Formative Assessment:Not Just Another Test

December 4, 2008SCDN Quarterly Meeting

Nancy Gerzon and Adam TanneyNew York Comprehensive Center Assessment Team

Learning goals for today’s session

I will… • Learn about the CCSSO definition of formative

assessment and how it is being applied in NY state• Develop awareness about the New York Formative

Assessment Project being implemented in Syracuse City School District

• Explore lessons learned from state’s implementing formative assessment practices

• Provide input to New York Comprehensive Center staff on potential application of formative assessment practices in New York State

Who we are…New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC) is a federally funded technical assistance center with the task to increase state capacity to meet the goals of NCLB

Adam Tanney:

NYCC Assessment Team member (RMC). Expertise in education policy, school improvement models and group facilitation

Nancy Gerzon:

NYCC Assessment Team leader (WestEd). Expertise in data use practices, classroom assessment, and district reform

The NYCC Assessment Team is tasked with building capacity and knowledge at NYSED in the area of comprehensive district assessment, with formative assessment as one component.

New York Formative Assessment Project at Syracuse City Schools

A collaborative effort among:

• the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center (AACC)

• the New York Comprehensive Center (NYCC)

• the New York State Education Department (NYSED)

• Syracuse City School District (SCSD)

The New York Formative Assessment Project is focused on increasing formative assessment practices in 10 SCSD pilot elementary schools in grade 4 and 5 mathematics

Many thanks to partners who are here today - Chris Vogelsang and Karen Markhoff from Syracuse, Howard Goldsmith and Anne Schiano from NYSED

CCSSO Definition of Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

1. Individually reflect on the CCSSO formative assessment definition (in your packet) (Think)

2. Underline three key words in the definition that you believe are “most” important (Think)

3. In pairs, discuss your choices. Note similarities and differences in your choices (Pair/Share)

Handout

CCSSO

Definition

CCSSO Definition of Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

Show of hands…

• Raise your hand if you know someone who has a different definition of formative assessment than the one that we have presented from CCSSO

• How this frames a starting point in this work

An Ongoing Process To:

• Elicit evidence about student learning

• Provide feedback to teachers and student about learning

• Use feedback to adjust instruction and learning tactics in real time

• Close the gap between the learner’s current state and desired goals

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IS…

Syracuse Formative Assessment Project – Four Goals

Increase effective data use practices (for short, medium and long-cycle assessments)

Build assessment literacy and agree on expectations for data use from all assessments

Scale up research-based classroom formative (short-cycle) assessment practices in math

Identify, develop and implement medium-cycle assessment tools

In order to build knowledge and capacity at NYSED to support schools and districts in NY to implement formative assessment

This work was different because …

• Capacity Building approach – expectation is that Syracuse does the hard work of teacher training and implementation

• “Train the coaches” model, math ISTs doing most of the work

• There was no clearly outlined path.

• Built trust, transparency, and a desire to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” (part of Fullan’s sixth secret of change)

• All teacher professional development and training paid for through Syracuse budget and grants (Chris will talk more about this)

Syracuse Formative AssessmentProject Structure

NYCCAACC SED

Principalsof the 10 Schools

Math Coaches

Ten Schools

DistrictLeadership

Team

Year 1 Accomplishments

NYCCAACC SED

Principalsof the 10 Schools

Math Coaches

Ten Schools

DistrictLeadership

Team

1. Shared expectations for use of data, development and use of the “Assessment Approach”

Year 1 Accomplishments

NYCCAACC SED

Principalsof the 10 Schools

Math Coaches

Ten Schools

DistrictLeadership

Team

2. Developed shared definition of formative assessment and how it is different from interim tests.”

Year 1 Accomplishments

NYCCAACC SED

Principalsof the 10 Schools

Math Coaches

Ten Schools

DistrictLeadership

Team

3. Built conceptual understanding of formative assessment and its attributes.

An example how the Formative Assessment Steering Committee has worked to make sense of how assessment cycles apply in Syracuse

(it’s in your packets, on left side)

Attributes of Formative Assessment

• Learning Progressions

• Learning Goals• Specific

Feedback• Collaboration• Self and Peer

Assessment

Attributes offormative

assessment

Learning Progressions

Learning Goals

Specific Feedback

Collaboration

Self andPeer

Assessment

Learning progressions should articulate the sub-goals of the ultimate learning goalLearning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain, and show the trajectory of learning along which students are expected to progress

