This document discusses the importance of formative assessment in informing instruction. It provides examples of formative assessment strategies like observations, questioning, peer review, and exit tickets. Formative assessment improves teaching and learning by allowing teachers to modify instruction based on evidence of student understanding. When used strategically, formative assessment helps both students and teachers recognize gaps and take actions to improve. An effective balanced assessment system utilizes ongoing formative assessment to anchor units, guide instruction, and differentiate for student needs.

1. Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Vanguard Support Team
Balanced Assessment

2.  Explore the vital role of ongoing, formative
assessment within a unit of study
 Identify and review examples of ongoing
assessment intended to inform instruction
 Consider opportunities for employing a
variety of ongoing assessment pieces within a
unit of study
 Review protocols for examining student work

3.  Ongoing assessment informs instructional
planning and the need for differentiation.
 Ongoing assessment tasks anchor curricular
units and guide instruction.
 The use of ongoing assessment enables a
teacher to modify learning opportunities
presented to students.

4.  How can ongoing, formative assessment
inform instructional planning and needed
differentiation?
 What ongoing assessment tasks will anchor
curricular units and guide instruction?
 When should a teacher use formative
assessment as a measure of student
understanding?

5. Strategic Goal:
Recognizing that the long range goal of the
VBCPS is the successful preparation and
graduation of every student, the near term
goals is that by 2015, 95% or more of VBCPS
students will graduate having mastered the
skills that they need to succeed as 21st
century learners, workers, and citizens.
Compass to 2015

6. Strategic Objective # 2
VBCPS will develop and implement a balanced
assessment system that accurately reflects
student demonstration and mastery of VBCPS
outcomes for student success.

7. STUDENTS
Resilience
7

8. “Teach, Test, and Hope for the
Best?”
Discuss with a shoulder partner:
How do teachers typically assess students’
understanding? Where does ongoing,
formative assessment fit into this process?
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

9. Thinking Like an Assessor
Question 1:
What kind of evidence do
we need?
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

10. Question 2:
Does the proposed evidence enable
us to infer a student’s knowledge,
skill, or understanding?
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

11. Question 3:
What specific characteristics in
student responses, products, or
performances should we examine?
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

12. ACTIVITY
# 1

13.  Choose a Virginia Beach Objective (VBO) from
your content area.
 What product or performance would you
choose to assess the VBO?
 What should the student work exhibit?
Now, discuss with a shoulder partner:
How would you utilize the student work to
inform and modify your instruction?

14.  Provides information to guide teaching and
learning.
 Includes formal and informal methods such
as quizzes, oral questioning, observations
and reviews of draft work.
 Improves instructional methods and student
feedback throughout the teaching and
learning process.
 Used to modify and validate instruction.
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

15. What do the experts say?
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2091

16.  Informs both teachers and students about
student understanding at a point when timely
adjustments can be made
 Helps teachers determine next steps during
the learning process as the instruction
approaches the summative assessment of
student learning
 Ensures that students achieve, targeted
standards-based learning goals within a set
time frame
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

17.  Observation
 Questioning
 Discussion
 Entrance/Exit Tickets
 Learner Response Logs
 Peer Review
 Think-Pair-Share
 Four Corners
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

18. “Looking at Patterns in Student Work”
 Everyone in the group brings samples of
student work.
 Pass the work around in a circle; look for
patterns, contradictions, and themes.
 Share questions raised and discuss
implications for refinement of practice.
 Establish next steps.
www.nsrfharmony.org

19. “Suggestions for Bringing Student Work for
Equity Conversations”
 Teacher brings student work along with a
“genuine inquiry” question related to equity.
(Example: Is there evidence that the rigor I
hoped for exists in this assignment?)
 The teacher then reflects on answers and
defines next steps.
www.nsrfharmony.org

20.  Feedback given (as part of formative
assessment) helps learners become aware of
gaps between their desired goals and their
current knowledge, understanding, or skill.
 Feedback leads students to the actions
necessary to achieve their learning goals.
 Formative assessment through self-
evaluation helps students monitor their own
growth.
McTighe and Wiggins 2004

21. ACTIVITY
# 2

22.  Think about a recent time when you
praised a student.
 Describe the student’s task and the
praise you gave.
 Analyze your recognition as effective
or ineffective according to Robert
Marzano’s “Guidelines for Effective
and Ineffective Praise.”
Marzano 2001

23. Discuss with a partner: How do these
understandings support a balanced
assessment system within your classroom?
 Ongoing assessment informs instructional
planning and the need for differentiation.
 Ongoing assessment tasks anchor curricular
units and guide instruction.
 The use of ongoing assessment enables a
teacher to modify learning opportunities
presented to students.

24. "The art of teaching is the art
of assisting discovery."
~Mark Van Doren

25. Chappuis, S., & Chappuis, J. (2007/2008, December/January). The best value in
formative assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 14-18. Retrieved October 28,
2010 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/dec07/vol65/num04/The-Best-Value-in-Formative-Assessment.aspx
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that
works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Popham, W. J. (2009, April). A process—not a test. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 85-
86., 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from
http://www.ped.state.nm.us/QualityAssuranceSystemsIntegration/dl09%20/ELL%20
Summit/A%20Process-%20Not%20a%20Test.pdf
Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (expanded 2nd edition).
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Wren, D. G. (2008). Research brief: Using formative assessment to increase learning.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from
http://www.vbschools.com/accountability/research_briefs/ResearchBriefFormAssmt
Final.pdf