Formative Assessment Institute FAI Survey Results February 2008

Formative Assessment

Institute

FAI Survey Results

February 2008

Please identify your position

Choice Count Percentage of Total Sample

Teacher 28 40.6%

Instructional Facilitator 21 30.4%

Administrator 15 21.7%

Other 5 7.2%

District NameChoice Count Percentage of Total Sample

Campbell 1 0 0.0%

Carbon 1 2 2.9%

Fremont 1 13 18.8%

Fremont 14 2 2.9%

Laramie 1 0 0.0%

Natrona 1 1 1.4%

Washakie 1 2 2.9%

Big Horn 4 0 0.0%

Converse 1 0 0.0%

Fremont 24 2 2.9%

Fremont 25 5 7.2%

District Name

Choice Count Percentage of Total Sample

Johnson 1 1 1.4%

Lincoln 1 1 1.4%

Lincoln 2 1 1.4%

Park 1 10 14.5%

Park 6 7 10.1%

Platte 2 2 2.9%

Sheridan 2 3 4.3%

Sublette 1 1 1.4%

Sweetwater 2 6 8.7%

Weston 1 2 2.9%

Sheridan 1 7 10.1%

Topic Strongly Agree

Agree Disagree

Strongly Disagree

NA

The strategies used by the presenters were appropriate in helping me attain the goals(s) and/or outcomes of this professional development experience.

9 55 3 1 1

This professional development offered sufficient and appropriate opportunity for networking.

21 42 4 0 2

I gained knowledge and skills to implement this professional development into my job.

15 47 3 1 3

The level of difficulty of the content was appropriate.

12 51 4 1 1

The presenters were knowledgeable and effective.

15 50 2 1 1

The handouts and materials were adequate and useful.

17 46 2 0 4

The Formative Assessment Institute Wikispace (website) is useful to me.

15 36 4 0 14

Keynote SpeakersTopic Strongly

AgreeAgree Disagree Strongly

DisagreeNA

Jim Popham’s presentation was beneficial to me as a participant of the Formative Assessment Institute.

14 31 9 4 11

Scott Marion’s presentation was beneficial to me as a participant of the Formative Assessment Institute.

12 33 14 9 1

I would like to have additional keynote speakers for next year’s Formative Assessment Institute.

18 33 9 4 5

Please list any suggestions you might have for additional keynote

speakers. • I have no suggestions, as I don't feel keynotes are important (I

disagreed above)• None at this time (This was stated many times)• I would like to explore the research and information on brain research

as it applies to timely assessment and re-teaching.• Rick Stiggins or possibly the DuFour's on PLC's• My suggestion would be to eliminate the keynote speaker and give us

more time to work with our teams and the content.• Must be type of speaker that will encourage our group to participate

and really get involved. Not one that fights for words to get his/her point across.

• How much money do you have? Is Stiggins available, or any of the other authors of the book we are using for the institute? Our district also read the book "Checking for Understanding." What about one of those authors - Douglas Fisher or Nancy Frey? Is there anyone for ASCD that can address formative assessments?

• If we have keynote speakers, they need to be at our level of work...we were at a practical level and Scott was at a theoretical level causing cognitive dissonance.

• Mary Thrasher, Janie Pollock• Someone more charismatic.


speakers. • I would like to have keynote speakers that are actually engaging.• I would be OK w/another speaker, but not for 3 1/2 hours. I felt that

this time could have been better used.• Make sure the views of the speaker don't conflict with what we have

been doing.• Marzano? Wiggins? McTighe?• Bob Marzano.• Just not as long• Four hours of a keynote speaker is too long. I would like a keynote

speaker, but only if it is shorter.• It would be beneficial to have someone come in to instruct us on

writing good formative assessments in a variety of areas and levels.• Stiggins• How about John Metcalfe, FCSD#1 Curriculum & Assessment

Director?• The superintendent from Alaska who now does Reinventing Schools

on setting learning goals with student and stakeholder input from the standards.

• Stiggins; Reeves; Gusky; Marzano; Schmoker; Schlechty; Jacobs.• Jane E. Pollack/Marzano


speakers. • Scott really created a lot of turmoil for me. He did not have any answers

and really confused the issues.• Rick Stiggins• Give us a better understanding of what direction the state is headed.• Marzano . . . Daggett . . . any brain-based speakers.• Having real administrators, instructional facilitators, and teachers who are

effectively using FA would be great. There was just a Public Education and Business Coalition conference in Denver where participants met with collaborative teams from real schools who were fully engaged in formative assessment and integrated instruction. It was great having the leading researchers present the theory, now I would like to hear from people who are actually "doing" FA.

• Scott's hands-on group activity and part of his information was helpful and useful; however, some of it seemed hyper academic and intended to impress us with his research. I could have done with less of than.

• I have mixed feelings about having keynote speakers. One maybe to get us going might be good and one later on to help get the drive back but many times the keynote speakers come, talk, and leave without making that much impact on the group. Assistance with what we will be undertaking will have more impact and better results than keynote speakers.


speakers. • Scott Marion's message was useful - but he needs to beef up his

presentation. What he said was impressive, but the presentation was blah. Hard to listen to.

• Is it possible to get Rick Stiggins or Ken O'Connor?• Someone from the PLC/Solution Tree group.• Relate your material to the classroom, not just theory.• Classroom Management Speakers for IF peer help• Better sound system• Please list any suggestions you might have for additional keynote

speakers. I don't have any suggestions.• Motivational

If you are an administrator, please tell us the most important thing you would like

to get out of the session with your colleagues.

• How to wrap up the four conferences and how to incorporate. How other districts are doing and their recommendations. I personally like new things like the story skeleton.

• I would like to know how formative assessment will look in the teacher's classroom.

• State Review of District Proficiencies (BOE)-April 2009• implementation strategies in our buildings• I am very interested in learning more about the BOE and formative

assessments.• Finding out what others are doing in their districts.• The importance of the Instructional facilitator, and to be used by

most teachers.• How administrators can support the work of teachers and

instructional facilitators in formative assessment. Our role...• I would like to continue with the planning and dialog about how we

will begin to train the rest of our staff; where what we have learned will fit into our needs; and basically how we make the most use of our new knowledge.

If you are an administrator, please tell us the most important thing you would like to

get out of the session with your colleagues.

• The most important thing I would like to get out of the session with my colleagues is a common understanding of how we must proceed with the assessment plan, targets, and formative assessments in our district.

• A better understanding of our building plan for next years staff development.

• Your advisory panel determined needs of the group. I would like to be included in this activity.

• Strategies on how to implement the Formative Assessment into the day to day teachers classroom.

• How do administrators plan to implement what they Dave learned FAI in their districts. Big picture.

• I would like to have a discussion/sharing time to see how other principals are implementing the different pieces of the institute within their buildings, identifying which pieces are a higher priority than others.

• The time to visit with other administrators about how they are implementing formative assessment in their buildings is invaluable. Having adequate time budgeted for networking is important.

• Implementation strategies and ideas from all. I think we need to look at how we are all working on alignment, assessments, and time for staff to do this work without getting drained. There really is a lot on their plates and it seems that we need to find ways to help them so they do not get so frustrated.

If you are an administrator, please tell us the most important thing you would like to


• How to encourage teachers the importance of continual formative assessments.

• I image that something needs to be here too.• How are other IF's working with admin & teachers on formative

assessment?• More tool box strategies to share with my faculty. Learning to assess

every day to direct our instruction is very useful to facilitate change in our school.

• I would like to gain adequate knowledge so that I might be able to assist my teachers when we return to our district.

• How to help teachers develop useable, effective formative assessments.• A "laundry List" of formative assessment strategies.• How are IF's helping teachers with formative assessments? Does your

district have formative assessments already made in a curricular area?• Ideas on how to effectively share the information with my staff in

"shorter" sessions.• I would love to know what the other IF's are doing in their districts and

how their administrators are using them to help their districts grow.

If you are an Instructional Facilitator, please tell us the most important thing you

would like to get out of the session with your colleagues.

• Accountability working and continue a instructional awareness• To gain information on progress monitoring using a variety of

formative assessments...maybe create a bank of formative assessments in our break out session.

• I would like to be able to plan and/or design where we will go from here as a district. In order to do that I think we need some specifics about what we will be working on in FAI in March and next year so we can bring the necessary materials to make a doable and worthwhile plan.

• How does a BOE affect middle school students? Is it coming for 6-8 grades?

• Ideas and examples of what good formative assessment looks like. What forms of assessment they are using to progress monitor in their Districts and how they help teachers implement them.

• Complete understanding of the steps that we need to take to develop formative assessments.

• I would like to know how to help teachers unpack standards.



• Practical and tried formative assessments to share with our teachers on all levels primary - high school.

• How are instructional facilitators across the state measuring their effectiveness? Do any of them have evaluation forms and/or formal job descriptions? Do the IF's keep logs of their work with teachers? How are they spending their time? Related to assessment: How do they promote good assessment practices in their work with teachers?

• I would like to discuss/develop a clearer picture of what the role of an instructional facilitator should be in the formative assessment scheme of things for our district. Right now, it feels as though we have not had a conversation in which we all know exactly what our goals are, and consequently, we do not seem to have a clear idea of what our roles should be.

• I would love to really identify our district action plan and my role in that plan as a facilitator.

• See what others are doing.• Knowing good assessments when I see it, and helping teachers build

learning targets.• Just having people share what they are doing and how it is working in their

district would be beneficial.



• I would like to see actual formative assessment tools, especially a management system to keep records for individual students.

• Unpacking standards so we are consistent around the state.• How to best integrate formative assessment in the classroom regularly.• Time to work on implementation and bringing the ideas back to the rest of

our building.• Work on pre and post assessments for PLC's/Intervention.• Just the talking and sharing are tremendous help. What are others doing,

where do they struggle, where are their successes?• Ideas for learning targets.• I would like to get a good, clear, and concise wrap up of each of the

components of formative assessment. A quick multiple-choice response with some discussion afterwards would be great. Things become a bit muddled, and I'm pretty sure that I know more than I think I know. It would be interesting to see how much we really do know and have learned (of course, in a non-threatening fun way!).

• Mainly how to successfully implement these strategies in my school.• More toolbox strategies. A potential lining out of assessments for each

grade level. What works best.

If you are an Teacher, please tell us the most important thing you would like to get

out of the session with your colleagues.

• I would like to see actual examples of how other teachers break down their standards or use formative assessments.

• I would like to look at samples of good formative assessments so we can make the transition to writing our own assessments a little less painful. It would be helpful to have them at all areas and levels. (k-12)

• Networking and sharing the ideas with other districts then coming together with ours was really an eye-opener and educational.

• Assessment accountability• Examples of effective formative assessments we saw some examples

in individual school handouts that did not look like the represent what we are learning am I correct? Did any of the presenters look at those materials?

• We are going to plan our staff development for next year; we already have discussed what we are going to do when we are there.

• Practice matching learning goals to test questions or evaluating tests to see if they match learning goals. I am struggling with that aspect.

• If I were teaching, I would want to know where I was in teaching students with effective teaching practices and what I needed to do. Questions to be asking myself when planning good instruction.

If you are an Teacher, please tell us the most important thing you would like to get out of the session with your colleagues.

• How, why and when to use formative assessments and the value of them.

• Some samples of formative assessments teachers are currently using and how they are fitting them in around all the summative assessments we have to complete. I would like something to bring back to the other teachers to share with them.

• Ideas of formative assessments they have used with success.• More practice with the activities• I enjoy seeing how other districts are handling the state's body of

evidence with common assessments and some of their specific formative teaching tools.

• I would like to do more work on actually unpacking the standards and understanding what learning targets are.

If you are an Teacher, please tell us the most important thing you would like to get out of the session with your colleagues.

• How to actually implement some of this stuff or share it with my fellow teachers.

• How are other districts using formative assessment with writing? I would like examples of how these assessments are implemented.

• Formative assessment strategies that are content specific or maybe grade level specific (elem, ms, hs)

• Useful ideas I can implement ASAP.• Working with my group. It is much more valuable than listening

to the same information being repeated over and over again.• Immediate classroom usage of material.

