Components of Quality Classroom Assessments

Components of Quality Classroom Assessments

Mitch FowlerSchool Data Consultant, Calhoun ISD

[email protected]

Questions about Assessment

• How do we evaluate students?• What kinds of assessments are there?• How often do you assess students?• What makes a good assessment?• What do you do with the assessment data?• What do you do with students who don’t do well on

assessments?• What changes are made based on assessment

data? Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

Stiggins’ - Keys to Assessment Quality

1. Clear Purpose2. Clear Target3. Accurate Assessment4. Effective Communication

Stiggins, R. (2007). Assessment for learning: An essential foundation of productive instruction. In D. Reeves (Ed.), Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning (pp. 58-76). Bloomington: Solution Tree

Key 1

Purpose

ONE SIZE FITS ALL?

PROJECTS

TESTS

INTERVIEWS

COMMON ASSESSMENTS

STATE TESTS

QUIZZES

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS

Revised from “Components of Quality Classroom Assessments” by Dr. Dale Moore and Dr. Jennifer Parker-Moore

Types of Assessments

• Summative– Tied to accountability • School AYP• Teacher• Student

– State testing, mid-term and final exams, exit tests

• Formative– Check for understanding– Show of hands, tests and quizzes, projects, papers


Summative Assessment

• It is an assessment OF learning.

• It answers, did the student learn?

• It is designed for accountability.

OFRevised from “Data for Student Success” by Maureen Slamer

Formative Assessment

• It is an assessment FOR learning.• It informs both teacher and student.• It guides instruction.• It helps students understand their next steps.• It supports learning.

FORRevised from “Data for Student Success” by Maureen Slamer

Summative and Formative Assessments

• Take a moment to jot down the difference between summative and formative assessments.

• Share with someone next to you.• Share with the group.


Key 2

Clear Targets

Clear Learning Targets

• Know what kinds of targets are represented in curriculum

• Know which targets each assessment measures• Communicate the learning targets in advance in

language students can understand

Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

Kinds of Targets

• Master content knowledge• Use knowledge to reason and solve problems• Demonstrate performance skills• Create quality products


Clear Targets: Benefits to Students

• Students who could identify their learning scored 27 percentile points higher than those who could not (Marzano, 2005).


Learning Targets

• Any achievement expectations we hold for students

• Statements of what we want students to learn


Which of these are actually learning targets?

• Senior Project• Model of a Fort• Present a Persuasive Argument• State Report• Diorama


A Social Studies ExampleWorld History Subject

Korean War Topic

Chapter 10 Resource

Create a Timeline Activity

Understand recurring conflicts that lead to war.

Learning Target


Kinds of Learning Targets

• Knowledge• Reasoning• Skill• Product


Kinds of Learning Targets - Knowledge

Master factual and procedural knowledge, to be learned outright or retrieved.• Recognizes and describes patterns• Understands long-term psychological benefits or

regular participation in physical activity• Explains the important characteristics of U.S.

citizenship.• Knows that energy can be transformed between

various forms.Vail, John. “Formative Assessment for Secondary Social Studies Teachers.” Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service

Agency. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10 Aug. 2009.

Kinds of Learning Targets - Reasoning

Use knowledge to reason and solve problems.• Uses statistical methods to describe, analyze,

evaluate, and make decisions• Analyzes fitness assessments to set personal

fitness goals, strategizes ways to reach goals, evaluates activities.

• Examines data/results and proposes meaningful interpretation.


Kinds of Learning Targets - Skill

Demonstrate mastery of specific performance skills• Measures length in metric and US units• Reads aloud with fluency and expression• Dribbles to keep the ball away from an opponent• Participates in civic discussion with the aim of

solving current problems• Uses simple equipment and tools to gather data


Converting Learning Targets to Student-Friendly Language

1. Identify important of difficult learning goal.

2. Identify word(s) needing clarification.3. Define the word(s).4. Rewrite the definition as an “I can”

statement in terms that your students will understand.


Student – Friendly Language

•Word to be defined: Summarize-To give a brief statement of the main points, main events, or important ideas

•Student-friendly language:-I can summarize text.-This means I can make a short statement of the main points or the big ideas of what I read.


Student – Friendly Language•Learning Target: “Deeply examine policy issues…”•Word to be defined: Examine-A process by which problems, alternate views and reasons for differing views for a given situation are understood.•Student-friendly language:-I can “examine”.-This means I can state the problems, describe alternative views, and understand the reasons for these different views.


Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets Summary

• Things to remember:– Convert complex or unfamiliar targets to student-

friendly language– Post them or have students keep tem– Connect learning targets to activities


Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets Summary

• Things to remember:– Convert complex or unfamiliar targets to student-

friendly language– Post them or have students keep tem– Connect learning targets to activities


Key 3

Accurate Design

Sound Assessment Design

• Select a proper assessment method• Select or create quality items, tasks, and

rubrics• Sample – gather enough evidence• Control for bias• Design assessment so students can self-assess

and set goals


Possible Assessment Methods• Selected Response

– Multiple Choice– True/False– Matching– Fill in

• Extended Written Response• Performance Assessment• Personal Communication

– Questions– Conferences– Interviews


Sound Assessment Design

• Assessment methods match learning targets• Sample is representative of what is taught• Items, tasks and scoring guides are well-

written• Bias is avoided


Target – Method MatchSR EWR PA PC

KNOW + + ? +REASON + + + +

SKILL + +PRODUCT +


Key 4

Effective Communication


• “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”

- John Hattie (1992)



• “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”

- John Hattie (1992)


Summary of Research

• Feedback from classroom assessments should give students a clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might improve.

• Feedback on classroom assessments should encourage students to improve.

• Classroom assessment should be formative in nature.

• Formative classroom assessments should be frequent.



• Provide students with descriptive feedback• Involve students in tracking and

communicating about their learning• Use grading practices that accurately

communicate about the student learning


What makes feedback effective?

• Describes features of work or performance• Relates directly to the learning targets• Points out strength and gives specific

information on how to improve.


Evaluative vs. Descriptive

• Evaluative feedback sums up achievement and assigns a label. It expresses a judgment.

• Descriptive feedback offers information that can be used by students to take action to improve.


Documents

Components of Quality Classroom Assessments