Assessment Assessment forfor Learning LearningTo improve student To improve student

learninglearning

Colleen Anderson

More Than Just More Than Just Content…Content…

Characteristics of Characteristics of Effective InstructionEffective Instruction

For deep conceptual and For deep conceptual and procedural knowledge….procedural knowledge….

SStudent-centered Classroomstudent-centered Classrooms TTeaching for Understandingeaching for Understanding AAssessment for Learningssessment for Learning RRigorous and Relevant igorous and Relevant

CurriculumCurriculum TTeaching for Learner Differenceseaching for Learner Differences

In this session, we will… In this session, we will… Compare formative assessment and other Compare formative assessment and other

assessmentsassessments Provide the operational definition of formative Provide the operational definition of formative

assessment.assessment. Review the research base for formative assessment.Review the research base for formative assessment. Look closer at the attributes of assessment Look closer at the attributes of assessment forfor

learninglearning Focus on the use of learning progressions in lesson Focus on the use of learning progressions in lesson

planningplanning Write clear learning targets in kid friendly language.Write clear learning targets in kid friendly language. Identify success criteria and formative assessment Identify success criteria and formative assessment

practices for parts of a learning progressionpractices for parts of a learning progression

Assessment Path in Iowa

STATE

Tests required by law

DISTRICTState assessments plus other end-of-course or standardized tests

CLASSROOMA teacher – student system of feedback, made a part of daily instruction

Assessments in IowaAssessments in IowaACT, SAT, NAEP ITBS, ITED,

IELDA, Alternate End-of-

Course, District-wide

Formative Assessments

Classroom Tests and Quizzes - Graded

Department or Building-wide Tests

INSTRUCTIONAL SENSITIVITY – How close is it to instruction?

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Write your definition of Write your definition of Formative AssessmentFormative Assessment

If assessments are more If assessments are more instructionally sensitive, – instructionally sensitive, –

closer to instruction – fewer closer to instruction – fewer bad educational things bad educational things

happen in the classroom.happen in the classroom.

Formative AssessmentFormative Assessment(Assessment (Assessment forfor Learning Learning

Formative Assessment is a process used by Formative Assessment is a process used by teachers and students as part of instruction teachers and students as part of instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of core content. achievement of core content.

As assessment for learning, formative As assessment for learning, formative assessment practices provide students with assessment practices provide students with clear learning targets, examples and clear learning targets, examples and models of strong and weak work, regular models of strong and weak work, regular descriptive feedback, and the ability to self-descriptive feedback, and the ability to self-assess, track learning, and set goals.assess, track learning, and set goals.

Formative Formative Assessment Assessment

(Assessment for (Assessment for Learning)Learning)is instructively is instructively

sensitive.sensitive.

The Promise of FAThe Promise of FA Effect sizes of 0.4 to 0.7 in meta-analysis (Black & Wiliam, 1998) Effect sizes of 0.4 to 0.7 in meta-analysis (Black & Wiliam, 1998) No report of negative effects following an enhancement of No report of negative effects following an enhancement of

formative practice was found. (Black & Wiliam, 1998) formative practice was found. (Black & Wiliam, 1998) Formative assessment helps lower achievers more than other Formative assessment helps lower achievers more than other

students – reducing the gap. (Black & Wiliam, 1998) students – reducing the gap. (Black & Wiliam, 1998) Even a single FA practice used in a 15-week unit of study can Even a single FA practice used in a 15-week unit of study can

result in an effect size of 0.34. (Brangart-Drowns, Kulik & Kulik, result in an effect size of 0.34. (Brangart-Drowns, Kulik & Kulik, 1991)1991)

If a teacher used formative assessment practices twice a week, If a teacher used formative assessment practices twice a week, they resulted in an effect size gain of 0.85, or a percentile gain of they resulted in an effect size gain of 0.85, or a percentile gain of 30 points on a standardized test. (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1986)30 points on a standardized test. (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1986)

In a study of over 500 students, those students who practiced self In a study of over 500 students, those students who practiced self assessment strategies as a part of formative assessment assessment strategies as a part of formative assessment practices in the classroom, outperformed students who did not practices in the classroom, outperformed students who did not use self-assessment strategies (effect size of 0.40). use self-assessment strategies (effect size of 0.40).

It represents evidence-based IDM – or just good sense.It represents evidence-based IDM – or just good sense. Conclusively, formative assessment does improve Conclusively, formative assessment does improve

learning.learning.

