Diagnostic-Assessment usually carried out prior to instruction that is designed to determine a student’s attitude, skills, or knowledge in order to identify specific student needs.

Formative-Assessment designed to provide direction for improvement and/or adjustment to a program for individual students or for a whole class (e.g., quizzes, initial drafts/attempts, homework, and questions during instruction).

Summative-Assessment designed to provide information about a student’s achievement at the end of a period of instruction (e.g., test, exams, final drafts/attempts, assignments, projects, performances).

(O’Connor, 2002)

Common Elements

Focused on expectations Engaging for student Enhance students’ knowledge and

skills

(O’Connor, 2002)

How interested are students in the concept? How prepared are students for learning new

ideas? What preconceptions do students bring to

their learning? How do student ideas develop or change

with instruction? How do students make sense of their new

ideas? How do students use concepts and skills in

a new context?

Stage in Assessment Cycle Type of Assessment

Engagement and Readiness Diagnostic Formative

Eliciting Prior Knowledge Diagnostic Formative

Exploration and Discovery Formative

Concept and Skill Development Formative

Concept and Skill Transfer Formative and Summative

Reflection and Self-Assessment Formative

(Keely, 2008)

FormativeFormative SummativeSummativeIntroduction or practice for students learning knowledge and/or skills

Students demonstrate knowledge/skill on which they have had opportunity to practice

Introduce criteria, allow for feedback, self-assessment, and guided practice

Are based on known criteria

Focus on individual or group learning

Focus primarily on individual student performance

(O’Connor, 2002)(O’Connor, 2002)

FormativeFormative SummativeSummative

May be narrow in focus- introduce or provide practice for specific skills and knowledge

Usually broader- integrate important skills and knowledge

Information for report card comments

Information for report card grades and comments

Not used toward a grade

(O’Connor, 2002)(O’Connor, 2002)

Counts toward grade

F F F F S F F F F

Comments ONLY FeedbackHinge QuestionsNo Hands UpTraffic LightsTicket out, 3-2-1Class/Team DiscussionsOpportunities for ReflectionOpportunities for RevisionUse of Rubrics and Exemplars

264 low and high ability grade 6 students in 12 classes in 4 schools; analysis of 132 students at top and bottom of each class

Same teaching, same aims, same teachers, same classwork

Three kinds of feedback: scores, comments, scores+comments

[Butler, Br. J. Educ. Psychology]

Feedback Gain Attitudescores none top +ve

bottom -ve

comments 30% all +ve

both none top +vebottom -ve

Hinge Questions: Hinge Questions: Checking UnderstandingChecking Understanding

R

E

F Fulcrum

Effort

Resistance

First ClassLever

Second ClassLever

Third Class Lever

F

ER

F

E

R

F

E R

Lab Stations Classroom Seating in Triads Lab Stations

Research shows that students who receive written comments on their work have greater achievement than those that are given letter grades or those that receive letter grades and comments. For this reason, student work will be read and comments will be placed on the work. These comments are intended to coach the students towards greater achievement of the content standards. These comments will be specifically focused on how to improve learning and achievement. Traffic lights will be placed on the assignments to let students know if they are on target or in need of remediation.Green Your work shows that you understand what was

taught up to this point in time.

Yellow You made some mistakes and may not understand everything at this time. Read the written comments and see me for help as needed.

Red Your work shows a lack of understanding. Get help ASAP!

(Clymer and Wiliam, 2006/07)

4 Advanced = The student regularly exceeds learning target by doing at least one of the following over time:   

break content into its components, make connections, apply learning target to a new

situation, offer alternative perspectivesemploy other higher order thinking

skills

ItemTopic or

Proficiency Right WrongSimple

Mistake?Really Don’t

Understand

1 Dividing fractions

2 Dividing Fractions

3 Multiplying Fractions

4 Multiplying fractions

5 Reducing to Smplst trms

6 Reducing to Smplst trms

7Reciprocals

8Reciprocals

9Reciprocals

(Wormeli, 2008)

Reflection on Previous Work: Learning From Our Mistakes!

Look over the teacher comments and/or rubric scoring for similar assignment you have already completed this year. Before you start the new assignment, answer the following questions.

What aspect of your work was most effective? What aspect of your work was least effective? What will you do differently this time to improve your

performance?

What feedback from a previous assignment supports the changes you propose? (Copy the teacher comment or rubric descriptor word for word. Tell from which assignment this feedback comes. )

Corrective Activity  With the Teacher 

With a Friend 

By Oneself 

Reteaching  X 

Individual Tutoring  X  X 

Peer Tutoring  X 

Cooperative Teams  X 

Course Textbooks  X  X  X 

Alternative Textbooks  X  X  X 

Workbooks and Study Guides  X  X  X 

Academic Games  X  X  X 

Learning Kits  X  X 

Learning Centers and Laboratories  X  X 

Computer Activities  X  X  (Gusky, 2007/08)

Key:M=masteryP=proficientD=developing

(O’ Connor, 2002)

Thinking Like an Assessor Thinking Like an Activity Designer

What would be sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding?

What would be interesting and engaging activities on this topic?

What performance tasks must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work?

What resources and materials are available on this topic?

How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand and those who don’t (though they may seem to)?

What will students be doing in and out of class? What assignments well be given?

Against what criteria will I distinguish work?

How will I give students a grade (and justify it to their parents)?

What misunderstandings are likely? How will I check for those?

Did the activities work? Why or why not?

(Wiggins and McTighe, 1998)

 

List of Unit concepts and applications

Working toward development of concept understanding and refining skills. Needs more practice and further study.

Demonstrating proficient skills and understanding of concept applications to a satisfactory level

Concept understanding at efficient level to perform well on AP exam. (Solid skill background)

EVALUATION LEVEL DEVELOPING APPLY - APPLY APPLY +

AP READY

Types of Variables (Identify and explain appropriate applications)Identify types of variables

Measures of Center (descriptions & resistancy to outliers)MeanMedianModeTrimmed Mean

Measures of Center (Calculating with and without a calculator)MeanMedianModeTrimmed Mean

Clymer, J., & Wiliam, D. (2006/2007). Improving the Way We Grade Science. Educational Leadership, 64(4), 36-42.

Gusky (2007/08). The Rest of the Story. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 28-35.

Keely, Page (2008). Science Formative Assessment: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning. California: Corwin Press.

O’Connor (2002). How to Grade for Learning. California: Corwin Press.

Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD).