Classroom Assessments Tell the Real Story

1
Classroom Assessments Tell the Real Story

• Bloomington Public Schools
• Bloomington, IL

2
Welcome

• Dr. Robert Nielsen, Superintendent
• Diane Stempinski, Standards Aligned Classroom
  coordinator High School Speech/Psychology/English
  
• Debbie Davis, Bloomington Junior High Reading
• JoLynn Plato, Bloomington Junior High
  Math/Reading National Board Certified Teacher
• Suzy Dees, Bloomington Junior High Writing
  Standards Aligned Classroom coach

3
Welcome

• Located in Bloomington, Illinois
• Home of State Farm Insurance
• Beer Nuts
• Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan Universities
• Student Enrollment 5500
• Teachers 411
• Average teaching experience 15 years

4
The Beginningand The End

• The Fundamental Question in Education
• How do you know a student is learning?
• This began District 87s journey to educate
  teachers on the benefits of formative assessments.

5
Traditional Responses Include

• Tests
• Quizzes
• Homework
• Speeches
• Grades
• Projects
• Daily Work

6
But, the Question Remains

• How do you know a student is learning?

7
Our Journey

• Acknowledge that the path would be slow
• Commit to be steady in the education of staff
• Develop common vocabulary and philosophy
• Define expectations for classroom assessments
• Demonstrate formative assessment in staff,
  administrative, and school board meetings
• Continue to allot resources (people and funds)
  for the cause

8
We Know Students Are Learning

• The students demonstrating what they know
• Exit slips
• Reflections and self-analysis
• Documentation
• Conferences and conversations
• Surveys

9
Our Common Vision

• Assessments become formative when the information
  is used to adapt teaching and to meet the student
  needs
• Must believe all students can learn
• Must believe all teachers can teach

10
Formative Assessment Must

• Involve the student
• Richard Stiggins believes assessments are FOR
  learning and when student become party of the
  learning process they become confident enough to
  continue striving. (Stiggins, et. all 2005)

11
Formative Assessment Must

• Provide quick feedback to both the student and
  the teacher
• Crooks states, Feedback should take place while
  it is still clearly relevantsoon after the task
  is completed and that the student should be given
  opportunities subsequently to demonstrate
  learning from the feedback. (1988)

12
Formative Assessment Must

• Drive future instruction based upon results.
• Black and William state, For assessment to
  function formatively, the results have to be used
  to adjust teaching and learning. (1998)

13
Ponder This

• On your index card, please respond to these
  questions
• What is the students role in his/her learning?
• What is the teachers role in a students
  learning?
• What is an administrators role in a students
  learning?

14
Focus on Students Ownership

• Many aspects of formative assessment, but student
  ownership will be our focus as we share
  assessment ideas.
• How can students take ownership of their
  learning?
• Self-reflection
• Self-monitoring
• Self-sorting

15
Self-Reflection

• Students identify areas of concerns and areas of
  mastery.
• Reflection for Essay
• New Years Resolutions, end of school year, state
  testing

16
Self-Reflection

• Survey
• Respond to the the following statements with ? or
  ?.
• I am excited about Science class this year.
• I did my best on this project.
• My work is the best work I could do.
• I feel ____about this assignment.

17
Self-Reflection

• Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

18
Self-Reflection

• Stop / Go Cards

19
Self-Reflection

• Real-Life Examples
• New Years Resolutions, End of School Year, State
  Testing
• How do you know how youve done?

20
Self-Sorting

• Students place themselves on a learning
  continuum.

21
Self-Sorting

• Bulls eye

22
Self-Sorting

• Dot Chart

I do not know how to find the slope of a line
I can show someone how to find the slope of a line
23
Self-Sorting

• Real-Life Examples
• Eagles vs. Sparrows

24
Self-Monitoring

• Students document their learning to help identify
  areas of concern and authentic success.

25
Self-Monitoring

• Asking students to respond to lesson is a risk on
  the teachers part but provides invaluable
  information.
• Muddy Waters

26
Self-Monitoring

• After introducing a lesson, teachers can use a
  PMI chart to have students sort information and
  decide their own areas of concern or celebration.
• PMI Charts Plus, Minus, Interesting

27
Self-Monitoring

• Once a test is given, the learning is over,
  right? Not with formative assessment. Item
  analysis allows the teacher to teach all year,
  not just until the end of chapter or a test.
• Item analysis Reading
• Item analysis Math

28
Self-Monitoring

• Real-Life Examples
• Weight Watchers vs. Personal Chef

29
Formative Assessment Must Drive Instruction

• Allows teachers to respond to student input by
  adjusting lesson plans and addressing student
  learning needs.
• Allows for efficient use of instructional time.
• Encourages students to take ownership of their
  own learning, thus increasing student motivation
  and achievement.

30
Beware of the Naysayers

• I wont have enough grades in my grade book!
• Students will get off task and be disruptive!
• It will take more time out of my instruction.
• My administrator expects me to have lesson plans
  turned in a week in advance.
• I wont be able to use last years lesson
  plansit will be a new curriculum every year.
• One more thing!

31
Revisit This

• On your index card, please review your original
  thoughts and amend as necessary.
• What is the students role in his/her learning?
• What is the teachers role in a students
  learning?
• What is an administrators role in a students
  learning?

32
We Would Be Remiss If We Didnt

• When prompted, on a scale of 1-4, rank the
  usefulness of this workshop
• 1 I wish I would have stayed in bed.
• 2 I got one lousy idea from this hour.
• 3 I learned a few new ideas to take back home.
• 4 I will enthusiastically discuss this workshop
  with others at lunch.

33
Our Answer to the Fundamental Question

• How do we know our students are learning?
• We know our students are learning through the
  consistent use of formative assessment that
  involves the students, provides us and them quick
  feedback and drives our instruction.

34
Contact Information

• Diane Stempinski stempinskid_at_roe17.k12.il.us
• Debbie Davis davisdeborah_at_district87.org
• JoLynn Plato platoj_at_district87.org
• Suzy Dees deess_at_district87.org
• Presentation and Handouts
• www.district87.org/staff/platoj/formativeasses
  sment/MegaSCASS2007.htm