Post on 23-Dec-2015
Why is assessment important?
Reading is a complex activity Teachers must know:
where skills break down how to address problems
Value of daily observations
Informal observations are useful, but should not be a teacher’s only form of assessment
Observations can supplement assessment, but not substitute for it — too unsystematic
Process of assessment across school year
Screening assessments identify kids who may have problems with language
Diagnostic tools give specific information to plan instruction
Progress monitoring gives teacher feedback on whether lessons and interventions are working
Outcome measures at the end of the year help us accumulate information across classrooms and schools
Assessing motivation
Raises teacher awareness about what motivates certain kids
Allows teacher to: identify areas of interest connect frustrated readers with books
that help them overcome a reluctance to read
Finding time for assessment
Myths: Assessment is very complicated Assessment is the job of special
educators or clinicians
Facts: Assessment can be quick and effective
with the right toolkit Assessment information is useful when
collected systematically
What makes a good assessment?
Goes beyond identifying the problem and gives specific information about what to do next
Can be informal and quick, as long as it is systematic
Gives teacher feedback about whether teaching practices are working
Timed assessments
It’s not a race! Tester’s job to make sure timing aspect is
de-emphasized
Timing keeps assessments efficient — high quality information in a short amount of time
Measures student’s level of confidence with particular skill Student may have knowledge of skill but
lack mastery, need additional practice All measured skills are steppingstones to
higher level skills, so fluency and mastery are important
Assessing students with learning disabilities
Distinguish between measures of time and power Are we looking at what the child knows, or how
quickly they can complete a task? Minimize impact of the disability Have a clear sense of the purpose of the
assessment When measuring comprehension, offer
multiple types of comprehension exercises. Don’t confuse poor decoding with poor comprehension skills!
Targeted error analysis Find strengths and identify how to support
learning
Video
Metzger Elementary School, Portland, OR
Tiered instruction approach Students with greater needs get higher
levels of intensity Monitor progress to track improvement
rate
The child is always right
Metzger school district basic belief: we must teach all children to read
Weekly monitoring helps them ensure that progress is adequate to reach literacy goals
Inadequate progress means more support is needed
If we want all children to reach the same goals, we have to provide more support to some children than we do to others.
Good assessment can lead to better readers
Evidence shows: Waiting doesn’t work! Children do not generally mature into
good readers
When a child is not making adequate progress, action is needed to change trajectory
Assessment-driven instruction
To be workable, it must be: Efficient
• Get maximum information in smallest amount of time
Purposeful• Assess in order to make a decision — don’t
spend six weeks assessing!• Tie assessment to a decision-making model
Reliable and valid measures can lead to improved outcomes
Challenges for teachers
Student has been assessed — now what? Linking assessment results to appropriate
intervention
Student is receiving intervention but still not improving Knowing how to change intervention if it’s not
working
Professional development and coaching are essential to provide answers to these challenges
Assessing struggling readers
Identifying students at risk is easier than judging a student’s progress We tend to think if we are teaching our hardest,
progress is being made Assessments tell us when students are not
making progress and we have to do something different
Research shows that regular progress monitoring and adjusted teaching methods can improve outcomes dramatically
Bonus: Tracking progress regularly can be a motivating factor for struggling readers!
Assessing stronger students
Check in on these students regularly, but less often
Make sure advanced readers are not missing a foundational skill Students missing essential skills can
become at risk later
Role of technology
Technology plays a role in testing and in interventions Hand-held computers can:
• Help perform assessments • Record progress for individual students• Synchronize to a database• Provide reports to teacher, principal,
superintendent Analysis software can:
• Show itemized student responses• Suggest appropriate targets for instruction• Suggest appropriate interventions
High stakes testing
Pro: Legitimate need of stakeholders (parents,
policymakers, etc.) to see how effective teaching efforts are
Con: Tail wags the dog: To avoid being penalized,
schools spend class time preparing for high stakes tests Lost instructional time Test results are not useful for planning
instruction, meeting individual student needs
Parent role in assessment process
Parents have unique knowledge of their child Knowledge of home life, cultural background Knowledge of child’s interests Gut-level concerns about child’s skills
Treat parents as partners Share concrete examples from class work and
assessments Invite parents to share observations Share your plan for helping this child — lay out
the roadmap! Give parents ways to help at home Invite parents to share concerns, ideas
Video
Arlington Intake Center, Arlington, VA
Assesses English language learners before they enter school Health Family background Past schooling Literacy level and academic background Background knowledge in native language English language skills
Reading assessment for English language learners
Challenge: Assessing primary language skills in hundreds of different languages Check for strong primary language platform to
build English literacy skills • Rich language base?• Reading skills?• Print awareness?• Family literacy?
