Advancing Assessment Literacy

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Advancing Assessment Literacy

• Setting the Stage I
• Engaging Stakeholders

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Setting the Stage IEngaging Stakeholders

• Part One
• Exploring Assessment and Evaluation

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Evaluation

• Using the provided web, place the word EVALUATION
  in the center. In the outlying circles, write
  down all of the thoughts and connections the word
  EVALUATION bring to mind.
• When done, share your chart with a neighbour or
  your table group.

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Evaluation

• What negative connotations are raised by the term
  EVALUATION?
• What positive connotations are raised by the term
  EVALUATION?
• How is assessment different from evaluation?

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Assessment Evaluation
(Sutton, 2006)

• Evaluation
• Checks what has been learned to date
• Is designed for those not directly involved in
  daily learning and teaching
• Is presented in a periodic report
• Usually gathers information into easily
  digestible numbers, scores, and marks
• Usually compares the students learning with
  either other students or the standard for a grade
  level
• Does not need to involve the student

• Assessment
• Checks learning and decides what to do next
• Is designed to assist teachers and students
• Is used in marking and conversation
• Usually detailed, specific and descriptive
  feedback in words as well as (or instead of)
  numbers, scores and marks
• Usually focused on improvement, compared with the
  students previous best
• Needs to involve the student the person most
  able to improve learning

Evaluation is the end of a process.
Assessment is an ongoing process.
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Assessment Evaluation

• Complete the provided Venn Diagram listing terms
  and activities you associate with each term
  assessment and evaluation. The Venn Diagram
  will allow you to identify similarities and
  differences between the two processes.

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Assessment Evaluation
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Assessment Evaluation

• Based on your comparison and contrast of
  assessment and evaluation, consider the
  following
• Why and when is student assessment most
  appropriately utilized?
• Why and when is student evaluation most
  appropriately utilized?

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Ongoing Assessment

• What are the benefits of ongoing student
  assessment? For teachers? For students?
• What are some of the challenges to increased
  assessment in our settings?

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Setting the Stage IEngaging Stakeholders

• Part Two
• Saskatchewans Assessment or
• for Learning Program
• Assumptions, Questions and Opportunities for
  Learning

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The Assessment for Learning Program

• The major goal of the Assessment for Learning
  Program is to serve as a vehicle for improving
  student learning outcomes in targeted key areas.

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Collaborative Learning Cycle(Wellman Lipton,
2004)
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Assumptions

• As our school or school division continues to
  focus on assessment, with what assumptions are we
  entering?

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Assumptions Card Stack Shuffle (Wellman
Lipton, 2004)

• Individually, create a stack of cards that hold
  some of your assumptions regarding your school or
  school divisions participation in the Assessment
  for Learning Program.
• Write each assumption on an index card.
• When done, place all the cards in the center of
  the table Stack and shuffle.
• In turn, each member picks a card to read aloud
  to the table group. Discuss each item using the
  mediating questions on the following slide.

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Assumptions Card Stack Shuffle
(Wellman Lipton, 2004)

• What is the thinking behind this assumption?
• What are some inferences that can be made from
  it?
• What might be some alternative interpretations?

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Color Question Brainstorming(Wellman Lipton,
2004)

• Question categories

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Questions

• Once everyone is finished, go on a gallery tour
  to read the other groups questions.
• When you return to your table, discuss
  similarities, differences and themes you noticed.
• What one or two questions are being asked by the
  entire group?
• What information do you need to have these
  questions answered? How might you go about
  getting that information?

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Possibilities for Learning

• At your table, please do the following
• Given the questions youve created, what
  possibilities for learning exist?
• If there was one voice at your table, what would
  it be saying regarding the possibilities for
  learning as you engage in this process?

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Extending our Inquiry

• In what ways might the systematic collection and
  use of assessment data address the assumptions,
  questions, and possibilities for learning you
  have identified?

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Provincial AFL as a Starting Point for
Collaborative Reflection

• The Assessment for Learning Program invites
  ownership and collaboration and can potentially
  bring the improvement process and solution down
  to the classroom level.
• This is done through ongoing engagement and
  reflection in using the data as starting points
  to inform good questions and discussions that
  lead to planning and interventions to affect
  improvement.
• Assessment for Learning can inform learning
  communities as they identify and address systemic
  factors to improve learning outcomes for their
  students.

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• How is the work your school and/or school
  division is currently doing supported by the
  previous information regarding the Assessment for
  Learning Program?
• What opportunities exist for your school division
  and schools as the Assessment for Learning
  Program is undertaken?

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Closing Questions

• What other information would you like regarding
  the Assessment for Learning Program and its
  implementation in our schools?
• Questions will be examined by the facilitator and
  the school leadership team and will be answered
  personally or at our next meeting.