science leadership support network january 9, 2009 supported by pimser and kentucky department of...

Science Leadership

Support NetworkJanuary 9, 2009

Supported by PIMSER and Kentucky Department of Education

Welcome!Help yourself to some refreshments

and enjoy some networking!

2008-09 Goals of SLSN

• Deepen understanding of a balanced assessment system and its role in motivating students to higher levels of achievement.

• Understand and incorporate skills and strategies for transforming planning and practice in order to ensure that all students understand key concepts from the Earth and the Universe big idea.

• Develop and act on a personal vision of leadership for sustainable improvement in their school or district.

Group Norms

• Stay on schedule; be on time

• Put cell phones on silent• Be respectful of all

comments• Participate actively• Exercise the rule of “two

feet”• Come prepared for the

meeting• It’s OK to have FUN!

Review from November

Working withAdults Earth Processes

Roadmap for Today

Grading andReporting

LearningProgressions

CompetingPriorities

Deconstructing Standards

Grading and Reporting


Learning targets and goals:

• I can articulate and justify my purpose for assigning grades.

• I can explain the relationship between grading and reporting systems and student motivation.

• I can critically examine alternative grading and reporting systems for:– Accuracy in reporting

achievement of learning goals– Effect on student motivation– Effect on student accountability

Chain Notes

• Respond to the question printed at the top of the paper in your table groups.

• Each participant should respond to the question with one or two sentences related to the question and then pass the paper on to the next participant.

• Upon receiving the previous “chain of responses,” add a new thought or build on a prior statement.

Chain Notes

• Discuss the various statements from the entire table group and related ideas in the article, “Seven Reasons for Standards-based Grading.”

• Determine a consensus statement representative of the entire table and prepare a justification for it.

• Share with the whole group.

• “Too often, educational tests, grades, and report cards are treated by teachers as autopsies when they should be viewed as physicals.”– Douglas Reeves

Grades and Student Motivation

• On a “think pad” (aka post-it note) jot down 3-4 factors that you feel can affect student motivation and can be controlled by the teacher.

• Skim the article, “Increasing Student Engagement and Motivation,” especially pages 4-6 as well as the article, “Seven Reasons for Standards-based Grading.”

• Add any factors from the articles to your “think pad” that you didn’t initially have.

Grades and Student Motivation

• Using your notes on your “think pad” to assist you, highlight grading practices that directly relate to student motivation on the handout entitled, “Grading Practices That Inhibit Learning.”

• What conclusions can you draw from this comparison?• Are grading practices in your classroom/school/district

counterproductive to motivating students to learn?• What suggestions did the teacher have in “Seven

Reasons for Standards-based Grading” that might help bridge the gap between grading and motivating students?

• “Many common grading practices…make it difficult for many youngsters to feel successful in school.”– Canady and Hotchkiss, 1989

• “Schools have come to be about the grades rather than the learning.”– Conklin, 2001

Reading for This Month• Pre-reading reflections: What factors do we

need to consider when designing grading and reporting systems that meet our stated purpose and would motivate students to keep on trying?

• For January, read chapters 1 and 2 in Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work.

• During reading: annotate the text as you read:– * = important information– ! = strong reaction to– ? = questions about or disagree with– Record 3 key ideas from each chapter

• After reading: Re-read your pre-reading reflections and add to these ideas any new ones that you gained from chapters 1 and 2. Identify possible dimensions for the measurement topic, Earth Processes.

Summarizing Ch. 1

• Take the 3 key ideas that you recorded from chapter 1 of CAAGTW and write each idea on a separate index card.

• Pool the index cards for each person at your table and organize them by similarities. (Form piles of the cards with similar ideas.)

• Summarize your table’s key ideas from chapter 1. – What are some important ideas about assessment and

grading presented in this chapter? – How do these key ideas relate to and inform our whole

group work on grading’s purpose and effect on student motivation?

Ch. 2 The Role of State Standards

The content must be trimmed to fit within the amount of instructional time available.