5 ATTRIBUTES OF 5 ATTRIBUTES OF EFFECTIVE FORMATIVE EFFECTIVE FORMATIVE

ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT 1.1. Learning ProgressionsLearning Progressions2.2. Learning Goals And Criteria Learning Goals And Criteria

For SuccessFor Success3.3. Descriptive FeedbackDescriptive Feedback4.4. Self- And Peer-assessmentSelf- And Peer-assessment5.5. CollaborationCollaboration

Review of AttributesReview of Attributes

Jigsaw ArticleJigsaw Article Attributes of Effective Formative Attributes of Effective Formative

Assesment by Margaret HeritageAssesment by Margaret Heritage1. Learning Progressions1. Learning Progressions2. Learning Goals and 2. Learning Goals and

Criteria for SuccessCriteria for Success3. Descriptive Feedback3. Descriptive Feedback4. Self- and Peer-Assessment4. Self- and Peer-Assessment5. Collaboration5. Collaboration

Learning Progressions: Learning Progressions: What Are They?What Are They?

a carefully sequenced set of building a carefully sequenced set of building blocks that students must master en blocks that students must master en route to mastering a more distant route to mastering a more distant curricular aim curricular aim

constructed on the basis of some sort of constructed on the basis of some sort of backward analysis backward analysis What do students need to know and do to What do students need to know and do to

master the skill or understand the concept?master the skill or understand the concept? What are the pre-requisite skills and What are the pre-requisite skills and

concepts students should have?concepts students should have?

Characteristics of Learning Progressions

Clearly articulate the sub-goals May vary from teacher to teacher – fine grained Developmental rather than grade level – vertical

articulation rather than horizontal constructed on the basis of some sort of backward

analysis What do students need to know and do to

master the skill or understand the concept? What are the pre-requisite skills and concepts

students should have? From novice to expert Connects knowledge, content, and skills

Learning Progressions: Learning Progressions: What They Are NOTWhat They Are NOT Unerringly accurateUnerringly accurate The same sequence for all students The same sequence for all students

– not all kids learn in the same way. – not all kids learn in the same way. Some need small incrementsSome need small increments Some learn in different orderSome learn in different order Some bring more or less prior Some bring more or less prior

knowledge and skillsknowledge and skills Not necessarily better if more Not necessarily better if more

complexcomplex Needs to be “user friendly” and doableNeeds to be “user friendly” and doable

How Are They Used?How Are They Used? Learning progressions provide the

framework for pre-assessments, formative assessments, differentiation tasks, and summative assessments.

They keep the unit developer focused on the learning targets – essential concepts and skill sets – when designing instructional activities.

Help focus on what MUST be taught – essential concepts and skill sets / the “big ideas” – rather than the insignificant when designing instructional activities.

Clear Learning TargetsClear Learning Targets Kid friendly languageKid friendly language Defined success criteriaDefined success criteria

Examples of good workExamples of good work Examples of not-so-good workExamples of not-so-good work Rubrics/Scoring GuidesRubrics/Scoring Guides ExemplarsExemplars

Descriptive FeedbackDescriptive Feedback Focused on learning goalFocused on learning goal Non-judgmentalNon-judgmental Indicates areas of strengthIndicates areas of strength Identifies where improvement is Identifies where improvement is

neededneeded Indicates how or what a student Indicates how or what a student

might do to make the might do to make the improvementsimprovements

Self- And Peer-Self- And Peer-assessmentassessment

Meta-cognitive thinkingMeta-cognitive thinking Focused on one aspect of Focused on one aspect of

learning targetlearning target Students must be trainedStudents must be trained Students must clearly Students must clearly

understand the learning target understand the learning target being assessedbeing assessed

Non-judgmentalNon-judgmental

CollaborationCollaboration

Classroom climateClassroom climate SafeSafe Everyone can learnEveryone can learn

RapportRapport Partnership in learning Partnership in learning

Formative Assessment, Formative Assessment, So…What is it?So…What is it?

Assessment Assessment forfor learning learning It is a PLANNED process.It is a PLANNED process. It is used by both teachers and It is used by both teachers and

studentsstudents Takes place DURING instruction.Takes place DURING instruction. It provides assessment-based feedback It provides assessment-based feedback

to both teachers and students.to both teachers and students. It helps teachers and students make It helps teachers and students make

adjustments that will improve student adjustments that will improve student achievement.achievement.

