Assessing and Grading for Performance

Assessing and Grading

for Performance

Languages and Languages and Learning for Learning for

Schools of the FutureSchools of the Future

Lexington 1 Lexington 1

Agenda

• What is assessment?•Why assess?•What does the research say?•What options are there for

Lexington ?

What isassessment?

Definition of Assessment

Techniques used to analyze student accomplishment against specific goals and criteria.

Wiggins and McTighe

Beyond Measurement

Referring to “assessments” instead of “tests” implies a distinction of attitude and more closely reflects the Latin origin of the word to assidere, or “sit with the student.”

Wiggins and McTighe

In times of rapid change, experience is our worst

enemy.

Chinese Proverb

Why do weassess?

Purpose of Assessment

Possible responses – Group 1•need for grades•end of the marking period• influence student behavior•motivate students

Purpose of Assessment

Possible responses – Group 2•plan for instruction•monitor progress•provide feedback to students•gather evidence of learning

Attitudes Towards Assessment

•Reward / Punishment?•Motivator / Morale buster?•Snapshot / Time-lapse?•Student-directed / Teacher-

directed

Questions to Consider

•Do our current assessment practices improve learning?

•Could alternative assessment practices have a greater impact?

•Can we design assessments that have the effect of helping students WANT to learn and feel ABLE to learn?

Richard Stiggins

Assessment as Information

Assessment•provides teachers, parents and

administrators with information on student achievement.

• informs the instructional process.

•helps students want and be able to learn.

Assessment of Learning

STANDARDS

ACCOUNTABILITY ASSESSMENT

INSTRUCTION

How do current assessments inform the

instructional process and help

students want and be able to learn?

Informing Instruction

Too little,too late.

Danish Proverb

Purposes of Assessment

•Assessment “of learning” provides evidence of achievement for reporting.

•Assessment “for learning” serves to help students stick with the learning process.

Assessment for Learning

• is a powerful tool for learning.

• is a powerful tool for instruction.

•can result in significant gains in achievement.

Richard Stiggins

Assessment for Learning

Teachers• decide the achievement targets

before teaching.• let students know the achievement

targets before teaching.• create assessments that can

accurately gauge student performance.

• use assessments to build student confidence.

Richard Stiggins

Assessment for Learning

Learning Facilitators• give students meaningful

feedback.• adjust instruction based on the

assessments.• engage students in self-

assessment based on stable criteria.

• involve students in communicating with them and their families.

Richard Stiggins

Assessment for Learning

Without sufficientassessment for

learning–student learning is not measured accurately.

–student needs are overlooked.

–students misunderstand their ability to learn.

What Does Research Say?

What improvements in classroom assessment are likely to yield the greatest

gains in student achievement?

Black and Wiliam, 1998

Research Results

Improved formative assessment •helps low achievers more than

other students.• reduces the “achievement

gap.”• improves achievement for all.

Black and Wiliam, 1998

Research Results

Feedback includes•definition of the desired

performance goal.•evidence of current student

performance status.•ways to close the gap between

the goal and the status.

Black and Wiliam, 1998

Research Summary

Students show gains in improvement

when teachers•give performance assessments,•provide students with frequent,

informative feedback, and• involve students in assessment,

record-keeping and communication.

Brainstorm a list of current

assessment practices used in language classes.

Sample Assessment Tasks

•Memorize vocabulary•Conjugate verbs•Fill-in-the-blanks•Translate sentences•Analyze grammar•Mechanical drills•Listen and repeat

Sample Assessment Tasks

•Take a personality survey and make a list of qualities required for your dream job.

•Compare an American school experience with that on a target culture.

•Prepare a radio spot/Public Service Announcement

How do these practices- improve language learning?- give students meaningful feedback?- help students WANT to learn and feel ABLE to learn?

“…learner-centered, teacher-directed, mutually beneficial, formative, context-specific, ongoing, and firmly rooted in good practice"

Assessment for Learning

Angelo and Cross, 1993

Provides information on what an

individual student needs• to practice.• to have re-taught.• to learn next.

Assessment for Learning

While it is possible to change

without improving,it is impossible to improve

without changing.

