Best Practices with Formative Assessment : Purposeful Planning for Formative Assessment

1. Best Practices with Formative Assessment:Purposeful Planning for Formative Assessment Princess Anne Middle School Instructional Strategies Training January 2012 http://pamsinstructionaltraining.wikispaces.com/

2. “ We’re guilty. We admit it. But we’re pretty sure we’re not alone. Writing about educational practice requires that one be willing to examine one’s own practice, especially the less than exemplary moments. This means admitting that we have sometimes entered into a tacit agreement with our students. We have allowed the voice of one to speak for all. We ask, ‘Does everyone understand?’ We await the answer we know will come. A lone voice says, ‘Yes,’ and we accept that as evidence that learning has occurred. We move on to the next topic or concept, deluding ourselves that all is right with the world. Later, much later, we review the results of the latest quiz, test, or essay, and shake our heads in wonder. ‘I taught all this,’ we say. ‘Didn’t they get it?’ We’re pretty sure we’re not alone.” Source: Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2007) Checking for understanding: Formative assessment techniques for your classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

3. Ouch. • What happens when we ask: “Any questions?” “Did you all get that?” “Everybody understand?” “Does that make sense?” • USUALLY NOTHING • Students are not always self-regulated learners. They may not be aware of what they do or do not understand. They sometimes think that they get it, when they really don’t. • IF YOU DOUBT THIS, CONSIDER HOW OFTEN YOU HAVE HEARD STUDENTS COMMENT, “I thought I knew this stuff, but I bombed the test.” • Most of the checking for understanding done in schools is ineffective.

4. Let’s Clarify… • Formative assessment is NOT the same thing as instruction. • INSTRUCTION refers to the set of teacher-determined activities that are carried out in an effort to get students to accomplish a curricular outcome. • FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT can be regarded as a process intended to make a teacher’s instructional means more effective.

5. Focus for Today • We will look at formative assessment strategies in order to gauge whether curricular and instructional adjustments need to be made during a unit. • We will use formative assessment to to INFORM our instruction so we can make changes when needed to help students reach the learning targets.

6. Essential Questions: • How do I know what I need to assess? • What assessment strategies should I use? • What will I do with the information once I get it?

7. How do I know what I need to assess? • When we are planning for formative and summative assessment, the WHAT we need to assess is found in the… KUDs

8. When do I assess? • “Teachers need to examine the building blocks [of a unit] in a learning progression, judge the most probable adjustment they will need to make (more instruction or less instruction), and then time their formative assessments appropriately: assessing late in a building block’s treatment when more instruction seems likely or assessing early in a building block’s treatment if less instruction seems likely.” Source: Popham,W.J. (2008) Transformative Assessment. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

9. What assessment strategies should I use? IT DEPENDS! On TIME, REASON FOR ASSESSMENT, and WHAT IS BEING ASSESSED Please access the “Checking for Understanding Strategy Grid” on the wikispace.

10. Partner Activity • Review the “Checking for Understanding Strategy Grid” and the list of KUDs for an upcoming unit. • Take a few moments to look over the Strategy Grid and identify possible strategies you could incorporate to assess students’ progress toward the learning targets of your unit. • When directed, please share your ideas with a partner.

11. What did you notice? • What kinds of assessments did you choose for basic content knowledge? • What kinds of assessments did you choose for skill-based objectives? • What kinds of assessments did you choose for student progress toward over-arching understandings?

12. How do I know if need to make adjustments in my instruction? ESTABLISH ADJUSTMENT TRIGGERS “It’s one thing to collect evidence regarding students’ building block status. It’s quite another thing to arrive at an ‘adjust’ or ‘don’t adjust’ decision.” (Popham, p. 63) The teacher needs to decide, in advance of the actual assessment, what levels of student performance would lead the teacher to make an instructional adjustment.

13. Remember this: The more important the content, the smaller the percent of erroneous students it should take to spur an instructional adjustment.

14. What do I do with the information once I get it? Two possibilities: No adjustments in instruction or curriculum are needed. OR Adjustments are needed. So, what needs to be done? Caution:Adjustment decisions are made with information from MANY students, not just the “Oo-oo” students.

15. What instructional adjustments should I make? If the data says… • …things are going better than I thought? DELETE LESSONS OR GO INTO MORE DEPTH/COMPLEXITY 2) …more instruction is needed? REVISIT THE PLAN OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES.

16. Were certain sub-skills or bodies of knowledge overlooked that now in hindsight is necessary? (GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE) • Were aspects of a building block not treated instructionally or sufficiently? (STUDENTS NEED MORE PRACTICE) • Were building blocks in the plan not essential and are confusing the students? (STUDENTS LACK A CLEAR FOCUS OF WHAT’S IMPORTANT— GO BACK AND RE-EMPHASIZE THE ESSENTIALS)

17. So how do I make the adjustments? CHANGE: • the method of presenting the material (more engaging, student-centered, interesting, relatable) • the focus onto core ideas (EUs and EQs) • the articulation of day-today objectives (DO THE STUDENTS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING?) • the grouping of students (FLEX GROUPS) • Independent practice activities (DIFFERENTIATION!) Talk with your table partners about ways a teacher could make adjustments in instruction to help the students make progress toward the learning goals.

18. Wow—That’s a lot of info • Access the Planning for Assessment handout on the wikispace. How can this tool be used in your PLC as you plan your units to effectively embed opportunities for formative assessment so adjustments can be made in instruction so students can hit the learning targets?

19. Planning • For your 15-minutes of independent work, please work with your PLC to try out either planning tool presented today (and available on the wikispace). • Post a comment on Edmodo to tell about your experience with the tools in helping you plan for assessment. • If you do not yet have an Edmodo account, please check with Al or Jeff—or you can access the information from the November training session on the wikispace.

20. EXIT TICKET Purposeful Planning for Formative Assessment—January 11, 2012 Princess Anne Middle School Name:_____________________________________________ What is something from this workshop that you believe you will be thinking about later? What is one thing you will take with you from this workshop That will help you to move forward in your work with balanced assessment?