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Issue 86: Research on Assessment OF Learning

2010-03-02T17:00:00Z

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SUBJECT: Research on assessment OF learning

If you are trying to give students as much time as possible to learn, then you are likely engaged in discussions regarding how to best assess and evaluate the quality of student work in relation to the required standards or learning outcomes. If so, then you might be interested in examining a report published by the Assessment Reform Group that is focused on assessment OF learning.

It is based on four working papers that analyze relevant research. In summary, they clearly say that when teachers evaluate, they need to be able to make a professional judgment regarding the quality of student work. In order to do so in such a way that reliability and validity issues are taken care of, they need to engage in processes which involve working with colleagues and co-constructing shared criteria around quality expectations. Then they need to practice assessing student work, checking with colleagues to see if there is agreement. This is a moderation process that leads to teachers making “informed reliable and valid professional judgments” – and in fact, teacher professional judgments in this context have better reliability and validity than external tests. Here is a link to the report: http://www.assessment-reform-group.org/ASF booklet English.pdf

When one takes this perspective, then students who continue to improve their work are observed to be learning and adding to the evidence of learning that can be considered. Subsequently, when it comes to making a professional judgment, teachers will examine the entire collection of evidence. The work handed in by a student that was submitted *multiple times as part of a feedback cycle* will be viewed differently than the same assignment *without feedback.* Professional judgment frees educators from being slaves to scores, marks, grades, and numbers; instead, educators attend to quality expectations in relation to course standards or outcomes.

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“Assessment and testing have a strong effect on the lives and careers of young people… When the results of tests and examinations are used to pass judgments on teachers and schools, they also affect the ways in which pupils are taught.”
~ ARG report on Assessment OF Learning

Issue 85: One Chance to Learn?

2010-02-16T17:00:00Z

Starting with this issue, we will be emailing you our newsletters every second Tuesday, rather than weekly. We welcome feedback from our readers on whether you prefer this less frequent schedule.

In some discussions about formative and summative assessment, the controversy arises about giving students second chances to improve their assigned work. I think part of the challenge stems from the traditional practice of ‘assign and assess’ where teachers used to address the topic under study by giving a lecture, assigning some practice work and then evaluating students’ learning through a performance task or a test. In this world view, some people believe that it isn’t fair to let some students know what they’ve done wrong and then have a chance to try again to improve their marks, when others have achieved a good grade the first time.

Today, educators recognize that some students need more time than others to learn. Teaching involves assessing what students know, teaching to the needs that are evident through the assessment data, and then, after students have had time to learn, evaluating the evidence of learning. In order for all students to show what they know, it is often important to be flexible in terms of ‘what counts’ for evidence or proof of learning.

If you and your colleagues are still engaged in conversations about how to work with the numbers, marks, grades and scores related to assessing and evaluating student work, find Ken O’Connor’s work. His book, **How to Grade for Learning K–12, Third Edition** is a wonderful resource for conversations at this level.
More on this next week…

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“Grades must be directly related to the learning goals for each grading period.”
~ Ken O’Connor

Check out “A Conversation about 21st Century Learning” by Dr. David Peat and Barry Allen, on our STORIES page:
http://www.annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_stories.html

Issue 84: We Evaluate What We Value

2010-02-09T17:00:00Z

Systems define success in relation to their purpose and goals. If the measure of success is limited to only quantitative data, the destination may also become limited. What does your system value? What do you evaluate? Are the indicators of success appropriate and do they include multiple sources? How can you use assessment FOR learning to provide evidence of working towards or achieving your mission?

Remember, we **evaluate what we value.** If we collect simple, comparative numerical data, we communicate that we value that which can be measured simply and in numerical terms. We end up doing what Paul LeMahieu (1996) warns us against – we end up ACCOUNTING for learning rather than BEING ACCOUNTABLE for it.

