leading formative assessment thursday, august 5, 2010

Danielle Seabold, Mathematics ConsultantJohn Vail, Education Consultant

Leading Formative AssessmentThursday, August 5, 2010

1. Instructional Leadership2. Clear and Focused Mission3. Safe and Orderly Environment4. Climate of High Expectations for

Success5. Frequent Monitoring of Student

Progress6. Positive Home-School Relations7. Opportunities to Learn and

Student Time on Task

Correlates of Effective SchoolsLawrence W. Lezotte, Ph.D.

Quality & Equity

The effective school is a school that can, in outcome (performance or results) terms, reflective of its learning for all mission, demonstrate the presence of

equity in quality.

“There may be schools out there that have strong instructional leaders, but are not yet effective; however, we have never yet

found an effective school that did not have a strong instructional leader as the

principal.”

~Edmonds

Teacher factors

“The impact of decisions made by individual teachers is far greater than the

impact of decisions made at the school level.”

“More can be done to improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers

than by any other single factor.”~Robert Marzano

Vital Teacher Behaviors for Student Learning

• Clear Learning Targets• High Rates of Positive, Descriptive

Feedback• Reconceptualization of Learning

~John Hattie

6

Formative Assessments within Formative Assessments within a RtI Frameworka RtI Framework

7:

Continuum of Supports

Tier IFA are the GPSfor critical learningin all subject areas.•What do the students need to know?•Where are they in the learning process?•What are the impact of adjustments?

Tier IIFA are directly targeted to critical learning gaps thatexist for groups of students.

Tier IIIFA are directly targeted to critical learning gaps that exist for individual studentswith intense needs.

3-2-1 Think-Pair-Share

Individually, THINK about the following• What are three ways your teachers are

currently using formative assessments?• What two questions do you have about

formative assessments?• What one strength can you build upon

for the increased use of formative assessments in your school?

then PAIR with a colleague and SHARE.

8

A focus on mathematical skill

Plot the point (5, 2) on the grid shown below.

21st Century Skills: The 4Rs

In our increasingly global community, students must develop critical skills that will enable them to make important, valued contributions to society.

In the 21st century, K-12 education must focus on the “4Rs”:

●Rigor●Relevance●Relationships●Reflection

A focus on mathematical skill

Plot the point (5, 2) on the grid shown below.

A more recent focus on the 4Rs in mathematics

The table shows the number of customers at Malcolm's Bike Shop for 5 days, as well as the mean (average) and the median number of customers for these 5 days.

Which statistic, the mean or the median, best represents the typical number of customers at Malcolm's Bike Shop for these 5 days?

Explain your reasoning.

Danielle Seabold, Mathematics [email protected]

12

National results, Grade 8 2007

These results are for public and nonpublic school students. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment

of Educational Progress (NAEP)


13

Rigor: What was expected in Grade 12…

The first 3 figures in a pattern of tiles are shown below. The pattern of tiles contains 50 figures.

Describe the 20th figure in this pattern, including the total number of tiles it contains and how they are arranged. Then explain the reasoning that you used to determine this information. Write a description that could be used to define any figure in the pattern.


14



U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)


15

Rigor: …is now expected in Grade 8

Each figure in the pattern below is made of hexagons that measure 1 centimeter on each side.

If the pattern of adding one hexagon to each figure is continued, what will be the perimeter of the 25th figure in the pattern?

Show how you found your answer.


16



U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)


17

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrlsx/default.aspx


18

The Common Core

Rigor, relevance, relationships, and reflection are mandated in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics through the “Practice Standards”. Students will:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique

the reasoning of others.


19

The Common Core

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.


20

Essential question for the day

Can the use of formative assessments help to provide all of our students opportunities to master the 4Rs and the math practice standards? HOW?

As we progress through the day, examining formative assessment, look for evidence of and opportunity for the use of the 4Rs


21

Formative AssessmentsFormal vs. Informal

22

Assessment methods

Discussions Writing samples

Exit cards Journaling

Surveys (e.g. hand raising)

Homework

Teacher observation Presentations

Warm-ups Quizzes

White board responses

Formative Assessments

Definition: Formative Assessments happen while

learning is still underway. They are conducted throughout teaching and learning to diagnose student needs, plan our next steps in instruction, provide students with feedback they can use to improve the quality of their work, and help students see and feel in control of their journey to success.

