This document summarizes key points from a session on standards-based assessment for an elementary school. It discusses defining assessment, features of standards-based assessment like tagging assessments to specific standards and using assessments to differentiate instruction. It also covers rubrics, including their purposes and characteristics of effective rubrics. Sample writing criteria and a self-assessment tool for developing curriculum leadership skills are also included.

1. SEOUL FOREIGN SCHOOL
ELEMENTARY SESSION
18 October 8-9:30 AM
Requests:
 Planning for change
 Standards based assessment
 Rubrics, skills
 Who?
WHAT CHANGES ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT?
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT?
ASSESSMENT IS…
Fundamentally…
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 1 Elementary School

2. STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT FEATURES
 Each assessment task is designed to collect evidence of one or more specific standards and benchmarks.
 Every assessment task is ‘tagged’ with the standards it assesses.
 Feedback is given to the learner on each standard.
 If a score or grade is required, one is given and recorded for each standard.
 Learning experiences following assessment are driven by the result for each standards and therefore
differentiated.
 Assessment tasks are designed before teaching begins.
 Learning results are recorded and reported by standard rather than as a holistic grade for a subject
 A bank of ‘anchor samples’, representing ‘meeting the standard’ are maintained and used for grade level
moderation and continuously shared vertically.
 Strategies are in place both for those who are struggling to meet standards as well as for those who have
already met them
RUBRICS
A rubric is:
Two purposes:
Holistic Analytic
A rubric should: Myth Truth
1. Always have an even number of performance levels.
2. Be written using real work samples as a guide.
3. Describe the most essential features of the task
4. Describe genuine excellence.
5. Use educational language as understood by teachers.
6. Be used for self-assessment after the teacher has evaluated the work.
http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/ http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 2 Elementary School

3. ELEMENTARY CRITERIA FOR EXCELLENT WRITING
1. I used many interesting words.
• • • • • •
2. Every sentence starts with a different word.
• • • • • •
3. When people read my writing, they are interested and don’t seem bored.
• • • • • •
4. I know I was clear because when I ask the reader questions, he can answer
them correctly.
• • • • • •
5. My spelling made it easy for the reader to read my work.
• • • • • •
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 3 Elementary School

4. CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP TOOL BOX
DEVELOPING THE CURRICULUM
How do I best lead the development of the curriculum in my team?
CAN I: Yes Not
yet
1. Lead the process of writing or confirming what learning outcomes will form the
curriculum in my department/grade level?
2. Provide guidance and advice on how to write each part of a unit plan or scheme of
work?
3. Lead and advise on the process of aligning assessments with curricular intended
learnings?
IMPLEMENTING CURRICULUM
How do I best lead the process of implementing the curriculum?
CAN I: Yes Not
Yet
1. Lead the process of helping team members establish a shared understanding of what
‘meeting standards’ looks like?
2. Provide team members guidance on differentiating instruction so all can achieve the
intended learning outcomes?
3. Lead the process of defining and monitoring essential instructional strategies for our
department or grade level?
4. Lead the process of creating common assessments across our department or grade
level?
5. Ensure the team always has access to the latest research on teaching and learning in
our subject/grade level?
6. Model teaching strategies relevant to the curricular areas our team is responsible
for?
MONITORING THE CURRICULUM
How do I best lead the process of ensuring that students are achieving curricular standards?
Can I: Yes Not
yet
1. Lead the process of adopting and using protocols for regularly looking at student work
within our department/grade level?
2. Lead and advise on the process of analyzing learning results, including classroom and
common assessments and making decisions about what to do with the data, including
how to modify the curriculum?
3. Provide meaningful feedback to team members on specific teaching and assessment
strategies?
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 4 Elementary School

5. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES RUBRIC
SUPPORT LEARNING FOR FEW STUDENTS SUPPORT LEARNING FOR SOME STUDENTS SUPPORT LEARNING FOR MOST STUDENTS
COLLECTING EVIDENCE OF LEARNING
1. The majority of assessments are a poor 1. There is a general sense that assessment should align 1. All assessments are aligned with the intended learning
match for the learning being assessed. with learning but the practice is random. (standards/benchmarks).
2. There is rarely reference to specific intended 2. While not a required practice, most teachers list the 2. Tasks routinely collect evidence of the most important
learning on chunk assessment tasks. learning standards to be assessed on each ‘chunk’ learning.
3. Written tests are the norm even for assessment. 3. Assessments tasks are routinely designed ahead of
learnings which are not readily assessed 3. Assessments may occasionally assess learning that was teaching.
this way. not taught... 4. Many tasks assess ‘in context’.
4. Assessment tasks are rarely differentiated. 4. There is a wide range of assessment in use, but more for 5. Curriculum documents include a full repertoire of on-going
5. Assessments tasks are misaligned with what the sake of variety than alignment. assessment tasks for teacher to select from.
was taught in the classroom. 5. Differentiated tasks are evident in some classrooms. 6. All ‘chunk’ assessments are clearly tagged with the
6. Common assessments are non-existent. 6. Some grade level teams and departments are using intended learning, drawn from the school wide set of
7. Assessment takes are often design only after common assessments, but there are few guidelines. intended leaning (standards/benchmarks).
a unit has been taught. 7. Contextual tasks are in use only sparingly. 7. Assessment tasks are regularly differentiated.
8. Pre-assessment is non-existent. 8. Pre-assessment is administered only very occasionally – 8. There is a clear ‘map’ of common assessment tasks.
9. There is little or no ongoing-assessment. no policy requires it. 9. Pre-assessment is routine.
9. On-going assessment is in place by some teachers, but 10. Most teachers use on-going assessment strategies ( no
the deeper understanding that it is an enabler for hands up, exit cards, one minute essay. etc) routinely and
learning is not widespread. show from their practice that they understand it essential
role; policy is in place and monitored that commits all to
routine use.
FEEDBACK TO LEARNERS
1. There are no protocols guiding the timing, type of 1. The role of feedback is understood by some. 1. There are clear protocols guiding the timing and type of
required use of feedback. 2. Some protocols are in place to guide its use. required feedback.
2. Assessment is viewed largely as a way to audit 3. A suggested time frame for the return of work may be in 2. Clear guidelines for the return of work are in place.
learning, not as an improvement process. place. 3. Teachers fully understand that learning cannot happen
3. Grades are viewed as adequate feedback for most 4. Some teachers may be recording anecdotal evidence from without feedback.
learning. their informal feedback. 4. Learners are consistently given feedback they can act on
5. There may be a list of suggested ways of offering and are permitted by policy to do so WITHOUT PENALTY.
feedback. 5. Feedback is at the center of the discussions about
6. Grades are often a preferred form of feedback, with other improving assessment.
forms used at teacher discretion.
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 5 Elementary School

6. EVALUATING EVIDENCE
1. Learners typically are unaware of learning 1. Many teachers use criteria and rubrics, but there are no 1. Learners are fully aware of what is expected of them.
expectations. school wide guidelines. 2. Learners are full participants in the evaluation process.
2. Learners are heavily reliant on teachers to know 2. Self assessment is occasionally a feature on tasks. 3. Exemplars, rubrics and criteria are in routine use and given
if and to what extent they are learning. 3. Exemplars are inn use but there is disagreement about to students ahead of teaching.
3. Teachers use their own criteria to determine whether they stifle creativity. 4. There are shared rubrics for trans disciplinary outcomes.
‘grades’. 4. Department and grade level teams have established some 5. There are clear guidelines on what is meant by each ‘grade’
4. Grade averaging and the use of zeros are guidelines for what grades mean. and continual examination of work products and processes
widespread. 5. Individual teaches may give learners ‘second chances’ but to refresh understanding.
5. Although there is a school-wide grading scheme, there are no guidelines, 6. There is no grade averaging or use of zeros in grading.
there is no common understanding of what each 6. Many learners would say that teachers are pretty much in 7. There is as much emphasis student dispositions as on
grade represents charge of the evaluation process. academic learning.
6. Only academic, easy to assess learning is 7. Most of the learning evaluated is based in the curricular 8. Self-assessment is a standard, required feature for all
evaluated. standards. assessment.
7. 'No second chances' is the predominant theme. 8. Learners occasionally have second opportunities to show 9. Evaluation is ALWAYS criteria-based – comparing learning
8. ‘Penalty’ is a strong part of the assessment ethos. their learning, but it is not routine. to the curricular standards.
9. There is a sense that learning is less successful in a culture 10. Learners routinely, by policy, have second and third
of penalty, but practice is random. opportunities to show evidence of their learning WITHOUT
PENALTY.
RECORDING EVIDENCE
1. There is no systematic process for recording 1. Grade levels/departments have agreed on similar ways to 1. There is a full, systematic, shared process for recording
evidence of learning. Teachers feel they need to record learning. evidence of learning.
generate grades just to have something to report 2. Many teachers may keep anecdotal records. 2. Teachers record only the evidence which fully supports
on. 3. Teacher may still be struggling with how much to record. progress.
2. Records are kept according to types of tasks 4. Teachers are recording evidence of learning primarily by 3. Records are kept according to learning standards.
rather than types of learning. task type, not specific learning. 4. There are a variety of forms of record keeping addressing
3. Records are often sparse. 5. Records of dispositions and big understandings are sparse the four types of learning.
4. Records are often just mechanical. but attempted. 5. There is a clear distinction between work that is strong
5. Assignments are often considered full assessments evidence of learning and work that is practice.
COMMUNICATING EVIDENCE
1. Results of learning are given on single subjects. 1. Traditional reporting processes are in place (report cards 1. All forms of reporting are based on specific learning.
2. Reports are frequently made when it is too late at set time, progress reports, parent conferences.) 2. Learning results are communicated when then is still time
to make adjustments 2. Set report times, rather than learner needs, drive the to act on them.
3. Results of assessment are commonly misused. reporting practice. 3. Learning results are consistently used to modify teaching.
4. Learning results are typically not used to adjust 3. Most reporting processes are aimed at parents, possibly 4. All reports are’ action’ oriented, suggesting next steps for
teaching, next schools. learners and teachers.
Seoul Foreign School Oct. 2012 6 Elementary School