Whatever It Takes Differentiated Assessment

Session 2

Facilitated by Dawn Holden

Shape of the Session

• Differentiated Assessment - a quick review

• Formative Assessment - Six Key Strategies

• A closer look at 2 strategies• Feedback• Peer and Self Assessment

• Action Plan

Differentiated Assessment

An ongoing process through which teachersgather data before, during and after instructionfrom multiple sources to identify learners’needs, and strengths.

Carolyn Chapman and Rita King“Differentiated Assessment Strategies” (2005)

Why do we differentiate assessment?“Students are differentiated in their knowledge and skills. They differ in the ways and speeds at which they process new learning and connect it to prior knowledge and understanding. They also differ in the ways they most effectively demonstrate their progress.”

- Chapman and King (pg xix Photo Albums Versus Snapshots)

Formative Assessment

• Uses insights about a learner’s current understanding to alter the course of instruction thus supporting the development of greater competence

• Must allow a student to take action to close the gap

Six Key Strategies of Formative Assessment Learning Intentions

Success CriteriaQuestioningFeedbackLearners as Resources for Each OtherLearners as Owners of Their Learning

- Black and Wiliam, 1998

And One Big Idea

Use evidence about a learner’s current

understanding to adapt instruction to

meet students’ needs

5-3-1 Feedback • Individually jot down 5 words that come to

your mind when you think about feedback• Share your words in a small group. From

all the words shared choose 3 as a group.• As a group, choose 1 word which best

captures your thinking about the topic. It may be one of the three words, or a word that subsumes the three.

• Write in defense of your choice.from DART strategy book

Effective FeedbackAim - enable the learner to make

adjustments and improvements towards understanding of the learning intentions

Key Features»Constructive»Timely»Causes thinking»Supportive of Learning»Focused»Specific to learning intention

Closing the Gap• Use a closing the gap prompt to

structure improvement points • A reminder prompt• A scaffolded prompt• An example prompt

Shirley Clarke, Unlocking Formative Assessment

Feedback Card Sort• With a partner sort the feedback

cards into categories

• Share your thinking

How do students interpret feedback?

• “A tick means he probably likes it”• “She wrote on it so it must be good”• “Good doesn’t help much- she’s just

saying that it’s not really very good. I’d like it if she just told the truth.”

• “It’s one of my best because my handwriting is joined up and neat.”

• “Smiley faces are for working hard, neat handwriting, spelling, the date right.”

A Few Suggestions for Written Feedback

• Readable• Understandable - from a student’s

perspective • Give time during your lesson for students

to read feedback and reflect on it• Give time for one focused improvement

to be made (5min)

• Avoid external rewards, which act

as a grade, demotivating the less able

• Inform parents of schools feedback policy

Strategies for your assessment toolkit

– Focused Assessing» Only assess a particular piece of work for

one aspect (such as meaning, style…)

– Re-timing assessment » (eg two-thirds-of-the-way-through-a-unit

test)

Self AssessmentKey Features

– Emphasis is on thinking and articulating not writing

– Questions are related to the learning intention, visually displayed, and modeled first by the teacher

– Articulation can be by brainstorm, in small groups or pairs

Shirley Clarke, Unlocking Formative Assessment

Thinking about what happens when we are learning

• What really made you think while you were learning (add learning intention)…?

• What helped you when something got tricky?

• What do you need more help with about learning to…?

• What are you most pleased with about learning to?

• What have you learnt that is new about..?

• How would you change this activity for another class who were learning to…?

Quality Self Evaluation

• Define clearly self-evaluation for children and remind them constantly of its’ purpose

• Plan for self evaluation less often but allow more time

• Introduce more paired/threes discussion of work around one of the questions

“ Through habits and skills of collaboration in peer assessment, students were helped to develop the objectivity required for effective self assessment which gave them both a concept of what quality meant in a specific context and also the motivation to seek improvement.”

» Black and Wiliam, Assessment for learning

Putting it into Practice

Grade 4 Math lesson» Learning Intention: I will understand and

be able to demonstrate how to use multiplication to solve problems

» Achievement Indicator: create and solve a multiplication problem, 2 or 3 digits by 1 digit

Learning ProcessPrior Instruction• Students developed understanding of

multiplication through manipulatives and arrays (building)

• Students looked at the language of multiplication (groups of) in "real life" situations ie. shelves of books, trays of cookies

• Story problem form was (situation, information, question)

• Criteria for story cards was developed with teacher

Student Instructions• Create a story problem that uses multiplication• Give your story a rating for the degree of

difficulty (1 to 4)• On the back of your card show your solution

using multiplication (make sure you have the correct answer)

• Include a picture or array that reflects the equation

• Include a sentence that answers your question

Procedure• Review and record students that meet criteria

(note: may not "correct" minor mistakes or calculations)

• Record students who need 1 to 1 additional help, not yet meeting (their cards are removed)

• Randomly hand out cards for students to "solve"• Students solve and check own work• While students are doing this, give feedback and

support to students not meeting criteria

Your Turn• Look over the cards • What do they tell you about the

students understanding of multiplication?

• Choose a couple of cards and think about what feedback you could give to further the student’s understanding.

How are some of the six key strategies incorporated into this activity

• Learners as resources for each other• Learners as owners of their own learning• Feedback that furthers student learning • Questioning?

• How does this activity meet the needs of Differentiated Assessment?

• What can you take away from this activity and apply to your own learning?

Assessment Learning Action Plan

Ground Rules:• Never try to change more than one or two things a month• Be specific about how you will build a new formative

assessment practice into your learning/teaching• Use one of the six key strategies• Make sure your action plan helps you learn about the thinking

of your learners in time to take quick teaching action• Identify something you will do less of (or stop doing)

• Describe one thing you think will be easy to change - and what difference you think it will make.

• Describe one thing you think will be slightly harder to change - you will need some support. Why would you like to make this change? What support will you need? Where can you get the help?

• Describe one or two things you would like to change later next school year. What support will you need? Where can you get it?

• What will you do less of or stop doing so that you get the space you need to try one of the changes you’ve identified?

Next SessionAssessment of Learning

• A closer look at aligning assessment and gradin