Formative Assessment

Presentation by: Lora Drum, Mia Johnson, Alycen Wilson CCS Curriculum Specialists

Please read the statements on the Anticipation Guide and mark the left hand column with Agree or Disagree.

Are You… ASSESSMENT SAVVY?

• Skilled in gathering accurate information about students learning?

• Using it effectively to promote further learning?

Session 2 Objectives

To understand the purpose and importance of Formative Assessment and obtain some practical activities to implement into daily instruction.

Participant Expectations:

• I can communicate the importance of formative assessment.

• I can share with others how formative assessment fits into a balanced assessment system.

• I can distinguish between formative, benchmark, and summative assessments.

Four Corners Pre-test

What is Formative Assessment?

A. Used for assigning grades

B. End of Grade tests

C. Drives Instruction

D. Only given 3 times a year

Formative Assessment

The word “assess”…

comes from the Latin verb “assidere” meaning “to sit with”. In assessment, one is supposed to sit with the learner. This implies it is something we do with and for students and not “to” students.

(Green 1998)

Five Assessment Myths and Their Consequences

By Dr. Rick Stiggins

The Assessment–Instruction Process

Summative Assessment

“making sure”

Pre – Assessment

“finding out”

Formative Assessment

“checking in” “feedback” “student involvement”

Benchmark Assessment

“formal check-up”

Let’s Have Some Fun Taking Notes…

Grab a piece of paper…-Fold paper hotdog style

-Fold into thirds-Open and cut along the creases on the top flap only-Label the last flap: Summative Assessment-Label the middle flap: Benchmark Assessment-Label the first flap: Formative Assessment

Is this something your students can do?

Summative AssessmentsSummative Assessments

•“Snapshots” of learning over time•Shows evidence of student learning for the year•Determines the effectiveness of instruction, strategies, or curriculum

How often do we use this type of assessment?

AnnuallyBi-annually

End of year/course End of unit study

Who uses these results?School Board Members

LegislatorsDistrict Staff

Teachers Students and Parents

PLCs

What are Some Examples?Unit Tests

EOGsK-2 EOY

Any Cumulative Final Assessment (End of Year)

Benchmark AssessmentsBenchmark Assessments•Used to determine how much learning has taken place up to a particular point in time •Used to identify learning issues for targeted groups•Used to assign grades and communicate progress•May determine how well a program / strategies / curriculum is workingHow often do we use this type of

assessment?Given periodically throughout the yearBetween and among instructional units

Who uses these results?School LeadersDistrict Officials

Curriculum SpecialistsTeachers

Students and ParentsPLCs

What are Some Examples?

ClassScapeUnit Tests

Selection Tests

Formative AssessmentsFormative Assessments•Assessments to drive / inform instruction•Assessments for learning•Gives descriptive feedback to students about their learning•NOT GRADED…Not used as accountability

How often do we use this type of assessment?

DailyWeekly

During instruction

Who uses these Results?TeachersStudents

Parents (when applicable)

What are Some ExamplesWhiteboards

Response cardsPersonal response systems

Whole class discussionObservations

Teacher / student conferenceOvert Responses

•Occurs while still time for action before formal grading occurs

• Allows teachers to adapt instruction immediately while learning is still in progress (mid-course correction)

• Allows students to know exactly where they don’t understand

• Part of daily instruction

Assessment forfor Learning

Assessment ofof Learning

Summative Assessment

(Assessment OF Learning)

Pre – Assessment

Formative Assessment

(Assessment FOR Learning)

Assessment for Assessment for LearningLearning

Assessment of Assessment of LearningLearning

Teachers, students and parents are the primary users

Teachers, principals, supervisors, program planners, and policy makers are the primary users

During learning After learning

Used to provide information on what and how to improve

achievement

Used to certify student competence

Used by teachers to identify and respond to student needs

Used to rank and sort students

Purpose: improve learning Purpose: document achievement of standards

Primary motivator: belief that success is achievable

Primary motivator: threat of punishment, promise of reward

Continuous Periodic

Examples: peer assessment, using rubrics with students, descriptive

feedback

Examples: final exams, placement tests, state assessments, unit tests

Balancing Assessments for Students

Formative• Not usually grade

accountable• Student

involvement• Part of instruction• Forms direction of

daily instruction• Assess teaching

Summative• Classroom Tests• State Tests• District Tests• High accountability• Assessment of

students

Shifts in AssessmentShifts in AssessmentTo assessing to learn what students understand

To using results to inform instruction

To students engaged in ongoing assessment of their work and others

To descriptive feedback that empowers and motivates students

From assessing to learn what students do not

know

From using results to calculate grades

From end-of-term assessments by

teachers

From judgmental feedback that may

harm student motivation

Why these shifts in Why these shifts in assessment?assessment?

