SIRI AL: Adolescent Literacy

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Formative Assessment Betty Jo Malchesky
Ed.D. 2009
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What is Formative Assessment?

• Assessments administered frequently (weekly) to
  gauge whether each student has learned the
  teaching target
• students who need additional time and support for
  learning
• students who have mastered the learning target
  and need enrichment
• also used to reflect on how effective the
  teaching was
• Without formative assessment, teachers may cruise
  through teaching while leaving several students
  behind or bored.
• The format of formative assessment is consistent
  with state summative assessments (OAA, OGT). 

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Formative vs. Summative Assessment
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Formative vs. Summative Assessment Doug Reeves
(2001) used a medical analogy to describe these
two types of assessment
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Formative Assessment

• Always includes student/teacher reflection
• clears up student misconceptions
• gives students non-threatening, penalty-free
  opportunities to share when they are confused
• gives students the tools to identify error and
  improve their work
• Is transparentstudents know the criteria, their
  own personal progress towards the learning goals,
  and timing of assessment

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What does it look like in the classroom?
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Learning by Doing (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many,
pg.158)

• When feedback to students takes the form of
  grades, they are likely to see assessment as a
  competition or a way to compare their achievement
  with others.  Students with a track record as
  losers see little point in trying however,
  when they are clear on intended learning outcomes
  and are provided with specific feedback as part
  of a formative process for improving their work
  and are then given support in clarifying how they
  can close the gap, they are more likely to
  continue working until they achieve the targets
  .

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Where are you now?

• I organize pacing guide into small units of
  instruction
• I begin a new learning unit with some type of
  pre-assessment.
• I target my instruction tightly around the
  indicator/objective
• I use formative assessments to assess the
  progress of students throughout the unit
• I respond to student non-mastery by designing
  scaffolded tasks to correct their misconceptions
• Students can refine their work to show mastery.
• I use formatives to confirm student mastery after
  correctives/ responsive teaching has been given

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Where to Begin?

• What do we expect students to learn and why?
• What do we want students to do?
• How will we know when students have learned it?
• How will we respond if students already know it?
• How will we respond when students dont learn?
• Do we have a clear understanding of what is to be
  understoodDo we Start with the end in mind.
• - Grant Wiggins,
  Jay McTighe

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Range of Assessments
Observe, React, Document (small group track
sheet)
Quiz (2-4 indicators)
Test

• Quick checks/Exit Slips/ Practice

Project
Formative assessments / check-ups and
prescription (20) Summative assessments /
diagnosis (80)
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Progress Monitoring using 1-2-3
Modified from Marzano, 2009
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(No Transcript)
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Formative Assessment Progress Monitoring using
1-2-3
Summatives - s
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ENRICHMENT STRATEGIES

• Offer a pre-test for volunteers at the
  beginning of each unit those who demonstrate
  mastery of State indicators receive mastery grade
  and do choice activities such as the following
• Double Entry Journals
• Journal Stems/Response Journals
• Extension Menu
• Tiered lessons (increase Blooms verb!)
• Contracts/Compacts
• Independent Study
• R.A.F.T.s
• READ, READ MORE! or WRITE, WRITE MORE!
• These students still participate in summative
  tests.

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Task

• Choose one indicator from your unit
• Develop a list of prior knowledge necessary for
  students to be successful at mastery of this
  indicator
• What would students do to show you that they
  understand the concept? What will the formative
  assessment look like?
• Create several other ways that students could
  show you mastery.

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The kind of leadership needed

• Leaders who schedule time for weekly PLCs
  (Professional Learning Communities) so that
  important work such as formative assessments are
  created collaboratively by a team of teachers
  responsible for the same grade level or course
• Leaders who visit classrooms as a learner,
  walking side-by-side with teachers as we
  implement formative assessments and reflect on
  next instruction needed

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In schools

• Teachers working hard during class time
• Teacher lectures content
• Students know what to do but do not know why it
  is important to their life
• Lesson/novel units are set
• Teach to the middle

• Students working
• hard during class time
• Trusting relationships
• Learning fits students needs/data is used
• Voice and Reflection
• Formatives/Feedback
• Highly interactive culture