Sometimes the push from leaders is to collect ‘objective’ data, yet all data is subjective – it just looks objective when it is in numerical form. When it comes to classroom assessment, leaders can support teachers to work towards better reliability and validity of their evaluations by encouraging them to collect evidence of learning from multiple sources over time. One way to do this is through *triangulation* – collecting evidence through making observations, having written, oral, or recorded conversations and collecting the products created as students learn. Then, when teachers come to evaluate and report, they can be confident in their judgment.

Sometimes educators find it hard to imagine using qualitative data as part of a summative grade. In this Assessment OF Learning video clip I give examples of how some teachers calculate percentage grades using both quantitative and qualitative data. You can view the video online at http://72.47.193.84/canada/wordpress/calculate-percentage-grading. I encourage you to think about how you might be able to include both qualitative data as well as quantitative data in your summative grades so as to report on all learning outcomes or standards, using more of the evidence of learning.

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“Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with.”
~ Bob Wells

TRANSFORMING BARRIERS TO ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING is “jammed with examples” of how barriers are being transformed daily by leaders at all levels of education. Check it out at: http://connect2learning.com/store/publications/transforming-barriers-to-assessment-i-for-i-learning-lessons-learned-from-leaders

Response to Rubrics

2010-02-03T22:38:54Z

Thank you to the recent blogs on rubrics. Initially, they can be difficult and many times the teacher will find it an exercise in word-smithing. Together with colleagues and students, the task of developing and refining rubrics does become easier. The dialogue that goes on will really help to clarify expectations and make them "friendly" to students.

Developmental continuums are wonderful tools and there has been great work done around them. One of the differences that I see is that at times, the descriptors in continuums may be what students exhibit at that stage. For example, when students are learning to write, "inventive spelling" may be part of the development continuum or "letters are strung together with no spacing". These provide descriptions of where that student is in relation to their development in writing. In rubrics, the language is more of quality. For example, a descriptor of quality on the trait of organization may read "The organization enhances and showcases the central idea or storyline. The order, structure or presentation of information is compelling and moves the reader through the text. " (Six Trait Rubric)

Other perspectives? Would love to hear other ideas.

Issue 83: Co-constructing Criteria

2010-02-02T17:00:00Z

Co-constructing criteria with students is one of the most powerful facets of assessment FOR learning. By engaging them in the process of defining the learning goal and what success looks like, teachers are often amazed at how much MORE learning happens. Students begin to speak the language of assessment and take ownership of their own learning journey.

Educators of students with Special Needs are often experts at this process. They are used to working as a team with other professionals to identify the challenges of individual students and are very clear about each one’s specific learning targets. Their systems of keeping track of evidence of learning for these students are typically based on more qualitative data (using multiple sources over time) rather than relying on numerical data.

Many teachers model the language of assessment for their students with Special Needs by involving them in co-creating criteria to show what the learning will look like for each of them. Being able to communicate about what they have learned helps students become more confident and capable of learning on their own.

A group of educators in Ohio have seen such outstanding results from co-constructing criteria with their students (elementary, middle and high school) that they offered to share their stories with us. Visit the STORIES section on our website at http://www.annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_stories.html and check out “Vignettes of Co-Constructing Criteria.”

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“A guiding question for me is “What qualities and skills do I, as an educator, want our students to have?... Mostly, I want them to have a belief in themselves that they are capable of great things.”
~ Philip Divinsky

Phil Divinsky teaches high school students with Special Needs. His chapter, *Creating the Classroom Culture* describes his strategies for developing students’ communication skills so they get to know their peers and work together, sharing specific feedback for learning. Read more in CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT: WHAT’S WORKING IN HIGH SCHOOLS? at:
http://connect2learning.com/store/publications/classroom-assessment-what-s-working-in-higschools

Issue 82: Rubrics

2010-01-26T17:00:00Z

Most professional educators are sophisticated when using rubrics for evaluation, but in the ‘Assessment FOR Learning’ context, things can sometimes go wrong. In this little video clip from the Facilitator’s Guide, I talk about some of the ways to think about using rubrics in your classroom assessment practice: FG Rubrics video

After you take a look at the clip, you may consider setting up some rubrics for yourself. Here are some questions to guide rubric development from *The Facilitator’s Guide to Classroom Assessment K–12* at http://www.annedavies.com/PDF/21B_rubric_guide.pdf. I hope you find them helpful.