A change in the mission of schools:

– A shift from a focus on sorting and ranking students to a focus on data driven instruction and leaving no child behind.

TeacherTeacherActionsActions

• Monitoring of student work

• Monitoring classroom (group) discussion

• Good questioning

• Give opportunities for students to work (not just take notes/listen to lecture/watch teacher work problems)

Student ActionsStudent Actions • Working in pairs, groups, or

individually.

• Sharing work/explaining work to others.

• Answering questions

TeachersTeachers

• What do your students know?

• How did you find out what they know?

• What’s your evidence?

StudentsStudents

• What did you learn?

• How do you know you learned it?

• What feedback would you like from the teacher?

Self Assessment Activity

Formative

Benchmark

Summative

Teacher Tests andQuizzes

Questioning

Interviews

Student Journals

Quarterly Assessments

Discussions

English Language Proficiency Test

Mid-term Assessments

ClassScape

Vocabulary Quiz

End of Unit Test

NC End-of-Grade

End-of-Course

Writing Tests

Teacher-Student Conference

Technology Test

Teacher Observations

Descriptive Feedback

Learning Activities

Un-graded Class work or Homework

Self Assessment Activity Answers

Formative

Benchmark

Summative

Teacher Tests andQuizzes

Questioning

Interviews

Student Journals

Quarterly Assessments

Discussions

English Language Proficiency Test

Mid-term Assessments

ClassScape

Vocabulary Quiz

End of Unit Test

NC End-of-Grade

End-of-Course

Writing Tests

Teacher-Student Conference

Technology Test

Teacher Observations

Descriptive Feedback

Learning Activities

Un-graded Class work or Homework

The Formative The Formative AssessmentAssessmentFrameworkFramework

Where am I now?

Where am I going?

How do I close the gap?

Fist to Five Self- ReflectionAnswer the questions in the following way:

-5: I do this all the time in my classroom; this happens daily -4: I do this on an ongoing basis; this happens consistently

-3: I do this frequently, or this happens frequently in myclassroom

-2: I do this sometimes, or this sometimes happens in myclassroom

-1: I do this infrequently, or this happens infrequently in myClassroom

-Fist: I don’t do this, or this doesn’t happen in my classroom

1. I understand the relationship between assessment andstudent motivation and use assessment to build student confidence rather than for threat of punishment.

2. I articulate, in advance of teaching, the achievementtargets my students are to hit.

3. My students describe what targets they are to hit andwhat comes next in their learning.

4. My students are actively, consistently, and effectivelyinvolved in assessment, including learning to manage their ownlearning through the skills of self-assessment.

5. My students actively, consistently, and effectivelycommunicate with others about their achievement status andimprovement.

Seven Strategies of Formative Assessment

Where am I now?Where am I now?(criteria for (criteria for success)success)

1. Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning goals.

2. Use examples of strong and weak work.

Where am I going?Where am I going? (analyze (analyze evidence)evidence)

3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.

4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals.

How can I close the How can I close the gap?gap? (adjust (adjust instruction)instruction)

5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.

6. Teach students focused revision.

7. Engage students in self-reflection and let them document and share their learning.

How do you typically assess students in your

classroom?

“Rally Robin”

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/large-stopwatch/

Now I know what it is… what does it look like

in my room?

Clear Learning Goal

Manipulatives Paper/Pencil “Free” Pinch Sticks Foldables Fist to Five Index Cards Graphic Organizers Thumbs up/down White Boards Exit Tickets 4 Corners Sticky Notes Shaping your Thinking Jigsaw

3-2-1 Think/Pair/Share Quick Write/Quick Draw

Share Out= Other Examples of Formative Assessment

*Participants identify examples we have modeled or shared already today*Participants brainstorm own classroom examples*Refer to handout examples*Share Examples on Powerpoint – ABCs of Formative Assessment

The ABC’s ofFormative

ASSESSMENTS

Alphabet GraffitiAnticipatory Guides

(pre- and formative)

Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

1. Fungi must form spores to reproduce.Support it:

2. All mushrooms are safe for us to eat.Support it:

3. Yeast is a form of fungus.Support it:

4. Penicillin is made from a fungus.Support it:

Bump in the Road or

Muddiest Point(formative)

• Write down something from the lesson that students find confusing or difficult.

• Collect responses and review, OR

• Form small groups and ask students to share their “bumps” and seek clarification.

Crumpled Question Toss(formative)

• Each student writes a question about something discussed during the unit (or questions are pre-written)

• Crumple paper and gently toss to another.• Open crumpled paper and answer the question.• Re-crumple and toss.• Add any needed additional information.• Re-crumple and toss a third time.• Final student makes changes/additions,

the presents the question/answers with class.

