Assessment Literacy: Building Capacity for Improving Student Learning

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Assessment Literacy Building Capacity for
Improving Student Learning

• Large Scale Assessment Conference
• San Francisco, Ca.
• June 26, 2006
• Presented by
• Paul M. La Marca, Ph.D.
• Assistant Deputy Superintendent
• Nevada Department of Education
• plamarca_at_doe.nv.gov

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Key Policy Statement

• Critics of testing contend it distracts from
  learning. They talk about teaching to the test.
  But let's put that logic to the test. If you test
  a child on basic math and reading skills, and
  you're teaching to the test, you're teaching math
  and reading. And that's the whole idea.
  (Applause.)
• George W. Bush, State of the Union, February
  27-2001

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Todays Presentation

• Student learning is an outcome of interpersonal
  interactions embedded in a complex structure.
• Assessment literacy empowers teachers to make
  data-driven decisions aimed at teaching and
  learning.
• What strategies are available to states to build
  teacher capacity in assessment literacy.

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• The most proximal interpersonal contact affecting
  learning outcomes is that between student and
  teacher.
• This is not a passive situation in which teachers
  teach/convey knowledge to be acquired by
  students.
• Students are active agents, regardless of how
  adults approach the learning environment.
• Students and teachers bring to the learning
  experience personal histories and ascribed
  statuses that impinge on learning outcomes.

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The Embedded Structure
Academic Standards
School Improvement
Curriculum
Student Learning
Accountability
CHANGE
Large-Scale Assessment
Professional Development
Instruction
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Ecological Context
School
Class
Community
Nation
State
Region
School District
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Stakeholders Questions?

• Student? Am I doing better?
• Teacher? What can I do differently?
• Principal? Are my teachers adjusting
  appropriately?
• Community? Are our tax dollars being well spent?
• District? Are principals effectively leading?
• Region? Where is teacher training needed most?
• State? Which schools are effective?
• Feds? Is Reading First working?

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Balanced Assessment System

• Can a single assessment answer all of these
  questions? Probably not!
• A balanced assessment system is one that includes
  multiple measures selected to meet specific
  purposes.

Teacher made Assessments Observations
District Interim Assessments
State Assessments
Golden Rule
Instruction Formative Assessment For Learning
Accountability Summative Assessment OF Learning
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How Many Times Do You Weigh The Pig?
Teacher made Assessments Observations
Instruction Formative Assessment For Learning
District Interim Assessments

• Fools Gold

State Assessments
Accountability Summative Assessment OF Learning
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Still Wondering? Youre Getting Sleepy
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What is Assessment Literacy?

• A working knowledge of applicable assessment
  concepts
• Validity
• Reliability
• Achievement Level
• A working knowledge of standards for educational
  measurement
• Cant make high stakes decisions based on a
  single measure
• An ability to build/use assessments that are
  matched to purpose
• Deconstruct achievement standards
• Engage students in the interactive process of
  interpreting results
• A basic understanding of statistics in order to
  organize information, perform analyses, and
  display data
• Combine information gathered through varying
  methods
• Drawing statistical conclusions

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Assessment Literacy Cont.

• The knowledgeable educator will likely discern
  that
• scores on typical state tests are derived in a
  compensatory manner providing a general domain
  level classification.
• How many paths to proficiency on a 40 item math
  test?
• subscale performance on state tests may lack
  precision
• Scaling may not occur due to the brevity of items
  and the lack of stability from year to year.

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Assessment Literacy Cont.

• The knowledgeable educator will likely discern
  that
• measurement error is ubiquitous contributing to
  the volatility of student level performance.
• Multiple forms of assessment are necessary to
  capture the degree of achievement among all
  students.
• data interpretation is a constructive process.
• Sharing findings with colleagues is
  irreplaceable.

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Assessment Literacy Cont.

• The knowledgeable educator will likely discern
  that
• students, and their individual needs, are at the
  heart of the matter. To differentiate
  instruction, students must be engaged in the
  process.
• Students must clearly understand their learning
  targets.
• Students must understand their current level of
  attainment.
• Students must understand how they can reduce that
  gap.

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Long Term PD Goal

• To afford the space necessary for teachers to use
  assessments FOR learning to meet the needs of all
  students.

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Shifting the Ecological Context
State
Nation
Region
Classroom
School
Community
School District
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Building Capacity Some Assumptions

• We assume that most educators have experienced
  very little formal training in assessment and
  quantitative methods.
• We assume that if we concentrate solely on
  teachers, we will only further stress their
  current situation.
• Understanding state department capacity issues,
  who gives what to whom and when?

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Aims of the PD Plan

• Underscore the necessity of a balanced assessment
  system
• Purpose / Method Fit
• Establish shared nomenclature used to describe
  assessment concepts (e.g. what is meant by the
  term formative)
• Opportunities (e.g. workshops, material) made
  available based on educational related need

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Balanced PD Plan
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Nevadas State Level Rollout of Building
Assessment Literacy

• We began by attempting to identify a plausible
  infrastructure of support.
• The state role is one of facilitator.
• Identification of key change agents.
• We next used a non-optimal setting to share big
  messages regarding assessment
• What state tests can and cannot offer.
• Collaborative effort with assessment contractor

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Rollout cont.

• We then invited a leading expert, Dr. Rick
  Stiggins, to address Nevadas Association of
  School Superintendents.
• Stiggins meets with state to plan ongoing
  strategy
• Stiggins participates in on-line PLC forum
• Stiggins meets with an academy of principals
• Stiggins meets with 150 plus middle school
  science teachers

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Next Step

• The state may consider establishing a pilot
  project with selected schools to assist in the
  implementation of principles of assessment for
  learning.
• State may make this offer to schools that,
  through their own school improvement planning
  process, identify this need.

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Moving Upstream and Laterally

• State department must work with political
  officials and policy makers to build the
  cushion that allows teachers to optimize the
  learning environments for schools.
• Develop strategic plan for working with
  Legislature and State Board of Education.
• Co-present with school districts regarding
  progress.

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Conclusion

• There are no silver bullets. Learning occurs
  within a context and to penetrate that context,
  many stakeholders must be satisfied.
• Assessment literacy is an educator empowerment
  strategy that optimizes the learning environment
  for all students through building a shared
  community understanding.
• The state department must facilitate change by
  meeting the informational and professional needs
  of policymakers and practitioners alike.