Best Practices:Formative Assessment Strategies

A PROCESS used by teachers and students DURING instruction that provides FEEDBACK to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to IMPROVE students’ ACHIEVEMENT of intended instructional outcomes.

(Popham, 2008)

+ Encourages student/teacher reflection+ Clears up student misconception+ Gives students additional time and

support for learning+ Gives students the tools to identify

error and improve their work+ Provides enrichment for students who

have mastered the learning targets

Planned for feedback Question/answer session during a

lesson Observing students during an activity Listening to impromptu conversations Asking students to provide examples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=029fSeOaGio

Purposely developed prior to a lesson

Short test/quizzes Homework exercises Observation protocols In-class assignments Out-of-class projects

Lesson #1

Formative Assessment

Mastery Non-Mastery

Enrichment

Scaffold - Corrective

EnrichmentSecond Formative

Assessment

MasteryLesson #2 (Malchesky,

2009)

Four parts to the formative assessment cycle

Goals Instruction Measuring Feedback

(WIDA, 2009)

Goals – based on relevant learning targets Instruction – based on pre-set learning

goals and objectives Measuring – refers to the collection of

information about student learning Feedback – provided to students to

promote action to set new goals or to re-teach for mastery

(WIDA, 2009)

Plan classroom activities to allow feedback opportunities

Formulate feedback so that it guides improvement in learning

Use activities that demand collaboration so that everyone is included

Challenge and train students to listen to and respect one another’s ideas

Be sure that students are active participants in the lessons and their own learning

(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2004)

Change the classroom culture so everyone is working towards improvement in learning

Empower students to become active learners

Incorporate teacher’s role changes one step at a time

Develop sustained attention to and reflection on ways in which assessment can support learning

(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2004)

Assessment activities can help learning if they provide information that teachers and students can use as feedback in assessing themselves and the learning activities in which they are engaged. Such assessments become formative assessment when the evidence is used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs.

(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2004)

Organize pacing guides into small units of instruction

Begin new learning unit with pre-assessment

Target instruction around indicator/target Use formative assessment to assess the

progress of students throughout the unit

(Malchesky, 2009)

Respond to student non-mastery by scaffolding tasks to correct misconceptions

Students can refine their work to show mastery

Use formatives to confirm student mastery after correctives/responsive teaching has been given

(Malchesky, 2009)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vOzUwall_M&feature=related

What do you expect students to learn and why?

What do you want students to do? How will you know when students

have learned it? How will you respond when

students don’t learn?(Malchesky, 2009)

Do you have a clear understanding of what is to be understood?

Do you “Start with the end in mind.”

-Grant Wiggins, Joy McTighe

Integrated –part of a balanced assessment system

Dynamic – embedded in the instruction Enlightening – should measure what it is

designed to measure; be reliable and consistent Attainable – should be a seamless transition

between instruction and assessment Linked – available professional development;

opportunity to exchange information; related series of rubrics, checklists, and rating scales

(WIDA, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcrh9e6xiY8

Range finding questionsWait timeHinge-point questionsWhite board responsesThink-Pair-ShareSocratic SeminarABCD CardsReady-Go-Show

‘I Can’ Statements Red-Yellow-Green Light Strategies Rubrics Graphic Organizers Visual Formative Assessments Three-Two-One Summaries Exemplars of Performance Samples Value Line-Ups Audience Response Systems

Class Constructed Rubrics Self-Selected Work Portfolios Corrected Feed-Back Effort related Praise Vs. Ability Praise Feedback Sheet Resubmission of Student Corrected Work Two-Stage Assignments One-Minute Question Strategy

Schedule time for PLC collaboration

Allow teachers to report to faculty and staff meetings

Integrate formative assessments into school improvement plans

Visit classroom as learners

Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., Wiliam, D. (2004). Working inside the black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 9-21. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO.

Clymer, J., & Wiliam, D. (2007). Improving the way we grade science. Educational Leadership, 19-24. Retrieved July 23, 2010.

Crane, L., & Winterbottom, M. (2008). Plants and photosynthesis: peer assessment to help students learn. Educational Research, 42(4), 150-156. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO.

Federal Way Public Schools. (2008). Teaching for Learning: RTI. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO. Klenowski, V. Student self-evaluation processes in student centered teaching and learning contexts of

Australia and England. Assessment in Education, 1-14. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO.

Leahy, S., Lyon, C., Thompson, M., & Wiliam, D. (2005). Assessment minute by minute, day by day. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 18-24. Retrieved July 31,

2010. Malchesky, B. (Ed.D). (2009). Formative Assessment. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO. McDonald, B., & Boud, D. (2003). The impact of self-assessment on achievement: The effects of self-

assessment training on performance in external examinations. Assessment in Education, 10(2), 209-220. Retrieved July 23, 2010 from EBSCO.

Nicol, D., & MacFarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative Assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.

Retrieved July 23, 2010, from EBSCO. (10.1080/03075070600572090). WIDA Consortium. (2009). WIDA FOCUS on Formative Assessment, 1(2). Retrieved July 23, 2010,

from EBSCO.