Activity AActivity A

Use a prepared learning Use a prepared learning progression.progression.

Collaboratively decide if you would Collaboratively decide if you would change it.change it.

Choose one grade level span and Choose one grade level span and write the learning target in “kid” write the learning target in “kid” friendly language.friendly language.

Identify the success criteria to Identify the success criteria to measure student success.measure student success.

Be prepared to share your learning Be prepared to share your learning target and success criteria.target and success criteria.

Clear Learning TargetClear Learning Target

From a listening essential skill set of the Iowa From a listening essential skill set of the Iowa Core Curriculum at the primary level: Core Curriculum at the primary level: Listen Listen

for information and understandingfor information and understanding

Process Process information, ideas, information, ideas, and opinions to and opinions to determine relevancedetermine relevance

Connect Connect information to prior information to prior knowledge and knowledge and personal personal experiencesexperiences

Kid Friendly LanguageKid Friendly Language The students will listen for The students will listen for

what the person is talking what the person is talking about.about.

By listening carefully, the By listening carefully, the student will describe how the student will describe how the person feels about the topic. person feels about the topic.

After listening carefully, the After listening carefully, the student will retell important student will retell important information learned from information learned from listening to someone talk.listening to someone talk.

After listening carefully, the After listening carefully, the student will share more student will share more information about the topic information about the topic heard.heard.

Clear Learning Target with Clear Learning Target with Success CriteriaSuccess Criteria

90% of what the brain remembers is 90% of what the brain remembers is derived from visual imagesderived from visual images

Once students get involved in the Once students get involved in the activity they can lose track, so VISUAL activity they can lose track, so VISUAL success criteria keeps everyone success criteria keeps everyone focused. focused.

Success CriteriaSuccess Criteria Success criteria are to remind Success criteria are to remind

children of those aspects of the children of those aspects of the task on which they must focus. task on which they must focus. They are not a simple fix-it list They are not a simple fix-it list and they don’t ensure quality – and they don’t ensure quality – this must be done through this must be done through modelling, feedback, questioning modelling, feedback, questioning etc…..etc…..

Success CriteriaSuccess Criteria

From a listening essential skill set of the Iowa From a listening essential skill set of the Iowa Core Curriculum at the primary level: Core Curriculum at the primary level: Listen Listen

for information and understandingfor information and understanding

Process Process information, ideas, information, ideas, and opinions to and opinions to determine relevancedetermine relevance

Connect Connect information to prior information to prior knowledge and knowledge and personal personal experiencesexperiences

Kid Friendly LanguageKid Friendly Language I can say what the person I can say what the person

is talking about. By is talking about. By listening to the person.listening to the person.

I can say what the person I can say what the person is thinking or feeling by is thinking or feeling by listening to the person.listening to the person.

I can share what I already I can share what I already know about the same know about the same thing the person is thing the person is talking about.talking about.

Product Success CriteriaProduct Success Criteria Product’ success criteria are unhelpful Product’ success criteria are unhelpful

e.g. ‘your answers will be correct’. They e.g. ‘your answers will be correct’. They focus on end points or products. They are focus on end points or products. They are what the teacher wants and don’t what the teacher wants and don’t indicate for the children how the learning indicate for the children how the learning objective will be fulfilled. ‘I’ll know it objective will be fulfilled. ‘I’ll know it when I see it’ approach that leads to when I see it’ approach that leads to being reactive rather than proactive.being reactive rather than proactive.

E.g. the correct answer/5 page research E.g. the correct answer/5 page research report/annotated bibliographyreport/annotated bibliography

Process Success CriteriaProcess Success Criteria ‘‘Process’ success criteria are helpful. They Process’ success criteria are helpful. They

explain explain how how the learning objective will be the learning objective will be achieved. Children are actively engaged in achieved. Children are actively engaged in the process of learning. The criteria act as the process of learning. The criteria act as memory aides of necessary ingredients.memory aides of necessary ingredients.

Success Criteria:Success Criteria:I know what part of an object vibrates.I know what part of an object vibrates.I know we hear sounds through our ears. I know we hear sounds through our ears.

I can retell in my own words what I heard.I can retell in my own words what I heard.

