Formative Assessment Institute

1. Formative Assessment Institute Barb Rowenhorst Janet Hensley Jo Hartmann Marilyn Hofer Pam Lange

2. Day Two:September 19th

3. PTSB Credit Sign-in Sheet

4. Welcome Back • “Re-wind” • Common definitions • Norms • “Un-wind” • Artifacts from last night

5. Transition – Day Two Synectics(Greek) means: • Bringing together and diverse elements. • Metaphorical problem solving process that promotes creative thinking.

6. Transition – Day Two (Artifact) is like formative assessment because . . . . • Create a synectic phrase for the artifact. • Create a graphic representation to represent the synectic phrase. 10 minutes

7. Transition – Day Two A beach ball is like formative assessment because… it keeps you focused on student learning rather than bouncing around with your instruction.

8. Transition – Day Two (Artifact) is like formative assessment because . . . . • Create a synectic phrase for the artifact. • Create a graphic representation to represent the synectic phrase. 10 minutes

9. Synectic Gallery Wall • Hang your posters on the designated wall. • Read at your leisure during breaks and lunch.

10. Assessment MatrixPam

11. Thinking About Assessment 80 percent of assessments given in classrooms are geared toward low-level thinking. Decisions about assessment happen about every three to four minutes. What do assessments tell us? How are we using assessments to guide instruction?

12. What Are You Assessing? • As a team, complete the Assessment Matrix • List all assessments: Summative and Formative You will have 20 minutes to complete this activity.

13. How Are Results Being Used? • As a group, prioritize what assessment you would like to use as the focus for your first discussion. • Complete the Action Planning Template • If time allows, repeat process You will have 25 minutes to complete this activity.

14. Reflection Describe your team’s biggest “aha” from completing the assessment matrix.

15. Assessment StrategiesMarilyn

16. Human Histogram Participants use private think time to complete survey.

17. If you were reading a book for enjoyment right now, what type would it be? • Biography/autobiography • Travel • Science fiction • Romance • Western • How to • Spiritual • Cook books • Mystery Stand beneath that sign

18. Crumple paper Have a “Snowball Fight” within your group Pick up paper

19. Form Human Histogram This shows facilitator where group is by anonymously compiling results. Now we see where we are as a group. Where we need to spend our energy.

20. Human Histogram • Within your group: Break into triads to investigate the assessment strategy that scored the lowest in your large group. • Study the information about that strategy on pages 42-45. Each triad create one sentence that accurately describes the gist of that strategy. • Last, individually read the first two paragraphs on page 46 under the heading, “These strategies as a progression.” Answer for yourself—where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?

21. ReflectionPam

22. Reflect on Your Learning • What new things have you learned about assessment so far? • When a colleague asks you “Where have you been?” or “What have you been doing in Lander?” what will you say?

24. PTSB Credit Sign-in Sheet

25. Unpacking StandardsPamJo and Janet

27. Take time to discuss what your Body Of Evidence is based on and how your district determines which items to include. What discussions will you take back to your school? 5 minutes

28. Unpacking Standards • First and foremost, the student has to be the center of everything in education. • Students need to know the performance standards – CLEARLY!

29. Students need to know what curriculum we are using to address each standard. • Education needs a CONNECTION between standard, lesson and assessment PLUS the connection to real life.

30. Assessment must be based on the benchmark. • We teach what we value, and we test what we teach.

31. Students need to understand what the assessment will be like in terms of content, skills and format. • It’s hard to hit a target you can’t SEE.

32. We must show kids what we want them to know prior to any instruction. • Instruction is based on the curriculum. • “Curriculum” does NOT mean “the textbook”.

33. Assessments provide information for whom? • Where do the results go?

34. The person most frequently omitted when we share assessment information is WHOM?

35. The Student !!!

36. In order for improvement to occur, students need to understand • why they are being assessed and • what the results of the assessment mean.

37. Students need to understand that they are in school for a reason. • We must connect lessons and assessments to the real world.

38. Assessment is not a number in a grade book; an AYP score printed in the paper; or the determiner for Valedictorian. • Assessment is for INFORMATION and FEEDBACK.

39. How else do kids know WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW?

40. Students need to compare the right answers to their answers and see where they went wrong. • Assessments should not simply say “Right” or “Wrong” .

41. Assessments shouldn’t tell kids, “You’re dumb today. You were dumb yesterday. And you’ll probably be dumb tomorrow. But thanks for coming back.”

42. The most important point is that assessments are NOT for scores. • ASSESSMENTS ARE TO HELP STUDENTS.

43. We need to decide what the benchmark looks like in terms of student work, not just printed in a manual for teachers.

44. We need to ask fewer questions that are better … not like the North Platte River – a mile wide and an inch deep, but like a segment of the oceanic Marianas Trench – 50 yards wide and 2 MILES deep.

45. What do we REALLY want to know?

46. What’s actually at stake for students? • Based on assessments, each will decide whether or not he or she is smart or not.

47. What’s actually at stake for teachers? • Assessment drives instruction. The information sets out the map, the road before us.

48. No two teachers are alike. • Each may teach multiple approaches to information and skills. • HOWEVER, we all need to TEST the way PAWS does or test to fit the needs of the Body of Evidence.

49. Think of how we teach Drivers’ Education. • We have: 1. Instruction - drivers’ manual 2. Practice - learning to drive 3. Assessment - drivers’ test We know what a driver’s test means – so let’s look at some standards and benchmarks to see if we know what they mean.

50. Standards • WDE • Wyoming Department of Education website • – Standards http://www.k12.wy.us/SAA/standards.asp