Learning Progressions

NY State Math Core Measurement Strand

Students will determine what can be measured and how,

using appropriate methods and formulas

5.M.1 Use a ruler to measure to the nearest inch, 1/2, 1/4, & 1/8 inch

5.M.2 Identify customary equivalent units of length

5.M.3 Measure to the nearest centimeter

5.M.4 Identify equivalent metric units of length

5.M.5 Convert measurement within a given system

5.M.6 Determine the tool and technique to measure with an appropriate level of precision: lengths and angles

Attributes offormative

assessment

Learning Progressions

Learning Goals

Specific Feedback

Collaboration

Self andPeer

Assessment

Learning Goals and Criteria for SuccessLearning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.

Teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal.

This information should be communicated using language readily understood by students, and may be accompanied by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria.

Standard Units Can Have Fractional Relationships

Learning Goal Success Criteria FA Strategy

Understand that a unit

of measure is proportional to its whole.

By comparing parts of a

whole, identify the fractional relationship.

Create a model and name

fractional parts.

Explain why the parts are proportional.

Any unit of measure

can be divided into any number of equal sub units, because any linear measurement tool is a number line.

On a number line from 1-12,

accurately plot fractional parts from ½ to 1/12.

On the number line my whole

numbers increase left to right and are equally spaced but fractions’ denominators decrease from right to left. Explain why.

Explain the relationship

between the number line and ruler.

On a number line can

“s”accurately plot fractional units and explain why this is an accurate representation of fractions.

Written explanation about

reason for decrease in denominators.

Attributes offormative

assessment

Learning Progressions

Learning Goals

Specific Feedback

Collaboration

Self andPeer

Assessment

Descriptive feedback to students

Is linked to the learning goal and success criteria

Enhances learning without assigning grades, scores or comparing students

Identifies gap between current learning and desired goals that provide students a recipe for action

• Where am I now?• Where am I going?• How do I get there?

Descriptive Feedback

“Feedback loops include a teacher who knows which skills are to be learned, who can recognize and describe good performance, demonstrate good performance, and indicate how poor performance can be improved.”

(Sadler 1989, p.120)

Erin is a 4th grade inclusion class teacher

Talks about the impact formative assessment has had on her teaching and her students’ learning.

Describes the particular role of descriptive feedback in the changes she and her students have made

Voices from Syracuse

Attributes offormative

assessment

Learning Progressions

Learning Goals

Specific Feedback

Collaboration

Self andPeer

Assessment

Collaboration

• A classroom culture of trust in which teachers and students are partners in learning.

• Ongoing interactions between teachers and students.

• Students are active agents in learning.

Attributes offormative

assessment

Learning Progressions

Learning Goals

Specific Feedback

Collaboration

Self andPeer

Assessment

Self and Peer-Assessment

• Self assessment: students monitor their own learning using established criteria to indicate what success looks like, and they adapt their learning to achieve success.

•Peer assessment: students analyze each others’ performance using established criteria and provide descriptive feedback to each other for continued improvement.

PD Focus: non-negotiable PD Focus: non-negotiable formative assessment strategies formative assessment strategies

(Heritage)(Heritage)1. Clarify and share intentions and criteria2. Engineer effective classroom discussions and questions3. Provide feedback

that moves learners forward

4. Activate students as owners of their own learning

5. Activate students as instructional resources for one another

Voices from Syracuse continued

• Melanie– middle school math coach

– Describes how formative assessment work has imparted a new “how-do-we-use-this-to-inform-our-next-move” approach to her teachers.

– Describes the intentionality and planning that formative assessment requires and lays that as an area for continued focus.

Closing

1. Move into role alike groups

2. Discuss and write 2 things you’d like additional support from NYCC on.

• Consider (or don’t) the menu of possibilities on chart paper.

• Consider the challenges & possibilities raised from Syracuse videos.

3. Commit to one thing you’ll collectively do without us to advance your knowledge and skill.

4. Share out.

More about the Syracuse project

• Lessons learned http://www.aacompcenter.org/cs/aacc/print/htdocs/aacc/ny_lessons.htm.

• Bibliography of articles NYCC has used with Syracuse http://nycomprehensivecenter.org/initiatives/inits_assess/resources