If you are an Teacher, please tell us the most important thing you would like to


Do you feel it would be beneficial to have a short presentation on BOE

requirements.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Yes No

Percent

Please give us some feedback about the logistics of the Institute (training

room, food, breaks, etc). • It was great being back at the Inn in Lander.• The logistics were fine. If I was cold, I dressed warmer. The food was

sufficient, and if it wasn't to my taste, I will bring my own.• The Inn at Lander is the best place to be. We are saddened that we

have to return to the hard chairs at the community center. It's nice to be able to be comfortable for 2 days, especially for those of us with physical health issues.

• The Institute is very comfortable now. All of our needs are met and the group size is great. Keep up the good work!!!

• The Best Western was Awesome! I wish we could all meet there. The sound system was much better at the convention center this time.

• In March, could we spend 1/2 of the time at the community center and 1/2 of the time at the Inn?

• The February session was just fine. Do not change anything.• The training room at the hotel is great. The food was excellent as

usual.• Bringing lunch to the Community Center on the second day was

great!

• Good environment• Need more Diet Pepsi at the community center and a few more

snacks.• Everything is going well.• It would be nice if you could provide food for the folks at the

Community Center so we don't have to drive back and forth.• People seemed to get up and take breaks whenever they needed

them. there should be more of a variety of food/snacks so that those with food allergies can find something they can eat

• The community center is not the best. It is hard to see and hear. The food is very good. The breaks are sufficient.

• It was much better with internet at the center.• Much better! However, the extra long day was very difficult. It was

beneficial due to the weather, but I'm not so sure I want to do it again.

• I think all of the logistics are great. I am pleased that we have been broken into two different groups, it is much better this way.

Please give us some feedback about the logistics of the Institute (training

room, food, breaks, etc).

• Please and fruit if possible.• As professionals, I think we're there to learn rather than to be

provided with every comfort. It was fine. We could see and hear and had some elbow room, and that was great. No one was cold and hungry to my knowledge.

• Both places are good, but it would be nice to at least have some muffins/doughnuts/fruit for breakfast at the Community Center for those who do not wish to stop at the other building.

• Maybe shorter breaks and longer breakout sessions• Hard to travel for lunch and breakfast back and forth.• Great! The hotel staff feeds us very well.• The community center is a horrible place to meet. It is dark, difficult

to hear, and cold. I did not get anything out of the time there because I couldn't see or hear. The hotel is a much better place to meet.

• The food as always been awesome! You have done a great job of fixing all of the other logistical problems since the first meeting.

• All good

Please give us some feedback about the logistics of the Institute

(training room, food, breaks, etc).

• Great!!• Nice to be in the Lander Inn rather than the community center with

it's poor acoustics and uncomfortable chairs and the bathroom so close to the tables (ppphhhew) We do wonder though what the larger school district are doing? Are there ideas that the other group should hear?

• Keep doing what you are doing.• IT went nicely this time...no complaints• The food has been great. You might want to think about when you

allow districts collaboration time as often times if we have collaboration time at the end of the day team members leave and we do not use the time as effectively as we could if it were scheduled differently.

• I think you have it down!!• It was very nice in the Inn with the fewer number of people. The

breaks, the food, everything was very nice.• Everything was great this time.

Please give us some feedback about the logistics of the Institute (training room, food, breaks, etc).

• You are doing an amazing job with the number of participants!• Fine• The facility at the Inn is much more conducive to large group

presentation along with small group collaboration.• Food great but I always go for protein like the eggs and bacon. I liked

having just drinks or fruit for breaks. The room was comfortable and the sound good.

• I really like the atmosphere at the hotel better than the convention center. The food has been wonderful.

• Just fine.• The Inn at Lander is wonderful! I do not like the room at the community

center. It's not a good room to conduct a meeting in all day long. Chairs are really uncomfortable and it's hard to see and hear presenters.

• Fine• I do not like going to the community center. Not enough restrooms for

the women. The Lander Inn is great. Food is always good.• Community center chairs are uncomfortable and sound system lacking.

Food is great! Can we get Diet Coke? Cold cans better than that soda machine.


• It is fine• Great Chef! She deserves a huge round of applause! Thanks for the

wireless Internet at the Community Center.• Overall it is okay.• The hotel is significantly better than the community center. The lighting,

sound, temperature, and chairs are much more conducive to learning. Personally, I'd rather be crowded in a good learning environment than spread out in a poor facility.

