Common Formative Assessment WSFCS PLC School

Facilitators

PLC’s

• Focus on Learning

• Focus on Collaborating

• Focus on Results

Focus On Learning

• What do we want our students to know, understand and be able to do?- Unpacking Standards

• How will we know when they have learned it?– Data Protocols and Common Assessments

• How will we respond when some students have not learned and how will we respond when some students have learned?

“Learning by Doing”. Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, Many. Solution Tree.2006

All Teams Engage In An Ongoing Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Develop Strategies

Analyze the

Impact

Implement Strategies

Apply New Knowledge

Data: Gather Evidence of

Student Learning

All Teams Engage In An Ongoing Cycle of:

• Gathering evidence of current levels of student learning

• Developing strategies to build on strengths and address weaknesses in that learning

All Teams Engage In An Ongoing Cycle of:

• Implementing the strategies and ideas

• Analyzing the impact of the changes to discover what was effective and what was not

• Applying the new knowledge in the next cycle of continuous improvement

The Basic Picture-PLC

• Analyzing evidence of student learningExamining Data Protocols

• Clarifying essential student learning Unpacking Standards

• Developing common formative assessments

• Instructional practices that impact student learning

• Examining student work • Standards in Practice

What are Common Formative Assessments?

• Assessments for learning that are typically created collaboratively by a team of teachers responsible for the same grade level or course on identified “essential” learning.

Why Common Formative Assessments?

• Gather Gather accurate informationaccurate information about student about student achievement across a subject area and grade achievement across a subject area and grade level level while learning is in process.while learning is in process. (Assessment (Assessment forfor learning) learning)

• Use assessment process and results Use assessment process and results effectivelyeffectively to promote maximum student to promote maximum student learning successlearning success

• Identify and evaluate instructional strategies Identify and evaluate instructional strategies that are effective in helping students acquire that are effective in helping students acquire the intended knowledge.the intended knowledge.

“The Case for Common Formative Assessments”

(CFA’s)

Article Breakout

(by 6 groups)

Read (2-3 minutes)

Discuss(3 minutes)

Share with group (1-2 minutes per group)

1. Team developed common assessments are more efficient.

•Teachers teaching the same course or grade level are responsible for ensuring all students acquire the same knowledge and skills.

•Teachers working in isolation work hard. Creating assessments together is working smart.

2. Team developed common assessments are more equitable.

• Increases the likelihood that students will have access to the same essential knowledge and skills, will take assessments of the same rigor, and have their work judged according to the same criteria.

3. Team developed CFA’s are more effective in monitoring and improving student learning

• Proven to be one of the most powerful strategies available to educators for improving student achievement.

4.Team-developed CFA’s can inform and improve the practice of both individual teachers and teams of teachers.

• Teachers can benefit from the practice of others. “Teachers have to feel that there is some compelling reason for them to practice differently, with the best direct evidence being that students learn better.”

5. Team-developed CFA’s can build the capacity of the team to achieve at higher levels.

• The conversations surrounding the creation of common formative assessments are a powerful tool for professional development.

6. Team-developed common formative assessments are essential to systematic interventions when students do not learn. • The conversations surrounding the

results of common formative assessments are a powerful tool for targeting students who are not succeeding and for planning focused, common remediation strategies.

• Assess all students with the same rigor, on the same targets

• Usually are Not graded. (formative) If teachers feel they must be used for grades then students should be given additional opportunities to demonstrate learning.

• Should identify students who need additional time and support for learning.

Common Formative Assessments:

Common Formative Assessments:

• Identify program area concerns where many students are struggling.

• Can be used with pre/post assessment model.

• Common Formative Assessments can be structured in ways other than multiple choice tests.

Common Formative Assessments are NOT:

• Every assessment a teacher gives in the classroom. Could be a few items identified as “essential” by the group.

• Mini benchmark or EOC’s/EOQ’s.

• Designed to make teachers teach the same way, only the same content.

Clear Purpose

Clear Targets

Sound Design

Effective Communication

Student Involvement

Learn

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Team

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Clear Targets

• Endurance – are students expected to retain the skills/knowledge long after the test is completed?

• Readiness for the Next Level of Learning – is this skill/knowledge preparing the student for success in the next grade/course?

Doug Reeves

To separate the essential from the peripheral, carefully apply 2 criteria to each target:

Target Method Match

Source Adapted from: Stiggins, Richard J, Judith Arter, Jan Chappuis, and Stephen Chappuis. Classroom

Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it : Right-Uing It Well. Upper Saddle River, NJ: ETS. 2007. pg.

64.

Assessment Methods• Selected Response-Multiple choice, true/false,

matching, short answer, fill-in

• Extended Written Response (constructed response)-Requires student response that is at least several sentences in length. Scoring guide.