Anonymous

What type of assessments should I

»stop doing?

»start doing?

»do less?

»do more?

Self-Assessment Checklist

Research Results

Improved formative assessment •helps low achievers more than

other students.• reduces the “achievement

gap.”• improves achievement for all.

Black and Wiliam, 1998

Assessment for Learning

Teachers• decide the achievement targets

before teaching.• let students know the achievement

targets before teaching.• create assessments that can

accurately gauge student performance.

• use assessments to build student confidence.

Richard Stiggins

Assessment for Learning

Teachers• give students meaningful

feedback.• adjust instruction based on the

assessments.• engage students in self-

assessment based on stable criteria.

• involve students in communicating with them and their families.

Richard Stiggins

Assessment of Learning

STANDARDS

ACCOUNTABILITY ASSESSMENT

INSTRUCTION

How does the “assessment

triangle” apply to language teaching?

Assessment for Learning

•Feedback•Guidance•Evaluation

Grant Wiggins

What isfeedback?

Definition of Feedback

Feedback is information about what was and was not accomplished, given a

specific goal.

Grant Wiggins

Assessment as Feedback

• Identify the expected accomplishments.

•State the requirements of each accomplishment.

•Describe how performance will be measured and why.

•Set exemplary standards, preferably in measurement terms. Thomas Gilbert

Assessment as Feedback

• Identify exemplary performers and resources to become performers.

• Provide frequent and unequivocal feedback on how well each person is performing.

• Help people troubleshoot their own performance.

• Relate poor performance to remedial actions.

Thomas Gilbert

“In years of looking at schools and jobs, I have almost never seen an ideal [feedback system]. Managers, teachers, employees, and students seldom have adequate information about how well they are performing.”

Thomas Gilbert

In the world of sports, what “is”

and “is not” feedback?

Feedback

Grant Wiggins

Is not• Comments of

praise or blame• Focus on product

directions• Sporadic• Evaluative

language• Based on lists of

goals• Promotes

dependency

Is• Comments about

performance• Focus on end

product• Frequent • Descriptive

language• Based on

specific exemplars

• Promotes autonomy

Feedback

• Information about what happened, the result and the effect of student actions

•Others (teachers, peers, or students themselves) “feed back” the impact, intended or unintended, of the student actions

Grant Wiggins

Guidance

•Guidance gives future direction.

•Students ask “What should I do in light of the feedback received?”

•Teachers collaborate with students to determine the next steps.

Evaluation

• Judges overall performance against the criterion of an exemplar.

•Prompts students to ask “How successful was I in the task?”

Benefits of Feedback

Feedback promotes the development of student

autonomy and competence.

What tools do language

teachers use to give meaningful

feedback?

Definition of Rubric

From the Latin, “ruber” or red, a set of instructions written in red ink

Provide feedback!

Definition of Rubric

In assessment, a rubric is a set of scoring guidelines for evaluating student work.

Grant Wiggins

Elements of a Rubric

Rubrics include•a scale of possible points on

a continuum of quality.•descriptors for each level of

performance.

Characteristics of Good Rubrics

•Sufficiently generic to relate to general goals beyond an individual performance task.

•Discriminate among performances validly, by the central features of performance, not those easiest to see, count, or score.

Grant Wiggins

Good Rubrics

•Focus on one criterion in one indicator.

•Base rubrics on the analysis of many work samples.

•Rely on descriptive language – what quality or its absence looks like.

•Provide a reasonable basis for discrimination. Grant Wiggins

Good Rubrics

•Use rich descriptors to enable students to

- verify their scores - self-assess and - self-correct.•Highlight the effect, given

the purpose of the performance, rather than reward processes. Grant Wiggins

Rubric as Feedback

Well-written rubrics provide•qualitative, not quantitative

differences in performance.•comparative vs evaluative

language.•consistent scoring among

assessors.•degrees of difference that are

constant.

What are possible criteria included

in rubrics for language learners?

Possible Criteria

•Presentational Speaking?•Presentational Writing?• Interpersonal Speaking?• Interpersonal Writing?• Interpretive Reading?• Interpretive Listening?

