Looking at student work

1. Looking at student work Liane Benedict Oswego County BOCES S/CDN March 2014

2. background • Significant county-wide adoption of domains & modules • Literacy Network • County wide network representing all 9 districts • Approximately 40-50 participants • Turn Key instructional teacher leaders • Potential for county wide analysis was intriguing • Process is NOT perfected…work in progress

3. Rationale • Module assessments offer a wealth of information • Common assessments • Looking at student work in this way provides opportunity for teachers to: • Monitor student progress toward proficiency on standards • Calibrate assessment practices with each other • Collaborate around implementation strategies • Understand how state standards apply to their teaching practice • How else might we use student work samples? • Models, critique & descriptive feedback

4. A protocol consists of agreed upon guidelines for a conversation, and it is the existence of this structure -- which everyone understands and has agreed to -- that permits a certain kind of conversation to occur -- often a kind of conversation which people are not in the habit of having. • Protocols are vehicles for building the skills and culture necessary for collaborative work. Thus, using protocols often allows groups to build trust by actually doing substantive work together.

5. Beginning the process • Start small and simple • Grade level groups • K-2 used this time for collaborative discussions around implementation • Samples of student work from districts • Module assessments

6. Approximation Activity • Orient to the specific standards the work was designed to assess and the task • Read each sample of student work • 1 minute per paper to read and think • Work with partner to sort papers into three broad categories • Higher quality than what we would expect • On grade level • Approaching what we would expect

7. Module 2AEnd of unit 2 Assessment • Synthesizing information from text and audio resources • Review standards, learning targets and description of the assessment • Review 2 point rubric • Review the two texts

8. Approximation Activity • Orient to the specific standards the work was designed to assess • Read each sample of student work • 1 minute per paper to read and think • Work with partner to sort papers into three broad categories • Higher quality than what we would expect • On grade level • Approaching what we would expect

9. Select one piece of work to discuss deeply with your partner • If choosing higher quality piece, discuss what you see that is unexpected. Note what they might still do to improve. • If choosing on grade level piece, discuss specific things the student did well and what they could improve. • If choosing the approaching expectations piece, find at least one thing the student did well and one critical area of improvement Table Discussion: What patterns are you noticing?

10. Stars & Steps • “Star” feedback on the quality of the work in meeting the learning targets • “Steps” feedback on which learning target has not been demonstrated • Descriptive and non-evaluative • As a formative assessment practice, students have the opportunity to improve their work by applying the steps and recognize their accomplishments – the “stars”…

11. Challenges • Module implementation struggles • Pacing • Teachers want to talk about implementation • Still internalizing new expectations for rigor – not calibrated yet… • DDI process and culture varies greatly in each district • Shift from scoring to diagnosing • What do students know and still need to learn?

12. Deeper dive • Fine tune the protocol • More work on effective feedback • Building more consistent structures in schools to allow for this process • Class, grade level, multi-grade level and school wide trends • More effective collection of the data • Continue to calibrate assessment practices • How else might we use student work samples? • Models, critique & descriptive feedback – students looking at student work.

14. Expeditionary Learning • http://www.engageny.org/resource/professional-development-turnkey-kit-ela-3-8-july-2013