CLASSROOM CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

FORFOR STUDENT LEARNINGSTUDENT LEARNING

Rick Stiggins

Assessment quality requires

ACCURACYACCURACY as well as

EFFECTIVE USE

Purpose:Purpose:Assess to meet Assess to meet whosewhose needs? needs?

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PURPOSEPURPOSETwo Uses of AssessmentTwo Uses of Assessment

SUMMATIVESUMMATIVE• Assessments Assessments OFOF LearningLearning

– How much have students learned as of a particular point in time?

FORMATIVEFORMATIVE• Assessments Assessments FORFOR LearningLearning

– How can we use assessment information to help students learn more?

Assessment for Learning

Rick Stiggins

Rick Stiggins Video Clip

• Two Sheets of Paper• Of Learning on one sheet of paper

– Definition– Main points

• For Learning– Definition– Main Points

All those activities undertaken by teachers and by their students [that] provide information to be used as FEEDBACKFEEDBACK to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. --Black & Wiliam, 1998

FORMATIVE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

Research consistently shows that regular, high-quality FORMATIVEFORMATIVE ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT increases student achievement.

Research On EffectsResearch On Effects

.4 to .7 Standard Deviation .4 to .7 Standard Deviation Score GainScore GainLargest Gain for Low AchieversLargest Gain for Low Achievers

Formative Assessment

Formative/In-Process Students & teachers participate Focus on learning goals Where is current work in relation to

goal Take action to move closer to the

goal

NEEDED IMPROVEMENTSNEEDED IMPROVEMENTS

• Increased Increased accuracyaccuracy of of formative assessmentsformative assessments

• Increased Increased descriptive feedbackdescriptive feedback, , reduced evaluative feedbackreduced evaluative feedback

• Increased Increased student involvementstudent involvement

Why Assessment Why Assessment forfor Learning Learning

WorksWorks When students are required to When students are required to

think about their own learning, think about their own learning, articulate what they articulate what they understand, and what they still understand, and what they still need to learn, achievement need to learn, achievement improves. improves. --Black and Wiliam, 1998; Sternberg, 1996; Young, --Black and Wiliam, 1998; Sternberg, 1996; Young, 20002000

Balanced Assessment: Balanced Assessment: Meeting the Needs of All Meeting the Needs of All

StakeholdersStakeholders

• Annual accountability testing• Interim, short-cycle or

benchmark• Ongoing, accurate classroom

assessment for learning

Balanced Assessment

SummativeProvides evidence achievement to certify student competence or program effectiveness

Assessment for learningUse assessments to help students assess and adjust their own learning

Formative uses of summative dataUse of summative evidence to inform what comes next for individuals or groups of students

FormativeFormal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence to directly improve the learning of students assessed

Assessment Assessment for learningfor learningUse classroom Use classroom assessments to assessments to inform teacher’s inform teacher’s decisionsdecisions

Keys to Classroom Assessment

• Key 1: Clear Purpose• Key 2: Clear targets• Key 3: Sound Assessment

Design• Key 4: Effective Communication• Key 5: Student Involvement

Key 1: Clear Assessment Purpose

Always begin by asking:• What decisions?• Who’s making them?• What information will be

helpful to them?

Key 2: Clear Learning Targets

• Know what kinds of targets are represented in curriculum

• Know which targets each assessment measures

Kinds of TargetsKinds of Targets

• Master content knowledge– Know it outright– Know where to find it or how to do it

• Use knowledge to reason• Demonstrate performance skills• Create quality products

Key 3: Sound Key 3: Sound Assessment DesignAssessment Design

• Target-method matchTarget-method match– Select a Select a proper methodproper method

• Item qualityItem quality– Build the assessment with Build the assessment with quality quality

ingredientsingredients

• SampleSample– Gather Gather enough evidenceenough evidence

• MinimizeMinimize biasbias– Avoid sources of Avoid sources of bias and distortionbias and distortion

Key 4: Effective Key 4: Effective CommunicationCommunication

• To the student: descriptive feedback• About the student, to others: grades• Involving the student, tracking

learning: portfolios• Involving the student, to others:

conferences • About the student: standardized tests

Key 5: Student Key 5: Student InvolvementInvolvement

• Clear Purpose: Consider the student as the most important user of assessment information

• Clear Targets: Communicate the learning targets in advance in language students can understand

• Sound Design: Set assessments up so that students can use the information to self-assess and set goals

• Effective Communication: Provide students with descriptive feedback; involve students in tracking and communicating about their learning

Keys to Classroom Assessment

The Long-Standing The Long-Standing ProblemProblem

Educators have rarely been given the opportunity to learn

how to gather dependable evidence

Three Essential Questions for Students

What do I need to know?

Where am I? How will I get there?

SevenSeven Strategies of Strategies of Assessment FOR LearningAssessment FOR Learning

1. Clear & Understandable Vision of Target

2. Examples/models of strong & weak work

3. Regular Descriptive feedback4. Teach Students to Self-Assess & Set

Goals.5. Focus on One Aspect6. Teach Focused Revision7. Engage students in Self-Reflection

• A, B PartnersA, B Partners

• Individually read sectionIndividually read section

• A: shares key point or connectionA: shares key point or connection

• B: “And what makes that B: “And what makes that important to you?important to you?

• Alternate, repeat until finishedAlternate, repeat until finished

“7 Strategies”Read-Share-InquireRead-Share-Inquire

15 minutes

First Turn/Last TurnFirst Turn/Last Turn

Group Sharing In turn – share one of your items, ----but do

not comment on it - The First Turn. Group members comment in round-robin

order about the item. (No cross talk) The initial person who named the item then

shares his or her thinking about the item and gets – The Last Turn.

Repeat the pattern around the table.

25 Minutes

Three Essential Questions for Students

What do I need to know?

Where am I? How will I get there?

Expected Benefits and Expected Benefits and Proven ResultsProven Results

• Better instruction focused on Better instruction focused on standardsstandards

• Profound achievement gains Profound achievement gains for all students, with the for all students, with the largest gains for lowest largest gains for lowest achieversachievers

• More self-managed learning More self-managed learning by studentsby students

What decisions do students make on the

basis of classroom assessment information?

From High Stakes Assessment to In-Process Measures

Mistaken Belief: “It’s the adults who use assessment results to make the most important instructional decisions…”

Mistaken Belief: “The most important decisions are made annually based on annual high-stakes tests”

Students and Assessment

Rick Stiggins

“Assessment Through the

Student’s Eyes”

The Assessment Experience

Scenario 1 & Scenario 2

NEW IDEA:NEW IDEA:

Formative assessment can and should be done

BY STUDENTSBY STUDENTS, as well as by teachers. The key

to improvement is how studentsstudents and teachersand teachers useuse assessment information.

Data What data should be

collected? How should data be used? Who should be involved? What makes it relevant?

Using Data How good is good enough? Does this meet the standard? What are students doing well? What are the weak areas? What do we do about it?

Data Should Be:

Multi-sourced Relevant Timely Consistent over time Collected by users Disaggregated Driving effective decision-making Supportive of mission: success for all Foundation of team efforts to find

solutions

Using data to guide decision-making and continuous improvement

How has the Cedar Rapids district implemented this principle?

How has your school? You in your role? What could you do?

3-2-1 Exit Card

3 things you Learned today 2 things you liked OR want to

do tomorrow 1 Word to describe the way

you feel

Why are kids not

connected to school?

Why aren’t kids

connected to school?