LeaPSLearning in Physical Science

February 24, 2011

A MSP Grant through KDE andAdministered by University of Kentucky

PIMSER Math and Science Outreach

Welcome!

Project Goals for LeaPS

• Overall goal: Students will learn targeted physical science concepts (structure and transformation of matter, force & motion)

• Goal 1: Enhance teacher content and pedagogical knowledge of targeted physical science concepts

• Goal 2: Improve Teacher Instructional Practices

• Goal 3: Enhance Administrator Support

Review from December

AssessmentOf vs For

Content:Reaction

Rates

ELA Science Literacy

Standards

The Plan for Today

Literacy Standards and EXPLORE

Models & Modeling

Content:Conservation

of Mass & Evidence for

Atoms

FormativeAssessment

Literacy Standards for Science

• Learning Targets:– To identify CCR

implications and connections to EPAS.

P12 Math Science Outreach 7

Overview of EPAS

• Purpose of:– EXPLORE: To determine readiness for freshmen year

of high school– PLAN: To predict ACT score– ACT: To predict success for freshmen year of

college.• Accountability:

– Provide interventions for students not meeting benchmarks

• Science Test Format:– EXPLORE-28 items, 30 minutes– PLAN-30 items, 25 minutes– ACT-40 items, 35 minutes

P12 Math Science Outreach 8

Three Formats

• Data representation (graphs, tables, and other schematic forms)

• Research summaries (descriptions of one or more related experiments)

• Conflicting viewpoints (expressions of several related hypotheses or views that are inconsistent with one another)

Let’s Take the

• Each of you will be taking ½ of the science test.

• You will have 16 minutes.

• Please work alone.

Where do you stand?

• Examine the national, state, and school data.

• Where is your school with respect to national and state trends?

• Do you notice any trends in science?

• How do your science scores compare to other subjects?

What was required?

• Think back to the items on the EXPLORE.

• Why do students struggle with this test (besides the time factor)?

• In order to be successful on these items what skills, knowledge, and/or competencies would students have to have?

• Work with a partner and generate a list.

What are the Instructional Implications?

• What are we doing currently to help students meet the rigor of this kind of assessment?

• In order to improve student performance, what types of instructional and assessment experiences do we need to provide?

How can the Literacy Standards help?

• Examine each strand in the reading standards and identify the key expectations for each strand.

• Compare these expectations with your earlier generated lists.

• If students meet these standards at the end of each grade band, would you predict that their performance would improve? Will they be more CCR?

Literacy Standards for Science

• Learning Targets:• To identify CCR

implications and connections to EPAS.

• What are some implications for instructional design based on your comparison?

Scientific Models

• Learning Target– I can synthesize information

from different sources to refine my personal definition of scientific models.

– I can identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for my classroom/school.

Scientific Models• Find a quote concerning scientific

models that is either closest to your personal definition or that you have questions about.

• Have a standing meeting and discuss the quote, your definition, and/or your questions with the group by that quote.

• Determine a summary statement about the quote and discussion as a group.

Scientific Models

• Complete the left-hand side of the anticipation guide concerning scientific models.

• Read the article, “Models are the Building Blocks of Science,” and complete the right-hand side of the anticipation guide.

• Individually, identify any discrepancies pre- and post-reading. Reflect upon why you might have had or not have had these discrepancies.

Scientific Models

• As a school team, discuss the following:• Why might it be important to purposefully

develop students’ understanding of modeling in science?

• How are we currently addressing modeling for each grade level?

• Identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for your school.

Scientific Models

• Learning Target– I can synthesize information

from different sources to refine my personal definition of scientific models.

– I can identify 3 to 4 specifics for advancing students’ understanding of modeling for my classroom/school.

Let’s Move Into Grade Level Tables

1 table-- 8th grade1 table-- 7th Grade2 tables-- 6th Grade

Content Building

Formative Assessment

• Learning Target:– I can explain the

research on the benefits of FA.

– I can formulate a rule for formative assessment.

– I can evaluate assessment scenarios for FA attributes.

Why Use AFL?

What does the Research Say?

Research consistently shows that regular, high-quality FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT increases student achievement.

Research on Effects

• Black and Wiliam (1998) International Research Review– .4 to.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain– Largest Gain for Low Achievers– http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/assessment/f

iles/2009/02/blackbox_article.pdf

• Bloom (1984) Mastery Learning Research• 1.0 S.D. Gain• Rivals One-on-One Time

Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Formative Assessment:

.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain=

• 25 Percentile Points ITBS (middle of score range)

• 70 SAT Score Points

• 4 ACT Score Points

• Markedly Reduced Score Gaps

Largest Gain for Low Achievers

We know of NO OTHER WAY OF RAISING STANDARDS for which

such a strong case can be made on the basis of evidence of such large

learning gains.