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“If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer.”
~ Edward Hodnett

For more info about THE FACILITATOR’S GUIDE TO CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT K–12, go to: http://connect2learning.com/store/the-facilitator-s-guide-to-classroom-assessment-k-12

Issue 81: Assessment & Technology

2010-01-19T22:22:00Z

Over the past 100 years, our schools have changed dramatically to meetthe needs of the workplace. Historically, students were trained tofollow directions and tested with standardized methods that reflectedthat skill. Today’s students need to be flexible thinkers to take theirplace in the technologically advanced world. How has learningassessment evolved to keep pace?

In 2002, Maine took theunprecedented step of providing laptop computers to all the state’s 7thgrade students. In following years, they also provided computers to 8thgrade students and during the last few years have begun to implementthe program in high schools. “Assessment & Technology” is a videoprogram created in 2004 to explain the changes in classroom assessmentthat began to take place.

How can teachers assess studentlearning in a one-to-one computing environment? Does the use ofindividual computers have an effect on student assessment? Find outresponses to these questions and more when you view this video: http://72.47.193.84/canada/wordpress/assessment-technology

As you watch, consider the changes that have occurred since 2004 in technology-rich classrooms.

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“Onlyif we expand and reformulate our view of what counts as human intellectwill we be able to devise more appropriate ways of assessing it andmore effective ways of educating it.”
~ Howard Gardner

ProfessionalLearning can happen online in your own home for far less cost and freeof the hassles of air travel! For information on Assessment FORLearning web-conferences and web-institutes, go to: http://annedavies.com/catalog2009/index.html

Issue 80: What educators really need to know...

2010-01-12T17:00:00Z

At the Symposium in New Zealand last year, a subgroup of 12 knowledgeable and informed assessment experts from around the world created a summary of what teachers and leaders need to know about Assessment FOR Learning. An excerpt from this Dunedin report appears below; the entire summary is available on our website at www.annedavies.com/pdf/20D_Dunedin_CPD_Team.pdf

The Essential Content for Teachers – Key Lessons to Learn:

** Understanding learning to learn – how to be a critical friend
** Understanding the inquiry process
** How to be clear about and differentiate assessment purposes
** Mastery of clear learning targets
** How to gather dependable evidence of learning
** Ways to analyze and understand what the evidence implies about needed learning
** Negotiating with the learner about how to close the gap
** How to use the assessment (inquiry) process and its results to support learning, including when and how to involve students
** How to communicate effectively in the assessment FOR learning process, including when and how to involve students

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“On a group of theories one can found a school; but on a group of values one can found a culture, a civilization, a new way of living together among men.”
~ Ignazio Silone

There is a new option to consider for Professional Learning in July 2010:
The 5-day Institute on Assessment FOR Learning for teachers and leaders is an event that Connections Group and Anne Davies would like to bring to your School District. For details, go to:
http://connect2learning.com/store/events/leading-the-way-to-quality-assessment-practices

For more information, please call Lisa Robinson at 1-877-603-9888 or email lisa@connect2learning.com

Issue 79: Goals for the New Year

2010-01-05T17:00:00Z

Welcome to 2010! Whew, where did that year go? Thank goodness we have markers, like the New Year, to prompt us to step back and take a break from this frantic pace of life and think about where we are in our goals and where we want to go over the next year. It’s interesting to reflect back on the plans we made last year at this time and give ourselves feedback on whether we met the criteria that we set for marking our steps to success. Some of us may need to adjust our goals to fit better with our present situation, but we can all celebrate our achievements, whether large or small.