Types of Rubrics

•Holisticgives a single score based on an overall impression

•Analyticalgives individual scores for each trait/criteria in the rubric

Caution

Strengths and weaknesses that are easy to see and count are not necessarily signs of performance.

Interpretive Rubrics

•Reactivate or establish background knowledge

•Focus on comprehension•Monitor student use of

strategies to negotiate meaning

Interpretive RubricExceeds Meets Does not meet

Comprehension

Answers are relevant and accurate and show that student understood what was heard or read

Most answers are relevant and accurate and show that, for the most part, the student understood what was heard or read.

Answers are irrelevant and/or inaccurate and show that student really didn’t understand what was heard or read.

Communication Strategies

Student accurately identifies vocabulary words that have already been taught, and can figure out new words based on the context of what was heard or read

Student accurately identifies most vocabulary words that have already been taught

Student cannot accurately identify many vocabulary words that have already been taught

Main idea Student can identify the main idea

Student can identify the main idea

Student cannot identify the main idea

Recognition Student can successfully relate image and what is read

Student can somehow relate image and what is read

Student cannot relate images and what is read

Interpersonal Rubrics

•Focus on negotiation of meaning

•Communication strategies are key

•Accuracy is taken into account only when it interferes with meaning

Interpersonal RubricExceeds Meets Does not meet

Comprehensibility Student’s partner can understand without difficulty

Student’s partner can understand most information without difficulty

Student’s partner has difficulty understanding information

Comprehension Student answers partner’s questions appropriately

Student answers most of partner’s questions appropriately

Student answers some of partner’s questions inappropriately or not at all.

Vocabulary Use / Language Control

Student is able to speak using sentences with some elaboration and detail

Student completes the task with mostly memorized chunks of language and some sentences

Student speaks using mostly words and lists

Communication Strategies

Student asks for clarification by asking for repetition and additional information

Student asks for repetition for clarification and previous information

Student often resorts to English for clarification of meaning

Presentational Rubrics

•Focus on transmission of information

•Presentation strategies are key

•Accuracy will be a part of the overall score

Presentational RubricExceeds Meets Does not meet

Comprehensibility

Student’s partner can understand without difficulty

Student’s partner can understand most information without difficulty

Student’s partner has difficulty understanding information

Vocabulary Use Student presentation is rich in appropriate vocabulary

Student accurately uses vocabulary that has been taught

Student’s vocabulary is limited and/or repetitive

Language Control

Student is correct with memorized language and sometimes when creating sentences

Student is mostly correct with memorized language

Student is correct only at the word order level

Impact Student uses gestures, visuals and tone of voice to maintain audience attention

Student uses some gestures, visuals and tone of voice to maintain audience attention

Student makes no effort to maintain audience attention

Communication Strategies

Student’s presentation has a beginning, middle, end and supporting details

Student’s presentation has a beginning, middle, end

Student presents information randomly

Analyze the following

presentational rubric using the

characteristics of well-written

rubrics.

Rubric Analysis

Well-written rubrics provide•qualitative, not quantitative

differences in performance.•comparative vs evaluative

language.•consistent scoring among

assessors.•degrees of difference that are

constant.

Rubric - ExampleExceeds Meets Does not meet

Amount of Communication

150-175 words 125-150 words Less that 125 words

Organization Well organized. Information clearly conveyed with elaboration.

Good organization.Acceptable attempt to convey information.

Lacks order.  Lacks information.  Frequent repetition of phrases/structures

Language Usage and Control

Task fully completed.Extensive information shared. May have occasional minor errors.

Task completed meeting minimum requirements.Appropriate information shared. Predictable usage errors that do not interfere with comprehension.

Task not completed. Essential, missing components. Inadequate usage, excessive errors and is difficult to comprehend

Rubric - Analysis

•Quantitative information•Evaluative language in the

descriptors•Descriptors open to

interpretation by various assessors

•One criterion for two separate traits

When I write rubrics, what should I

»stop doing?

»start doing?

»do less?

»do more?

Self-Assessment Checklist

Garden Analogy

Assessment OF learning

Measuring the plants. We can compare and

analyze measurements

but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the

plants.

Assessment FOR learning

Feeding and watering the

plants appropriate to their needs. This daily care directly affects their growth.