-Black and Wiliam, 1998

Unprecedented Gains Achieved Through High Impact Practices:

• Increased descriptive feedback, reduce evaluative feedback (CASL Chs. 2, 7, 9)

• Increased student self- and peer- assessment (CASL Chs. 1, 2, 5, 11,12)

• Increased opportunities for student to communicate their evolving learning during the teaching (CASL Chs. 1, 9, 12)

Source: Inside the Black Box (Black & Wiliam)

Formative Assessment:Three Guiding Questions

• Where are you trying to go?

• Where are you now?

• How can you get there?

We must overcome the awful inertia of past decades.

Michael Fullan

Balanced Assessment Goal of SB 1

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

OF or FOR: Which is it?

• SAT• Thumbs up/Thumbs

down• Clickers• Final exam• Mid-week Quiz• An essay• Science Journals• Football Practice

• Science Experiment• Class Discussion• Socratic Seminar• Commercial online

skills assessment• Exit/Entrance Slip• A Speech• ACT• Band Tryouts

One More Look

• Examine the types of assessment on Table 3-3.

• Based on the descriptors, decide if the use is formative or summative.

Agree or Disagree

• Read the statements and mark whether you agree or disagree.

• Use pp 29-36 in the CASL book to check your answers.

• Please complete the after reading portion at the bottom of this sheet.

What’s the Rule?

• In light of the previous activities, develop your rule for determining if an assessment is formative or summative.

Five Attributes that Render FA Most Effective

• Learning Progression– Clearly articulated sub-goals of the ultimate

learning goal• Learning Goals and Criteria for Success• Descriptive Feedback

– Evidenced based feedback that is linked to the instructional outcomes and criteria for success

• Self- and Peer- Assessment• Collaboration

– Teachers and students are partners in learning.

Classroom VignettesExamples and Counter-examples

of FA• Individually, read vignette 1.

• Determine if FA practices are present and provide justification for your reasoning.

• Discuss with an elbow partner.

Classroom Vignettes AExamples and Counter-examples

of FA• Number off 2-5 at your table, if more than 4

people, keep numbering.• Read the vignette that corresponds to your

number.• Determine if FA practices are present or not

and justify your choice.• Starting with vignette 2, provide an overview

of your vignette, and share your justifications.• Compare your responses to the rationales

provided by the FAST/SCASS project through CCSSO.

Classroom Vignettes BFormative Assessment in Practice

• Read the first vignette.• Analyze your assigned vignettes using the 5

attributes of effective formative assessment and discuss with your table.

• Working in pairs, select 2 different vignettes from the seven that remain.

• Highlight where you see the attributes evidenced.• Provide a brief overview of your vignettes and

indicate how it aligned with the five attributes.• As each table pair shares, begin to look across

the vignettes and focus on ways one attribute appears across multiple vignettes.

Does your rule work?

• Thinking back to the vignettes you have discussed, did the formative assessment rule you developed earlier work?

• Modify your rule if necessary.

“Bubble” Probe

• How can the probe be used formatively?

• What FA attributes could be used with this probe to increase student achievement?

What about your own assessments?

• Examine the assessment examples/list that you have used.

• Which of these assessments were used formatively? Summatively?

• Do your formative assessments align with your rule?

• What changes may you need to make?

So What?• What are the implications for…..

– …Student Motivation?– …Assessment Literacy?– …Balanced Assessment?– …Instruction?

Formative Assessment

• Learning Target:– I can explain the

research on the benefits of FA.

– I can formulate a rule for formative assessment.

– I can evaluate assessment scenarios for FA attributes.

Next Meeting Prep:Educational Leadership

• Skim the article “Every Day in Every Classroom”.

• Select an assessment strategy that you have never used before.

• Utilize this strategy before the next meeting.

• Be prepared to discuss in March—bring student samples if appropriate.

The Plan for Today

Literacy Standards and EXPLORE

Models & Modeling

Content:Conservation

of Mass & Evidence for

Atoms

FormativeAssessment

For Next Time

• Our next meeting will be March 17th at the Morehead Conference Center.

• Read article Every Day in Every Classroom.

• Pick 1 strategy from article to try with students—bring back results to May meeting.