Welcome to Science Alliance!

1. Welcome toScience Alliance! October 2007 Lexington, KY Science Alliance is supported through Math and Science Partnership (MSP) funds administered by the Kentucky Department of Education

2. Group Norms Start and end on time Put cell phones on silent Be respectful of all comments Everyone participates Exercise the rule of “two feet” Come prepared for the meeting Keep side conversations to a minimum

3. Agenda for Today • Deconstruct standards • Develop performance tasks • Examine assessment plans for congruency • Deepen understanding of formative assessment • Difference between of and for

4. UbD Stages Stage 1 – Desired Results Organizer/Hook Specific PoS and CCA Deconstructed standards Essential Questions Misconceptions Critical Vocabulary Stage 2 – Acceptable Evidence Formative Assessments Summative Assessments Stage 3 – Learning Plan Learning Activities

5. Deconstructing Standards:Creating Clear Learning Targets When we have a clear vision of where we’re headed with students, we can communicate that vision to them. CASL, pg. 57

6. Knowledge Knowledge/facts/con-cepts to be learned outright; some to be retrieved using reference materials Reasoning Thinking proficiencies-using knowledge to solve a problem, make a decision, etc. Skills Demonstrations where the doing is what is important; using knowledge and reasoning Products Characteristics of the final product are important; using all 3 of the other target types Pg. 64, CASL 4 Types of Targets

9. The Deconstruction Process(Using the KY Combined Document) • Read the Big Idea to gather the overarching meaning. • Read the Understandings to understand the context of the skills and core content. • Sort the information in the SKILLS/CONCEPTScolumn into the knowledge, reasoning, skills, and products that students will have to demonstrate in order to develop understanding. • Examine the Core Content for Assessment statements for any additional targets.

10. Stage One • Deconstruct the standards that your unit addresses.

11. Agenda for Today • Deconstruct standards • Develop performance tasks • Examine assessment plans for congruency • Deepen understanding of formative assessment • Difference between of and for

12. Performance Task • When do you master the game? • The goal of learning is transfer, not content mastery. • How do you know if learning has transferred? • Don’t confuse drills with the play book. • What does doing science mean? • You learn by playing!

13. Backward Design from… • NOT “content” but “thoughtful and effective use of content” – i.e. transfer and personal meaning-making required • NOT “knowledge” and “skill” but “important accomplishmentsrequiring big ideas, knowledge, and skill” • Grant Wiggins

14. The difference a transfer task makes: Experimental Design Measuring Skills What makes plants thrive? Develop a brochure for the local nursery… Plant Parts Plant Requirements

15. Performance Tasks • Ask: • What does it mean to do the subject, to have your abilities ‘tested’ in the world? • What are authentic options, constraints, and opportunities when doing such work?

16. Transfer: Interdependence“What matters?” • Pre-test: give each student a picture of a “bottle biology” ecosystem, and ask them to identify all of the factors necessary to sustain the ecosystem and explain why.

17. EQ: Which is more important in an ecosystem: biotic or abiotic factors? • Identify all of the biotic factors in an ecosystem. • Identify all of the abiotic factors in an ecosystem. • Construct a food web for a given ecosystem which shows energy flow. • Collect and analyze data depicting changes of different factors for different ecosystems and explain the impact. • Collect and analyze population data when specific variables have changed and explain the changes.

18. Acquire Information • Read the textbook section on biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems. • Card sort for biotic and abiotic factor • Read the Ecosystems excerpt concerning the extinction of dinosaurs. • Complete the cause and effect organizer and make generalizations about the extinction of dinosaurs • Quiz over factors that contribute to extinction • Read different environmental impact ‘case studies’ and make generalizations about cause and effect. • Quiz over factors that impact ecosystems

19. Apply Learning • Students present their findings from their “bottle biology” ecosystems to the whole class. • Small groups analyze the data and draw conclusions concerning biotic and abiotic factors. • Students participate in John Muir Live! A ‘televised’ debate over which matters more – biotic or abiotic factors?

20. Transfer Your Learning • You are an environmental scientist on a team working for the Department of Transportation in KY. Your team has been asked to determine which de-icing agent is the most environmentally safe to use. You need to design and conduct an experiment comparing the effects of the different de-icing agents the DOT is considering on an ecosystem. Your team will submit your recommendation to the DOT, which needs to include your experimental design, your data analysis and conclusions, and your justifications as well as any inconsistencies and further research that might be needed. G R A S P S

21. Stage Two • Draft a performance task for your unit. • Use GRASPS and the examples in your UbD workbook to assist in drafting.

