This supposed to “sit with” the learner. This

implies it is something we do implies it is something we do withwith and and forfor

students and not students and not toto students. (Green, 1998) students. (Green, 1998)

Assessment in Support of LearningAssessment quality must address the impact of the results on the learner and the learning. Assessments must:– go beyond merely providing judgments about

student performance to providing rich descriptions of student performance.

– evolve from being isolated events to becoming events that happen in ongoing series to reveal patterns.

– go beyond merely informing instructional decisions of teachers to informing decisions also made by students.

Rick Stiggins, 2006

Research??

So, is this just the next new thing?

NO! Research soundly tells us thatformative assessmentcan positively impactstudent learning.

The “Black Box” FindingsThe “Black Box” Findings

Black and Wiliam’s research indicates that Black and Wiliam’s research indicates that improving student learning through assessments improving student learning through assessments depends upon five factors:depends upon five factors:– Providing feedback to studentsProviding feedback to students– Students’ active involvement in their own learningStudents’ active involvement in their own learning– Adjusting teaching to take account for results of Adjusting teaching to take account for results of

assessmentassessment– Recognizing influence of assessment on students’ Recognizing influence of assessment on students’

motivation and self-esteemmotivation and self-esteem– Ensuring students assess themselves and understand Ensuring students assess themselves and understand

how to improvehow to improve

Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment,” Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment,” KAPPAN, 1998KAPPAN, 1998..

What Does Formative Assessment Look Like in the

Classroom?Clarifying and sharing learning intentions and criteria for successEngineering effective classroom discussions, questions, and learning tasksProviding feedback that moves learners forwardActivating students as the owners of their own learningActivating students as instructional resources for one another

From “Classroom Assessment: Minute by Minute, Day by Day” Leahy, Lyon,Thompson, Wiliam. 2005.

Essential Components

Formative assessment is NOT just another test.

Formative assessment is NOT about grades.

It’s about helping students move along a progression to higher levels of learning.

The Learning-Assessment ProcessThe Learning-Assessment ProcessA Model of Formative AssessmentA Model of Formative Assessment

Where are you now?Where are you now? ((assessment goalassessment goal))

Where are you trying to go?Where are you trying to go? ( (instructional goalinstructional goal))

How can you get there?How can you get there? (w(what is needed to hat is needed to reachreach instructional goalinstructional goal))

From Atkin, Black, & Coffey, From Atkin, Black, & Coffey, EditorsEditors; Committee on Classroom Assessment ; Committee on Classroom Assessment and the and the National Science Education StandardsNational Science Education Standards, Center for Education, , Center for Education, National Research Council (2001)National Research Council (2001)

Classroom QuestionsClassroom QuestionsCan be formative or Can be formative or summative.summative.

Classroom questions Classroom questions can be closed or can be closed or open.open.

Can engage students Can engage students in dialogue to extend in dialogue to extend learning.learning.

Can be used to check Can be used to check for learning (e.g., exit for learning (e.g., exit tickets).tickets).

Closed QuestionsClosed Questions

Teacher has a predetermined correct Teacher has a predetermined correct response.response.

Concerned with the recall of facts; Concerned with the recall of facts; comprehension.comprehension.

““Convergent” assessment aims to Convergent” assessment aims to discover discover whetherwhether the learners knows, the learners knows, understands, or can do a pre-determined understands, or can do a pre-determined thing. (Torrance and Pryor, 1998)thing. (Torrance and Pryor, 1998)

Open QuestionsOpen QuestionsEncourage students to think beyond.Encourage students to think beyond.““Divergent” assessment aims to discover Divergent” assessment aims to discover whatwhat the learner knows, understands, or the learner knows, understands, or can do. (Torrance and Pryor, 1998)can do. (Torrance and Pryor, 1998)Help develop student understanding and Help develop student understanding and thinking.thinking.Allow for a range of responses and Allow for a range of responses and increasingly challenging cognitive increasingly challenging cognitive demands.demands.Encourage dialogue.Encourage dialogue.

Productive DialogueProductive Dialogue

Involves:Involves:– ChallengeChallenge– ClarificationClarification– Elaboration of ideasElaboration of ideas– SuggestionsSuggestions– ObservationsObservations– ReflectionsReflections

Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Ministry of Education, Wellington, New ZealandZealand

Questioning ActivityQuestioning Activity

With you group, develop one closed With you group, develop one closed question and one open question.question and one open question.

Discuss the value and purpose for each of Discuss the value and purpose for each of these.these.

Be prepared to share.Be prepared to share.

Quality Feedback Should…Quality Feedback Should…

Focus on the learning intention of the task.Focus on the learning intention of the task.Occur while the students are doing the Occur while the students are doing the learning.learning.Provide information on how, why, and what Provide information on how, why, and what the student understands and misunderstands.the student understands and misunderstands.Provide strategies to help the student Provide strategies to help the student improve.improve.Assist the student to understand the learning Assist the student to understand the learning goals.goals.

Ministry of Education, Wellington, New ZealandMinistry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand

Grades - CommentGrades - Comment

Research shows that student given only Research shows that student given only evaluative feedback (grades) made no evaluative feedback (grades) made no gains from one lesson to the next.gains from one lesson to the next.Students given only descriptive feedback Students given only descriptive feedback (comments) scores an average of 30% (comments) scores an average of 30% higher.higher.Giving grades alongside comments Giving grades alongside comments cancelled the beneficial effects of the cancelled the beneficial effects of the comments.comments.

Wiliam, 1999Wiliam, 1999

Student InvolvementStudent Involvement

Self assessmentSelf assessment

Peer Peer assessmentassessment

Increases Increases student student engagement and engagement and student student motivation.motivation.

Formative Assessment is at the Heart of Instruction

Multiple measures, multiple opportunities, frequentImprovement over timeCollaborativeInforms students of their learning and progressInforms teacher judgment and teachingDirectly affects student growthFeedback into teaching and learning

Summative AssessmentSummative Assessment

““Sums up” learning. (Black and Wiliam, Sums up” learning. (Black and Wiliam, 1999)1999)““Looks at past achievements…involves only Looks at past achievements…involves only marking and feedback grades to students…marking and feedback grades to students…is separated from teaching…is carried out at is separated from teaching…is carried out at intervals when achievement has to be intervals when achievement has to be summarized and reported.” (Harlen, 1998)summarized and reported.” (Harlen, 1998)Measures student learning.Measures student learning.

Summative Assessment Necessities

Used for accountability in the classroom.Assessment tasks must match identified learning targets.Teachers need to know how to develop good measures of student learning.Teachers need to be good consumers of purchased tests.

Teachers make the difference.Teachers make the difference.