A school or district must make a distinction between the content that is essential for all students to learn versus that which is not.

Too Much Content

LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIPL

EA

DE

RS

HIP

LE

AD

ER

SH

IPVariables

School

Guaranteed and Viable CurriculumChallenging Goals and Effective FeedbackParent and Community InvolvementSafe and Orderly EnvironmentCollegiality and Professionalism

Teacher Instructional StrategiesClassroom ManagementCurriculum Design

Student Home EnvironmentLearned Intelligence and Background KnowledgeStudent Motivation

What Works in Schools, Robert J. Marzano

Intended CurriculumThe content specified by the state, district or school to be addressed in a particular course or at a particular grade level

Implemented CurriculumThe content actually delivered by the teacher

Attained CurriculumThe content actually learned by students

“GUARANTEED” means ALL of the following are the same thing!

State standards documents mix multiple dimensions in a single statement. Multiple dimensions make it almost impossible to effectively assess the content in standards, especially if teachers use formative assessment.

Lack of Unidimensionality

A single score on a test should represent a single dimension or trait that has been assessed.

The lack of unidimensionality in state standards documents causes problems for classroom instruction (cannot be taught simultaneously).

4 Parallel parks exactly 6 inches from the curb; stops at all lights and signals right on the white line; drives at posted speed limit at all times.

3 Parallel parks sufficiently (car is within 3 inch range and at no more than 15 degree angle to curb); stops within 6 inches of white line; drives within 3-5 miles of posted speed limit.

2 Parallel parks such that the car is on the curb or more than 18 inches from it; stops at 90% of stop signs and all lights within 2 feet of white line; drives within 7-10 miles of posted speed limit.

1 Cannot parallel park; misses stopping at posted signs and lights; drives more than 10 miles over posted speed limit.

Reconstitute the knowledge found in the standards documents into a format that is designed to make standards useful for formative assessment and guide classroom instructional practices.

1. Unpack the standards and benchmarks.

2. Identify measurement topics.

5. Use formative assessment as a means to collect evidence on student learning and to inform instructional practices.

4. Using a scale format, create rubrics for each grade level and/or course for each measurement topic.

3. Identify the elements for each grade level and/or course for each measurement topic.

“Do we really have to take the time to unpack the standards and benchmarks?”

TOPIC TOPIC TOPIC

CONTENT STANDARD

• Benchmark

• Benchmark

• Benchmark

• Benchmark

Reporting Students’ Progress

Too broad for feedback

Too many, not feasible

Gradual transformation

Track specific learning goals using a formatively-based system to identify students in need and provide additional help for those students.

PHASE I

Design learning goals that can be tracked using a formatively-based system for all subject areas and design a complementary grading and reporting system.

PHASE II

Implement the record keeping and reporting system in a staged fashion.

PHASE III

Providing specific feedback on learning goals at the classroom, school and district levels.

1. Develop learning goals (i.e. measurement topics) for each grade level (or course) for each subject areas along with a rubric (common scale) for each learning goal.

2. Develop learning goals (i.e. measurement topics) for non-academic (i.e. life skills) areas along with a rubric (common scale) for each non-academic area.


PHASE II


3. Design a record keeping and reporting system that utilizes the academic and life skill learning goals for each subject area.

4. Identify a computer program that will be used to record and report data (e.g. generate report cards.)

5. Have a small team of “van-guard teachers” pilot test the new record keeping and reporting system and the new computer program.

6. Make revisions based on the pilot test.


PHASE II



Learning targets and goals:

• I can articulate and justify my purpose for assigning grades.

• I can explain the relationship between grading and reporting systems and student motivation.

• I can critically examine alternative grading and reporting systems for:– Accuracy in reporting

achievement of learning goals– Effect on student motivation– Effect on student accountability

We’ve done the CTS…now what?

Deconstructing

Standards!

