Sarah McManus, Ph.D.

Sarah McManus, Ph.D.Director, Learning Systems

NC Department of Public Instruction

Should formative assessment information collected during instruction and used to modify and improve instruction and student learning be used in educator evaluation?

Formative Assessment Works!

“The research evidence suggests that when formative assessment practices are integrated into the minute-to-minute and day-by-day classroom activities of teachers, substantial increases in student achievement—of the order of a 70 to 80 percent increase in the speed of learning—are possible, even when outcomes are measured with externally-mandated standardized tests.” (Leahy & Wiliam, 2012, p.15)

Effective Teachers

Use multiple indicators, both formative and summative, to monitor and evaluate student progress and to inform instruction

(NCDPI, 2010)

Formative Assessment Model

(NCDPI, 2010)

Aspects of formative assessment

Where the learner is going Where the learner is right now How to get there

Teacher Clarifying learning intentions and sharing and criteria for

success (1)

Engineering effective classroom discussions,

activities and tasks that elicit evidence of learning (2)

Providing feedback that moves

learners forward (3)

Peer Understanding and sharing learning intentions and criteria

for success (1)

Activating students as instructional resources for one another (4)

Learner Understanding learning intentions and criteria for

success (1)

Activating students as the owners of their own learning (5)

(Black & Wiliam, 2009)

Focus on Feedback not Results

• Teachers and students must be willing to take risks. Incomplete or partial understanding is acceptable and expected during the learning process.

• The feedback that students receive is more important than the answers or responses. Feedback is important and has a huge impact on student self-efficacy and motivation.

• Effective formative assessment does not involve evaluative feedback but instead provides information to the teacher and/or student about what to do next.

• The focus should be on the actions the student or teacher takes after analyzing the results not the information collected during instruction.

Focus on Actions After Information is Collected

• Little empirical research to support the use of a particular FA strategy in a particular context (Popham, 2009)

• Teachers need to be willing to try different strategies and determine what works best for their students in a particular context (Popham, 2009)

• Greatest benefits to students come from teachers becoming even more expert in their strengths (Leahy & Wiliam, 2012)

Teachers as Professionals

Assertions

• Formative assessment information should be used by teachers and students only

• Formative assessment should be low stakes rather than high stakes for students and/or teachers

• Formative assessment information is used to move learning forward and is outdated as soon as it is used

Should formative assessment information collected during instruction and used to modify and improve instruction and student learning be used in educator evaluation?

NO

Focus on “Supportive Accountability” (Leahy & Wiliam, 2012)

• Ongoing professional development• Coaching • Professional Learning Communities• Support from administration for time to

implement• Allow teachers to determine what formative

assessment strategies they want to try and when

“Teachers must view formative assessment as a worthwhile process that yields valuable and actionable information about students' learning. If they do not, formative assessment will be seen as "yet another thing" that is being externally imposed on them.”

(Heritage, 2007)