Card Trick(formative)

• Each student picks a playing card.

• When the teacher asks a question or gives a problem, discuss it with your partner.

• The teacher will say something like, “all red cards stand” or “all Kings stand.”

• The teacher will pick someone who is standing to respond.

Dry-Erase Back to Back Boards

(formative)• You and your partner each get a mini-white

board and stand back-to-back.

• The teacher asks a question and you each answer on your board.

• When the teacher says “turn around” you show each other your answers and discuss.

Entrance or Exit Cards(pre- or formative)

• Students write a response to a teacher generated question on a slip of paper.

• Teacher can review and re-teach.• Entrance cards – questions related to

upcoming learning.• Exit cards – questions related to

completed instruction.• Variation – use same question for both

Entrance and Exit.

3-2-1Exit Card

Exit Card

• Name

• Question:

Rate yourself: 1 = high confidence2 = medium confidence3 = I’m not sure on this

Would you help someone else learn this?

YES Not at this time

(formative)

• Teacher posts questions, concepts, or vocabulary words in each of the corners of the room.

• Each student is assigned a corner. Once in the corner, the students discuss the focus of the lesson in relation to the question, concept, or words.

• Students may report out or move to another corner and repeat.

• After students have moved, as a writing assignment they should be encouraged to reflect on changes in opinion or what they have learned.

Four Corners(formative)

Graphic Organizers or Learning Logs

(pre- or formative)

What I knew already…

New Vocabulary

Important to remember

Chart/Picture it This reminded me of…

Not so sure about this…

Math Graph Organizers or Learning Logs

What I knew already…

New concept or idea Important to remember

Chart/Picture it or give an example…

How this relates to a past concept/idea…

Not so sure about this…

Pre-Assessing Using Graphic Organizers

Define it… Give an example…

Give a non-example… Ask a question about it…

Early Elementary Graphic Organizer or Log

WINTERDefine it… Give an example…

Give a non-example… Ask a question about it…

What are the WINTER MONTHS?

Coldest Season Snow

Colored Leaves

Human Graph ( pre-assessment or formative)

• Demonstrated at the beginning of the presentation.

• “Snowball” toss then human graph.

x xx x x xx x x x x1 2 3 4 5

Idea Spinner(formative)

• The teacher creates a spinner marked into 4 or 5 quadrants and labeled “Predict, Explain, Summarize, Evaluate” and “Free.”

• After new material is presented, the teacher spins the spinner and asks students to answer a question based on the location of the spinner. For example, if the spinner lands in the “Summarize” quadrant, the teacher might say, “List the key concepts just presented.”

Predict Explain

Evaluate Free

Summarize

Journal Entry(formative)

• Writing done to encourage reflection or exploration of ideas or interest.

• Questions for reflection are often given by the teacher.

• What did you think of the class? Why?• What did you learn today? What did you do in school

today? • What happened in school today that made you feel

proud?• How do you want to be evaluated?• One thing that the teacher could do to help me

understand things better is…• One thing that I do that helps me learn the best is…

Key Concepts(formative)

• Explain the key concept “_revolution__.”

• Give a definition (in your own words), draw a symbol/picture to represent it, give an example of the concept, and a big idea to go with it.

Picture/symbol

Examples

DefinitionOverthrow of one government for another government or sudden change (e.g., in ideas, technology)We are going to overthrow the

government because you people are really mean!

American Revolution, French Revolution, Russian Revolution

Industrial Revolution

Big Idea

Revolutions sometimes occur when peoples’ rights are taken away or they have bad times economically.

revolution

Key Concepts(formative)

• Explain the key concept “_the 5 senses_.”

• Give a definition (in your own words), draw a symbol/picture to represent it, give an example of the concept, and a big idea to go with it.

Picture/symbol Examples

DefinitionEyes, Hands, Ears, Mouth, Nose

Seeing, Touching, Hearing, Tasting, Smelling

Big Idea

We learn about our world through our 5 senses.

5 Senses

Letter to Principal/Parent(formative)

• Write a short letter to the principal/parent telling him or her all of the ideas you have learned about this week.

Magnets(formative)

Instead of Magnets, Use Post-its

No clue I’ve heard of this.

I know a lot about this.

I’m an expert on this.

Note-Taking Specialist(formative)

• Switch notes with your partner.

• Look at your partner’s notes and enhance his/her notes by underlining key terms/ideas, drawing symbols for key ideas, adding in any important notes that are missing, asking questions about key ideas.

Outside/Inside Circle(formative)

• Inside and outside circles of students face each other.

