Student Assessment

Students using Assessments to focus their learningPam Wilson, NBCTJuly 21, 2012#TMC12, St. Louis, MOMathematical practices1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.Seven strategies of assessment for learningWhere am I going?Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning target.Use examples and models of strong and weak work.Where am I now?Offer regular descriptive feedback.Teach students to self-assess and set goals.How can I close the gap?Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.Teach students focused revision.Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning.CASL, Stiggins, page 42

Strategies I share help students self-asses and set goals. Teach students focused revision. Engage students in self-reflection and let them keep track of and share their learning.3Unit Organizers / Pre-Assessments

A modified unit organizer received training several years ago on creating course/unit organizers and implementing the Unit Organizer Routine.out of University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. http://bit.ly/GBPTnI4

Modified Unit Organizer includes an assignment log on the back, place for students to track their own assessments/learning and record any further action either teacher initiated or student initiated. Unit self-Test provides an overview of all assessed learning targets in that unit.5

When you know what you will assess at the end of the unit youre unit will run more smoothly. Give student opportunity to pre-assess. In the past, pre-assessments were for me I used them to see if there were areas lacking or that students had already mastered. Now, they are for students as well. Let them track the concepts its not as overwhelming when they can see some + and not all s in the tracker.6

Continue to modify and work on the student tracking page. Give students opportunity to track their pre-assessment gives them the chance to see if there are areas that need more focus as the unit progresses. When they feel theyve mastered, they may check off the Got it! Column. Important to bring students back to this after a unit assessment / project and allow them time to reflect on their learning see if there are still areas of need. Ill admit this is new to me and have not mastered it yet I am hoping to become more consistent with this step.7

Target Quizzes

Target quizzes are often given after students have had the opportunity to practice a concept / skill. They can transfer their score to the unit organizer to track their learning progress on each target. Small chunks students are able to focus on one concept at a time and its not so overwhelming to adjust their learning if needed. Give them time to reflect/discuss written feedback give them the chance to do something with their learning8Post-It Note Quizzes

1!1 need some HELP!

2!I need a little more practice!

3! Ive GOT IT!On my board students can pass by as they walk out of the room I have 3 folders Green, Ive Got It! Ready to Go!; Yellow I need a little more practice, not quite there yet; Red I have questions. I like post-it notes because of the visual for me; but students can use half/quarter sheets of paper and place their quizzes in the folders as they walk out of the room. Students place names on back of post-it note. Respond to question / solve problem then rate themselves as a 3! Got It! 2! Almost there! 1! Need some help! And place it beside the corresponding color. 2s & 1s are students I can work with one-on-one on lab days or remediation time. Students who dont want others to know they are struggling can wait behind and place their last when others have left the room however, Ive not run in to any major issues. Usually my 1s are absent or unmotivated students. Post-It Note Quizzes allows students to self-assess and communicate with me how they are feeling about the learning target; they also provide me with an immediate visual.

If I seee more yellows, reds I know I need to revisit the concept as a whole class. When only a few I can pull them off to the side or during my computer lab days, I can pull them to the center table and work one-on-one or as a small group to address their misconceptions. 9

This idea is from the video from teacher tube form Ms. Alcalas math class. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-warm-up-routine I have combined this with the 2+ and delta, find 2 things the student did correctly, 1 thing we need to change

After any assessment, this is a great warm up the following day allowing students to share ++delta; some great discussions have taken place and students have remarked how this simple idea has helped them fix their mistakes. Focus on ++ lets students feel there are at least parts they get and the delta teaches them its not about being wrong but changing their mistakes and making it better.10Wrong answer analysisQuestion #What was it asking me to do?How did I miss it? or What was my mistake?If no work, This Answer is incorrect, becauseCorrectly worked out / explainedWhen done correctly, this can be a powerful strategy. After a unit / cumulative assessment, students use their own paper to respond to the above questions; attach it to their assessment and submit. When marking an assessment, I only mark the parts students have missed; Little feedback is given on these assessments most of my feedback occurs in class, target quizzes, earlier in the unit of study. This is the chance for students to find their own errors and correct them. If they cannot fix them they are asked to search notes/practice sets, talk with another studentif they still cannot find the error, I am then there to help them. The idea being to develop some individual study skills. I have included a couple of examples below.