Bilingualism sometimes treated as a deficit rather than an advantage Bring positive approach to language learning!
Language of assessment
Assessment in primary language: Taps into child’s ability to gather
information and express ideas Gives teacher a sense of child’s
interests and experiences Helps teacher make learning relevant
for that student
Assessing preschoolers
The earlier we identify a child’s needs, the better equipped we are to address them Waiting jeopardizes emerging literacy platform
— problems don’t fix themselves
Early failure eventually impacts child’s self image and self esteem
• May begin to see lack of motivation, behavior problems
Goal of early assessment is to identify strengths, needs, and create environment for success Recognize and respond — not assign labels!
Recognition and Response model
Response-to-Intervention approach (originally designed for school age students) used with younger children
Goal: Secure a high quality learning environment for all children Tier 1: ‘High-Velcro environment’ — many places
for kids to connect with meaningful ideas and information
Tier 2: For children who are not thriving, find out why — use diagnostic tools to identify strengths, gaps in knowledge, misconceptions
Tier 3: Strategic, individualized approach for student who is still not making progress — special education, speech language services
How would this approach look in schools?
As it emerges, we will see: More dynamic classrooms Assessment embedded in daily activities Data and observations linked to
instruction Assessment that forms a bridge between
child and content Bridge is explicit, systematic, and
crossed frequently!
How are we doing now?
Dramatic improvement in the last five years Approaching goal of every child being on
track with three tiers of support Becoming an expectation for schools
Successful schools: Differentiate instruction based on
systematic collection and interpretation of data
Utilize literacy coaches to help interpret data
Requires new way of thinking about teaching and learning
Talking to students about assessment
It’s rewarding and empowering for students to see their progress
Self-assessment is important Who am I as a learner? What are my learning needs? What are my learning goals?
Formative assessment gives students opportunity to track and share accomplishments
Make sure assessments are not punitive! —meant to provide recognition and support
Getting kids on board
Formal vs. informal assessments
Myth: “Real” assessments are norm-referenced, one-on-one tool that requires training
Fact: Quick, informal assessments can provide very useful information!
Key is to be systematic and purposeful
Involve kids — de-mystify the process Explain why you’re giving assessment Make them participants in the process of
reaching their goals
Formal vs. informal assessments
Difference between formal and informal is beginning to blur Variety of data sources
However you do it, make sure to use data to improve student outcomes
Isolating skills in reading assessment
Divide reading proficiency roughly into: Language
• Vocabulary and background knowledge• Verbal reasoning
Decoding
Beginning analysis: Can child go from text to language? Offer variety of formats, so that weak decoding
does not impact assessment of language skills Select familiar topics so that insufficient
background knowledge does not impact assessment of comprehension
Build prior knowledge before reading
Can the average teacher do all this?
Requires altered mindset and time to learn, but amount of assessment required is fairly limited Be less assumptive about student
progress Implement with efficiency
Final thoughts: Dr. Michael McKenna
Dispel the following myths: Reading assessment in the classroom is
not necessary Should be left to specialists whose
materials will meet all students’ needs
Implement strategies in a three-tiered approach, allowing for differentiation
Final thoughts: Dr. Roland Good
Essential role of assessment: Tells educators where student is and
where they need to be Helps chart a trajectory and rate of
progress to get there Lets us know when to adjust teaching
strategies
Most important thing: Do something with assessment information!
Final thoughts: Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman
Remember diversity of students
Purpose of assessments: Help students grow, learn, and be successful
Thanks for watching!
For more information, visit www.ReadingRockets.org