Transcript Slide 1

Standards-Based
Assessment and Grading:
What Works to Promote
Student Achievement?
John L. Brown, Presenter
Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Workshop Goals
1.
Explore the relationship between standards-based
assessment and grading practices and student
achievement.
2.
Analyze ways to identify “power standards,” i.e.,
core standards that are so significant for student
achievement that they need concentrated and
sustained emphasis in the teaching, learning, and
assessment process.
3.
Investigate strategies for helping students to
become an active part of the standards-based
assessment and grading process.
Other Experts and Studies
We’ll Explore…
• Tom Guskey (2001). “Making the Grade: What Benefits
Students?” in Educational Leadership, October 14-20.
• Ken O’Connor (2001). How to Grade for Learning: Linking
Grades to Standards, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
• Doug Reeves (2001). “Standards Make a Difference: The
Influence of Standards on Classroom Assessment.
NAASP Bulletin, January 5-12.
• Rick Stiggins (2001). Student-Involved Classroom
Assessment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice
Hall.
• Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe (2004). Understanding by
Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
A Warm-Up Activity:
How Do You React to Each of the Following Statements About
Grading (AGREE, NOT CERTAIN, DISAGREE)?
1.
Grading is not an exact science. (Davis, 1990)
2.
Grades are not inherently bad…It is their misuse and
misinterpretation that is bad. (Guskey, 1993)
3.
What grades offer is spurious precision, a subjective rating
masquerading as an objective assessment. (Kohn, 1993).
4.
Most common grading practices make it difficult for many
youngsters to feel succesful in school. (Canady & Hotchkiss, 1989)
5.
Letter grades have acquired an almost cult-like importance in
American schools. (Olson, 1995)
6.
School has come to be about the grades rather than the learning.
(Conklin, 2001)
7.
Our knowledge base on grading is quite extensive and offers us
clear guidance for better practice. (Guskey and Bailey, 2001)
What Do Current Learning Theory
and Research Tell Us?
Cognitive Learning
Theory
Multiple Learning
Styles, Modalities,
and Intelligences
The Constructivist
Classroom
Emotional
Intelligence
Brain-Compatible
Teaching and Learning
Creativity and “Flow”
Cognitive Learning Theory
• We construct meaning by attaching new
knowledge to existing schema.
• We learn in non-linear, associational, and
recursive ways, not in neat, linear fashion.
• Learning is highly situated: transfer does not
necessarily occur naturally.
• Effective learning is strategic: we need to
learn when to use knowledge, how to adapt it,
and how to self-assess and self-monitor.
The Constructivist Classroom
• Students are at the heart of the learning
process.
• Teacher is a facilitator and coach.
• Content is presented whole to part, with
emphasis upon big ideas and questions.
•
Assessment and instruction are seamless
• Experiential learning, inquiry, and
exploration supersede lecture and
“transmission” of information.
Brain-Compatible Teaching
and Learning
• The brain asks “Why?”
• The brain searches for connections,
associations, and patterns.
• The brain “downshifts” when it perceives
threat in the environment.
• The memory system to which we most often
teach (the semantic/linguistic) is inferior to
the episodic and procedural memory systems
in storing and retaining knowledge.
Multiple Modalities, Learning Styles, and
Intelligences
• We take in impressions and construct meaning
about our world through multiple sensory channels
and modalities.
• There is no single way to learn: We construct
meaning, perceive our world, and make judgments
based upon a variety of learning styles.
• According to Howard Gardner, intelligence is a
potential, not an innate gift, and manifests through
multiple forms such as the linguistic,
logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/
kinesthetic, interpersonal, intra-personal, and
naturalist/ecological.
How Do You Perceive Things?
How Do You Make Judgments?
I/E=Do you tend to get more energized by being around
other people or finding opportunities to retreat and
recharge your energy alone?
S/N=Do you tend to make judgments based upon
concrete, empirical evidence or emotion and intuition?
T/F=Do you tend to be driven more by your thinking and
analytical processes or by your feelings, emotions,
and relationships?
J/P=Do you tend to be highly punctual and closure driven
or do you tend to “live in the moment” in “ish-time”?
What Are Your Learning Style Preferences?
CS: concrete, sequential, linear,
AS: abstract, sequential,
organized, require clear guidance
and directions, prefer closure, need
models and exemplars, prefer
predictability and order, desire clear
and practical reasons for
completing an assignment, inclined
to work independently, follow policy
and procedure.
conceptual, emphasize the big
picture, whole-to-part relationships,
strategic, intellectually organized
but externally “pile collectors,”
strategic thinkers, can be “devil’s
advocates,” like to debate
conflicting perspectives.
CR: concrete, random, use the
AR: abstract, random, tend to be
here-and-now as a springboard for
vision and possibility, “don’t fence
me in,” “don’t tell me what to do,”
enjoy independent projects that are
reality-based, strong leadership
traits, enjoy non-traditional
education.
feeling and relationship oriented,
highly interactive and
communicative, express
themselves through the arts, equityoriented, advocates for the
disenfranchised, prefer group
activities, not closure driven.
Emotional Intelligence
• Goleman and the “marshmallow
effect.”
• Emotional intelligence determines life
success more than the cognitive/
intellectual.