I have done this as a HW assignment this is not always successful, depending on your students. I plan to intentionally schedule class time for this activity this year. After blogging about some ideas for students who have mastered the concepts I got an idea from @jruelbach to allow them to BYOD and use the time to find/share helpful online resources / practice opportunities for the unitcompiling them in a class wiki.11

If I had simply told this student their mistake or never even given them the opportunity to analyze and correct their mistakesthey would not have gone back to their notes and may still have no idea how to do this one realizing and correcting mistakes can be a powerful learning tool.12

Again, a very common error. Had I written the mistake / feedback the student would have been less likely to have remembered the common error / misconception.13Wrong Answer Analysis

Sometimesthey just need HELP!14

After the assessments students should be given opportunity to revisit their organizer, filling our post-assessment column making notes of any targets / areas they are still struggling. A student who still has major gaps I would recommend assignment to in-school remediation OR afterschool tutoring to parent via email / phone call asking student to share their organizer with parents.15Cumulative assessmentsEvery 6 weeks Each new assessment score replaced the old.Leading up to EOC / percentage of course grade.Use it as a formative assessment students can see what areas they may still need to be working in.10 of my favorite things!Small Group Investigations!

I love this activity. Part of it is helping students learn to graph functions correctly with TIs. I choose to leave in y= notation since TI button is Y=. I will do a quick check of the groups graphs before allowing them to move on to #4. Students are asked to sort by shapes of graphs describe what they see; then look for commonalities in each sets equations. #7 is a quick group/self assessment I look over their responses prior to class discussion the following day. Most groups will complete this in one class period, then we debrief the following day. At TMC12 @misscalcul8 suggested giving students cards with the official algebraic names and allowing students to try to match them with each function set I will definitely use her idea this year.

1710 of my favorite things!Data Collection Labs!The Crow & The Pitcher (read Aesops Fables)Look Out Below! (read articles about falling balconies) Invasion of the Wiggies (Students write / present 30 sec Breaking News Announcement)Marshmallow Catapults (Lab Report)

I used to give them the lab sheet, step by step instructions Now, I give them the scenario and ask if there are #ANYQS (Dan Meyer!)Let them create a plan just have materials ready to go!When its their question theyre trying to answerthey are engaged!10 of my favorite things!Geogebra.org its FREE! Geogebratube.orgDifferentiate Instruction Open QuestionsY = 3x + 5 Y = x 7How are they alike? Different?A line has slope , give me 2 possible coordinate points.Give students the graph of a line and ask them to tell you everything they know about the line.

Open Questions is an idea from More Good Questions marian small1910 of my favorite things!MJPs Ultimate Math Lessons (BIG BLUE BOOK) Monster TrucksI do, We do, You doBob Garvey www.mathmadness.org Quadratic FormulaNAGS Multiple Representations / Modeling Numerical Table of Values Algebraic - EquationGraphicalScenario / SentenceDropBox.com Formative Assessment Lessons

MJPs book has some great ideas for lessons. Living in rural KY, I have many, many Ag Kids who love their mud trucks- so this is a great pull in for those students (especially the boys) I plan to blog more about some other lessons Ive used from this resource.

At this point I ran out of time at TMC12 and was not able to give FALs time to do them justice. I plan to re-create a better share of them and post them later. I really like the set-up of the lessons.

I should say you MUST go through the lesson step by step.It WILL take a bit of time to prep for the lessons. For card sorts, etc I suggest you use color cardstock AND laminating them this way students can use dry-erase to mark on them if needed, but then wipe clean when lesson is complete. On lessons that require posters use sticky putty to attach cards to a laminated poster board. It can be taken apart and reused.