I believe it is possible to create our life to be the way we want it to be. We just need the courage and commitment to begin planning for success, both in our own lives and in our teaching practice. Goethe said, “Whatever you can do or dream, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

As a first step in helping your students plan for a new outcome (or for helping us to achieve our own goals), we suggest you try an idea called ‘Goal Envelopes’ from CONFERENCING AND REPORTING (pages 17-20). An outline is available for the first part of the exercise and a template; samples and adaptations are included in the book. They can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/pdf/20C_GoalEnvelopes.pdf and www.annedavies.com/pdf/20C_p58_Conferencing&Reporting.pdf
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“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

CONFERENCING AND REPORTING is part of the three-book series called ‘Knowing What Counts’ which is available at:
http://connect2learning.com/store/publications/knowing-what-counts-series-3-books

Issue 78: The Gift of Time

2009-12-29T17:00:00Z

Many years ago, I started looking for a way to simplify my life. Taking some clues from the writing of Stephen Covey and what I knew from my work with strategic planning, I began to review my goals and establish a picture of my life for myself.

I reviewed all the things I did that gave me pleasure and contributed to my quality of life and the lives of others: my family, my community, and my profession. I considered what my talents and gifts were and how they best found expression. I looked at those parts of my life that gave me little or no pleasure. I decided I wanted time to do the things that were of value to me. I made some decisions…

Now I try to use my newly-created time to do the things I value. I have more time to write – an activity I value. I have more time to talk with other educators about issues of concern and challenge to me – an activity I value. I have more time to be with my family – an integral part of the gift of life and a great value to me. My life is not perfect, but it does make more sense to me. When I stepped back and reflected on my life, these were some of the choices I made for me. They have given me the gift of time. What about you? How can you give yourself the give of time?

(Read more on this in my article called Gift of Time: Stepping Back and Making Sense at www.annedavies.com/images/PDFs/gift_of_time.pdf

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“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”
~ Sidney J. Harris

“What we desperately need in business is reflection. Not more planning. Not more strategizing. More reflection.”
~ John Dalla Costa

Anne Davies has begun to share some of her tranquil moments through her paintings and writing. Find out more at:
http://connect2learning.com/store/publications/art-reflection

Issue 77: No-Marks Reporting

2009-12-22T17:00:00Z

We have received feedback and questions from readers regarding the use of formative assessment data in Assessment OF Learning evaluations. Some teachers have requested more information about how they can do this.

When it comes to reporting, teachers need solid evidence of all of the learning outcomes or standards. There are two questions they need to address as they evaluate and report:
• What has been learned in relation to all the learning targets? (That is, what does each student know, what can she or he do and articulate as proof of learning?)
• What has been achieved? (That is, have students learned what they need to learn to an appropriate degree of quality?)

When responding to these two questions, teachers and students begin by collecting evidence of what has been learned over time. Then, teachers can compare what has been learned with expected quality levels and determine student achievement. Lastly, teachers report their professional judgment using the report card format required.

There are many ways that teachers use formative assessment data in their evaluations. I have provided some examples that focus on learning targets that are complex, and require knowledge, understanding, application and articulation. Please read more in the article posted on our website at www.annedavies.com/pdf/20A_No-MarksReporting_PP.pdf
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“With the no-marks system, the focus becomes more on demonstrating learning than it does on deadlines. The conversation changes from ‘What mark did you give me?’ to ‘I know I’m fully meeting the expectations because…’”
~ Gerald Fussell ~

Gerald Fussell writes about how he incorporated ‘No-Marks Assessment’ into his High School English classes in CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT: WHAT’S WORKING IN HIGH SCHOOLS? For more information about this award-winning resource, go to:
http://connect2learning.com/store/classroom-assessment-what-s-working-in-higschools

Issue 76: No-Marks Feedback

2009-12-15T17:00:00Z

Formative assessment involves giving students valuable feedback about learning without using marks. As teachers have applied research findings, they have developed many ways to give learners specific, descriptive feedback that tells them what they’re doing well (“Continue doing this…”), what they need to improve on (“Do more of this…”) and what they need to do differently (“Try this…”) in a timely, efficient, and effective manner.

