a balanced approach to 21 st century assessment lisa youell superintendents center for 21 st century...

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A Balanced Approach to 21st Century Assessment

Lisa YouellSuperintendent’s Center for 21st Century Schools

West Virginia Department of Education

Is it on the test?Don’t worry, it’sNot On The Test!

http://www.notonthetest.com/index.html

http://www.notonthetest.com/index.html

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Once a Year…

• Yields indicators of one’s health• Concerns about the final numbers• Doctor makes recommendations

Physical Exam

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Doctor’s Recommendations?

Focus on the Exam Once a Year

• For 3 months before the next exam do the following:– Exercise – Get more sleep– Eat oats everyday

Focus on Healthy Practices Daily

• Practice good habits on a daily basis– Drink water every day– Eat more fiber– Eat fruits and vegetables– Eat less fat– Exercise/walk– Avoid tobacco

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Once a Year…

School’s Annual Checkup

• Yields indicators of school’s progress• Concerns about the final numbers• Principal makes recommendations

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School’s Annual Checkup

Focus on the Test Once a Year

• For 3 months before the test do the following:– Look at the data– Determine weaknesses– Practice test items with

standardized format

Focus on Daily Practices

• Become assessment literate• Use day to day classroom

assessment practices that involve students directly in self-assessment, goal setting, and communicating about their own learning

• Collect a continuous stream of evidence of student learning

• Use assessment information formatively to plan further instruction

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We are living in the old system while we are trying

to build a new system.

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In a Perfect System…

• Annual Accountability Testing (State Summative Test)

• Periodic Benchmark Assessments

• Continuous Classroom Assessment For Learning

• Institutional/Policy Users (School, District and State Leadership)

• Program Level Users (Teacher Teams and Leaders)

• Classroom Level Users(Students, Teachers and Parents)

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for L ea rn in gResearch on Assessment

& Student Achievement

British researchers Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam completed a comprehensive review of 250 international studies exploring the

connection between formative assessment practices and student achievement (1998)

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Research on Assessment & Student Achievement

• Does improved formative assessment cause better learning?

• Do formative assessment practices need improving?

• Is there evidence about how to improve formative assessment?

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Needed Improvements to Realize Gains

• Increased commitment to high-quality classroom assessments

• Increased descriptive feedback; reduced evaluative feedback

• Increased student involvement in the assessment process

Black and Wiliam, 1989

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Black & Wiliam Research on Effects of Classroom Assessment for Learning:

.4 to .7 Gain

.7 Standard Deviation Score Gain = 25 Percentile Points on ITBS 70 SAT Score Points 4 ACT Score Points

Largest Gain for Low Achievers

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A Productive Multi-Level Assessment System

• Is needed to be sure that all instructional decisions are informed and well made

• Is needed to meet the informational needs of all users at all levels– State– District– School– Classroom (teachers and students)

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A Balanced Assessment System

Assessment of Learning• Summative Assessment– An event after learning

• Benchmark Assessment (Common or Interim Assessments)– An event after learning

Assessment for Learning• Formative Assessment– A process during learning

• Classroom Assessment For Learning– A process during learning

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Critical Questions

•What is the primary aim of assessment?•Who will use the

information?•What decisions will they

make?

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Common Language?

Summative

Assessmen

t

FormativeAssessmentAssessment FOR

Learning

Assessment OF

Learning

Benchmark

Assessments

Classroom Assessment For Learning

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Assessment OF LearningUsers Uses What How When

• Turn to your neighbor and discuss the key differences in benchmark and summative assessment.

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Assessment of Learning

Periodic (3 or 4 times during the year

Annual

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Primary Users

Benchmark Summative

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Typical Uses

Benchmark Summative

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Assess What?

Benchmark Summative

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Assess How?

Benchmark Summative

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Assess When?

Benchmark Summative

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Assessment for Learning Users Uses What How When

Turn to your neighbor and discuss the key differences in formative and classroom assessment for

learning.

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Assessment for Learning

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Primary Users

Classroom Assessment for Learning

Formative Assessment

Student as Decision Maker

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Typical Uses

Descriptive Feedback



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Typical Uses

Student Involvement



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Assess What?



Learning Targets

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Learning TargetsA learning target is an achievement expectation we hold

for students. It’s a statement of what we want the student to learn.

Is this a target?• Math• Decimals• Page 152 in the book• Going on a decimal hunt• Read decimals and put them in order

Objective/Benchmark: First Grade Reading /English Language Arts

Produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

Overall Target

Type: Knowledge Reasoning Performance Skill Product

Learning Targets

What are the knowledge, reasoning, performance skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective?

Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets

Product Targets

Write sentences with varied beginnings

Holds a pencil correctlyPrint letters correctlySpace wordsUse lines & marginsStretch out sounds in words to create a temporary spelling of a word

Distinguish the uses or meanings of a variety of words (word choice)

Know what a sentence is

Understand concept of word choice

Summative Assessment

Formative/Classr

oom

Assessm

ent for

Learning

Standard/Objective:

Drive with skill.Type: Knowledge Reasoning Performance Skill Product

Learning Targets

What are the knowledge, reasoning, skill or product targets underpinning the standard/objective?

Knowledge Targets Reasoning Targets Performance Skill Targets

Product Targets

•Know the law•Understand informal rules of the road•Understand what different parts of the car do•Read signs and understand what they mean•Understand what “creating a danger” means•Understand what “creating a hazard” means•Other?

•Analyze road conditions, vehicle performance, and other driver’s actions

•Compare/contrast this information with knowledge and past experience

•Synthesize information and evaluate options to make decisions on what to do next

•Evaluate “Am I safe?” and synthesize information to take action if needed.