• Classrooms should be safe and inviting
communities of learning.
Creativity and “Flow”
• Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi: “Flow is a condition in
which we experience a sense of timelessness,
engagement, and stress-free challenge.”
• Creativity requires the ability to free associate
and brainstorm.
• Students must be taught to tolerate and explore
situations and ideas that are ambiguous and
open-ended.
• We must help students to push the limits of
their knowledge and ability.
Coaching Activity
How would you explain the significance
of each of the following to a new
teacher?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cognitive Learning Theory
The Constructivist Classroom
Brain-Based Teaching/Learning
Addressing Learning Styles
Emotional Intelligence
Promoting Creativity and Flow
Based on This Research, What Do the Experts Suggest
About Standards-Based Grading and Assessment?
• Clearly-articulated (and consensus-driven) content and performance
standards provide a clear focus on what all students should know,
do, and understand.
• Clear standards provide a common direction for all schools in an
educational district or region.
• Effective and rigorous standards ensure greater equity in learning
results for all students.
• Standards-based grading ensures a consistent basis for
communicating about student achievement.
• The greater the emphasis upon formative assessment—i.e., ongoing
assessment that provides coaching-based feedback to students—
the greater the level of student improvement and growth.
• Students must play an active and ongoing role in self-regulation,
self-monitoring, and self-assessment.
An Increasingly Significant “Big Idea”
and National Assessment Trend…
…The Power of Standards-Based
Grading and Formative Assessment
to Help Students Monitor Their Own
Progress—and to Make Adjustments
to Ensure Their Success in
Mastering Core Standards…
• Feedback from classroom assessments should provide students with a
clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might
improve.
Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik, & Morgan, 1991
# of studies
Characteristic of Feedback from
Classroom Assessment
Percentile
Gain/Loss
6
Right/wrong
-3
39
Provide correct answers
8.5
30
Criteria understood by
student vs. not understood
16
9
Explain
20
4
Student reassessed until
correct
20
• Feedback from classroom assessments should provide students with a clear
picture of:
•their progress on learning goals and
•how they might improve
Fuchs & Fuchs 1988
# of studies
49
89
49
Characteristic of Feedback
from Classroom Assessment
Evaluation by rule
(a
uniform way
of
Displaying
results
interpreting
results of
graphically
classroom assessments
Evaluation
rule
using
a tightby
logic)
[uniform way of
interpreting results of
classroom assessments
using a tight logic)
Percentile
32
Gain/Loss
26
32
John Hattie—reviewed 7,827 studies on learning and instruction.
Conclusion… “The most powerful single
innovation that enhances achievement
is feedback. The simplest prescription
for improving education must be
‘dollops’ of feedback.”
Like most things in education, classroom assessment enhances
student achievement under certain conditions only:
• Feedback from classroom assessments should provide students with a clear
picture of
•their progress on learning goals and
•how they might improve
• Feedback from classroom assessment should encourage students to
improve.
• Classroom assessment should be formative in nature.
• Formative classroom assessments should be quite frequent.
%ile improvement increase
100
80
Increase of 34%ile
to 84%ile
60
40
Starting percentile
50th
13%ile increase
to 63%ile
Starting percentile
50th
20
0
Teacher
assessment
effectiveness
Student
Achievement
%ile improvement increase
100
80
Increase of 49%ile
to 99%ile
28%ile increase
to 78%ile
60
40
Starting percentile
50th
Starting percentile
50th
Teacher
assessment
effectiveness
Student
Achievement
20
0
Black & Wiliam (1998)
Assessment in Education, p. 61
“As an illustration of just how big these
gains are, an effect size of .70, if it could be
achieved on a nationwide scale, would be
equivalent to raising the mathematics
attainment score of an ‘average’ country like
England, New Zealand or the United States
into the ‘top five’ after the Pacific rim
countries of Singapore, Korea, Japan and
Hong Kong” (Beaton et al, 1996)
Defining Our Terms
• Assessment Principle: Effective and
balanced assessment systems require
that all stakeholders achieve
consensus about the language they
are using. Without agreement about
the meanings of assessment and
evaluation language, we can find
ourselves in a Tower of Babel,
operating at cross-purposes with
feelings of ambiguity and frustration.
Defining Our Terms:
Eliminating the Tower of Babel
• THINK: Examine the 10 assessment terms on
pages 4-6 and think about how you would
define each.
• PAIR: With a partner, come to consensus
about the terms that you are assigned.
• SHARE: Be prepared to share with the group
your perceptions about the extent to which
your term(s) would be commonly
understood—or misunderstood—by a majority
of staff in your school or district.
The Big Ideas of
Standards-Based Assessment (1)
• Assessment: Collecting diagnostic and
formative student achievement data to
monitor students’ progress and make
appropriate instructional decisions.
• Evaluation: Using consensus-driven
standards to make judgments about the
quality of student achievement and to
determine the effectiveness of instructional
programs and practices.
The Big Ideas of
Standards-Based Assessment (2)
• Standards: Consensus-driven learner outcomes,
including: (a) Content Standards (over time), (b)
Performance Standards/Indicators (at key juncture
points in time), and (c) Benchmarks (assessments
and performances related to students’
demonstration of identified performance
indicators).
