Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)
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Transcript of Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)
Common Formative Common Formative Assessments (CFAs)Assessments (CFAs)
Adapted from The Leadership and Learning CenterPresented by Jane Cook
for Plainfield Public [email protected]
Available online at: http://ctteams.wikispaces.com/CFA
ObjectivesObjectives
As a result of participating in this session, teachers will be able to:
Explain what a Common Formative Assessment (CFA) is
Describe how a CFA can be used to inform planning and instruction
Begin the process of developing a CFA
Common Findings inCommon Findings inSuccessful SchoolsSuccessful Schools
Formed a professional learning community
Focused on student work (through assessment)
Changed their instructional practice accordingly to get better results
Did all of this on a continuing basis
Fullan, April 2000
Professional Learning Communities Ask…
Four essential questions:1. What do all students need to know and be able to do?
2. How do we teach so that all students will learn?
3. How will we know if they have learned it?
4. What will we do if they don’t know or if they come to us already knowing?
DuFour & Eaker, 1998
Putting the Pieces Putting the Pieces Of the Puzzle TogetherOf the Puzzle Together
Standards and Assessment
Effective Teaching Strategies
Data-Driven Decision Making
Accountability for Learning
Connecticut Accountability for Learning Initiative
Priority Standards
“Unwrapped” Standards, Big Ideas, Essential
Questions
Decision Making for
Results
Performance Assessments
Common Formative
Assessments Scoring Guides
How Powerful Practices Work Together
Nine + 1 Effective Teaching StrategiesNine + 1 Effective Teaching Strategies
1. Similarities and differences2. Summarizing and note taking3. Effort and recognition4. Homework and practice5. Nonlinguistic representation6. Cooperative learning7. Setting objectives, providing feedback8. Generating and testing hypotheses9. Cues, questions, advance organizers10.Non-fiction writing (Reeves, et al)
Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001
Powerful PracticesPowerful PracticesProduce Results!Produce Results!
Improvement in student achievement on
all assessment measures!
Data Teams: Data Teams: The Mechanism The Mechanism for Measuring Progressfor Measuring ProgressStep 1: Collect and chart data and
results.Step 2: Analyze strengths and obstaclesStep 3: Set S.M.A.R.T. goal for student
improvement.Step 4: Select effective teaching
strategies.Step 5: Determine results indicators.
Data Teams Process, The Leadership and Learning Center
Two Interdependent Practices
Data TeamsCommon Formative Assessments
Learning
Centered
The Power Of The Power Of COMMONCOMMON Assessments Assessments
“Schools with the greatest improvements in student achievement consistently used common assessments.”
Reeves, 2004
The Two Tools of Assessment
“No single assessment can meet everyone’s information needs…To maximize student success, assessment must be seen as an instructional tool for use while learning is occurring, and as an accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred. Because both purposes are important, they must be in balance.”
NEA, 2003
Two Purposes of Assessment: Two Purposes of Assessment: Important DistinctionsImportant Distinctions
• Diagnosis – Assessment FORFOR Learning • Evaluation – Assessment OFOF Learning
Assessment Assessment FORFOR Learning LearningFormative: Given before before and duringduring the
teaching process to inform planning and instruction, e.g., CFAs, quizzes, etc.
Diagnostic: Intended to be used as a tool or guide to improve teaching and learning
Provides teachers with information they need to create appropriate work for groups of learners or individual students
Not typically used to assign gradesAnswers key questions: Do students possess Do students possess
critical pre-requisite skills and knowledge? critical pre-requisite skills and knowledge? Do students already know some of the Do students already know some of the material that is to be taught?material that is to be taught?
Bravmann, 2004
Assessment Assessment OF OF LearningLearning
Summative assessment for unit, quarter, semester, grade level, or course of study
Provides “status report” on degree of student proficiency or mastery relative to targeted standard(s) , e.g., CMT, CAPT, etc.
Helps teachers judge effectiveness of their teaching practices
Supports the assignment of gradesAnswers question: Have students Have students
achieved the goals defined by a given achieved the goals defined by a given standard or group of standards?standard or group of standards?
Bravmann, 2004
Achievement Gains Associated With Achievement Gains Associated With Number of Assessments over 15 weeksNumber of Assessments over 15 weeks
Number of Assessments
Effect Size Percentile Gain
0 0 0
1 0.34 13.5 5 0.53 20.0
10 0.60 22.5
15 0.66 24.5
20 0.71 26.0
25 0.78 28.5 30 0.82 29.0
Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, & Kulik, 2007
(The higher the effect size and percentile gain, the more statistically significant.)
CFA Big Picture ActivityCFA Big Picture Activity
In your group, organize yourselves in a line in the order that you believe that your topics belong
What Are Common Assessments?
“Not standardized tests, but rather teacher-created, teacher-owned assessments that are collaboratively scored and that provide immediate feedback to students and teachers.”
Douglas B. Reeves, CEO,The Leadership and Learning Center
The Power Of COMMON Assessments
“Schools with the greatest improvements in student achievement consistently used common assessments.”
