2012 Mathematics SOL Institutes General SessionOctober 2012

Michael Bolling, Acting Director, Office of Mathematics and Governor’s Schools

Deborah Wickham, Ph.D., Mathematics Specialist, K-5

Christa Southall, Mathematics Specialist

SOL Institutes – FOCUS

2009

•Specific SOL changes (content)

2010

•Vertical articulation of the SOL and areas of greatest challenge (content and pedagogy)

2011

•Process goals (standards) in mathematics

2012

•Using formative assessments (performance tasks) to inform instruction

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“The content of the mathematics standards is intended to support the five

goals for students”

- 2009 Mathematics Standards of Learning

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Five goals…for students to

• become mathematical problem solvers that• communicate mathematically; • reason mathematically;• make mathematical connections; and• use mathematical representations to model

and interpret practical situations

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Virginia’s Process Goals for Students

• Mathematical Problem Solving• Mathematical Communication• Mathematical Reasoning• Mathematical Connections• Mathematical Representations

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Vertical Articulation Documents

2012 Mathematics SOL Institutes - Purpose• The purpose of the 2012 Mathematics SOL

Institutes is to provide teachers with online professional development focused on using formative assessment resources to inform instruction.

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Performance Task - Definition• An assessment that requires students to

synthesize SOL content in a problem-solving setting that encourages communication, reasoning, critical thinking, connections, and use of varied representations.

Assessment Types• Formal

– Formative (prior to or during instruction)– Summative (following instruction)

• Informal– Listening– Questioning– Observing

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Formative Assessment• ‘Assessment FOR learning’• Checking in on understanding and on the

formation of learning• Diagnostic in nature – should lead to

changes in instruction• Class tasks, homework, quizzes,

benchmark tests• Includes a lot of student feedback

Summative Assessment• ‘Assessment OF learning’• Typically provides a level of student

performance (grade)• Tests, projects, simulation tests• Less student feedback

Format of Assessment Items• Multiple choice• Open response

– Short response• Fill in the blank• Solve, simplify• Explain why/justify

– Open-ended • doesn’t have a predefined answer• synthesizes multiple concepts

Instruction, Assessment, and Backwards Design1. What are the content objectives that

students should master?2. How will we assess the content?3. What instructional experiences will we

provide that will assist ALL students to access and master the content?

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Purposes of assessment

Improve student learning• Checking for student understanding, growth,

and progress• Determining common misunderstandings• Determining common errors• Informing instructional and assessment

decisions (currently and in the future)

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Online Professional Development Products• Available in November• Organized into modules within a grade band• Your role

– Assist the school division with the rollout of professional development focused on formative assessments and performance tasks in mathematics

– Provide professional development that helps learning communities get started in the online modules

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We, as teachers, should be…• Engaging students in the learning, providing

relevant and rigorous activities and tasks• Asking high-leverage questions – make

students work harder than you• Requiring students to communicate their

thinking and listen carefully to them• Making students justify their thinking• Using multiple models

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Proce

ss G

oals!

We, as teachers, should be…• Using formative assessments to learn about

the level of student understanding to reflect on and change your own teaching

• Collaborating to develop a deeper understanding of what needs to be taught and how it should and could be assessed

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