•Evaluating students on their own merits.

•Focus on quality of the work.•Providing advice for

improvement.

Encouraging Growth

Feedback

Grant Wiggins

Is not• Comments of

praise or blame• Focus on product

directions• Sporadic• Evaluative

language• Based on lists of

goals• Promotes

dependency

Is• Comments about

performance• Focus on end

product• Frequent • Descriptive

language• Based on

specific exemplars

• Promotes autonomy

Rubrics as Scores

•Rubric marking is designed to provide students with motivation.•Rubric comments give students guidance for self-improvement.•Scores are associated with rubrics only for the end-of-unit assessment.

Grade Components

Scoring Options

Exceeds Meets Doesn’t Meet

Grade Components

Scoring Options

High Low High Low

Exceeds Meets Doesn’t Meet

Grade Components

Scoring Options

Exceeds Meets Not Yet Doesn't Meet

Caution

Strengths and weaknesses that are easy to see and count are not necessarily signs of performance.

What do you include in the

“end-of-a-marking-period”

grade?

Grades

QuizzesTestsHomeworkParticipation

Current Grading Pitfalls

Grades•may not be based on

achievement alone.•may be based on easily

measured facts rather than on

performance.•may be not make sense

mathematically or pedagogically.•may not support learning.

If you wanted to make just one change that would

immediately reduce student failure, the most effective place to start would be challenging

prevailing grading practices.

Douglas Reeves

What should be the key criteria

for grading?

Criteria for Grading

•Honest•Fair•Transparent•Credible•Valid•Useful and User-Friendly•Pedagogically-Wise

Grant Wiggins

Learning and Evaluation

Learners need• transparent priorities.• recognition of effort and

progress. • regular, timely, and user-

friendly feedback. •personalized learning.

Grant Wiggins

The Assessment Cycle

Performance Measurement

Motivation

Sanctions vs. Motivation

Examples•Zeros for work not submitted

or dishonesty•Lowering a grade for work

submitted late•Awarding extra credit

Grading Pitfalls

Many grades conceal more than

they reveal!

Grant Wiggins

Grading on a Curve

If we are effective in our instruction, the distribution of achievement should be very

different from the normal curve. In fact, we may insist

that our efforts have been unsuccessful to the extent

that [grades] approximate the normal distribution.Benjamin Boom et

al

Averaging Grades

If the purpose of grading and reporting is to provide an

accurate description of what students have learned, then

averaging must be considered inadequate and

inappropriate.

Thomas Guskey

Olympics Analogy

•Athletes performance is based on consistency of scores.

•Highest and lowest scores are dropped.

•Factor in the degree of difficulty.

Olympics in the Classroom

•Practice and Performance•Feedback and Motivation•Marking and Grading

Marks vs. Grades

•Marks are temporary indications of the learner’s current position in the progression of the unit.

•Grades are the final evaluation of a learner’s performance at the conclusion of a unit or marking period.

How can you change your

current grading policy to reflect performance?

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be

counted.Albert Einstein

Grading Considerations

Temporary•Minor•Marks•Interim scores•Intermittent performance

Final•Major•Grades•IPAs•Consistent performance

Pre-Standards

Grade Components•Quizzes•Tests•Homework•Participation

Grade Components

Standards-Era

Minor Major Minor Major Minor Major

Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational

Student A

Minor Major Minor Major Minor Major

72 78 88

80 89 92

88 84 0

85 81 85

85 84 89

Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational

Avg

81 83 66

83 85 83 84 87 89

85 84 89

Student B

Minor Major Minor Major Minor Major

90 86 92

94 82 96

100 94 78

93 80 87

86 80 84

Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational

Avg

94 86 88

93 86 84 80 90 84

86 80 84

The best thing you can do is make sure your grades convey meaningful, accurate information about student achievement. If grades give sound information to students, then their perceptions and conclusions about themselves as learners, and decisions about future activity will be the best they can be. Susan Brookhart

When I grade, what should I

»stop doing?

»start doing?

»do less?

»do more?

Self-Assessment Checklist

Contact

Ruta CouetSC Department of Education

rcouet@ed.sc.gov803-734-8383