Key principles of success Key principles of success criteriacriteria

Process success criteria are more powerful than Process success criteria are more powerful than product success criteriaproduct success criteria

Success criteria need to be planned in advanceSuccess criteria need to be planned in advance Planning success criteria leads to more focused Planning success criteria leads to more focused

activities and less over planning of activitiesactivities and less over planning of activities Success criteria should be generic for all Success criteria should be generic for all

children regardless of their task, as long as they children regardless of their task, as long as they all have access to the same learning objective all have access to the same learning objective (there is sometimes an exception in mathematics (there is sometimes an exception in mathematics or more than one way to approach a problem)or more than one way to approach a problem)

Success criteria need to be gathered from the Success criteria need to be gathered from the children to give them ownershipchildren to give them ownership

Activity AActivity A

Groups share out learning Groups share out learning targets and success criteriatargets and success criteria

Activity BActivity B Use a prepared learning progression.Use a prepared learning progression. Collaboratively decide if you would Collaboratively decide if you would

change it.change it. Choose one grade span and Choose one grade span and

collaboratively identify appropriate collaboratively identify appropriate formative assessment practices to use formative assessment practices to use during instruction as you check for during instruction as you check for student understanding or skill.student understanding or skill.

Be prepared to share your ideas.Be prepared to share your ideas.

Have students write their understanding of vocabulary or concepts before and after instruction. 

Activity BActivity B Share out an appropriate Share out an appropriate

formative assessment practice to formative assessment practice to use during instruction as you use during instruction as you check for student understanding check for student understanding or skill.or skill.

Formative Assessment, Formative Assessment, So…What is it?So…What is it?

Assessment Assessment forfor learning learning It is a PLANNED process.It is a PLANNED process. It is used by both teachers and studentsIt is used by both teachers and students Takes place DURING instruction.Takes place DURING instruction. It provides assessment-based feedback to It provides assessment-based feedback to

both teachers and students.both teachers and students. It helps teachers and students make It helps teachers and students make

adjustments that will improve student adjustments that will improve student achievement.achievement.

It’s collecting data about current student It’s collecting data about current student learning and using it to make instructional learning and using it to make instructional and learning decisions. and learning decisions.

So…What it is NOTSo…What it is NOT It is not another graded test.It is not another graded test.

Not benchmark assessmentsNot benchmark assessments Not end-of–course assessmentsNot end-of–course assessments Not a matter of looking at test data and Not a matter of looking at test data and

deciding what to do next time/next yeardeciding what to do next time/next year It is most effective when it is It is most effective when it is notnot a a

part of the grading system.part of the grading system. It is not probing and charting.It is not probing and charting. It is not random observations.It is not random observations. It is not just good instruction.It is not just good instruction.

Formative Assessment Formative Assessment ExamplesExamples

Invite students to discuss their thinking Invite students to discuss their thinking about a question or topic in pairs or small about a question or topic in pairs or small groups, then ask a representative to share groups, then ask a representative to share the thinking with the larger group the thinking with the larger group (sometimes called think-pair-share).  (sometimes called think-pair-share). 

Ask all students to write down an answer, Ask all students to write down an answer, then read a selected few out loud.then read a selected few out loud.

Have students write their understanding Have students write their understanding of vocabulary or concepts before and after of vocabulary or concepts before and after instruction. instruction. 

What it does…What it does… Gives students specific feedback Gives students specific feedback

on their progress toward the on their progress toward the learning goal.learning goal.

Encourages students to improve Encourages students to improve – descriptive feedback.– descriptive feedback.

Use the Tips or Create Use the Tips or Create Your OwnYour Own

Activity CActivity C Think of an information literacy Think of an information literacy

skill that you currently teach.skill that you currently teach. Using the Assessment Tips and Using the Assessment Tips and

Assessment Samples from the Assessment Samples from the toolkit, create a Formative toolkit, create a Formative Assessment that you could use.Assessment that you could use.

Share out with your table.Share out with your table.

““Assessment should Assessment should always have more to do always have more to do with helping students with helping students grow than cataloging grow than cataloging their mistakes.” Carol their mistakes.” Carol

TomlinsonTomlinson

The Promise of FAThe Promise of FA

Kids who are taught in Kids who are taught in classrooms with formative classrooms with formative

assessment will learn assessment will learn more than kids who are more than kids who are

taught in classrooms taught in classrooms without formative without formative

assessment.assessment.

Colleen AndersonColleen Andersoncolleen.anderson@iowa.colleen.anderson@iowa.

govgov515-281-3249

Mary CameronMary Cameronmary.cameron@iowa.gomary.cameron@iowa.go

vv515-281-3927