Examining Student Work

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Examining Student Work

Explore looking at student work as a strategy for teacher learning.

Engage in examining student work. Discuss implications for teacher learning. Learn about protocols and facilitation.

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Why look at student work?

Reflect on evidence of student learning. Reflect on intent of task. Reflect with colleagues. Reflect on evidence of effective teaching. Increase teachers’ knowledge.

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Purposes for Looking at Student Work

Determine the nature and extent of student understanding.

Judge the quality of a task.

Determine the implications for instructional practice.

Clarify learning expectations.

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Looking at Student Work: Format

Identify the purpose, focus, or goal for looking at student work.

Select student work that relates directly to the goal and outcomes.

Engage in facilitated discussion of participants’ interpretations and understanding of the student work samples.

Reflect on the implications and applications of what is learned to teaching.

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An Example: Context

Who: High school Algebra I teachers What: Examined their students’ proficiency data

aggregated three-year trends disaggregated by race, sub-skill areas, and item-level

analysis Conclusions:

35% of students at or above proficiency achievement gap between white and African American 17% of students proficient in TAKS Objective I: The student will describe

functional relationships in a variety of ways. greatest need in representing relationships among quantities using

[concrete] models, tables, graphs, diagrams, verbal descriptions, equations, and inequalities.

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Next steps: Identify robust performance task that required students to show and explain their work. The Algebra I teachers administered the task to their

students and brought samples of student work to the next meeting.

Purpose: To determine the nature and extent of student understanding of using multiple representations to solve problems and making connections among the representations.

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Ground Rules for Looking at Student Work

Be in the spirit of dialogue. Focus on the evidence, not what you think the

student knows or can do. Put your stake in the ground AND be ready to

move it. Be aware of personal biases.

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Looking at Student Work: Process

Complete the task yourself. Determine the knowledge and skills required to

complete the task successfully. What was this task designed to assess?

Share and discuss your own solutions. Review the TEKS and the criteria.

Does the task align with the TEKS and the selected criteria?

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Mosaics problem from Algebra I Assessments (Dana Center, 2002)

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Criteria Selected for Mosaics Problem

Describes functional relationships Uses multiple representations (such as tables,

graphs, symbols, verbal descriptions, and/or concrete models) and makes connections among them.

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Group Share

What are your solutions to the task? What knowledge and skills do you need to

complete the task? Does the task assess what it is designed to

assess (based on the two criteria selected)?

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Looking at Student Work: Observation and Collaboration

Look at student work samples with a partner and discuss: What skills, knowledge, and understandings

do the students demonstrate? What is the evidence?

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Table Talk

What are the patterns or trends across the samples?

What are the misunderstandings and understandings?

What implications for instruction and curriculum do these misunderstandings suggest?

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Sample A student work from the Mosaics problem(Taken from Practice-Based Professional Development: Algebra I Assessments

TEXTEAMS)

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Sample B student work from the Mosaics problem(Taken from Practice-Based Professional Development: Algebra I AssessmentsTEXTEAMS)

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Group Share

What teacher learning could result from this example of looking at student work?

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Facilitation Protocol

Identify the purpose. Provide information on the context of the task. Participants “do” the task for their own understanding. Share and discuss the task solutions. Look at the student work in small groups.

What skills, knowledge, and understandings do the students demonstrate?

What is the evidence? Share and discuss in large group. Summarize learnings and questions.

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Facilitation Tips

Take the time to do and discuss the task. Stay focused on the evidence. Separate observations from inferences. Ensure time to discuss classroom implications. Summarize learnings and questions.

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Guidelines:Samples of Student Work

Several samples from different students Samples from one student over time Randomly selected Representative of low-medium-high quality work Representative of specific student misconception The work represents a confusion or question for

the teacher

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Selecting Samples of Student Work

Problem: Teachers are often most comfortable sharing their best student work.

Solution: Provide guidelines. 2 samples that show that the student “gets it” 2 samples that show that the student does not

“get it” 2 confusing samples 2 interesting or unusual samples

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When to Examine Student Work

At weekly department meetings During grade-level meetings During ongoing study groups In K-12 cross-grade group meetings When selecting or implementing new curriculum As part of a larger professional development

effort

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Information and Resources

“The Tuning Protocol: A Process for Reflection on Teacher and Student Work,” Coalition of Essential Schools

www.essentialschools.org/cs/resources/view/ces_res/54

“Looking at Student Work” websitehttp://www.lasw.org

Algebra I Assessments and TEXTEAMS Practice-based Professional Development: Algebra I Assessments (Dana Center)

http://www.utdanacenter.org

Algebra II Assessments and TEXTEAMS Practice-based Professional Development: Algebra II Assessments (Dana Center)

http://www.utdanacenter.org

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Reflection

What teacher learning might result from this strategy for professional development?

How and when might you engage teachers in examining student work?

What structures or supports would need to be in place for this strategy to work in your context?