Here is a sample from a list of ten strategies that teachers have developed and are willing to share with other educators to adapt for their own use. Check out the other innovative ideas at www.annedavies.com/pdf/19D_10Ways_feedback_nomarks.pdf

“Think about dart boards and hitting the bulls-eye. Lisa McCluskey, a kindergarten teacher, used this strategy with her students. The inner circle was called “right on,” the next circle “working on it,” and the outside circle, “needs improvement.” The teacher modeled its use, the class used it as a group, and then, when students were ready, they used it to peer and self-assess.”

After demonstrating one of these strategies to give your students feedback, then you can ask them to adapt it to use when they are peer or self-assessing. For many more ways to give specific feedback without putting a mark or grade on student work, look at Chapter 2 in SETTING AND USING CRITERIA.

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“People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.”
~ W. Somerset Maugham

The **Knowing What Counts** Series includes three books: SETTING AND USING CRITERIA; Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting; and Conferencing and Reporting. Each book focuses on practical ways for teachers to involve students in their own assessment, by using criteria and setting goals in the classroom, as well as demonstrating their learning to others. For more info, go to:
http://connect2learning.com/store/knowing-what-counts-series-3-books

Issue 75: Experienced or Expert?

2009-12-08T17:00:00Z

One of the many important international research reports on education comes from John Hattie at the University of Auckland. He looked at differences between ‘experienced’ teachers and ‘expert’ teachers. This report has implications for all of us with regards to Assessment FOR Learning. An excerpt from John’s article, which he has permitted us to post on our website, can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/pdf/19C_expertteachers_hattie.pdf

“Expert teachers do differ from experienced teachers – particularly on the way they represent their classrooms, the degree of challenges that they present to students, and most critically, in the depth of processing that their students attain. Students who are taught by expert teachers exhibit an understanding of the concepts targeted in instruction that is more integrated, more coherent, and at a higher level of abstraction than the understanding achieved by other students. These studies have demonstrated the need for a focus on dependably identifying, esteeming and encouraging excellent teachers, wherever they may be…”

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“To succeed as a team is to hold all of the members accountable for their expertise.”
~ Mitchell Caplan

For information about Assessment FOR Professional Learning opportunities through web-conferences and live in-person events, please visit: http://annedavies.com/catalog2009/index.html

We warmly invite you to join the conversation on a forum about assessment for learning, hosted by Dr. Anne Davies. Come and share your questions, thoughts, and stories here for the article.

Issue 74: Triangulation of Evidence

2009-12-01T17:00:00Z

Assessment FOR Learning provides ongoing evidence of learning that teachers can use to assist them in making professional judgments regarding how well students have achieved the learning destination. These assessments are based on TRIANGULATION OF EVIDENCE – observations, conversations and products – produced and collected over time. By incorporating these three types of evidence into our classroom assessment, we recognize ALL kinds of learning and involve ALL students – even those who lack the writing or test-taking skills to demonstrate their learning.

Teachers can design learning activities so that OBSERVATIONS focus on the clearly defined purpose and the criteria for evaluating the learning. To use CONVERSATIONS as evidence, teachers read or listen to what students have to say about their learning process, such as in journals, reader responses, self-assessments and student-teacher conferences. When we invite students to communicate about their learning and familiarize them with the language of assessment, they become able to give themselves and others feedback about how to learn. By providing exemplars of PRODUCTS that show stages of the learning process, teachers can help students clearly recognize what success looks like and what the next steps along the path of learning will be. This enables students to self-assess their products and ultimately, take charge of their own learning.