• Standards-Based Grading and Assessment: Using
a combination of diagnostic, formative, and
summative assessment to monitor student
achievement of consensus-driven standards and
evaluate/express a judgment about the quality of
student performance and progress.
The Big Ideas of
Standards-Based Assessment (3)
• Diagnostic Assessment: Pre-assessment to
determine students’ levels of initial skills,
knowledge, and understanding as they begin an
instructional episode or unit.
• Formative Assessment: Formal and informal
assessment conducted throughout the episode or
unit to monitor students’ ongoing progress relative
to standards.
• Summative Assessment: Climactic or cumulative
assessment conducted at the end of an episode or
unit to evaluate students’ level of proficiency or
mastery of identified standards.
The Big Ideas of
Standards-Based Assessment (4)
• Performance Assessment: Engaging students in actual
performances involving standards application (e.g., academic
prompts, performance tasks, projects) rather than selectedresponse testing.
• Authentic Assessment: Assessing student achievement by
engaging students in performances that replicate authentic, “reallife” situations.
• Rubric: A scoring tool in which student performance is equated to
varying levels of performance descriptions (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4).
• Feedback-Adjustment Process: Using diagnostic, formative, and
summative assessment to adjust the teaching-learning process to
maximize individual and aggregate student achievement.
The Foundations of Effective
Teaching, Assessment, & Learning
I.
Desired Results: Select standards as a
base of planning.
II.
Assessment Evidence: Identify how and
how well students will be expected to
demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
III.
Planning Learning Experiences: Focus on
what will “get them there,” instructional
strategies, topics, themes, and resources.
Designing an Effective Formative
Assessment System:
Two Key Questions…
1. How many measurement topics will
be addressed during a grading
period?
2. How many assessments will be
administered for each measurement
topic?
 Identify no more than four grade-level (or course) learning goals per
quarter (grading period) for each of the following subject areas:
mathematic, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
 Construct a rubric, or other type of common scale, for each learning goal.
 Have teachers formally and informally assess each learning goal at least
once every two weeks keeping track of each student’s score on each
learning goal. (Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
 Have students keep track of their progress on each goal and use the data as
the basis for teacher/student interactions about student progress.
 Periodically (at least once per quarter) aggregate the data by grade level.
Have teachers meet to discuss student progress and how it might be
improved.
Identify no more than four grade-level (or course)
learning goals per quarter (grading period) for each
of the following subject areas: mathematic, reading,
writing, science, and social studies.
 Construct a rubric, or other type of common scale, for each learning goal.
 Have teachers formally and informally assess each learning goal at least once every two weeks keeping
track of each student’s score on each learning goal. (Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
 Have students keep track of their progress on each goal and use the data as the basis for teacher/student
interactions about student progress.
 Periodically (at least once per quarter) aggregate the data by grade level. Have teachers meet to discuss
student progress and how it might be improved.
If you wanted to teach all of the standards in the
national documents, you would have to change
schooling from K-12 to K-22 .
•
•
•
•
•
255 standards across 14 subject areas
3,500 benchmarks
13,000 hours of class time available
9,000 hours of instruction available
15,500 hours of instruction needed to
cover the 3,500 benchmarks
“Unpacking Your Standards” (1)
1.
Strive to identify and assess a single trait, not multiple traits at
one time (e.g., Avoid: “Students will develop fluency in adding,
subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers.”)
2.
Identify the unique elements or “dimensions” of information
and skill in each of your standards. (e.g., adding whole
numbers; subtracting whole numbers; multiplying whole
numbers; dividing whole numbers)
3.
Select those “essential elements”/dimensions that are critical
for students to master across grade levels. (e.g., cause/effect;
chronology; problem solving; plot analysis)
4.
Organize your grade-level elements/dimensions into categories
of related information and skills. (e.g., 4th grade: describing
basic cause/effect patterns; creating simple chronologies;
solving problems with basic solutions; analyzing plots with
single story lines)
“Unpacking Your Standards” (2)
5.
Limit measurement topics to 20 or fewer per subject
area and grade level.
5.
As part of your process of “unpacking standards,”
consider including important “life skills.” (e.g.,
participation, work completion, active listening,
working in groups)
Two Essential Questions
for You to Consider…
1.
In light of the need for standards to be
“unpacked,” how can we build consensus about
what students should understand so that they
can see the universal issues, patterns, and
significance of what they are studying?
2.
As we audit our standards, which ones are
significant enough so that students need to
revisit them for a lifetime, not just the time they
spend in school?
The Three-Circle Audit Process for
Identifying “Power Standards”
The Three-Circle Audit Process for
Identifying “Power Standards”
1.
Standards need to be interpreted and “unpacked.”
2.