Learning Targets and Goals

• I can describe and identify the 4 types of learning targets

• I can compare and contrast strong and weak models of deconstructed standards

• I can practice deconstructing state standards

Learning/Achievement Targets

Statements of what we want students to learn and be able to do.

“Teachers who truly understand what they want their students to accomplish will almost surely be more instructionally successful than teachers whose understanding of hoped-for student accomplishments are murky.”

-W. James Popham

CLEAR TARGETSAssess what?

What are the learning targets?Are they clear?Are they good?

Are the student learning targets stated and easy to find?

Are the student learning targets focused—are there too many?

Are they clear?

Are they appropriate?

Do the stated learning targets reflect a bigger plan to cover all important learning targets over time?

Educators & Students must be able to answer……

• Where am I going?• Where am I now?• How can I close the gap?• How will I know I’m getting

there?• How can I keep it going?

Is this a Target?

What do you think?

• Complete a senior project

• Build a bird feeder

• Use a band saw safely

• Analyze a lab report

• Construct a diorama

An Example

• Science

• Chemistry• Page 152 in the book• Mystery Powders Lab• Observe chemical interactions in

order to identify materials

Subject

Topic

Assignment

Activity

Learning Target

Learning Targets

• Knowledge

• Reasoning

• Performance/ skills

• Products

Knowledge Targets

Mastery of substantive subject content where mastery includes both

knowing and understanding it.

Knowledge Examples

• Identify metaphors and similes

• Read and write quadratic equations

• Describe the function of a cell membrane

• Know the multiplication tables

• Explain the effects of an acid on a base

Reasoning Targets

The ability to use knowledge and understanding to figure things out and to solve problems.

Reasoning Examples

• Use statistical methods to describe, analyze, evaluate, and make decisions.

• Make a prediction based on evidence.

• Examine data/results and propose a meaningful interpretation.

• Distinguish between historical fact and opinion.

Performance/Skill Targets

The development of proficiency in doing something where the process is most important.

Performance/Skill Examples

• Measure mass in metric and SI units

• Use simple equipment and tools to gather data

• Read aloud with fluency and expression

• Participates in civic discussions with the aim of solving current problems

• Dribbles to keep the ball away from an opponent

Product Targets

The ability to create tangible products that meet certain standards of quality and present concrete evidence of academic proficiency.

Product Examples

• Construct a bar graph

• Develop a personal health-related fitness plan

• Construct a physical model of an object

• Write a term paper to support a thesis

Clear Targets

Clear targets help us:• Recognize if the formative assessment

adequately covers and samples what we taught.

• Correctly identify what students know/don’t know, and their level of achievement.

• Plan the next steps in instruction.• Give meaningful descriptive feedback to

students.

Clear Targets (continued)

• Have students self-assess or set goals likely to help them learn more.

• Keep track of student learning target by target or standard by standard.

• Complete a standards-based report card.

QUESTION

What is the difference between a

STANDARD

and a

TARGET?

An Example

• STANDARD: An excellent golf swing

• TARGETS:– Proper placement for feet (stance)– Proper grip while maintaining stance– Swing A, B, C (3-parts to swing)

• ACTIVITIES:– Watch videos of great golfers and imitate their

stance

When should these be added and/or developed?

Are the Standards Clear?

• Can your content standards stand alone and be used as learning targets or do they need to be deconstructed or ‘unpacked’?

• Deconstruction involves taking a standard and breaking it down into manageable learning targets—Knowledge, Reasoning, Performance/skills, and/or Products—so that students and teachers can accurately identify what students should know and be able to do.

Deconstruction Models

• Find a partner

• Look at the STRONG example– How would this help teachers?– How would this impact student learning?

• Look at the WEAK example– Would this be beneficial to teachers?

• In order to deconstruct effectively what skills/knowledge are needed?

Let’s Do a Think Aloud

Let’s Get to Work

• Working in groups, highlight the standards in Earth and the Universe that deal with Processes that Shape the Earth.

• Think about what knowledge, skills, reasoning or products students will need in order to meet these standards.

• Start with the skills column, then move to understanding and last to core content.