•Other?

•Driving actions such as: steering, shifting, parallel parking, looking, signaling, backing up, braking, accelerating, etc.

•Fluidity/automaticity in performance driving actions.

•Other?

None

Since the ultimate type of target is a performance skill, there are no embedded product targets

Summative Assessment

Formative/Classroom

Assessment for

Learning

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Clear Learning Targets• We need clear targets to… • Know if the assessment adequately covers what

we taught• Correctly identify what students know and don’t

know• Have students self-assess or set goals for future

study that are likely to help them learn more• Keep track of student learning target by target • Complete a standards-based report card

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Assess How?



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Assess When?



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The only difference in Formative Assessment (as described above)

and Classroom Assessment for Learning is the student

involvement component.


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What Are the Benefits of Assessment FOR Learning ?

• Making student thinking and understanding more visible

• Using results primarily to shape and adjust what happens next in classrooms, rather than to provide a grade or mark

• Using assessment to encourage, not discourage, student effort

• Engaging students in thinking about themselves as learners

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Review of Research Literature

…achievement gains from using such assessment-for-learning strategies were “among the largest ever reported for educational interventions.”

-Black and Wiliam (1998)

• More frequent testing does not necessarily mean greater gains.

• The strategies Black and Wiliam refer to involve students in the entire process.

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What a Difference a Word Makes

Video Presentation by Rick Stiggins

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A Balanced Approach

“Teachers involve their students in classroom assessment, record-keeping, and communication during learning. But, when it’s time for students to be accountable for what they have learned, the teacher takes the lead in conducting assessments OF learning.”

-Richard J. Stiggins

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Assessment OF and FOR

Learning

Sort Activity:• Assessment for Learning• Assessment of Learning• Not Sure

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Descriptive or Evaluative Feedback?

You made some simple mistakes

multiplying 3-digit numbers.

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The giving of marks and the grading function are overemphasized, while the giving of useful advice and learning function are underemphasized.

--Black & Wiliam,1998 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

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Feedback

• Take a minute to read over the research on effective feedback (handout).

• Discuss with those at your table.• Summarize important ideas from the

research and draw conclusions about effective feedback.

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Effective feedback points out successes and gives specific information about how to improve the performance or product. --Black & Wiliam, 1998: Black et al, 2002; Bloom, 1989; Brown, 1994

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Effective learners operate best when they have insight into their own strengths and weaknesses and access to their own repertoires of strategies for learning.

--Brown, 1994

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Feedback is effective when it offers information about progress relative to the intended learning goal and about what action to take to reach the intended learning goal.--Hattie & Timperley, 2005

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Comments directed to the quality of the work—what was done well and what needs improving—increase student interest in the task and level of achievement.

--Butler, 1988

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Frequently feedback is used to push students to “do more” or “do better,” without being specific enough to help students know what to do. This type of feedback is generally ineffective.--Hattie & Timperley, 2005

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Research shows that feedback that EMPHASIZES LEARNING GOALSEMPHASIZES LEARNING GOALS leads to greater learning gains than feedback that emphasizes self-esteem.

--Ames, 1992; Butler, 1998; Dweck, 1986

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Feedback that cues the individual to direct attention to selfself (praise, effort, etc.) rather than to the quality of thequality of the tasktask appear to have a negative effect on learning. Many studies speak to effective teachers praising less than average.

--(Cameron & Pierce, 1994; Kluger & DiNisi, 1996)

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Intensive correction, where the teacher marks every error in every paper a student writes, is completely useless. Marking all errors is no more advantageous in terms of student growth than marking none of them.

--Hillocks, 1986

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Grading every piece of work is misdirected. A numerical grade does not show students how to improve their work. Further, students ignore comments when grades are given.

--Butler, 1998

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When teachers substituted comments for grades, students engaged more productively in improving their work.

--Black, et al, 2002

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When receiving feedback emphasizing self-esteem, high-performing students often attribute their performance to effort and low-performing students attribute their performance to lack of ability.

--Butler & Newman, 1995; Cameron & Pierce, 1994; Kluger & deNisi, 1996

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• Specific comments about the quality or characteristics of the work itself ---has a positive impact on motivation and learning.

– Identify strengths (what was done well)– Explain what student needs to improve– Help student generate strategies for improvement

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Are you hearing descriptive feedback

when you conduct WalkThroughs?

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Student Involvement

Once students become involved, assessment for learning looks more like teaching than it does

testing. It takes advantage of the power of assessment as an instructional tool that promotes learning rather than an event

designed solely for the purpose of evaluating and assigning grades (Davies 2000).

Adapted from Quality Learning Australia Pty Ltd. 2008

Follower

MasterAll Knowing Provider

Passive Recipient

Coach

Learning Participant

Facilitator and Mentor

Active Self-Starting Learner

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Assessment for Learning Practices Engage and Enable Students

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningaboutlearning/movies/autonomouslearnersdylanwiliam.asp



Framework for High Performing 21st Century Schools

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Multiple Opportunities to Succeed

“If everything counts (is graded) there’s never time to practice – get better.”

Rick Stiggins

Is a change in assessment philosophy and practice required in order to implement Assessment FOR Learning? Will a change need to occur in administrators, teachers, parents and students?

Teaming

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Lisa YouellSuperintendent’s Center

for 21st Century Schools

[email protected]

304-558-3199

a balanced approach to 21 st century assessment lisa youell superintendents center for 21 st century...

Documents

learning slide

formative assessment

learning classroom assessment

assessment of learning

formative assessment

formative assessment

assessment process black

benchmark assessment