Staff members need to determine:
a. Outer Circle: What is worth being familiar
with? (CIRCLE 1)
b. Middle Circle: What should all students
know and be able to do? (CIRCLE 2)
c. Center Circle: What are the enduring
understandings students should
explore and acquire? (CIRCLE 3)
Another Way of Saying This…
• What are our “forty-day” standards? What might students
learn at a basic level to reinforce more significant
knowledge, skill, and understandings?…(CIRCLE 1)
• What are our “forty-month” standards? What should
students know and be able to do at a level of teacherguided proficiency?…(CIRCLE 2)
• What are our “forty-year” content standards? What should
students revisit over the course of their lifetimes? What
should students be able to transfer and use with a level of
independence?… (CIRCLE 3)
For Example…
For a group of tenth-grade World History students, how
would you rank each of the following:
• The day and year the Magna Carta was signed…(CIRCLE 1)
• The historical significance of the Magna Carta…(CIRCLE 2)
• The enduring influence of significant political documents
throughout the history of world civilization… (CIRCLE 3)
Into Which Circle Would You Place Each of the Following:
3=Enduring Understanding/ “Power Standard” (40 YEARS);
2=All students should know or be able to do this (40 MONTHS);
1=This is something students at this grade level
should “just be familiar with.” (40 DAYS)
1. Identify the years in
which Mark Twain was
born and died.
(English, Grade 8)
2. Use the Periodic Table
to identify the atomic
weights of carbon,
oxygen, and helium.
(Chemistry, Grade 11)
3. Describe how a bill
becomes law at state and
national levels.
(Civics, Grade 9)
4. Explain how we can use
the relationships between
sounds and letters to
make sense of text.
(Reading, Grade 1)
5. Apply the habits of
mind used by scientists to
engage in scientific
inquiry. (Science, Grade 5)
6. Interpret how a primary
source document reflects
political bias on the part
of an author. (U.S. History,
Grade 8)
7. Describe eating
patterns and menus from
previous historical eras.
(Health, Grade 4)
8. Identify key figures who
contributed to the
development of modern
statistics. (College-Level
Intro. to Statistics Course)
9. Trace universal
patterns, themes, and
motifs common to art
through the ages.
(Humanities, Grade 12)
To What Extent Do You Have a
Core Curriculum?
• Do all teachers responsible for the same
grade level and/or subject area agree on:
a. What is worth being familiar with?
b. What should all students know and
be able to do?
c. What are the enduring understandings
we expect of all our students?
The Need to
“Unpack” Power Standards
• Assessment Principle: It is insufficient for
schools and districts to have standards
just on paper. Standards must be
“unpacked” by staff members, a process
in which they build consensus about (1)
what and by when all learners are
expected to know, do, and understand,
and (2) how staff members agree to
monitor each student’s progress.
“Unpacking” Standards (Part 1)
• On pages 10-13, you will find
actual content standards
from states throughout the
country. Use the five guide
questions on page 9 to make
observations about them
(both individually and
collectively).
“Unpacking” Standards (Part 2)
• On pages 10-13, you will find
criteria and examples for
performance standards.
• With a partner, choose one of the
content standards on pages 1415 and create a performance
standard for a grade level you
both determine.
“Unpacking” Standards (Part 3)
• Examine Tool Three on pages 8-9.
• Think about the extent to which your
school and/or district has addressed each
of the nine long-range goals presented
here for “unpacking” standards.
• In your opinion, what are some possible
action steps for that school or district?
Making Standards-Based
Assessment and Grading Work
• 20 or fewer elements per subject, per
grade level, per year
• a residual category for teacher
supplemental content
• a uniform way of scoring assessments and
assignments that is RIGOROUS
Standard
“Measurement
TOPIC”
“Measurement
TOPIC”
Benchmark
Benchmark
Benchmark
Benchmark
Language Arts Reporting Topics
• Reading
– Comprehension
– Word analysis
– Genre and literary devices
– The research process
– Information gathering and organization
– Technical material
Language Arts Reporting Topics
• Writing
– The writing process
– Overall logic and complexity of thought
– Adaptation to audience and purpose
– Conventions
– Use of writing formats
Language Arts Reporting Topics
• Speaking and Listening
– Structure and logic of presentations
– Delivery techniques
– Listening comprehension
– Group discussion
Mathematics Reporting Topics
• Number Operations and Concepts
– Basic number concepts and operations
– Fractions, proportions, decimals,& percents
– Exponents, roots, & factors
– Problem solving & mathematical reasoning
Mathematics Reporting Topics
• Geometry
– Lines and angles
– Shapes and figures
– Motion geometry, transformations,
congruence, & similarity
Mathematics Reporting Topics
• Measurement
– Units and systems of measurement
– Area, perimeter, circumference,& angles
– Capacity, weight, mass, & volume
– Time
Mathematics Reporting Topics
• Algebra
– Expressions, equations, & functions
– Graphs and graphing systems
Mathematics Reporting Topics
• Data Analysis and Probability
– Data organization and display
– Central tendency & dispersion
– Probability and hypothesis testing
 Identify no more than four grade-level (or course) learning goals per quarter (grading period) for each of
the following subject areas: mathematic, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
Construct a rubric, or other type of common
scale, for each learning goal.
 Have teachers formally and informally assess each learning goal at least once every two weeks keeping
track of each student’s score on each learning goal. (Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
 Have students keep track of their progress on each goal and use the data as the basis for teacher/student
interactions about student progress.
 Periodically (at least once per quarter) aggregate the data by grade level. Have teachers meet to discuss
student progress and how it might be improved.