Formative Assessment Research

0.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain = 25 Percentile Points on ITBS (middle of score range) 70 SAT Score Points; 4 ACT Score Points

Largest Gain for Low Achievers

Study S.D. gains

Bloom (1984) 1.0 – 2.0

Black and Wiliam (1998) 0.4 – 0.7

Miesels, et.al. (2003) 0.7 – 1.5

Rodriguez (2004) 0.5 – 1.8

Connecting the Dots

• If formative assessment done well provides students with timely constructive and effective feedback on well defined learning goals, …

• And if student learning is enhanced the most through the use of clearly articulated learning goals and large amounts of positive, descriptive feedback, then …

• … the need to lead your teachers to fully utilize formative assessments becomes obvious.


25

Goals for Today

• Teachers need to be able to create and use formative assessments with fidelity and effectiveness, therefore our goal is to help principals with the following:√ Understand and be able to recognize the five keys

of effective formative assessments√ Understand the needs of teachers to make

formative assessments a way of life in their classroom (e.g. professional development, collaboration time, coaching, and feedback)

√ Create a beginning plan that ties to your school improvement goals.

The 5 Keys of Classroom Assessment for Student

Learning (CASL)and

Understanding by Design (UbD)


27

PURPOSE

TARGET

ACCURACY EFFECTIVE USE

STUDENTINVOLVEMENT

DESIGN

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

The 5 Keys


29

TARGET


30

PURPOSE

DESIGN


31

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSTUDENT

INVOLVEMENT

Key 1: Purpose

What is the purpose for assessment?

Two Purposes for Assessment

SUMMATIVE• Assessments OF Learning

√ How much have students learned as of a particular point in time?

FORMATIVE• Assessments FOR Learning

√ How can we use assessment information to help students learn more?

Assessments FOR and OF Learning

As you watch the video clip of Rick Stiggins discussing the differences between assessments FOR and OF learning:

• Track the differences between the two in the chart

• What differences did you find to be most significant?

Balanced Assessment

SummativeSummativeProvides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness

Assessment Assessment forfor learning learning

Use assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning

Formative uses of Formative uses of summative datasummative dataUse of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students

FormativeFormativeFormal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed

Assessment Assessment forfor learning learning

Use classroom Use classroom assessments to assessments to inform teacher’s inform teacher’s decisionsdecisions

Needed Improvements

• Increased commitment to high-quality formative assessments (Rigor & Relevance)

• Increased descriptive feedback, reduced evaluative feedback (Relationships)

• Increased student involvement in the assessment process (Reflection)

Assessments for LearningPURPOSE

Students are crucial decision-makers; therefore, information must be provided in forms that help them understand …√ Where I am going?√ Where I am now?√ How I can close the gap?

The Elevator Conversation

Develop a 30 – 60 second description highlighting the difference between

formative and summative assessments. Include the reason why it is important to

increase the use of formative assessments.

Key 2: Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets

We Need Clear Targets to. . .

• Ensure that there is a common understanding of what needs to be learned.

• Know if the assessment adequately covers what we taught.

• Correctly identify what students know and don’t know.

• Have students self-assess or set goals likely to help them learn more.

Clear Targets: Benefits to Students

Students who could identify their learning scored 27 percentile points higher than

those who could not ~Marzano, 2005

Which of these are actually learning targets?

• Senior project• Model of a fort• Present a persuasive argument• Research paper• Diorama

A Math Example

44

Geometry Subject

Pythagorean Theorem Topic

Chapter 10 Resource

Use Geometric Tiles for proof

Activity

The lengths of the three sides of a right triangle are related

Learning Target

Kinds of Targets

• Master content knowledge• Use knowledge to reason and solve

problems• Demonstrate performance skills• Create quality products

Knowledge Reason Skill Product

List Predict Measure Construct

Define Infer Demonstrate

Develop

Understand Classify Use Create

Recognize Evaluate Operate Produce

Explain Summarize

Calculate

Kinds of Learning Targets with Associated Verbs

Converting Learning Targets to Student-Friendly Language

• Identify important or difficult learning goal.

• Identify word(s) needing clarification.• Define the word(s). • Rewrite the definition as an “I can”

statement, in terms that students will understand.

• Try it out and refine as needed.• Have students try this process.