• Performance assessment-Observation and judgment as to quality of performance or product. Requires scoring guide.

• Personal communication-Requires interaction with students..can be time consuming.

Target-Method Match ChartSelected Response

& Short AnswerExtended Written

ResponsePerformance Assessment

Personal Communication

KnowledgeMastry

Good match for assessing mastery of elements of knowledge

Good match for tapping understanding of relationships among elements of knowledge

X Not a good match

Can ask questions and infer mastery-time consuming

ReasoningProficiency

Good match only for assessing understands of some patterns of reasoning

Good match. Can provide window to reasoning proficiency

Can infer some reasoning proficiency by observation

Can ask student to “think aloud” and probe with follow-up questions

Skills X Not a good match.

X Not a good match.

Good match. Can observe and evaluate skills as they are being performed.

Strong match when skill is oral communication proficiency. Not good otherwise.

Ability to Create

Products

X Not a good match.

Strong Match for written products. Not a good match if not a written product

Good match. Can Assess the attributes of the product.

X Not a good match

4.01 – Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including line graphs and bar graphs) to solve problems.

Learning Target K/R/S/P MethodsSR/EWR/P/PC

I can collect data.

I can sort and organize data.

I can create a graph to display data.

I can use charts and graphs to make predictions.

Practice Target Method Match

PracticeLearning Target/Goal/Obj. K/

R/S/P

MethodsSR/EWR/P/PC

C & E Obj. 1.01: Describe how geographic diversity influenced economic, social and political life in colonial North America.

C & E Obj. 3.05 Analyze court cases that illustrate that the N. C. Constitution is the law of the state.

FL GOAL 3: PRESENTATIONAL COMMUNICATION - The learner will present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics in the target language.

Clear Purpose

Clear Targets

Sound Design

Effective Communication

Student Involvement

Learn

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Team

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Sound Design

How do we design assessments that cover our targets and serve our

purposes?

• Selected response and short answer• Extended written response• Performance assessment• Personal communication

Exceptional Children Considerations

• Use clear and concise language.• Use short, common names from

various cultures.• Consider how words, charts, and

other visuals are arranged.• Simplify sentence structures and

avoid complex sentences.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Considerations

Avoid words or phrases that do not have a clear translation: "get along"

Avoid confusing student names: "April," "May," "June," "Paris," "Drew," etc.

Avoid multiple-meaning words: "fair" (okay, just, light, good weather, State Fair?), "make" (create, earn, brand of car, cause to happen, prepare)

Avoid Stereotypes

• Items should avoid portraying anyone in a stereotypical manner.

• Stereotyping includes activities, occupations, or emotions.

• Positive stereotypes are still stereotypes.

Items should not assume that all students come from the same socioeconomic or

family background.

Select the item that does not support a stereotype

1) Megan brought $50 to the mall. She spent $41. How much money did Megan have left?

2) Megan’s book has 50 pages. She has read 41 pages. How many more pages does Megan have left to read?

OR

Content Guidelines• Each Item should measure a single concept,

principle, procedure, or competency.

• The testing vocabulary must be consistent with the expected grade level of the students tested.– On-grade or 1 or 2 grades below– Maintain content specific words

• Incorrect answer choices must be plausible choices. Use common student misconceptions for distractors.

Multiple Choice Item Writing

Item Writing Basic Terminology

Stem - the question sentence and any other information

Foils - the answer choices Distractors - incorrect answer choices Key - the correct answer

Which is the state bird of North Carolina?

A BluebirdB RobinC CardinalD Sparrow

Stem

Foils

Distractor

Distractor

Distractor

Distractor

Key

Procedural Guidelines

Items must be written in question format (not fill-in-the-blank or completion).

What is being asked must be clear to the student.

Complete the following using your

George Washington was __________.

See the difference…

Who was the first President of the United States?

A Abraham LincolnB George WashingtonC John AdamsD Andrew Jackson

Best Answer Format

one keyed response distracters must be incorrect but plausible

In which situation would a person burn the most calories?

A cleaning the bathroomB push-mowing the lawnC playing a game of chessD reading an adventure novel

Stem

• Write the items so that the central idea and any common elements are included in the stem instead of the foils.

• Place the question as close to the foils as possible.

Best Answer

Use qualifying words in a stem when needed to emphasize the “best answer”.

best, most likely, and most appropriate

(bold and italicized)

How is a delta most likely formed?

A irrigationB glacier movementC precipitation and condensationD deposition of sediment

General Foil Development Guidelines

Standard multiple choice items must contain four foils (A,B,C,D) [NCEXTEND2 items only have three foils: A, B, C].