Clean refrigerator
4
Entire refrigerator is sparkling and
smells clean. All items are fresh, in
proper containers (original or
Tupperware, with lids), and organized
into categories
3
Refrigerator is generally wiped clean.
All items are relatively fresh, in some
type of container (some Tupperware
lids are missing or don’t fit) and are
sitting upright
2
Some of the shelves are wiped clean,
although there are some crusty spots.
There are some suspicious smells.
Items are in containers, but there
seems to be some green stuff growing
in some of the Tupperware
1
Items stick to the shelves when they
are picked up. The smells linger long
after the refrigerator door is closed.
Several items need to be thrown out—
Tupperware and all
A generic template for
rubric design
Scale
4
In addition to exhibiting level 3 performance, in-depth inferences and applications
that go BEYOND what was taught in class.
3
No major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and/or processes
(SIMPLE OR COMPLEX) that were explicitly taught
2
No major errors or omissions regarding the SIMPLER details and processes BUT
major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes
1
With HELP, a partial knowledge of some of the simpler and complex details and
processes
0
Even with help, no understanding or skill demonstrated.
4
In addition to exhibiting level
3 performance, the student’s
responses demonstrate indepth inferences and
applications that go beyond
what was taught in class
3
The student’s responses demonstrate no major errors or
omissions regarding any of the information and/or
processes
2
The student’s responses indicate major errors or
omissions regarding the more complex ideas and
processes; however they do not indicate major errors or
omissions relative to the simpler details and processes
1
The student provides responses that indicate a distinct
lack of understanding of the knowledge. However, with
help, the student demonstrates partial understanding of
some of the knowledge.
0
The student provides little or no response. Even with help
the student does not exhibit a partial understanding of the
knowledge.
4
3
2
1
0
The student’s responses
demonstrate no major errors
or omissions regarding any
of the information and/or
processes (THAT WERE
EXPLICITLY TAUGHT)
4
3
The student’s responses demonstrate no
major errors or omissions regarding any of
the information and/or processes
2
The student’s responses
indicate major errors or
omissions regarding the
more complex ideas and
processes; however they do
not indicate major errors or
omissions relative to the
simpler details and
processes
1
0
4
3
The student’s responses demonstrate no major errors or
omissions regarding any of the information and/or
processes
2
The student’s responses indicate major errors or
omissions regarding the more complex ideas and
processes; however they do not indicate major errors or
omissions relative to the simpler details and processes
1
The student provides
responses that indicate a
distinct lack of
understanding of the
knowledge. However, with
help, the student
demonstrates partial
understanding of some of
the knowledge.
0
4
3
The student’s responses demonstrate no major errors or
omissions regarding any of the information and/or
processes
2
The student’s responses indicate major errors or
omissions regarding the more complex ideas and
processes; however they do not indicate major errors or
omissions relative to the simpler details and processes
1
The student provides responses that indicate a distinct
lack of understanding of the knowledge. However, with
help, the student demonstrates partial understanding of
some of the knowledge.
0
The student provides little or
no response. Even with help
the student does not exhibit
a partial understanding of
the knowledge.
The complete scale allows for
half-point scores
(3.5, 2.5, 1.5, .5)
Scale
4
In addition to exhibiting level 3 performance, in-depth inferences and applications
that go beyond what was taught in class.
3.5 In addition to exhibiting level 3 performance, partial success at in-depth
inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught in class.
3
No major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and/or processes
(SIMPLE OR COMPLEX) that were explicitly taught
2.5 No major errors or omissions regarding any of the simpler information and/or
processes and partial knowledge of the more complex information and processes.
2
No major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes BUT
major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes
1.5 Partial knowledge of the simpler details and processes, but major errors or
omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes.
1
With help, a partial knowledge of some of the simpler and complex details and
processes.
.5 With help, a partial knowledge of some of the simpler details and processes but
not of the more complex ideas and processes.
0
Even with help, no understanding or skill demonstrated.
Topic Grade 8: Atmospheric Processes & Water Cycle
4
3
2
1
0
•Recognize and recall basic terms such as: climactic
patterns, atmospheric layers, stratosphere,
troposphere.
•Recognize or recall isolated details such as:
–Precipitation is one of the processes of the water
cycle
–The troposphere is one of the lowest portions of
the earth’s atmosphere
Topic Grade 8: Atmospheric Processes & Water Cycle
4
3
2
1
0
Demonstrate an understanding of:
•How the water cycle processes (condensation,
precipitation, surface run-off, percolation, evaporation)
impact climate changes
•The effects of temperature and pressure in different
layers of Earth’s atmosphere
Topic Grade 8: Atmospheric Processes & Water Cycle
4
3
2
1
0
Demonstrate a capacity for independent transfer and conceptual
understanding by:
•Investigating a world region or country and analyzing the
relationship between water cycle processes, climate changes,
and emerging economic issues.
•Creating a news segment updating viewers on the impact of
temperature and pressure in different layers of the Earth’s
atmosphere following a natural disaster (e.g., tsunami, flood,
earthquake, etc.).
Topic Grade 6-8: Assignments & Work Completion
4
3
2
1
0
•Be aware of format requirements for assignments.
•Be aware of elements of basic time management plans.