Student-Friendly Language

• Word to be defined: PREDICTION√ A statement saying something will

happen in the future• Student-friendly language:

√ I can make predictions.√ This means I can use information from

what I read to guess at what will happen next.

Your Turn…

Choose either “analyze” or “describe” and convert it into student-friendly terms

• Definition:• Student-friendly language:

Critical Learning Target of Unit

Students will learn that functions can be represented in many ways using words, tables, pictures/models, graphs, and algebraic rules. Given one representation, students will create the other representations.

Corresponding ‘I can’ statements

• I can represent a function using a table, algebraic rule, picture, words, and graph.

• Given one representation of a function, I can create the other representations.

• I know the families of functions (linear, quadratic, polynomial, power, exponential, etc) and I can identify which function-family a function belongs to given its graph or algebraic rule.

• Given an algebraic rule, I understand the meaning of each coefficient, constant, and variable so that I can describe a real-life situation that could be modeled by the rule.


51

Work time – Training Teachers to write “I cans”

• Teachers can create appropriate I cans for their students

√ What do your teachers need to know and be able to do to accomplish this?

Key 3: Effective DesignTarget–Assessment Match

Effective Design

• Select a proper assessment methodSelect a proper assessment method• Sufficient sampling to demonstrate Sufficient sampling to demonstrate

masterymastery• Select or create quality items, tasks, and Select or create quality items, tasks, and

rubricsrubrics• Sample—gather enough evidence Sample—gather enough evidence • Control for biasControl for bias• Design assessments so students can self-Design assessments so students can self-

assess and set goalsassess and set goals

54

Possible Assessment Methods

• Selected Response Multiple Choice, True/False, Matching, Fill in

• Extended Written Response • Performance• Personal Communication

√ Questions√ Conferences√ Interviews

Target x Method Match Target x Method Match ActivityActivity

PRODUCTPRODUCT

Performance Performance SKILLSSKILLS

REASONREASON

KNOWKNOW

PCPCPAPAEWREWRSRSR

Learning target-method match in a math classroom

I can choose a good scale for the graph of a math situation.

I can explain why a graph might be misleading.


The data in the table has been correctly represented by both graphs.


• Which graph would be best to help convince others that the Metro Rail Company made a lot more money from ticket sales in March than in October?

• Explain your reason for making this selection.


59

Work time

• Can you identify the type of assessment method appropriate for each of the “I cans” created in Key 2?

• Design a sample assessment for one of the “I cans”.

Research Quotes on Effects of Feedback

• Read the quotes provided on the handout.

• Choose 1 quote that is most meaningful to you at this time.

Key 4: Communication

Effective Communication

“The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”

~John Hattie (1992)

Number of Assessments Effect Size Percentile-Point Gain

0 0 0

1 .34 13.5

5 .53 20.0

10 .60 22.5

15 .66 24.5

20 .71 26.0

25 .78 28.5

30 .80 29.0 Note: Effect sizes from data reported by Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, and Kulik (1991).

Frequency

Effective Communication

“The most powerful single modification that enhances

achievement is feedback. …”

“…all forms of feedback are not equally effective.”

Source Characteristics of Feedback from

Classroom Assessment Number of Studies* Effect Size

Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik, & Morgan (1991)

Right/wrong 6 -.08

Provide correct answer 39 .22

Criteria understood by students vs. not understood

30 .41

Explain 9 .53

Repeat until correct 4 .53

Fuchs & Fuchs (1986) Displaying results graphically 89 .70

Evaluation (interpretation) by rule

49 .91

*Indicates the number of studies that were examined by the researchers to compute an effect size. See Technical Note 1.2 for discussion of an effect size.

Summary of the Research

• Feedback from classroom assessments should give students a clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might improve.

• Feedback on classroom assessments should encourage students to improve

• Classroom assessment should be formative in nature

• Formative classroom assessments should be frequent

~Marzano, ~Marzano, 20062006

What Makes Feedback Effective?

• Describes features of work or performance

• Relates directly to the learning targets and/or standards of quality

• Points out strengths and gives specific information about how to improve

Feedback: Think-Pair-Share

• Individually, identify the 5 most common examples of feedback you hear or see your teachers providing their students.

• Then, identify the 5 most common examples of feedback you provide your teachers.