• You are doing well with handling a large group. I appreciated the effort to allow some thinking and interaction time with those of other districts. The training room rotations seemed fair and workable. The breakfast mixed fruit was disappointingly soft and seemed unfresh. Running out of pop in the dispenser might have been avoided.

• I have been fine with all the logistics.• I really felt that everything was very nice and Lander is doing a great job of

finding ways to make this a success for all attending. My hat is off to Paige, John, and the others for all they have done. As for the question about the BOE work, I think people need to know where it fits in with what we are doing here and it does. I think knowing the direction both are heading and how this will compliment that process would be worth the time. I would not spend a large amount of time on it at this time.

Please give us some feedback about the logistics of the Institute.

• No environmental concerns.• The host facility has done a good job accommodating the many needs

of the institute participants.• Everything was really great, especially the boxed lunches.• I absolutely LOVED being at the Hotel and not having to travel

anywhere throughout the day.• The Hotel site was much better than the lodge.• I prefer to have our sessions meet at the Inn (of course), and it seems

to me that it would be better if meals could be served at the venues where our teams are working (instead of traveling to the Inn from the community center).

• Since we are breaking in to two groups I feel the logistics are fine.• Worked well• Split up again• The Best Western does an awesome job.• The motel is so much more conducive to learning than the center.• The community center and overall schedule worked well for our team,

and as always, the food was great.• Need water during every session and small snack.


What area offered you the greatest learning opportunity?

• Writing Learning Targets• I experienced the greatest learning opportunity during the FEBRUARY

(not November) FAI training during the networking of other districts during the sharing of our homework.

• I think this is supposed to say February FAI training, the time to work as a district on our plans.

• Creating learning targets.• Time to work with the concepts presented so that we could internalize

them for use back in our district.• The five kinds of learning targets.• Unpacking standards.• Conversations with other administrators and instructional facilitators• Unpacking standards• Learning targets Unpacking the standards• Time to work/discuss with colleagues.• Networking• Sharing information with colleagues on where everyone was and what

they were doing.• Time to work in our team on our implementation ideas.

• In February, I especially found the assessment breakdown beneficial.• I really enjoyed listening to Scott Marion. It was also beneficial to

work with the standards and the learning targets.• Back to November? If this is a typo, and if you are asking about

February, I would say that the keynote speaker gave me the greatest learning opportunity. The speaker was encouraging as he expressed that there are different opinions even among experts about several areas regarding formative assessment - even down to the basic definition. He was easy to listen to and he made sense. He offered some basic knowledge and addressed some concerns/issues that I was feeling in regard to the whole area. I especially enjoyed his comments about embracing the confusion.

• Do you mean February? Looking at our own assessments with someone there to talk to.

• Break out sessions• The toolbox strategies.• Do you mean January? It was so helpful sharing our "homework." I

needed more time. Also, it was very helpful meeting with the other instructional facilitators.


• Unpacking standards• I enjoyed being able to learn from people in other districts as well as

share ideas with people in my own district.• Assessment value and testing curriculum• Working in groups• The separate break out sessions were more beneficial than the group.

Feb. training was great...I liked it the best.• Team working time after the presentation sessions.• Descriptive feedback.• Descriptive feedback.• February's meeting left me confused. It did not have the clarity and

focus that the other meetings had. Scott may have been the cause of this.

• Actual time to talk to people in our own District. I really like the big sheets with the Dist. Classroom and building level. They are very helpful and help us to focus.

• Chance to work together as a team.• Networking• Looking at our district-wide assessments and setting up a plan.• Breaking into groups


• Networking with other districts.• The understanding of unpacking standards• I appreciated the work on assessments and the sharing opportunity

(homework) with other districts• The greatest learning opportunity in February was the collaborative

group times both in mixed groups and with colleagues. Unfortunately, both groups were extremely rushed which limited the effectiveness.

• Time to visit and interact with people outside our own district to learn what and how they do things.

• I was able to learn and work in the rooms we were given.• If so the assessment work was great and the feedback meeting with all

the different Districts was great.• Unpacking standards Target learning• Work on teacher assessments.• In the February training the best part was the sharing of the homework

activities. We learned so much from each other.• At the February training it was so helpful to look at our own students'

work and analyze the learning targets. The discussion generated helped teachers better understand the connection between learning targets and assessment. It also helped them understand the role of formative assessment in guiding instruction.


