An overview of a variety of assessment types and alignment between stage 1 of curriculum mapping and stage 2 of assessments.

1. Assessments
MURSD

2. Learning Objectives
● To identify and self-assess the variety of assessments
available
● To clarify the differences between formative and
summative assessments
● To align curricular goals with assessments
● To outline the characteristics of performance tasks
and design a sample performance task

3. Activator: What key ideas jump out to you?
The focus in Stage 2 is "valid evidence" - making sure that what we assess
and how we assess follows logically from the Stage 1 goals. Assessing for
understanding requires evidence of the student's ability to insightfully
explain or interpret their learning - to "show their work" and to 'justify" or
"support" their performance/product with commentary.
Assessing for understanding also requires evidence of the student's ability
to apply their learning in new, varied, and realistic situations - "doing"
the subject as opposed to merely answering pat questions. UbD in a
Nutshell, Grant Wiggins 2006

4. Assessment is Tricky Business

6. The research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five,
deceptively simple, key factors:
1. the provision of effective feedback to pupils
2. the active involvement of pupils in their own learning
3. adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment
4. a recognition of the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and
self-esteem of pupils, both of which are crucial influences on learning
5. the need for pupils to be able to assess themselves and understand how to
improve.
Black, P. & Wiliam, D. 1999. Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box, Assessment Reform Group,
University of Cambridge, School of Education

7. Activity: Self-Assessment of Sources of Assessment Evidence

8. Formative Assessment
….is a process used by
teachers and students during
instruction that provides
feedback to adjust ongoing
teaching and learning to
improve students’
achievement of intended
instructional outcomes
(Popham, 2008, p. 5)

9. Brainstorm: What types of formative assessment do you use?

10. Examples of Formative Assessments
•Responders/clickers
•Use of whiteboards
•Conferencing: Individual or small group
•Discussion
•Do Now
•Exit slip/Admit Slip
•Games
•Graphic Organizers
•Kinesthetic
•Learning/Response Logs
•Observations
•Self-assessments
•Questions
•Think-pair share
•Visual Assessments
•Writer’s Notebook

11. Formative Assessment
● Would have 20-30 times as much positive
impact on learning than the most popular
current initiatives
● Are about 10 times more cost effective as
reducing class size
● Would add between 6 and 9 months of
additional learning growth per year
● Account for as much as 400 percent speed
of learning differences; students would
learn four times as fast as a result of its
consistent use (Schmoker, 2011, p. 61)

12. Summative Assessment
The goal of summative
assessment is to evaluate
student learning at the
end of an instructional
unit by comparing it
against some standard or
benchmark (Carnegie
Mellon, 2013).

13. What do we need to assess?

14. How to tell if you’re thinking like an assessor?
Assessors ask:
● What would be sufficient and revealing
evidence of understanding?
● Given the goals, what performance tasks
must anchor the unit and focus the
instructional work?
● What are the different types of evidence
required by Stage 1?
● Against what criteria will we appropriately
consider work and assess levels of
quality?
● Did the assessments revela and
distinguish those who really understood
from those who only seemed to?
● Am I clear on the reasons behind learner
mistakes?
Activity designers ask?
● What would be fun and interesting
activities on this topic?
● What projects might students wish to do
on this topic?
● What tests should I give, based on the
content taught?
● How will I give students a grade and
(justify it to their parents)?
● How well did the activities work?
● How did the students do on the test?

16. What Does the Goal Imply for Assessments?
Established Goals
Content (nouns) Process
(verbs)
Understandings Task and
prompt ideasActivity: What Does the Goal Imply for Assessment? Read through the samples and then
pick a goal from your own curriculum and go through the process to tasks.

17. Assessment Plan

18. Performance Tasks Activity
Examine the performance task vignettes in the
packet.
What distinguishes these tasks from typical test
items?
What common features or characteristics do
these share?
List characteristics or features that you observe.

19. Characteristics of Performance Tasks
● Contextualize it to a real-world situation
● Require students to use judgment and innovation
● Call for exploration of the subject like a professional in the field
● Replicate challenging situations in which people are truly tested in life and
work
● Compel students to use a repertoire of knowledge and skill to negotiate a
task
● Allow opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, get feedback,
and refine performance

20. GRASPS--
How to structure a performance task activity
Goal:
Role:
Audience
Situation
Product/Performance/Purpose:
Standards/Criteria for Success: