Carol Murray, Principal Residency Network April 8, 2009

Understanding Assessment 1

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Part One Understanding the Complexities of Learning Framing Assessment for Learning Using Standards to Guide Learning and Teaching

Understanding the Complexities of Learning

Framing Assessment for Learning

Using Standards to Guide Learning and Teaching

Complexities of Learning Holdaway, 1986 Pg. 19 Instructing Supporting Enabling Coaching Arranging Environment Monitoring, Recording Providing Feedback, Accepting, Nudging, Celebrating Role Playing Investigating Practicing Adjusting Recording Performing Reflecting Celebrating Demonstrating with models Inducing/Inviting Involvement Observing Participating Questioning Teacher Roles Learner Roles

Four Learning Styles Sensing Thinking Feeling Intuition Jung in Silver, Strong and Perini (2000) Pg. 21 Intuition—Feeling- Self Expressive Style Curious, Insightful, and imaginative. Dare to dream, committed to their values, open to alternatives Intuition-Thinking— Understanding Style Theoretical, intellectual, knowledge-oriented. Prefer to be challenged intellectually and to think things through themselves. Sensing-Feeling—Interpersonal Style Sociable, friendly, and interpersonally oriented. Sensitive to people’s feelings—their own and those of others. Prefer to learn things that directly affect people’s lives, rather than impersonal facts or theories. Sensing-Thinking—Mastery Style Realistic, Practical, Matter of Fact. Efficient, results oriented, prefer actions to words and involvement to theory. High energy for doing things that are pragmatic, logical and useful

Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner, (1993) & Armstrong (2000) Pg. 23 Intrapersonal Intelligence Naturalist Intelligence Interpersonal Intelligence Logical Mathematical Intelligence Spatial Intelligence Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence Linguistic Intelligence Musical Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence “… the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” Daniel Goldman, 1998 Pg. 24

“… the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.”

Daniel Goldman, 1998

Pg. 24

Framing Assessment for Learning How do we know the learning occurs? How do we know that our teaching matters? What standards do we set for teaching and learning? How can a growing and understanding of teaching and learning help teachers to create new strategies and enriched environments so that learning is nurtured for both the learner and the teacher?

How do we know the learning occurs?

How do we know that our teaching matters?

What standards do we set for teaching and learning?

How can a growing and understanding of teaching and learning help teachers to create new strategies and enriched environments so that learning is nurtured for both the learner and the teacher?

Stefanakis, 1998 Assessment is not an end in itself. It is a process that facilitates appropriate instructional decisions by providing information on two fundamental questions: How are we (teacher and learner) doing? How can we do better?

Assessment is not an end in itself. It is a

process that facilitates appropriate instructional

decisions by providing information on two

fundamental questions:

How are we (teacher and learner) doing?

How can we do better?

Framing Assessment for Learning Assessment Evaluation Judgment Pg. 31

Using Standards to Guide Learning and Teaching Are the benchmarks for students aligned with the experience level and context of the learner? Performance Standards What tasks should students be able to do? Developmental Standards What is worthy and rigorous work? Task (Work-design) Standards How are the curriculum and instructional activities organized to help students gain knowledge and skill in a particular domain? Curriculum Standards What should students know and be able to do? Content Standards

Four Keys to Effective Teaching and Learning Keys to Learning, Teaching and Assessment Understanding Students Human Development Standards for Learning Teacher Knowledge And Skill

Part Two: Doing Assessment 2

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Part Two: Doing Assessment Teacher Records-Harnessing the Power of Observations Student Records-Transforming Student Work into Evidence of Student Learning Portfolios: Organizing the Evidence of Learning Assessment in Practice: Six Strategies

Teacher Records-Harnessing the Power of Observations

Student Records-Transforming Student Work into Evidence of Student Learning

Portfolios: Organizing the Evidence of Learning

Assessment in Practice: Six Strategies

Harnessing the Power of Observation “ How can we better harness the power of daily observation in the service of learning, teaching, and assessment?” “ How can we document our observations so that we can revisit them on our own and with colleagues?”

“ How can we better harness the power of daily observation in the service of learning, teaching, and assessment?”

“ How can we document our observations so that we can revisit them on our own and with colleagues?”

