Standardsbased Assessment

1
Standards-based Assessment

• Vallorie Schlecht
• Technology Integration Specialist
• Tucson Unified School District

2
Focus for Today

• Federal Legislation
• Traditional and standards assessment
• Explore use of rubrics
• Practical ideas for recording assessment
• Reporting to Parents

3
The Clapping Institute
4
Volunteers

• 5 Clappers
• 3 Judges
• 1 Recorder
• 1 Escort

5
Clapping Institute

• Volume
• Appropriateness
• Creativity

6
Clapping Rubrics
7
Clapping Rubrics
8
Clapping Rubrics
9
Why Standards-based Evaluation???
10
Standards in Arizona

• State Standards Initiative
• No Child Left Behind
• Arizona LEARNS
• All instruction should be based on the CORE
  Standards curriculum
• Assessment alignment critical to standards
  implementation

11
No Child Left Behind

• Set academic standards
• High expectations
• Measure Student Progress
• Test Students
• Tests aligned to the State Standards
• Gather test data
• Measure adequate yearly progress
• Instruction based on gathered data
• Report Student progress to Parents/Guardian

12
Traditional Grading
13
Traditional Grading

• Uses A, B, C, D, F or E, S, N
• Directions are given for each assignment
• Each assignment is given a numerical evaluation
  by the teacher
• Scores are averaged and range applied
• Average determines grade on Progress Report

14
Traditional Assessment Assumptions

• Usually based on one evaluation of product by
  teacher
• Bell Curve
• Some portion of children will fail
• Competitive
• Comparative

15
Traditional Assessment Assumptions

• Paper and pencil
• End of lesson
• Answers are right or wrong

16
Problems

• Teachers consider many factors other than
  academic achievement when assigning grades
• Teachers weight assessments differently
• Teachers misinterpret single scores on classroom
  assessments
• Teachers determine assignments and tests and
  number of each

17
Alternative Factors in Grading
Source Marzano (1995b)
18
Standards-based Assessment

• Finding Clear and Visible Targets

19
Standards-Based Evaluation

• Clear and specific observable outcomes
  connected to the CORE curriculum
• Ungraded practice
• Criteria for evaluation present prior to
  assignment
• Criteria explained in a rubrica scoring guide
• Student completes assignment

20
Standards-based Evaluation

• Student work compared to criteria on rubric and
  score is given
• Reteaching/Extensions
• Continue working toward 4
• Reevaluation
• Trends used to determine successful completion of
  standard and final progress report grade

21
Traditional vs. Standards-based
22
Thinking about Standards-based Assessment

• Concepts or skills are evaluated in context
• Allows students to show learning over time
• Observations
• Collections of work
• Performances
• Exhibitions
• Demonstrations

23
Thinking about Standards-based Assessment

• Good teaching and learning can happen with or
  without formal grading
• Stimulating, meaningful curriculum motivates
  students to work hardgrading alone may not
• Students should not be graded during the learning
  process

24
Thinking about Standards-based Assessment

• Grades are somewhat effective as incentives, but
  are almost never effective as punishment
• Low grades cause most students to withdraw from
  learning
• Reporting grades as averages is unfair

25
Thinking about Standards-based Assessment

• Assessment methods that compare students to each
  other are not helpful for struggling students
• Avoid grading curves
• A separate guide for effort should never be given

26
Thinking about Standards-based Assessment

• Evaluation methods should enable students,
  parents, and teachers to plan for improved
  outcomes on the next attempt
• Students should be expected to continue working
  on a task until high-quality work is achieved

27
How does this look in my classroom??
28
Curriculum Alignment

• Identify the learning objective
• Essential knowledge and understanding
• Based on district/state standards/competencies
• Design lesson around objectives
• Select a performance task that accurately
  measures performance in relation to objectives

29
Focus Questions

• Main things students will learn
• Question format
• Clearly stated
• Grade-level collaboration is ideal

30
Focus Question Example

• How and why did people come to North America?
• What evidence do we have for our theories?
• How and where did the land bridge form?