Answer choices should be ordered logically, such as ascending or descending value for numbers, the order in which the words appear in a chart, chronological order, etc.

Answer choices should be ordered logically, such as ascending or descending value for

numbers.In what year did North Carolina name the emerald its state gemstone?

A 1776B 1973C 1893D 1941 True – False

This item follows the general foil guidelines.

… Distractors (the incorrect answers)

should be plausible and reasonable but not correct

Foils should be independent and not overlapping. To the extent possible, foils for an item should be homogeneous in content and length.

Foils should be independent and not overlapping.

How much does a Channel Bass, the state fish of North Carolina, usually weigh?

A up to 75 lbsB less than 100 lbsC between 30 and 40 lbsD about the same as a Plott Hound

How much does a Channel Bass usually weigh?

A over 100 lbsB between 60 and 80 lbsC between 30 and 40 lbsD less than 20 lbs

All of the above, none of the above, I don’t know are not used as foils.

Word the foils positively, avoid any negative phrasing.

Avoid providing clues to the correct response.

Avoid writing items in which phrases in the stem are repeated in the foils.

…

Avoid specific determiners since they are so extreme that they are seldom the correct response. To the extent possible, specific determiners such as ALWAYS, NEVER, TOTALLY, and ABSOLUTELY should not be used

when writing items.

Avoid specific determiners.

What colors can the flowers of a dogwood be?

A pink or yellowB red or yellowC red or whiteD white or pink

What colors can the flowers of a dogwood be?

A always pinkB always redC always whiteD white or pink

Avoid using a complex multiple-choice item format.Which affects test score reliability?

1. Test length2. Homogenity of the sample examinees being

tested3. Item length

A 1 and 2B 2 and 3C 1 and 3D 1, 2, and 3

Clarity and Length (Weak Item)

North Carolina produces 179 million gallons of our state beverage per year. The annual income from this production amounts to around $228 million. North Carolinians consume over 143 million gallons of our state beverage every year. What is the state beverage of North Carolina?

A sodaB teaC milk *D coffee

Remove all words, phrases, or sentences that have nothing to do with the actual question

Improved Item

What is the state beverage of North Carolina?

A sodaB teaC milk*D coffee

Correct Voice

First or second person (I or You) can easily become opinions, preferences, value judgments, or ethics.

Items should be written in the third person (he/she/it).

Correct Voice

Why do you think the author described the setting as mysterious?

Why did the author most likely describe the setting as mysterious?

OR

Positive Wording

Items should be worded positively.

Avoid using negative words such as not and/or except.

The teacher should chose all of the students except for each one?

Which of the students did the teacher choose?

No Contractions or Abbreviations

• Contractions and abbreviations limit ESL and EC accessibility.

• Contractions and abbreviations are not used in formal writing.

Let’s Assess our Learning

What kind of format is having only one clear correct answer from a list of options?

A Question FormatB Best Answer FormatC General FormatD Thinking Skill Format

Why should contractions not be used?

A Contractions are difficult for English language learners.

B Contractions use informal language.C Contractions often carry negative phrasing.D Contractions increase the difficulty of reading.

Why should test questions be constructed in question format?

A Fill-in-the-blank questions are difficult to score.B Students are confused by other question formats.C Question format tends to improve the clarity of the question. D Other question formats tend to exhibit higher order thinking skills.

What is the optimum number of concepts, principles, procedures, or competencies a test question should measure?

A 1B 2C 3D 4

Why is the use of third person preferred?

A First or second person can easily become opinions, preferences, or judgments.B Use of first person or second person can

make questions more wordy.C Use of first or second person makes

questions more complex.D First or second person phrases tend to

have informal language.

Where is the best place to put the central idea and any common elements?

A foilsB as close to the interrogative as possibleC in the stemD along with qualifying words

True / False

The use of qualifying words in a stem indiscriminately increases the thinking

skill.

True / False

It is good practice for stems to contain content that expresses opinions.

True / False

It is acceptable to overlap ranges in foils.

Pair – Think – Share

Find the “butter to your toast” (your partner)

Once you find your partner, discuss one reason you personally find value in common assessments.

Thinking Skills Framework

The thinking skill level describes the cognitive skills that a student must

use to solve problems.

Thinking Skills Framework

• Each test item is classified by the thinking skill that best corresponds to the level of thinking the item requires.

• The goal is to have the majority of items require higher thinking skills levels.

Revised Bloom’s TaxonomyCreate Higher Order

Evaluate

Analyze

ApplyLower Order

Understand

Remember

GOAL

Remember

Observation and recall of informationRecognizing (identifying)Knowledge of dates, events, placesKnowledge of major ideaMastery of subject matter

Question Cues: list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where

“Remember” Examples

• What is the sum of the angles of a triangle?