An illustration of triangulation of evidence from a Grade 9 English class, taken from page 53 of MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSEMENT WORK Second Edition, can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/PDF/19B_MCAW_5.5b_53.pdf
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“Only if we expand and reformulate our view of what counts as human intellect will we be able to devise more appropriate ways of assessing it and more effective ways of educating it.”
~ Howard Gardner

To access free directions for Professional Learning Community Conversations, check out these resources at http://connect2learning.com/cp/

We warmly invite you to join the conversation on a forum about assessment for learning, hosted by Dr. Anne Davies. Come and share your questions, thoughts, and stories here for the article.

Issue 73: Trustworthiness

2009-11-24T17:00:00Z

Some people are dismissive of using a broad range of evidence of learning (formative assessment) in place of conventional marking practices (summative evaluation). Assessment OF Learning is based on research methodology from the social sciences, not intuition, to create a system of checks and balances that teachers can employ to identify students’ progress over time.

Triangulation of evidence and informed judgment of professionals form the foundation for a trustworthy interpretation of data, providing a much more comprehensive assessment of what a student learns than a set of limited assignments and tests can show. Our next newsletter will focus more on triangulation.

Consider exploring the roots of evidence... I always liked the way Lincoln and Guba wrote about it. In contrast to the kinds of procedures used in large-scale assessment, there are different precedents in any qualitative research project. Four issues of ‘trustworthiness’ that must be present are: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

You can read more about this on the Leadership website below where there is a discussion about their findings on ‘trustworthiness’ :
www.omnivise.com/research/trustworthiness.htm

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“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
~ John Adams

To read the research that shows how classroom assessment increases student achievement, check out: www.annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_arc.html

Issue 71: Beyond the ‘Shall Nots’ of Assessment

2009-11-17T17:00:00Z

Implementing the old-fashioned rule, ‘Thou shall not use formative assessments as part of a summative evaluation’ prevents students and teachers from considering all of the evidence of learning. It also limits the opportunities students must have if they are to add a greater range of evidence into the collection than might otherwise be considered by the teacher. Limiting the evidence of learning does a disservice to all those students who show their learning in multiple ways. It also increases the chance that teachers’ professional judgments will be based on insufficient evidence. Remember, everything a student says, does or creates is potentially evidence of learning. Teachers need to work WITH students to ensure the best collection of evidence is considered for summative assessment purposes.

The foundation for evaluating and reporting is put in place when the teacher develops the descriptions of learning, describes what success looks like for students, and thinks through the evidence that will be needed. When it is time to evaluate, teachers revisit those same descriptions of what was to be learned, and review the evidence students have organized and that teachers have collected, and then use their professional judgment to make their evaluation. They review their judgment and evidence with students and their parents, and report using the required format. Evaluating and reporting are straightforward last steps in an assessment process that begins much earlier.

This figure from MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORK shows a sample outline of evidence compiled by a Grade 9 English teacher and can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/PDF/18C_MCAW_102.pdf.

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“The process of assessing children’s learning – by looking closely at it and striving to understand it – is the only certain safeguard against children’s failure, the only certain guarantee of children’s progress and development.”
~ Mary Jane Drummond

MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORK (2nd Edition) is a teacher’s guide to successful implementation of assessment FOR learning into everyday practice. Check it out at: connect2learning.com/store/publications/making-classroom-assessment-work-2nd-edition

Issue 72: Top 5 Texts to Read and 4 Ways to Do It

2009-11-17T17:00:00Z

As you work with colleagues and search for ways to inform them about assessment, I recommend the following five research-based readings. These are arranged in the order I would recommend them – that is, if you’ve already read the first two, read number three. Each one will provide details about the actual research (rather than other people’s interpretation of the research).

1. Black, P. and D. Wiliam. 1998. Assessment and classroom learning. ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION, 5 (1): 7-75. Or, the summary of this study, Black, P. and D. Wiliam. 1998. Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. PHI DELTA KAPPAN, 80 (2): 1-20.