• Do NOT think of how you will teach the standard or how you will assess it, ONLY about what students will need to know and be able to do in order to meet that standard.

Tips for Deconstructing

• Don’t over analyze each statement.• Decide what must students know and be able to

do in order to meet that particular standard.• Use your VERB sheet to help you determine

where to put your targets.• Be explicit in your statement so that if some one

else used your deconstruction they would understand what to do.

• Use the example of the strong model as a guide.

The single most common barrier to sound classroom

assessment is the teachers’ lack of vision of appropriate

achievement targets within the subjects they are supposed to

teach.

Rick Stiggins

Learning Targets and Goals

• I can describe and identify the 4 types of learning targets

• I can compare and contrast strong and weak models of deconstructed standards

• I can practice deconstructing state standards

Learning Progressions

Goals for Earth Process Activities

• Experience a learning progression for a particular topic P-12.

• Experience various ways of introducing a topic at different grade bands.

• Uncover thinking about Earth processes.

The Art and Science of Teaching

Instruction Classroom Management

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Developing Effective Units

Student Engagement

High Expectations

1

Learning Goals Feedback

The Art & Science of Teaching involves 10 “design questions” teachers can ask themselves as they plan a unit of instruction.

The Art & Science of Teaching

• Question 1– What will I do to establish and communicate learning

goals, track student progress, and celebrate success?• Question 2

– What will I do to help students effectively interact with new knowledge?

• Question 3– What will I do to help students practice and deepen

their understanding of new knowledge?• Question 4

– What will I do to help students generate and test hypotheses about new knowledge?

What Will I Do To Help Students Effectively Interact with New Knowledge?

• Identify critical input experiences.

• Preview the content prior to a critical input experience.

• Organize students into groups to enhance the active processing of information.

• Present new information in small chunks and ask students for descriptions, discussion, and predictions.

• Ask questions that require students to elaborate on information.

• Have students write out their conclusions or represent their learning nonlinguistically.

• Have students reflect on their learning.

Action Step: Identify critical input experiences.

Examples of Critical Input Experiences

Read a book/passage/article

Listen to a lecture

Observe a demonstration

Be part of a demonstration

Watch a video/DVD

Engage in a simulation

Listen to a guest presentation

Go on a field trip

Action Step: Preview the content prior to a critical input experience.

Prior to the actual critical input experience, students should be involved in some form of previewing activity that helps

them think about the content they will encounter.

Prepare Students for a Critical Input Experience

1. Help students make linkages or connections to prior learning experiences from class

2. Provide students with a brief summary (oral or written)

3. Have students preview the information (e.g., skimming)

4. Give students cues or clues related to what they will be learning

5. Give students advance graphic organizers (e.g. Thinking Maps)

6. Provide students with teacher-made notes

7. Use questions as a means to activate prior knowledge

8. Engage students in activities that help students think about what they already know about the content

Think About What They Already Know

1. KWL chart

2. Brainstorming

3. Think, pair, share discussions

4. Milling to music

5. Cell phone buddies

6. Circle pairs

7. Anticipation guides

8. Sticky note share

9. Picture/photo share

10. Draw/act out something you know about the topic

11. Introduce key vocabulary terms to make predictions

12. Morning message and sharing

13. Pictures/picture walk

14. Bulletin boards/Display items

15. Center exploration

16. Sing a song

17. Play a game

18. Response journal

19. Vocabulary previews

Action Step: Organize students into groups to enhance the active processing of information.

Goal:

• To guide students in determining the most important aspects or the critical learning experience

• To help students construct meaning

Actively Process Information

1. Summarizing

2. Note taking

3. Non-linguistic representations

4. Questions

5. Reflection

6. Co-operative learning

To actively process information, macro-strategies must be employed (e.g., Reciprocal Teaching, SQ3R). Macro-strategies include the following sub-components:

Action Step: Present new information in small chunks and ask students for descriptions, discussion, and predictions.