• In the beginning of the selection, whom did the father visit?

• How many planets are in the solar system?

Let’s PracticeCreate a remembering question with your group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in the group should text in your sample remembering question.

Understand

Understanding informationGrasp meaningTranslate knowledge into new contextOrder, group, infer causesPredict consequences

Question Cues: summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend, exemplify, classify, infer, explain

“Understand” Examples

• What part of the water cycle causes clouds to form?

• What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

• Put these fractions in order from least to greatest: 1/4, 1/3, 2/5, 5/6

Let’s PracticeCreate an understanding question

with your group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in

the group should text in your sample understanding question.

Apply

Use informationUse methods, concepts, theories in new

situationsSolve problems using required skills or knowledge

Question Cues: apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover

“Apply” Examples

• What is the area of this rectangle?

• Why does the selection include examples of farming?

• What causes an object to increase in speed as it rolls down a hill?

Let’s PracticeCreate an applying question with

your group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in

the group should text in your sample appliying question.

Analyze

Seeing patternsOrganization of partsRecognition of hidden meaningsIdentification of components

Question Cues: analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer

“Analyze” Examples

• Between which two years was there the greatest difference in the numbers of TVs sold? (reading from graph)

• Which factor was a major cause of the stagnant economy in the United States during the early 1970’s?

• Which human activity most likely damages the environment?

Let’s PracticeCreate an analysis question with your

group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in

the group should text in your sample analysis question.

Evaluate

Compare and discriminate between ideasAssess value of theories, presentationsMake choices based on reasoned argumentVerify value of evidenceRecognize subjectivity

Question Cues: assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize

“Evaluation” Examples

• Who is right?

• Why does the speaker argue for a new way to teach grammar?

• What will happen if housing developments continue to displace the wildlife population in national parks?

Let’s PracticeCreate an evaluation question with

your group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in

the group should text in your sample evaluation question.

Create

Put elements together to form a coherent or functional wholeReorganize elements into a new

pattern or structure

Cues: assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write.

“Create” Examples

• Design a concept and create a proposal for your own television cooking show.

• Write a jingle to advertise a new product.

• Plan a research paper on a given historical topic.

• Build habitats for certain species for certain purposes.

Let’s PracticeCreate a creating assignment with

your group.Using the Active Votes, 1 person in

the group should text in your sample creating assignment.

Sound Assessment Design

• Design assessments so students can self assess and set goals based on the results.

• Assessment items should measure a single concept, principle, idea, or procedure.

• Use a test plan that identifies– Learning Target and NCSCOS Objective– Type of Target - Knowledge/Reasoning– Type of Thinking – Percentage of Importance on Assessment

Test Plan (ES)Learning Target Target

TypeThinking Skill

% of Importance

I can collect data. Knowledge

Understand

15%

I can sort and organize data.

Reasoning

Analyze 15%

I can create a graph to display data.

Product Create 40%

I can use charts and graphs to make predictions.

Reasoning Understand

30%

Target Type= Knowledge, Reasoning, Skills, Products

Test Plan (MS/HS)Learning Target Target

TypeThinking Skill

% of Importance

Describe how geographic diversity influenced economic, social and political life in colonial North America.

Knowledge Understand 35%

Analyze court cases that illustrate that the N. C. Constitution is the law of the state.

Reasoning Analyze 45%

I can create a graph to display data.

Product Create

Target Type= Knowledge, Reasoning, Skills, Products

The Basic Process-Table Groups

• Read “Creating a Common Formative Assessment (possible steps in the process)” handout. (3 min.)

• Use “table go-round” and share your thoughts on how/where the teachers in your school might get “hung up” in this process. (5-7 min.)

• Questions about this process?

Common Formative Assessment Concerns

• Read/review Dufour’s responses to 3 common concerns…

• Did you have any of these concerns at your table?

After the Assessment Reflections

•Was the assessment high quality? Do the questions measure a single concept, principle, idea, or procedure?

•Does the assessment measure student learning that aligned with NCSCOS Goals and Objectives?

•Was this type of assessment the most appropriate for what it was measuring?

•Does it assess both lower and higher order thinking skills?

•Will this assessment indicate mastery of the learning targets?

Common Assessments…Reflections

• Common assessments are live documents to be reflected upon and changed to better meet the assessment needs of the students.

• The only way to create effective common assessments is to DO IT!

• Your skills will increase together over time.

Resources/References

• DuFour, Richard, et al. Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington, Ind : Solution Tree, 2006.

• Stiggins, Richard, et al. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it right – Using it Well. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2007.

PLC Facilitators…Next Steps

• EOY Reflection……

• Standards in Practice Training……