2. Harlen, W. and Deakin Crick, R. 2003. Testing and motivation for learning. ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION, 10 (2): 169-208.

3. Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. 2007. The power of feedback. REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, 77 (1), 81-112.

4. Assessment Reform Group. 2006. THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING. Pamphlet produced for Assessment Systems for the Future Project (ASF), UK. www.assessment-reform-group.org/ASF%20booklet%20English.pdf

5. Dweck, C. 2000. SELF-THEORIES: THEIR ROLE IN MOTIVATION, PERSONALITY AND DEVELOPMENT. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press. Or, Dweck, C. 2007. Early Intervention at Every Age: The Perils and Promises of Praise. EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 65 (2): 34-39.

You will find 4 strategies for sharing this research with others in informal and more structured settings at www.annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_ar_sharing_research.html

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“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
~ Isaac Newton

For more reading on assessment research, consider choosing a new one from the following list at www.annedavies.com/assessment_for_learning_ar_references_to_explore.html

Issue 70: Formative vs. Summative (continued)

2009-11-10T17:00:00Z

Recently I received an advance copy of a new publication called *Assessment in Schools: Fit for Purpose?* The ARG publication reports the findings from a massive multi-year research project in the UK entitled LEARNING HOW TO LEARN. (Mansell, W., James, M. & the Assessment Reform Group (2009) Assessment in schools. Fit for purpose? A Commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. London: Economic and Social Research Council, Teaching and Learning Research Programme.) Clarifying the distinctions between formative and summative uses of assessment, it states,

“... ‘Formative’ is the use of day-to-day, often information, assessments to explore pupils’ understanding so that the teacher can best decide how to help them to develop that understanding. ‘Summative’ is the more formal summing-up of a pupil’s progress that can then be used for purposes ranging from providing information to parents to certification as part of a form evaluation course.

It should be noted that assessments can often be used for both formative and summative purposes. ‘Formative’ and ‘Summative’ are not labels for different types or forms of assessment but describe how assessments are used.”

Here is an example of using evidence of learning for both purposes:
Students who are striving to develop mathematical ‘habits of mind’ might select, as proof of their growth in this area, practice work from over the term. Earlier in the term, the practice work might have been used in a formative way by both the teacher and the student. Examining the practice work during the term helped both teacher and student review current understandings and consider next steps for learning. Later, towards the end of the term, the very same practice work might be selected by the student to help show growth towards the mathematical ‘habits of mind’ embedded in learning outcomes or standards. This collection of samples would become part of the evidence the teacher uses in the summative assessment.

More ideas are described in CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT: WHAT’S WORKING IN HIGH SCHOOLS? In her chapter called “Reflective Assessment in Mathematics,” Melissa Labbe discusses how she reports on her high school math students’ learning using a grading structure that involves assessments, assignments, portfolios and attendance/participation. (Chapter 17 can be found in Book Two on page 79.)

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“I believe that the testing of the student's achievements in order to see if he meets some criterion held by the teacher, is directly contrary to the implications of therapy for significant learning.”
~ Carl Rogers

“We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
~ Anais Nin

Find out more about the IPPY Award winning books for High School teachers at:
connect2learning.com/store/publications/classroom-assessment-what-s-working-in-higschools

Issue 69: The Teacher's Role in Summative and Formative Evaluation

2009-11-03T17:00:00Z

Last month, we mentioned the importance of establishing the purpose for collecting evidence of learning: to determine next teaching steps (formative assessment) or to evaluate learning (summative assessment). This issue begins a three-part series about the differences between the two types of assessment.

You may have heard the old-fashioned rule: ‘Thou shall not ever use formative assessments as part of a summative evaluation.’ This blanket statement is overly simplistic. Everything a student says, does or creates is potentially evidence of learning. Selected evidence from formative assessments can contribute significantly to the **accurate evaluation** of student learning. Classroom teachers need to determine the evidence of learning collected over time that is most reliable and valid, given the outcomes or standards they are responsible for helping students learn.

