John Cronin's presentation on the seven principles for maximizing student assessment systems

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2. The pursuit of compliance is exhausting
because it is always a moving target.
Governors move on, the party in power gets
replaced, a new president is elected, and all
want to put their own stamp on education.
It is saner and less exhausting to define your
own course and align compliance
requirements to that.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPLIANCE-BASED
ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS

4. Control of the assessment system is assumed to be external – tests
are mandated and not chosen.

5. Assessments are focused on accountability and are
perceived as punitive

6. Learning goals are focused on achieving
compliance (making AYP)

7. The district’s assessment program changes
anytime federal and state mandates change.

8. Number of annual instructional hours
required in school for students in grades 6-8
990

9. Number of hours required to administer the
Smarter Balanced Assessment summative
assessment in grades 6-8
9.0

10. ESTIMATED TIME DEVOTED TO TEST
PREPARATION IN ONE MID-WESTERN
SCHOOL SYSTEM
Nelson, H. (2013). Testing More Teaching Less. What America’s Obsession with Student Testing Costs in Terms

11. DAYS NEEDED TO COMPLETE PARCC TESTING
300 STUDENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Source: 2013 PARCC Assessment Administration Capacity Tool

12. DAYS NEEDED TO COMPLETE PARCC TESTING
900 STUDENT MIDDLE SCHOOL

13. Seven prinicples to guide maximizing your
student assessment system

14. The 7 princples underlying maximized assessment
systems
1.The purposes of all assessments are defined and the assessments are valid
and useful for their purposes.
2.Teachers are educated in the proper administration and application of the
assessments used in their classrooms.
3.Assessment results are aligned to the needs of their audiences.
4.The metrics and incentives used encourage a focus on all learners.
5.Redundant, mis-aligned, or unused assessments are eliminated.
6.Assessment results are delivered in a timely and useful manner.
7.The assessment program contributes to a climate of transparency and
objectivity with a long-term focus.

15. The purposes of all assessments are
defined and the assessments are valid
and useful for their purposes. 1

16. Typical assessment purposes
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17. QUESTIONS TEACHERS WANT ANSWERED
FROM ASSESSMENT
• What does each student know and not know?
• What does this student need to learn next?
• What resources will help this student?
• How can I group these students for instruction?

18. Teachers are educated in the proper
administration and application of the
assessments used in their classrooms. 2

19. Assessment results are aligned to the
needs of their audiences. 3

20. Assessment audiences
• School Board
• Students
• Teachers
• Parents
• Principals, school administrators, and teacher
leaders
• District Administrators
• Community members
• State and federal officials

21. IT’S GOOD TO KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

22. WHAT KIND OF DATA TO PARENTS WANT?
Source – Northwest Evaluation Association (2012) – NWEA Assessment Perceptions
Study. Survey conducted by Grunwald Associates LLC

23. QUESTIONS PARENTS WANT ANSWERED FROM
ASSESSMENT
• Core question – Do you know and care for
my child?
• What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses?
• Is my child on track for the next grade?
• Is my child on track for college?
• Is my child showing improvement?
• Should I be concerned?

24. QUESTIONS BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS WANT
ANSWERED FROM ASSESSMENT
• Which students are struggling with school?
• Which students are not showing progress?
• Which grade levels/teachers are particularly
effective or ineffective?
• How can we correct problems before or as they
occur?

25. The metrics and incentives used
4encourage a focus on all learners.

26. Three reasons why metrics matter
1. They frame problems

27. Why metrics matter
2. They influence public
perceptions of schools

28. WHY METRICS MATTER
3. They incentivize behavior

29. Case #1 - No Child Left Behind
…is responsible for
redefining the
term BUBBLE KID.

30. One district’s change in 5th grade math
performance relative to Kentucky cut scores

31. One district’s change in 5th grade math
performance relative to Kentucky cut scores

32. Case #2
Misidentification of
problems

33. CHANGE IN PROFICIENCY LEVEL CUT SCORES ON THE NEW
YORK STATE MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT.

34. MAP MATHEMATICS GRADE 5 MEANS SPRING
2012- SPRING 2013
Spring 2012 Spring 2013
District 1 226.9 229.7
District 2 226.1 230.7
District 3 232.4 240.6
District 4 227.0 228.3
District 5 208.6 212.1

35. ESTIMATED CHANGE IN MAP GRADE 5 ESTIMATED
PROFICIENCY RATES IN MATH – BASED ON OLD AND NEW CUT
SCORES
Actual Change Change if 2012 and 2013 used the
current cut score
Spring 2012 Spring 2013 Spring 2012 Spring 2013
District 1 88% 40% 36% 40%
District 2 85% 44% 34% 44%
District 3 91% 72% 51% 72%
District 4 86% 40% 34% 40%
District 5 36% 7% 5% 7%

37. Redundant, mis-aligned, or unused
5assessments are eliminated.

38. Assessment results are delivered in a
6timely and useful manner.

39. The assessment program contributes to
a climate of transparency and objectivity
with a long-term focus 7

40. MEDIAN ACHIEVEMENT IN TWO SCHOOLS

41. PROPORTION OF INVALID TESTS

42. There is value in learning
from past experience