My Seminar 3

October 8, 2008

Aligning Assessments: Session 3

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Seminar Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1.Create a working definition of assessment2.Explore how assessment fits in the context of a

standards-based system3.Analyze classroom assessment options4.Align assessment options to content standards5.Articulate key connections between SD/CS and

district requirements

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AGENDA SEMINAR THREE: ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08

Time Wheel Components

Activity / Topic Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes

4:30 – 4:45 Share positives from previous two weeks

Is it getting better????

4:45 – 5:15 Opening Activity 1

What is assessment? Classroom Assessment ProfileReview Article 4

5:15 – 6:00 Activity 2 Aligning Assessments to StandardsJigsaw Activity

Four Types of Assessments

6:00 – 6:50 Standards & Assessments

Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards

“Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both

students and teachers to continuously improve.”

6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two

Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary

Content Knowledge

Content Pedagogy

Examining Student Work

7:10 – 7:20 Check for Understanding

Share prompt Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed?

7:20- 7:30 Teaching Tips http://illuminations.nctm.orgwww.TeachingTipsMachine.com

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths

Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to:Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example.

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The Process of Instructional Planning

Traditional

o Select a topic

o Design activities

o Design and give

assessments

o Give grade or feedback

and move on to new

topic

Backward Design

o Select standards

o Design

assessments

o Plan instruction/

differentiate

o Use data to give

feedback, re-

teach or move on

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Designing for Student Achievement

© Insight Education Group, Inc. (2004)

Student Achievement

Align Assessment

Identify Learning Priorities

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Align Assessment


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Classroom Assessment Profile

Opening Activity:

• Please complete the left column of the graphic organizer (Session 3, page 3)

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PROFILE

Assessments I Have Used Assessment Types

Selected Response

Constructed Response

Performance Assessment

Personal Communication

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What is Assessment?

Developing a working definition

• Part One: Assessment is . . .

• Part Two: New Ideas/Facts Gathered from “What is Assessment?”

• Part Three: With a partner, create a revised definition of assessment

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Principles of Strategic Assessment

1. Design the assessment immediately after prioritizing the content standards and prior to the design of instructional activities.

2. Present assessment and grading criteria to students prior to beginning a lesson or unit.

3. Provide exemplars to students at the beginning of the lesson or unit to demonstrate the standard of excellence

4. Maintain on-going assessment-based conversation with students.

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Why Assess?

The most important use of assessment results is as evidence of how well a student is . . .

oConstructing knowledge

oCreating personal meaning

oDeveloping reasoning proficiency

oApplying skills appropriately

oDesigning products

oDeveloping constructive and productive dispositions toward learning

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students and teachers to continuously

improve.”



Content Knowledge

Content Pedagogy







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Key Questions to Ask When Designing Assessments

1. What assessment methods are available?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

3. How well does the assessment align to the standard being assessed?

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Assessment Methods

Types of Assessment

SelectedResponse

ConstructedResponse

Performance

PersonalCommunication

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Aligning Assessments Jigsaw

1) EVERYONE: In your manual, review Assessment Considerations, Session 3, pages 7-8.

2) Read ONLY your assigned Assessment Method (pages 8-10)3) In your group create a poster with the following:

• Title: Assessment Type (e.g. Selected Response)

• Part 1: Define the assigned assessment option

• Part 2: Create a list of assessment examples included in this assessment type.

• Part 3: List the pluses and minuses of using this method.

• Part 4: Identify which levels of thinking (Bloom’s) is best measured by this assessment option.

• Part 5: Find a sample standard that could be effectively assessed by your assessment method.

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Aligning Assessments Jigsaw - Graphic Organizer, page 11

Method Definition Examples Pluses (+) Minuses (-) BLOO

M’s

Selected Response

Sample Standard:


Sample Standard:


Sample Standard:


Sample Standard:

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Selected Response Assessment

• Objectively scored paper and pencil test formats

• Student is asked a series of questions, each of which is accompanied by a range of alternative choices

Examples

Multiple ChoiceTrue/False

Matching ExercisesShort Answer/Fill In

Guiding Questions:

1) What are some of the advantages (+) of selected response assessment?

2) What are some of the disadvantages (-) of selected response?

3) What level of Bloom’s Taxonomy can most effectively and efficiently be assessed using selected response?

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Selected Response Assessment

(+)1. Easy to score2. Very objective3. Easy to administer4. Quick5. Straight forward for

students6. Good practice for

standardized exams7. Easy to collect data

from results

(-)1. Narrows student’s

ability to demonstrate knowledge

2. Difficult to construct3. Appeals to limited

learning styles4. Only assesses low

levels of thinking on Bloom’s

Bloom’s1. Knowledge2. Comprehension

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Selected Response

Sample standards for which a Selected Response Assessment would be a strong match:

LEVELS OF BLOOM’S 1. Knowledge

2. Comprehension

Know waves carry energy from one place to another.

Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.

Locate on maps of North and South America land claimed by Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia.

Know the definition of conditional probability.

Know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core.

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Constructed Response Assessment

• Student is provided with an exercise that calls for the preparation of an extended written answer

• Student might be asked to answer a question or to provide an explanation of the solution to a complex problem

Examples

EssayComparing historical events

Interpreting scientific informationSolving open-ended math problems

Guiding Questions:

1) What are some of the advantages (+) of constructed response assessment?

2) What are some of the disadvantages (-) of constructed response?

3) What level of Bloom’s Taxonomy can most effectively and efficiently be assessed using constructed response?

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(+)1. Provides deeper

window into student’s thinking

2. Can determine exactly where a student’s reasoning is strong and where it is weak

3. Allows teacher to provide more specific feedback to student

(-)1. Time consuming (to

complete and grade)2. Difficult for ELLs to

demonstrate their understanding due to language barrier

3. Grading is more subjective

Bloom’s1. Comprehension2. Analysis3. Synthesis4. Evaluation

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Sample standards for which a Constructed Response Assessment would be a strong match:

LEVELS OF BLOOM’S2. Comprehension

3. Application4. Analysis

5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

Describe temperature and heat flow in terms of the motion of molecules (or atoms).

Use properties of numbers to demonstrate whether assertions are true or false.

Explain the influence and achievements of significant leaders of the time (e.g., John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Chief Tecumseh, Chief Logan, Chief John Ross, Sequoyah).

Compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic.

Use a variety of methods, such as words, numbers, symbols, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, and models, to explain mathematical reasoning.

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• Student carries out a specified activity

• Assessment can be based either on observations of the process while skills are being demonstrated or on the evaluation of products created

ExamplesMaking a speech

Musical performanceReading aloud

Speaking in a second languageDance

Science fair exhibitsTerm papers

Guiding Questions:

1) What are some of the advantages (+) of performance assessment?

2) What are some of the disadvantages (-) of performance assessment?

3) What level of Bloom’s Taxonomy can most effectively and efficiently be assessed using performance assessments?

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(+)1. Mirrors authentic tasks2. Engaging3. Provides for wide

range of learning styles

4. Allows students to express creativity

5. Can assess both process of completing a task as well as the final product

(-)1. Time consuming2. Difficult to grade 3. Subjective

Bloom’s1. Application2. Analysis3. Synthesis4. Evaluation

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Sample standards for which a Performance Assessment would be a strong match:

LEVELS OF BLOOM’S3. Application

4. Analysis5. Synthesis

6. Evaluation

Use speaking techniques, including voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact, for effective presentations.

Know how to build a simple compass and use it to detect magnetic effects, including Earth’s magnetic field.

Decode two-syllable nonsense words and regular multisyllable words.

Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch and/ or centimeter.

Construct a cube and rectangular box from two-dimensional patterns and use these patterns to compute the surface area for these objects.

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Personal Communication Assessment

• Gathering information about day-to-day student achievement in the classroom by talking with students

• A very flexible means of assessment that can be used literally at a moment’s notice

ExamplesQuestions and Answers

ConferencesInterviews

Oral Examinations

Guiding Questions:

1) What are some of the advantages (+) of personal communication?

2) What are some of the disadvantages (-) of personal communication?

3) What level of Bloom’s Taxonomy can most effectively and efficiently be assessed using personal communication?

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Sample standards for which Personal Communication would be a strong match:

LEVELS OF BLOOM’S1. Knowledge

2. Comprehension3. Application

4. Analysis5. Synthesis

6. Evaluation

Respond to persuasive messages with questions, challenges, or affirmations.

Ask and answer simple questions related to data representations.

Describe the properties of common objects and communicate observations orally.

Pose relevant questions about events they encounter in historical documents, eyewitness accounts, oral histories, letters, diaries, artifacts, photographs, maps, artworks, and architecture.

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(+)1. Can be used at a

moment’s notice2. Can probe more

deeply through questioning

3. Can easily involve parents in the process (through conferences)

4. Helps build relationships between teacher and student

(-)1. Time consuming2. Hard to record

responses/grades3. Subjective4. Relies on relationships

between teacher & student

Bloom’s1. Knowledge2. Comprehension3. Application4. Analysis5. Synthesis6. Evaluation

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5:15 – 6:00 Activity 2 Aligning Assessments to Standards

Jigsaw Activity






improve.”



Content Knowledge

Content Pedagogy







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What to Look for in Classroom Assessments

Level of Bloom’s Selected ResponseConstructed

ResponsePerformanceAssessment


IKnowledge

This is an efficient and objective way to quickly gauge student knowledge of discrete facts.