• Within each pair of facing students, students quiz each other with questions they have written or problems they have created.

• Outside circle moves to create new pairs.• Repeat.

P-M-I(formative)

Science

Sequence/steps/cycles/processesScientific principlesContent-area vocabulary

Math

Steps in a process

Social Studies

Important events/turning points/conflictsElements of civilizationHighlights of an eraContent-area vocabulary

ELA

Character/key figures/attributesSetting/conflict/problems & solutionsBeginning, middle, endSymbols/themes

Quick Write/Quick Draw(pre-assessment or formative)

From 25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom

• Listen to the question or the problem the teacher asks and discuss it with your partner.

• Do “Rock, Paper, Scissors” with your partner.

• The winner stands and the teacher will choose one or more of the winners to answer the question. Repeat several times.

Rock, Paper, Scissors(formative)

Spinner – Used with Think/Pair/Share(formative)

• In response to a teacher prompt or question, students THINK,

• Then PAIR (discuss with a partner),

• And then SHARE ideas with the whole class – only those whose number is called (using the spinner) share.

1 2

3

456

7

8

SPIN

Tear and Share Activity(formative)

1111 2

3 4

From Fogarty & Pete – Wildly Exciting, 2010

Understanding Check with Signaling(pre-assessment or formative)

4 Fingers – Very Well3 Fingers – Well2 Fingers – Somewhat Well1 Fingers – Not Very WellFist – Not At All

Sometimes

called

“Fist to

Five”

Informal Formative Assessment:Red, Yellow, Green

RED: Show red if you…• feel I have not explained this clearly;• still have many questions;• can’t work without assistance; or• do not understand what you are supposed to do.YELLOW: Show yellow if you…• have a question;• need more information; or• need more time to think.GREEN: Show green if you…• really understand;• can explain what you know to the class; or• are okay if I call on you.

Venn or H-Diagram

(formative)

• The class is divided into 5-6 teams. • The whiteboard/chart paper is divided into a large

space for each team. • Each person needs a writing utensil.• When the teacher says “Go,” all team members

rush to their area and write or draw (symbols/pictures) to represent key ideas in the current topic of study. (It will be crowded!)

• At the end of 3 minutes, each team must present 2-3 ideas from their whiteboard or chart paper creation.

Whiteboard or Chart Paper Champs(formative)

X Marks the Spot(pre-assessment and formative)

• Have students track their progress on the targets.

X

X

Yes/No Cards(pre-assessment or formative)

• Students make a large index card with Yes (or "Got It") on one side, No ("No clue") on the other side.

• Teachers ask an introductory or review question.• Students who know the answer hold up the Yes card, if

they might have the answer they hold the No card.• Then do a quick Think/Pair/Share. • This short assessment can give a quick look at what the

group is ready for/understands/'gets'. • Example: Use when introducing vocabulary words that

students need as a knowledge base for a specific unit of study.

ZAP Game (Like Password)(formative for a vocabulary check)

• One student looks at the screen – one does not look at the screen.

• The student looking at the screen gives clues to the student not looking at the screen.

• As soon as someone “gets” the word, the team raises their hands.

• Other teams quietly say “ZAP.”• Do 6 words, then switch partners.

A Vocabulary Review Activity

ZAP(Like Password)

Summative

The is…

Talk to this person about which of these ideas would work in your classroom.

Stand up and make eye-contact with someone who is wearing a similar color to yours. Discuss the above.

You will each have 2 minutes to talk

Identify at least 2 you will commit to using.

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/online-alarm-clock

Agree DisagreeStatement

Agree Disagree

Formative assessment is a formal test

Formative assessment should only occur at the end of a unit or chapter.

Formative assessment is a system of techniques and strategies.

Formative assessment should always receive a grade.

Formative assessment checks for understanding during instruction.

Anticipation Guide

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Formative Assessment:Formative Assessment:

Refers to what happens on a daily basis in the classroom

Provides teachers with information about specific next instructional steps for

students: Assessment Drives Instruction.Assessment Drives Instruction.

Students know where they are at instructionally and where they need to

go

On-going assessment provides continual feedback that helps students progress

over time

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

This Type of Assessment

is NOT New…

it is a New way of thinking about our current instruction!

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

This type of assessment is a successful

end productend product and/or the

fulfilling of the pre-stated objective.

Teacher Thoughts on FA

Video Clip

“The Garden Analogy”

Formative Assessment is the equivalent of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their needs- directly affecting their growth.

Draw the following shapes on your paper and then listen for directions

Something that was said today that SQUARES with my thinking

A question or thought that is going AROUND in my mind

3 Important POINTS to remember