Strategies Descriptive Reviews Teaching Journals Documentation as a Means for Making Learning Visible Observation Protocols for Looking at Student Work

Descriptive Reviews

Teaching Journals

Documentation as a Means for Making Learning Visible

Observation Protocols for Looking at Student Work

Achievement Targets Knowledge and Understanding Skills and Products Dispositions or Habits of Mind ______________________________________ Clear, Practical, Purposeful, Developmentally Appropriate, Reflective of Multiple Intelligences, Matched to the Assessment Method and Context

Knowledge and Understanding

Skills and Products

Dispositions or Habits of Mind

______________________________________

Clear, Practical, Purposeful, Developmentally Appropriate, Reflective of Multiple Intelligences, Matched to the Assessment Method and Context

Classroom Assessment Methods

Richard Stiggins and Assessment Training Institute Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right, Using it Well by Rick Stiggins, Judith Arter, Stephen Chappuis, and Jan Chappuis

Kinds of Portfolios Academic Discipline Project Portfolio Collaborative or Group Portfolio Anthology Portfolio

Academic Discipline

Project Portfolio

Collaborative or Group

Portfolio

Anthology Portfolio

Assessment in Practice: Six Strategies Observing and Documenting Planning Backward: From Desired Results to Teaching/Learning Experiences Developing Sound Assessment Tasks Making Expectations Visible: Scoring Guides Providing Feedback Incorporating Self-Assessment

Observing and Documenting

Planning Backward: From Desired Results to Teaching/Learning Experiences

Developing Sound Assessment Tasks

Making Expectations Visible: Scoring Guides

Providing Feedback

Incorporating Self-Assessment

Planning Backward: Steps in the Design Process Establish Essential Learning Goals and Standards Search for Big Ideas and Essential Questions Identify Assessment Tasks: What should students know and be able to do. Create Learning Episodes: The building blocks of learning Plan and Present Demonstrations, Performances, or Exhibitions Review and Reflect on the Assessment and on Teaching and Learning: Polish your strategies

Establish Essential Learning Goals and Standards

Search for Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Identify Assessment Tasks: What should students know and be able to do.

Create Learning Episodes: The building blocks of learning

Plan and Present Demonstrations, Performances, or Exhibitions

Review and Reflect on the Assessment and on Teaching and Learning: Polish your strategies

Criteria for Assessment Tasks Authenticity Credibility Validity Reliability Feasibility User-Friendliness Fairness

Making Expectations Visible Scoring Guides Rubrics Feedback Self-Assessment

Scoring Guides

Rubrics

Feedback

Self-Assessment

Creating Assessment Systems 3

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Part Three: Creating Assessment Systems Building an Assessment System A School-Based System of Assessment at Work Communicating about the Learning District and State Assessment and Evaluation Programs One School’s Story

Building an Assessment System

A School-Based System of Assessment at Work

Communicating about the Learning

District and State Assessment and Evaluation Programs

One School’s Story

Professional Learning Communities As noted in Successful School Restructuring: A Report to the Public Educators, “the point of (this) research was to learn how the tools of restructuring can be used to elevate learning for all students. There is no ‘ magic bullet’ or simple recipe for success. But the solution lies in the circles of support” (Newmann and Wehlage, 1995) External Support School Organizational Capacity Authentic Pedagogy Student Learning Pg. 146

As noted in Successful School Restructuring: A Report to the Public

Educators, “the point of (this) research was to learn how the tools of

restructuring can be used to elevate learning for all students. There is no

‘ magic bullet’ or simple recipe for success. But the solution lies in the

circles of support” (Newmann and Wehlage, 1995)

Communication Partnerships Leadership Time for Differentiated Staffing and Scheduling Formal Reporting Structures (Family Conferences, Progress Reports, Report Cards—Alternatives)

Partnerships

Leadership

Time for Differentiated Staffing and Scheduling

Formal Reporting Structures (Family Conferences, Progress Reports, Report Cards—Alternatives)

District & State Assessment and Evaluation Programs Data “ What more do we need to know for understanding and improving learning?” Triangulation Use Three Sources of Data Disaggregation Separate data into its component parts Aggregation Review and combine individual pieces of data to search for a composite picture or trends. Scaling Up Use school-based collections of primary or secondary source data to create a bigger picture in the district.

Data

“ What more do we need to know for understanding and improving learning?”

Triangulation Use Three Sources of Data

Disaggregation Separate data into its component parts

Aggregation Review and combine individual pieces of data to search for a composite picture or trends.

Scaling Up Use school-based collections of primary or secondary source data to create a bigger picture in the district.

Principal’s Role Instructional Leader Create a strong school-based process of curriculum development and review Support professional conversations Develop internal accountability structures Study external accountability measures Integrate into the curriculum strategies for “test-wiseness” Conduct a collaborative review of test results Communicate with families Remain focused

Instructional Leader

Create a strong school-based process of curriculum development and review

Support professional conversations

Develop internal accountability structures

Study external accountability measures

Integrate into the curriculum strategies for “test-wiseness”

Conduct a collaborative review of test results

Communicate with families

Remain focused

Conclusion This book provides a very practical hands on approach for thinking about assessment in schools. There are a lot of useful charts and diagrams, which I attempted to replicate in some instances. The book references many resources (one of which I included—Richard Stiggins’, Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right, Using it Well as we have used it at YA and found it quite helpful.

This book provides a very practical hands on approach for thinking about assessment in schools.

There are a lot of useful charts and diagrams, which I attempted to replicate in some instances.

The book references many resources (one of which I included—Richard Stiggins’, Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Doing It Right, Using it Well as we have used it at YA and found it quite helpful.