Action Step: Ask questions that require students to elaborate on information.

Action Step: Have students write out their conclusions or represent their learning non-linguistically.

Mental Pictures

Link Strategy Familiar Place Framework Rhyming Pegword Number/key word

Physical Representations

Dioramas Mobiles Models Manipulative 3-D maps

Kinesthetic Representations

Language-based hand signalsUsing body to create imagesRole PlaysFive Finger RetellUsing sandMusical movementReader’s theatreCharadesSkywriting

Time sequenceDescriptive patternCause/effect patternGeneralization patternConcept patternEpisode pattern Problem Solution PatternWebFishboneSorting TreeTree MapBox and Whisker Graph

Circle MapTime LineContinuumStory MapVenn DiagramStem and LeafKWL ChartTwo or Three Column ChartAnalogy chartMain idea/Supporting Details Flow Chart

Graphic Organizers

Action Step: Have students reflect on their learning.

Identify one thing you already knew and one thing that was new to you.

Describe something you found interesting.

Identify one thing that was confusing and try to clear up that confusion.

What strategies that you used were most effective in helping you learn?

What got in the way of your learning?

How did your efforts effect your overall learning experience? What would you do different next time?

Learning Progression

• Primary– Identify local changes to the earth and tell what might

have caused them.• Intermediate

– Compare and contrast quick change versus slow change.

• Middle– Determine the impact of destructive and constructive

forces on the Earth’s surface.• High

– Predict the consequences of constructive and destructive forces to the Earth’s surface.

Partner Up

• You will be going through the 4 stations with a partner.

• Each station will accommodate several pairs.

• Your partner will be determined by the results of the ‘round up’.

Station Work

• With your partner, begin at any station.

• Once there, follow the directions for that station and complete the task in the time allotted.

• When time ends, rotate to the next grade level.

• Be prepared to discuss all the stations when complete.

Station Reflection

• Describe the Learning Progression P-12 that you just experienced using a non-linguistic representation.

• How would you describe the effectiveness of each station at uncovering student thinking?

• What might be some considerations for “next steps” in instruction?

Goals for Earth Process Activities

• Experience a learning progression for a particular topic P-12.

• Experience various ways of introducing a topic at different grade bands.

• Uncover thinking about Earth processes.

Competing Priorities

“Resistance to change does not reflect opposition, nor is it merely a result of inertia. Instead, even as they hold a sincere commitment to change, many people are unwittingly applying productive energy toward a hidden competing commitment.”

-Kegan and Lahey, 2001

Inner Conflicts, Inner StrengthsWhy do the ‘best laid plans’ (goals) often fall short of success? (or– Are we our own worst enemy?)

•Skim the article to get the ‘gist’ of it.•Focus attention on the table on page 68.•Complete the following in just a few sentences on an index card (independently): The thing about competing commitments is…

Before next month…Complete a 4 column chart for yourself. (handout)

Barriers to Change

Column 1: Genuinely held commitment

Column 2:What I do that works against my commitment

Column 3: The competing commitment that generates column 2

Column 4: My big assumption

What would you like to see changed at work, so that you could be more effective or so that work would be more satisfying?

What commitment(s) does your complaint imply?

What are you doing, or not doing, that is keeping your commitment from being more fully realized?

If you imagine doing the opposite of the undermining behavior (column 2) do you detect in yourself any discomfort, worry, or fear? What worrisome outcome are you committed to preventing?

What are you really trying to protect yourself from?

Roadmap for Today

Grading andReporting

LearningProgressions

CompetingPriorities

Deconstructing Standards

For February• Our next meeting is February 13th

• Read Ch. 3 in Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work– Pre-reading: What’s the difference in

student learning for a student with a semester average of 90% and another student with an average of 89%?

– After reading: Write one Type I, one Type II, and one Type III item for Earth Processes for your grade level/band.

• Read Ch. 3 in Ready, Set, Science and complete the reading guide.

science leadership support network january 9, 2009 supported by pimser and kentucky department of...

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