22. Agenda for Today • Deconstruct standards • Develop performance tasks • Examine assessment plans for congruency • Deepen understanding of formative assessment • Difference between of and for

23. A Collection of Assessment Evidence Evidence Source #1 Evidence Source #2 Targeted Standard Evidence Source #3 Evidence Source #4

24. A Collection of Assessment Evidence Pretest & Card Sort Quizzes from Readings Compare abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem in order to Explain consequences of change In one or more factors. “Bottle Biology” Ecosystem Findings and Debate Transfer Task De-icing Recommendation

25. Infer Goals • Examine the listing of assessment evidence for the unit on nutrition. • Infer the goals for the unit from the listing. • Compare your inferences to the understandings, knowledge, skills and essential questions identified in Stage 1. • Is there congruency between Stage 2 and 1? Is the evidence sufficient to “convict” the students guilty of understanding nutrition? • Suggestions to address any congruency issues?

26. Agenda for Today • Deconstruct standards • Develop performance tasks • Examine assessment plans for congruency • Deepen understanding of formative assessment • Difference between of and for

27. An Excellent Assessment System

29. Personal Reflection In your notebook, please take a moment to think, reflect, and answer this question: WHY DO YOU ASSESS? Take a few minutes to discuss your answers with others at your table.

30. The perfect assessment system relies on a variety of assessments to provide timely and understandable information to those who need it to inform instructional decisions that maximize student success.

31. THE FLAWS Mistaken beliefs about: Assessment and Motivation Crucial Decision Makers

32. Assessment Sort • Working in groups of 2, sort the assessments in your envelope as either Formative (FOR learning) or Summative (OF Learning) • While sorting, ask yourself….. • What makes this particular assessment formative or summative in nature? • How have I used this type of assessment with my students?

33. New Mission, New Beliefs As you view the DVD, keep your considerations about assessment and assessment practices in mind. Note any key points that Rick Stiggins makes, where relevant, on the organizer. Complete Table 2.1 as you view the DVD.

34. After Viewing Summarization strategy: Write the ONE word that summarizes the topic in the DVD (assessment FOR learning). Explain why you chose that word. Share your choice with one person at your table. Defend your choice if it differs from his/her choice. List your word(s) on your table’s designated chart.

35. OVERVIEW

37. OVERVIEW

38. Crucial Distinction

39. ANALOGIES Working with a partner, complete the following analogies: AOL is like _____________________________________________ because ______________________________________________. AFL is like______________________________________________ because ______________________________________________.

40. Assessment is REALLY formative when: Its purpose is to support—not merely monitor--learning It points up the scaffolding It provides descriptive feedback It builds self-confidence, self-efficacy It’s “Assessment FOR Learning”.

41. We ASSESS to: INFORM instructional decisions ENCOURAGE students to keep trying to learn

42. Research-based Strategies 5 Research-based strategies that significantly improve student learning: Sharing criteria (clear learning targets with success criteria) Questioning Feedback Peer assessment Self-assessment

43. Different Methods—Different Responses The different assessment methods provide students with the opportunity to respond in different ways. Let’s examine selected response/multiple-choice items to determine QUALITY through item design considerations and effective use of assessment items for formative assessment purposes.

44. Selected Response Students select an answer from a list or generate a very brief answer. For example: • Multiple Choice • True/false • Matching • Fill in the blank • Label a diagram

45. Advantages of Multiple Choice When there is only one correct answer with several PLAUSIBLE ALTERNATIVES to the correct answer, MC is an effective tool because it can * cover a variety of material efficiently, * be scored easily, and * provide formative information.

46. Multiple Choice Construction A multiple-choice item consists of three parts: 1. The STEM (the question) 2. The KEY (correct answer) 3. The DISTRACTORS (plausible choices)

47. MC Design Considerations • Factors to consider for the KEY and the DISTRACTORS • Provide one, and only one, correct answer • Include plausible options that demonstrate a student’s level of understanding • Colleague review

48. School Bus Item A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school buses to transport students. A school bus holds up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B. 31.33 C. 32 D. 36 Sample NAEP question taken from the Nations’ Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov Based on student answers, what could you determine about a student from each choice?

49. School Bus Item How did changing D make this assessment more formative in nature? A teacher is planning a field trip and will need school buses to transport students. A school bus holds up to 36 students. If 1,128 students will be transported, how many buses are needed? Explain your answer. A. 31 B. 31.33 C. 32 D. 32.33 Sample NAEP question taken from the Nation’s Report Card at www.nces.ed.gov

50. What to do with the results? Based on the students’ answers, you attach a problem for each student to work on. A. Rounding Problem B. Rounding for Real-World Purposes C. Correct—Extension Problem D. A division problem An item like this can give a teacher differentiated information for the class so the teacher can figure out who needs extra help and plan ahead for additional instruction.