•Be aware of deadlines for assignments.
Topic Grade 6-8: Assignments & Work Completion
4
3
2
1
0
•Hand in assignment that meet format requirements
specified by teacher.
•Develop and implement basic time management plan
for assignments.
•Complete assignments on time and provide acceptable
explanation when assignments not handed in on time.
Topic Grade 6-8: Assignments & Work Completion
4
3
2
1
0
•Enhance format requirements specified by teacher
using one or more forms of technology.
•Demonstrate a consistent ability to self-monitor and
adjust behaviors and activities to meet self-imposed
deadlines and benchmarks.
•Ensure that all assignments are submitted in a timely
manner consistent with a self-generated timeline.
 Identify no more than four grade-level (or course) learning goals per quarter (grading period) for each of
the following subject areas: mathematic, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
 Construct a rubric, or other type of common scale, for each learning goal.
Have teachers formally and informally assess each
learning goal at least once every two weeks keeping
track of each student’s score on each learning goal.
(Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
 Have students keep track of their progress on each goal and use the data as the basis for teacher/student
interactions about student progress.
 Periodically (at least once per quarter) aggregate the data by grade level. Have teachers meet to discuss
student progress and how it might be improved.
The Relationship Between Curricular
Priorities and Assessment Methods
Traditional quizzes

and tests (selected response)…….
Quizzes and tests

(constructed response)…….
Performance tasks and projects…

Performance tasks and projects

(complex, open-ended, authentic)……...
Three Types of Assessment Items
• Level 2 items: Simpler details and processes
that have been explicitly taught.
• Level 3 items: Complex ideas and processes
that have been explicitly taught.
• Level 4 items: Inferences and applications
that go beyond what was taught
Level 2 items: Simpler details that have been
explicitly taught.
•
Focus on basic information (declarative knowledge):
(a) facts, (b) vocabulary terms, and (d) time
sequences.
•
Does not require students to create something new
or generate new ideas.
•
Assessments often focus on recognition and recall
items: For example:
1.
Put an “X” next to the names of people who fought in
the Battle of the Alamo.
2.
Define each of the following key terms from this unit.
Level 2 items: Simpler skills and procedures
that have been explicitly taught.
•
Focus on basic skills and procedures (procedural
knowledge): (a) skills and (b) procedures with little or
no variation.
•
Require mental procedures that include single rules,
algorithms, and tactics.
•
Assessments often require formulaic actions on the
part of students: For example:
1.
Complete the following multi-column multiplication
activities.
2.
Correctly capitalize the proper nouns in these
sentences.
Level 3 items: Complex ideas that have been
explicitly taught.
•
Focus on generalizations and principles that require
students to go beyond memorized information to
generate new ideas.
•
Assessments involving generalizations ask students
to generate examples; assessments of principles ask
students to generate predictions. For example:
1.
Using your understanding of how a cell membrane is
selectively permeable, provide specific examples of
what the cell membrane will allow to pass through
and what it will keep out.
2.
Use the Bernoulli principle to predict accurately
which of the following airplane designs will likely
produce the most lift.
Level 3 items: Complex processes that have
been explicitly taught.
•
Focus on more complex mental procedures, i.e.,
“macroprocedures” involving multiple components or
embedded elements, e.g., the writing process, the reading
process, problem-solving, decision-making.
•
These assessment items are often more open ended, but
emphasize skills and procedures the teacher has taught
explicitly.
•
Assessments are always performance based and often require
some independent reasoning on the part of the student: For
example:
1.
You are putting on the play Our Town, but you have no money
to build a set. In fact, you can use only boxes as your staging
materials. Draw a sketch of how you would stage a particular
scene, and write an explanation of how you will use the boxes
to express the key themes, actions, and mood of that scene.
Level 4 items: Inferences that go beyond what
was taught
•
Focus on students’ inferential reasoning, including: (a)
comparing, (b) classifying, (c) creating metaphors and
analogies, and (d) analyzing errors.
•
Assessments are performance based: For example:
1.
Compare and contrast the processes of meiosis and mitosis. As
part of your comparison, explain the significance of these
similarities and differences.
2.
Select two items from our unit that do not appear related on the
surface. Create a metaphor to describe subtle similarities or
parallels. For example, how is a cell like a factory?
3.
Sally know that she is most likely to get a sunburn if she is out
in the sun between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. She asks six of her
friends why this is so. Read each of the following answers.
Identify which ones are wrong—and explain the error made in
each.
Level 4 items: Applications that go beyond
what was taught
•
Require students to apply mental procedures in contexts not
directly addressed in class.
•
Ask students to demonstrate a capacity for transfer and
independent conceptual understanding.
•
In effect, Level 4 assessments confirm that the student has
exceeded the curriculum addressed in class: For example:
1.
You and your classmates have been asked to become reporters
and editors for the latest edition of History Monthly. This edition
will involve oral histories of senior citizens in our community
who lived through the era of World War II. Each of you will be
responsible for interviewing a community member who was a
child, teenager, or adult during this period. You will write a
narrative describing their experiences and reflections on this
era. Your article will be judged on its vividness, coherence, and
completeness as well as your use of direct and indirect
quotations.