Formative Assessment lessons are designed to be used about 2/3 the way through a unit of study for which it addresses concepts.20A Brief History of the Formative Assessment Lessons

CCSSGeoff Krallwww.map.mathshell.org

Take some time to become familiar with the site. I suggest you start with the MAP Overview tab to become familiar with the various resources they have provided.

You can search either Middle School or High School. Each Lesson / Task outlines the CCSS and MPs addressed. Two types of lessons are provided: Concept Development meant to be used about 2/3 way through corresponding unit of study. Problem Solving are rich problems meant to connect mathematics from time to time throughout the year. 21Common I likesPre-Assessment Guiding QuestionsVariety of Scaffolding TasksStudent Analysis of sample workCard activities and manipulativesPushes the inquiryPre-assessmentEmphasis on questioning techniquesEmphasis on improving own workProvided a break for students to swim in pure mathematics for a whileProvided a place for teachers to take stock of student learning

Geoff KrallTypical Format of FALsGeoff KrallStudents are given Pre-Assesssments and not allowed to talk / ask questions but simply show what they know. You collect their work and within a day, sit down and separate student work based on common misconceptions OR similar approaches to solving problems. Students will be group homogeneously based on their pre-assessments not strongest/weakest etc.

As you group student pre-assessments, look for common misconceptions and develop a list of guiding questions that will move students forward or deeper in their understanding. One thing I appreciate about these lessons they do not allow you the chance to tell students they are right or wrong but they help you ask questions / student discussion where they decide if they are right / wrong.

For example, if a student shares a response you turn to another student and ask if they agree if so, they must restate the reasoning, if not, they must share their response/reasoning which opens up for discussion. Even within groups, students are asked to verbally restate a persons reasoning.

The collaborative activity will consist of analyzing student work samples (provided with questions for groups to consider); matching/sorting/classifying and always, sometimes, never sorting activities.

After students have completed the activity, directions/questions are provide to bring it all together as a whole-class discussion.

Students are given the opportunity to post-assess and either improve their original work or show understanding through a parallel task.

The following slides were part a lesson on the MARS website. You may visit the site www.map.mathshell.org. Go to the Lessons TAB , 2nd drop down menu and choose middle school. Look under concept development to open Lines and Linear Equations.

The sorting activity asks students to pair 2 graphs. The 2nd sorting activity asks them to match equations to the graphs. The final is the match a sketch of the Flowing Liquid container to the matching graphs/equations.23Flowing LiquidP-24

Flowing LiquidP-25

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 1P-26

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 2P-27

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 3P-28

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 4P-29

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 5P-30

Liquid flowing out of the top prism 6P-31

GraphsP-32

Working TogetherP-33The graphs represent the flow of a liquid either out of the top prism or into the bottom prism of the container.

Take it in turns to match two cards that represent the movement of water in the same container.

Place the cards next to each other, not on top, so that everyone can see.

When you match two cards, explain how you came to your decision.

Your partner should either explain that reasoning again in his or her own words, or challenge the reasons you gave.

Some graphs are missing information, such as a scale along an axis. You will need to add this scale.

You both need to be able to agree on and explain the match of every card.

GraphEquationPrismG1EFG2EFG3EFG4EFG5EFG6EFG7EFG8EFG9EFG10EFSharing WorkP-35If you are staying at your desk, be ready to explain the reasons for your groups graph matches.

If you are visiting another group, copy your matches onto a piece of paper.

Go to another groups desk and check to see which matches are different from your own. If there are differences, ask for an explanation. If you still dont agree, explain your own thinking.

When you return to your own desk, you need to consider as a group whether to make any changes to your own work.Where to lookwww.map.mathshell.org

http://kentoncountymdc.wikispaces.com/

Give students opportunities!