Reeves, 2004
What Are Common Formative Assessments?
“Common formative assessments are designed to give students specific feedback on the clear target to be achieved, along with suggestions on how to reach that target on subsequent assessments. Students need to understand that this feedback will not be graded but that it will be used by their teachers to design specific instruction to help them improve. After a review of almost 8,000 classroom studies focused on determining the impact of feedback on student improvement, John Hattie (1992) declared: “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”
Hattie, 1992, p. 9
What Are Common What Are Common Formative Formative Assessments? Assessments? (continued)(continued)
Assessments forfor learning administered to all students in grade level or course several times during semester, trimester, or year
Items collaboratively designed by participating teachers
Items represent essential (Priority) standards onlyonly
Items aligned to district and state testsResults analyzed in Data Teams in order to
differentiate instructionAinsworth & Viegut, 2006
Simply Put – A Common Simply Put – A Common Formative Formative Assessment is… Assessment is…
Common = Given by all teachers at a grade level or in a content area
Formative = Provides data to inform planning and instruction
Assessment = Provides diagnostic rather than evaluative information
How Long Should a CFA Take?How Long Should a CFA Take?
A CFA should take no more than one 45-minute class period. For early grades, it should take much less time, no more than 10-20 minutes. Limit the total number of items so that student papers can be quickly scored and the results can be used right away to inform instruction.
Grade Levels # of CFA Items
Grades K-1 Approximately 5-8
Grades 2-3 Approximately 8-10
Grade 4-5 Approximately 10-15
Grades 6-8 Approximately 15-20
Grades 9-12 Approximately 20-25
Recommended # of CFA Items
The Process of Developing CFAs: The Process of Developing CFAs: Laying The Standards Foundation Laying The Standards Foundation - Steps 1-6- Steps 1-6Step 1: Choose Important TopicStep 2: Identify Matching Priority
StandardsStep 3: “Unwrap” Matching Priority StandardsStep 4: Create Graphic OrganizerStep 5: Determine the Big IdeasStep 6: Write the Essential Questions
The Process of Developing CFAs: The Process of Developing CFAs: Creating The AssessmentCreating The AssessmentSteps 7-10Steps 7-10
Step 7: Write Selected-Response ItemsStep 8: Write Constructed-Response
Items (extended or short)Step 9: Write Essential Question-Big
Idea DirectionsStep 10: Create Answer Key & Scoring
Guides for Constructed-Response Items
CFAs – A SummaryCFAs – A SummaryPeriodic assessments collaboratively designedMatching pre- and post-assessmentsSimilar in design to high stakes testsItems should represent priority standardsBlend of item types including selected and
constructed response Administered several times a yearResults analyzed in Data TeamsResults used to inform planning and
instruction
CFA Summary – The BenefitsCFA Summary – The Benefits
Regular and timely feedbackMultiple-measure assessmentsOngoing collaboration opportunitiesConsistent expectations within a grade level
regarding standards, instruction and assessmentAgreed-upon criteria for proficiencyDeliberate alignment between classroom and
district assessmentsPredictive value regarding how students are
doing in time to make instructional modifications
Now it’s your turn to start the Now it’s your turn to start the process of developing CFAs – process of developing CFAs – Step 1: Choose Important TopicStep 1: Choose Important TopicYou’re ready to begin Step 1 in the CFA
process – this is similar to Step 1 in the Data Team process.
In your Grade Alike Teams work on identifying “important topics” for students in your grade level.
Focus specifically on literacy
Step 1 (continued)Step 1 (continued)
• Identify topics in literacy that are essential for students to understand at your grade level
• Appoint a scribe on your team to write the list the topics
•Topic examples: Sound-letter relationships, making text connections, narrative writing, informational text, reading comprehension, e.g., main idea, supporting details, inferences, generalizations, etc.
On to Step 2 – Identify Matching On to Step 2 – Identify Matching Priority StandardsPriority Standards
Using the Common Core State Standards handout, identify the standards that match the important topics that your Grade Level Team found in Step 1
Next is Step 3 – “Unwrapping” the Next is Step 3 – “Unwrapping” the StandardsStandards
Analyze the wording of your Priority Standards to determine exactly what students must know and be able to do.
Underline the key concepts – the important nouns and noun phrases that students must know.
Circle the skills - those verbs that represent what students must be able to do.
Step 3 Example – “Unwrapping” Step 3 Example – “Unwrapping” the Standardsthe Standards
Revise texts for organization, elaboration, fluency, and clarity
CT English/LA Framework 3.2c Revise texts for organization, elaboration,
fluency, and clarity
Next Steps…Next Steps…
Bring materials to the next session that will help you develop questions for your CFAs.
Exit Card Reflection QuestionsExit Card Reflection Questions
What did I learn? What are the key points I want to remember?
What helped/hindered my learning?What questions do I still have? What suggestions do I have for the next
PD session?