What Is a Balanced
Assessment Approach? (P. 19)
• Vision: All staff members employ a
“photo album” approach to
assessing and evaluating student
progress [in relationship to
consensus-driven standards] by
using multiple forms of
assessment instead of limited
“snapshots.”
What Is a Balanced
Assessment Approach? (P. 19)
• Key Elements:
1. Constructed-Response Items on
Tests and Quizzes
2. Reflective Assessments
3. Academic Prompts
4. Culminating Performance
Assessment Tasks and Projects
5. Portfolio Assessment
Assessing Your Assessments
Do you make use of…
• Tests and quizzes that include
constructed-response items?
• Reflective assessments (reflective
journals, think logs, peer response
groups, interviews)?
• Academic prompts with a FAT-P
(audience, format, topic, purpose)
clearly stated?
• Culminating performance assessment
tasks and projects?
Creating a Photo Album of Assessment
Results: A Faculty Questionnaire (pp. 20-21)
• Spend a few minutes completing this
questionnaire, evaluating how your
school or district is currently using
each of the 10 identified strategies for
balanced assessment.
• As you complete this process, what
initial conclusions can you draw?
• How might you use this questionnaire
with staff in your school or district?
Designing Effective
Tests and Quizzes
• Assessment Principle: Selected-response
test and quiz items can give us only a
limited view of what students actually
know, do, and understand (Level 2 Items).
Tests and quizzes can be enhanced by
adding constructed-response items that
require students to explain, interpret,
and/or apply what they have learned via
some form of timed performance.
Types of Forced-Choice Test Items
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Traditional Multiple-Choice Items
Matching
Alternative Choice (e.g., “The part of speech used to
link two clauses is: (a) a preposition; (b) a
conjunction.
True/False
Fill-in-the-Blank
Multiple Response (e.g., “Which of the following can
be the end punctuation of a sentence: (a) period, (b)
dash, (c) question mark” [A. 1 and 2; B. 2, 3, and 4;
C. 1, 3, and 4; or D. 2 and 3]?
Sample ConstructedResponse Test Items
1. Defend or negate the following statement:
Those who fail to learn from the past are
condemned to repeat it.
2. Examine the solution to the math word
problem presented below. Describe an
alternative—and more efficient—way of
solving it.
3. Observe the following videotape, which
highlights elements of a local eco-system.
Describe your observations and conclusions
about the health of that system.
Constructed-Response Test
and Quiz Items (P. 22)
• What are the implications of the sample
test and quiz items on this page?
• How can such items provide deeper
insight into student achievement (esp.
student understanding) than exclusive use
of multiple-choice, true-false testing?
• To what extent do you see evidence of this
type of item design in your school and
district?
Student Self-Reflection and
Self-Evaluation (pp. 23-25)
• Assessment Principle: The more students
are actively involved in using evaluation
criteria to self-monitor, self-reflect, and
self-evaluate, the more successful they
will be in achieving standards mastery.
• Examples: Reflective Journals, Think
Logs, Self-Assessment and SelfEvaluation Activities, Collaborative
Evaluation Strategies
Types of Student Self-Reflection Tasks
1.
Reflective Journal Entries: How well do you understand this
passage? What are the main ideas from this lesson? What did
this material mean to you?
2.
Think Logs: How would you describe the process of
classification? How has your approach to problem-solving
changed during this unit?
3.
Self-Evaluations: Based upon our evaluation criteria, what grade
would you give yourself? Why?
4.
Peer Response Group Activities: What can you praise about
the work? What questions can you pose? What suggestions can
you make for polishing the product?
5.
Interviews: Tell me about your perceptions of this project. What
do you consider to be your strengths and areas in need of
improvement?
Scale for Self-Evaluation of
Knowledge of Terms (Marzano)
Knowledge
Level
Description
Level 5
I can use the term with a high level of
independent application.
Level 4
I understand even more about the term than I
was taught.
Level 3
I understand the term, and I am not confused
about any part of what it means.
Level 2
I’m a little uncertain about what the term means,
but I have a general idea.
Level 1
I’m very uncertain about the term. I really don’t
understand what it means.
Student Progress Chart (Marzano)
Date: November 4, 2004
Item #
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Level
5
X
X
Level
4
X
X
X
X
Level
3
Level
2
Level
1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
The Academic Prompt:
Framing the FAT-P (pp. 26-27)
• Assessment Principle: The more
coherent and structured the
assessment, the greater the
likelihood students will understand
how to respond to it successfully.
• The FAT-P Model for Academic
Prompts: format, audience, topic,
purpose
A Sample
Academic Prompt
Think about a time when you were
surprised (topic). Write a letter
(format) to a friend (audience) in
which you describe that experience.
Use a logical narrative sequence with
concrete sensory details to help your
friend understand what this event
was like and how you experienced it
(purpose).
The Successful
Culminating Project (pp. 28-30)
• Assessment Principle: At key juncture points
in a course or grade level, students need
assessment opportunities that will allow them
to demonstrate independent understanding
via explanation, application, interpretation,
and self-knowledge.
• The G.R.A.S.P.S. Design Template (P. 28): realworld goals, real-world roles, real-world audiences,
authentic situations, both products and
performances, and clearly-articulated evaluation
criteria (standards)
A Sample G.R.A.S.P.S.