31
Focus Questions

• Streamline the entire instructional process
• Match the performance task to the unit objectives
  
• Keep students focused on the stated goals of the
  unit
• Give teachers a handle on the amount of
  curriculum there it to cover

32
Standards-based Assessment Methods

• Observation
• Systematic
• Record
• Let your students know purpose and use
• Tapes
• Easy to use

33
Standards-based Assessment Methods

• Performance Assessments
• Performance of learning in real life situations
• Improvement to acceptable levels
• Investment of time and guidance

34
Grading Performance
35
Grading Performance Tasks

• Rubrics
• Brief outlines that describe the content and
  quality needed to achieve a specific grade
• Helps the grader determine the evidence of
  students understanding

36
Standards-based Assessment Methods

• Rubrics
• Progresses from minimal through superior
  performance
• Based on standards at PO level
• Created and presented before work begins by
  teacher or students

37
Standards-based Assessment Methods

• Rubrics
• Student-created rubrics are very effective
• Self-assessment and peer-assessment can
  supplement teacher-assessment
• Used to guide learning and promote improvement

38
Rubrics

• 4, 3, 2, 1 or other system
• General vs. Task-Specific
• Student work compared to criteria on rubric and
  score is given
• Student works to correct mistakes

39
Sample Rubric for Goldilocks

• Happy Face
• Three pictures show what Goldilocks does at the
  beginning, middle and end of the story.
• Pictures are in order
• There are three colors.

• Straight Face
• Something is missing.
• Pictures are out of order.
• There are only one or two colors.

40
http//www.middleweb.com/rubricsHG.html
41
(No Transcript)
42
Rubrics
Warning!
General rubrics have a place, but are often too
ambiguous to be very effective
43
Task Specific Rubrics

• Demystify the grading process
• Quality and quantity
• Observable outcomes
• Directly related to the focus question
• Build on one another

Cleaning Your Room
44
Clean Your Room

• Fully Accomplished 2 am
• Substantially Accomplished Midnight
• Partially Accomplished Must clean better before
  you can go out
• No Progress Stay home with Mom and Dad

45
Write a rubric for a
Cleaning Your Room
4 Groups
46
Rubric Scoring

• Continue working toward 4
• Level of mastery of the standard determines final
  grade
• Trends Marzanos Power Law of Learning

47
Thoughts to Consider

• Value the discussion
• Start with simple rubrics
• Only use rubrics with major projects or
  activities
• Start with your strength

48
Thoughts to Consider

• Work with another teacher
• Be patient. Rubrics dont have to be perfect!
• It is easier the next time around

49
Rubrics Become Road Maps

• Students understand the language and its meaning
• Students realize the impact that learning the
  material will have on the outcome of their
  performance task
• Have a plan of action for performance

50
What are the Benefits???
51
Benefits of the Model

• Clarifying instructional objectives provides
  structure for students
• Focus questions make instructional choices easier
• Student discussions and self-reflections provide
  the teacher with useful feedback about instruction

52
Benefits of the Model

• Increased student engagement increases student
  motivation and participation
• Observing students during peer assessment
  provides valuable insights regarding student
  learning and group interaction.

53
Rubrics can

• Help teachers define excellence and plan how to
  help students achieve it.
• Communicate to students what constitutes
  excellence and how to evaluate their own work.
• Communicate goals and results to parents and
  others.

-- Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992)
54
Rubrics can

• Help teachers or other raters be accurate,
  unbiased and consistent in scoring.
• Document the procedures used in making important
  judgments about students.

-- Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992)
55
Using Standards To Evaluate Student Growth
56
Determining Grades

• Standards become the criteria for performance
  assessment
• Focus on Competencies taught that quarter
• Power standards
• Use ADE Performance Descriptors as a guideline

57
(No Transcript)
58
Group Discussion
59
Determining Grades

• Achievement Factors
• Subject-Specific Content
• Thinking and Reasoning Skills
• General Communication Skills

60
Determining Grades

• Nonachievement Factors
• Effort
• Participation
• Work Completion
• Behavior
• Following rules
• Teamwork
• Attendance
• Tardiness
• Absenteeism

61
Tracking Performance

• From Activities to Competencies

62
Tracking Performance

• Green Grade Book
• Excel Spreadsheet
• Making the Grade
• Performance Objective Checklists
• New district template
• Your own method

63
http//instech.tusd.k12.az.us/checklist/checklist.
htm
64
(No Transcript)
65
(No Transcript)
66
Standards-based Assessment Methods

• Portfolios
• Collection of work over time
• Emphasize strengths
• Illustrate how they learn rather than what they
  know
• Regularly scheduled work times

67
Talking with Parents
68
Communication

• Parent Forum
• Parent Brochure
• Standards
• Monthly/Weekly Newsletters
• Beginning of the Year
• At Progress Report time
• Grading Policy

69
Talking Standards

• Conferences
• What are the standards?
• Articulate what is being taught
• Provide information as to how well the student
  has mastered the content
• Discuss strengths and weakness
• Indicate how future growth will be supported

70
Talking Standards

• Classroom
• Posting objectives
• Delineating criteria for assignments
• Use of Rubrics
• Going for the Gold

71
Questions

• Vallorie Schlecht
• Educational Technology
• 225-6278
• vallorie.schlecht_at_tusd.k12.az.us