You can get at knowledge with this method, but it may be inefficient, or somewhat subjective.

Not recommended – too inefficient

This can be both effective and efficient way to measure any level of Bloom’s, but

may be hard to formally record or track.

II Comprehension

Effective way tomeasure students’ comprehension, but will not get

at their actual reasoning.

This is an efficient and effective way to measure comprehension, and determine the nuances of student understanding.

Not recommended – too inefficient

IIIApplication

Not recommended – does not Effectively demonstrate ability to apply knowledge and comprehension. Difficult to construct effective items.

Somewhat effective - this type of assessment can only measure applications in the written form.

Most effective - Students can demonstrate written, oral, and physical applications of knowledge and understanding.

IVAnalysis

Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired analytical thinking.

Difficult to construct effective items.

Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly indicate their analytical process.

Effective but may be inefficient – The teacher would have to measure both process and product to truly get at students’ analytical thinking.

VSynthesis

Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired synthesis processes. Difficult to construct effective items.

Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly describe their process of synthesizing information.

Effective and efficient - Students can demonstrate their ability to compile and reformulate information in a number of different ways.

VIEvaluation

Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired evaluative thinking. Difficult to construct effective items.

Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly demonstrate their evaluative capabilities.

Effective and efficient - Students can present and defend their judgments and opinions in an interactive setting that delves deeply into their thinking.

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Criterion for Effective Assessment

“I.T.E.S.T.”

• Informative: Informs instructional planning

• Timely: Provides timely feedback to students

• Explainable: Helps teachers communicate (to parents, administrators, other teachers and students) student progress towards mastery of standards

• Specific: Identifies specific strengths and weaknesses of students

• Targeted: Assists students in determining to what extent they have mastered the content

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Aligning Assessments to Standards

• Criterion 1: Cognitive Requirements EFFECTIVE

o “Does the assessment require students to think or reason on

the level that is required by the standard?”

o Matching assessment methods with the level of Bloom’s

embedded in standards is crucial work that teachers must

understand and be able to do well.

• Criterion 2: Implementation Requirements EFFICIENT

o “Is the complexity or time required to implement the

assessment justified by the quality of information it will yield?”

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Choosing Assessments for Standards

4.3.1. Identify the locations of Mexican settlements in California and those of other settlements, including Fort Ross and Sutter’s Fort

• 3.1 Articulate the relationship between the expressed purposes and the characteristics of different forms of dramatic literature (e.g. comedy, tragedy, drama, dramatic monologue).

• 9. Plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis.

• 3.6 Visualize, describe, and make models of geometric solids (e.g., prisms, pyramids) in terms of the number and shape of faces, edges, and vertices; interpret two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects; and draw patterns (of faces) for a solid that, when cut and folded, will make a model of the solid.

ASSESSMENT OPTION

• Selected Response

• Constructed Response

• Performance

• Performance & Personal Communication

STANDARDS__

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Classroom Assessment Profile

• Revisit the classroom assessment profile on page 3.

• Classify “assessments you have used” into one of the four assessment types.

• Do you notice any patterns?

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Summative Assessment Considerations

• Aligned to P1 standard(s)• Reflects criterion for effective assessment

(I.T.E.S.T.)

MOST EFFICIENT&

MOST EFFECTIVE

Way to measure mastery of standards

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students and teachers to continuously improve.”



Content Knowledge

Content Pedagogy







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Practice Aligning Summative Assessment to P1 Standard

• Work in small groups to align a summative assessment to

a P1 standard

o Choose a P1 standard

o Identify the most effective and efficient assessment

method(s) for that standard (using Bloom’s &

pluses/minuses considerations)

o Briefly describe the assessment

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Five-Step Unit Planning Process

Step 1:Identify and cluster unit standards

Step 2:Design a summative assessment

Step 3:Select a focus standard for the lesson and define

objectives

Step 4:Determine how to communicate standards to

students

Step 5:Develop differentiated learning activities

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THINKING LIKE AN ASSESSOR, not just an activity designer

Thinking Like an Assessor Thinking Like an Activity Designer

How will I be able to distinguish between those who really understand and those who do not?

What will students be doing in and out of class?What assignments will be given?

Against what criteria will I distinguish work?

How will I give students a grade (and justify it to their parents)?

What misunderstandings are likely? How will I check for misunderstandings?

Did the activities work?Why or why not?

What would be sufficient and revealing evidence of understanding?

What would be interesting and engaging activities on this topic?

What performance tasks anchor the unit and focus the instructional work?

What resources and materials are available on this topic?

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improve.”



Content Knowledge

Content Pedagogy







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Closing

o Share new understandings

o Share corrected misconceptions

o Review new discussion board prompt