• Time for team collaboration with specific tasks in mind.• The time spent with our group looking at learning targets.• Community sharing with other districts.• To see what others were doing.• If so I enjoyed the break out session were I was able to here how

different districts are utilizing the FAI training.• Discussing similar concerns with other districts and finding we

have common issues.• Learning Target Information• It was great being able to see what is being implemented in

different districts, so I would say the homework sharing time.


If you could change one thing what would it be?

• Not being able to work with our team, but this was remedied in the Feb. training.

• The FEBRUARY training was fine as was.• Nothing, the February training was a great opportunity.• The Learning Target Analysis remains confusing to me. I need more practice

looking at student work.• More time to work within our own school groups.• Not have Scott Marion there• More breaks in the morning.• Get better chairs at the convention center!• I know Scott Marion knows his stuff, but it was way too long.• I wonder if we could put the smaller schools together and see if they could

make a plan to get together with their staffs to unpack the standards instead of working by themselves to reinvent the wheel...maybe in the summer.

• Weather!:)• The first day was really long, but I understand the guidelines and the

required # of hours.• Perhaps breakout sessions with a defined assignment in our district teams.• The guest speaker was long and boring.

• I would have the keynote speaker keep talking and to a Q&A time with him.

• After we have looked at our assessments, give us time to have a table/panel look at them with us to give ideas for what looks good, what needs improvements, etc.--a fresh face. We need more time to do this.

• Nothing (this was listed several times)• Worked for me.• More hands-on activities and more practical tools and models for

formative evaluation in the classroom. Many of our team felt disappointed with the level of theory and lack of applications that we could use now.

• I would not like to meet at the community center anymore• The keynote speaker, Scott Marion, was hard to track. Thank you for

arranging the meeting times to accommodate us who had to drive a farther distance. It really helped to get out earlier on Tuesday in order to drive in the daytime.

• All ok• Jim Popham was a poor speaker and was not funny!• I thought it went well this time around.• I have no suggestions for improvement.• The one keynote speaker seemed a bit wanting too many atta boys.


• The guest speaker needs to address the issues of formative assessments and work towards those goals. I felt his presentation was about something totally different.

• Location...the Community Center was not the best environment. It was very difficult to hear and it was cold.

• Collaborative time was limited and very rushed, which limited the effectiveness. I haven't really gained much from the presenters because it is all in the book. Personally, I can read it and comprehend it, but I want to learn how to implement it in real schools. I feel we are receiving information presented by professional- professional developers not necessarily teachers or educational leaders who have effectively implemented Formative Assessment in their buildings.

• It would be helpful to bring in people who have used FA "in the trenches." Experiences of others and anecdotal observations that could expedite the process would be very helpful. I think the TIE ladies are friendly, personable, and professional, but I don't feel I am learning nearly as much as I anticipated from this Academy. The format will definitely need to change in order for me to participate in 08-09. Ten days is a long time to be gone from a building for marginal professional development. Maybe ! we could look at compacting the curriculum into a 2-3 day intensive session next year?

• I found it very difficult to follow Scott Marion's speech. I would leave it out.• It was just fine• Too much too fast


• I am not sure I would change much of anything. Maybe more time with the other Districts when we had the trading of ideas.

• Would have liked to work more with Scott M. on the hands on use of data and not just taking about data.

• More energized keynote address. During the actual class present better useful materials and ideas. We need to take useful easy options back to our district and teachers, for them to make this a part of their instructional practices.

• If I could change one thing about the February training it would be the breaks. Our group is a large group and every time we're given time to discuss as a team, we always run out of time! This discussion has been particularly beneficial to our group and I think if discussion time was followed by breaks, those with smaller groups could be excused, while those of us needing more time, could spill into the break period.

• I would suggest to break up groups by position/job so the administration, teachers and instructional facilitators could all participate within their role in the professional development process. I do like to see what teachers are doing but to move a school in a new direction needs to have PD just for an administrator.


Survey created and administered by Technology and Innovation in Education

For further questions, please contact Pam Lange at

[email protected]

Documents

Formative Assessment Institute FAI Survey Results February 2008