• Record all 10 on a piece of paper.• Share your paper with your Commutative

Partner• 3 minute discussion


69

Evaluative vs. Descriptive

• Evaluative feedback sums up achievement and assigns a label. It expresses a judgment.

• Descriptive feedback offers information that can be used by students to take action to improve.

Examples of descriptive feedback in the math classroom

“You accurately found the number of students in 4th grade who said ice cream was their favorite. You now need to divide this number by the total number of students to get the percent who said ice cream was their favorite.”

“I agree with the pattern that you have identified in the table. I am not convinced that the rule you wrote works for all the values in the table. How could you prove this?”

Examples of descriptive feedback in the math classroom

“I see that you have correctly used column addition to solve both the first and last problem in this set. You are showing me that you understand how to solve addition word problems.

The second problem is also correct, but I am not sure how you got the answer. I am wondering if you solved it in your head because we have worked hard on our number facts!

Your next step will be to go back to the second problem and show me how you solved it, using numbers, tally marks or words.”


72

Work time

• How do you provide feedback to your teachers in their efforts to employ formative assessments?

• Remember:√ frequent√ descriptive√ encourages improvement√ increases motivation

Key 5: Student Involvement

• Student SELF-assessment is crucial for feedback to be used effectively. Students are the ones who must ultimately take action to bridge the gap between where they are and where they are heading.

• The transition from feedback to self-monitoring can occur only when the student comes to know what constitutes quality.

~Sadler, 1989

Student as User of Assessment Information (Sadler)

• Where am I going?• Where am I now?• How can I close the gap?

What opportunities do the students in your school have to answer these

questions? Provide concrete examples of each.

Student Motivation and Involvement

Where am I going?Where am I going?1.1. Provide a clear statement of the learning targetProvide a clear statement of the learning target2.2. Use examples and modelsUse examples and models

Where am I now?Where am I now?3.3. Offer regular descriptive feedbackOffer regular descriptive feedback4.4. Teach students to self-assess and set goalsTeach students to self-assess and set goals

How can I close the gap?How can I close the gap?5.5. Design focused lessonsDesign focused lessons6.6. Teach students focused revisionTeach students focused revision7.7. Engage students in self-reflection; let them Engage students in self-reflection; let them

keep track of and share their learningkeep track of and share their learning

Student Involvement

“The most important instructional decisions are made, not by the adults

working in the system, but by students themselves.”

~CASL 2006

Emily’s Story:Assessment for Learning

• Read Emily’s story.• Note what Emily’s teacher did to

enhance student involvement, motivation, and achievement.

• Now read her writing samples.• What does Emily have to say about this?

(video)

Involving the Student

• Clear learning targets in student friendly language- made known at the outset to the student

• Instruction that models what success looks like

• Assessments that are fair – no surprises, no excuses

Keeping track of my learning~Marzano, 2007

I can figure out the prob. of drawing a certain marble from a bag of marbles.

Keeping track of my learning: KNOWLEDGE GAIN ~Marzano, 2007


82

Student-identified knowledge & skill

Essential Outcome: Solving Proportions & Using Scale Models

What skills do you need to know to be successful on the following learning target?

• I can write and compare ratios.


83

Student journal

You received descriptive feedback on your assignments prior to this test. Please answer the following questions.

1. Describe the feedback you received on your assignments that prepared you for this test.

2. Did the feedback help you learn/master the learning targets? Explain why or why not.

3. What could make receiving descriptive feedback better for you?


84

Student self reflection

Learning target: ________________________________

Explain how you used your own feedback to fix the problems you did not get correct the first time.

How much has the feedback you’ve received helped you? (Circle one)

A LOT SOMEWHAT NOT REALLY NOT AT ALL


85

Work time

• Regarding the writing of “I can” statements:√ What opportunities do teachers need

to reflect on their practice and self-assess the creation and use of “I cans”?

Informal vs. Formal Formative Assessments

RevisitedPull out your definitions from this

morning. Would you make any changes?

87

Essential questions for the day

Can the use of formative assessments help to provide all of our students opportunities to master the 4Rs and the math practice standards? HOW?

What evidence of and opportunity for the use of the 4Rs did you identify in using formative assessments?


88

leading formative assessment thursday, august 5, 2010

Documents

nonpublic school students

learning process

school level

national results

education statistics

critical skills

department of education

median number of customers