It is essential to explore the role of the teacher’s professional judgment in the summative assessment process and to find ways to support and enhance it. Recent research (ARG 2007. Working Papers 1 – 4: www.assessment-reform-group.org/ASF.html#Papers) is showing that the classroom teachers’ professional judgment is more reliable and more valid than external tests, when they have been engaged in:
1.   constructing clear criteria describing levels of progress in various aspects of achievement
2.   professional development opportunities to assure dependability of judgment
3.   professional collaboration as part of a system of moderation
4.   using banks of well-designed tasks with marking criteria to support judgments about achievement
5.   ongoing learning, since time is needed to increase teacher competence in assessment OF learning

In LEADING THE WAY, we included two protocols on pages 171 and 174 for working with colleagues to examine student work. A **Sample Selection Protocol** can be viewed at www.annedavies.com/PDF/18A_LTW_protocol_174.pdf. You might also want to explore online and read the research work being published by Richard Daugherty, Cardiff University, Wales and Claire Wyatt-Smith and Val Klenoski, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

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“You can use all the quantitative data you can get, but you still have to distrust it and use your own intelligence and judgment.”
~ Alvin Toffler

“Who knows better what students have achieved or are capable of doing than their teachers?”
~ John Gardner

LEADING THE WAY TO MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORK is part of the Leaders’ Series, available from Connections Publishing. For more info, go to connect2learning.com/store/publications/leaders-series

Issue 68: Ethics And Presenting

2009-10-20T17:00:00Z

This past year I have had the opportunity to attend numerous conferences focused on Assessment FOR Learning and have enjoyed hearing colleagues’ viewpoints and learning from their experiences. As I listened to a presenter recently, I wondered whether the audience knew he was sharing work that had been created by others. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.” By not sharing the sources of the work, the audience is prevented from knowing the shoulders upon which the speaker’s work stands. NOT knowing means they CAN’T easily continue to learn once the session is over.

I believe it is a legal and ethical issue for our profession that we must give proper attribution to the sources of the material we are presenting. We must credit the quotes from books and articles, as well as stories, examples and material gathered from others’ presentations or experiences. You might find the following points from a chapter titled, "Legal and Ethical Use of Stories," enlightening. The chapter is from STORIES TRAINERS TELL by Mary B. Wacker and Lori L. Silverman (John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2003):

“Storytellers own the oral version of their stories. For permission to reuse stories previously published (in print, through performance, through recording), you need to contact the original copyright holder. You need permission for reproduction, distribution, transmission, electronic reproduction, or inclusion in any publications offered for sale or used for commercial purposes. Because presenters are paid an honorarium, it is essential they be particularly careful about giving credit.”

Sometimes it’s difficult to know where something originated; we can only do our best to trace the source. I try to cite the published source on the slide where I share information. I try to get permission from published authors and from anyone whose story I want to share and identify them when I tell it. I ask people to write their story down so I can reference it more easily. Sometimes I avoid the issue by telling my own stories or time-honoured ones that are clearly in the public domain.

Every time we step in front of a group – of students, of teachers, of parents or in the community – we are obligated to act in an ethical manner. When we don’t give proper credit for the stories we tell, the examples we use, and the research we share, it leads others to question our ethics and then, our message. Assessment FOR learning is too important to risk in this way.

PS. In TRANSFORMING BARRIERS, my co-authors and I took time to share the “shoulders upon which we stand.” We chose to put them all together in an Appendix, which is available here at www.annedavies.com/PDF/17D_TB_ShouldersofGiants.pdf
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"Good stories are really a reflection of their authors. Telling them without credit is a form of cheating them of what they have created and what they have put into the story of themselves."
~ H. Delgadillo

"Giving credit for a borrowed work is an issue of morality as well as being legally and ethically correct."
~ Wacker and Silverman 2003