Culminating Project
You are a member of a team of scientists
investigating deforestation of the Amazon rain
forest. You are responsible for gathering scientific
data (including such visual evidence as
photographs) and producing a scientific report in
which you summarize current conditions,
possible future trends, and their implications for
both the Amazon itself and its broader influence
on our planet. Your report, which you will present
to a United Nations sub-committee, should
include detailed and fully-supported
recommendations for an action plan which are
clear and complete.
Holistic and Analytic Rubrics and Scoring Guides:
Evaluating Performance Tasks (pp. 31-33)
• Assessment Principle: Students
improve their achievement on
performance tasks when they have a
clear understanding of how they will be
evaluated, including ongoing use of
evaluation criteria via rubrics and
scoring guides. The more they apply
the evaluation criteria, the more they
are likely to internalize and apply them
independently.
Tools for Scoring and Grading
Performance Tasks
• Modified Holistic
Scoring Rubrics
• Analytic-Trait Rubrics
• Analytic Scoring Guides
A Modified Holistic
Scoring Rubric
3=All data are accurately represented on the graph. All parts of
the graph are correctly labeled. The graph contains a title that
clearly tells what the data show. The graph is very neat and
easy to read.
2=Data are accurately represented on the graph or the graph
contains only minor errors. All parts of the graph are correctly
labeled or the graph contains minor inaccuracies. The graph
contains a title that generally tells what the data show. The
graph is generally neat and readable.
1=The data are inaccurately represented, contain major errors
or are missing. Only some parts of the graph are correctly
labeled, or labels are missing. The title does not reflect what
the data show, or the title is missing. The graph is sloppy and
difficult to read.
The Analytic-Trait Rubric
Traits
Understanding
Scale Weights:
65 percent
Performance or
Performance Quality
35 percent
4
Shows a sophisticated
understanding of relevant ideas and
processes…
The performance or product is
highly effective…
3
Shows a solid understanding of the
relevant ideas and processes…
The performance or product is
effective…
2
Shows a somewhat naïve or limited
understanding of relevant ideas or
processes…
The performance or product is
somewhat effective…
1
Shows little apparent understanding
of the relevant ideas and
processes…
The performance or product is
ineffective.
Sample Analytic
Scoring Guide
50%=Content: Clearly-presented thesis statement
with fully-developed supporting ideas and
balanced evidence to make a compelling and
convincing argument.
25%=Organization: Consistent support of thesis
statement with all ideas and supporting evidence
aligned with the controlling ideas of the
composition. Consistent attention to the use of
transitional expressions and other techniques to
ensure coherence and clarity.
25%=Editing: Elimination of major grammar and
usage errors with clear attention to correct
syntax and sentence variety.
Reflection Activity (pp. 31-33)
• Examine the various rubrics and scoring
guides presented on pages 31-33.
• Consider the relative advantages and
potential uses for each.
• Also, what are the potential disadvantages
or issues each might raise?
• What are some possible professional
development implications associated with
this approach to a balanced assessment
program?
A Brief Discussion of
Portfolio Assessment (P. 34)
• Assessment Principle: A
portfolio is not a work folder. It
represents a thoughtful,
balanced collection of student
work products and artifacts as
well as longitudinal evidence of
students’ self-reflection and selfevaluation.
Key Portfolio Elements (P. 34)
• Required student work products and artifacts
representing all facets of standards mastery.
• Self-selected student work products and
artifacts that demonstrate students’ selfknowledge and self-reflection.
• Ongoing reflections and analyzes by students
related to their continuous progress.
• Periodic self-evaluations using consensusdriven rubrics, analytic scoring guides, and
related scoring tools and processes.
 Identify no more than four grade-level (or course) learning goals per quarter (grading period) for each of
the following subject areas: mathematic, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
 Construct a rubric, or other type of common scale, for each learning goal.
 Have teachers formally and informally assess each learning goal at least once every two weeks keeping
track of each student’s score on each learning goal. (Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
Have students keep track of their progress on
each goal and use the data as the basis for
teacher/student interactions about student
progress.
 Periodically (at least once per quarter) aggregate the data by grade level. Have teachers meet to discuss
student progress and how it might be improved.
Assessments That Encourage Learning
1.
Encourage students to track their own progress.
2.
Encourage self-reflection.
3.
Focus on learning at the end of the grading period.
4.
The “Power Law”: The average score is not the best
indicator of what a student has learned; look instead
for the pattern of student progress over time (gathering
mounting evidence).
Patterns of Responses
• Student answers L2 items correctly but not
L3 and L4 items.
• Student answers L2 and L3 items correctly
but not L4
• Student misses all items, but with help can
answer some correctly
• Students misses all items even when
helped
Patterns of Responses
• Student answers L2 items correctly but not
L3 and L4 items. (2.0)
• Student answers L2 and L3 items correctly
but not L4 (3.0)
• Student misses all items, but with help can
answer some correctly (1.0)
• Students misses all items even when
helped (0.0)
Tracking My Own Learning
Student Name______________________ Date__________
Topic
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
My score at beginning:_______________ My goal:_________ by ______________
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
a________________
e________________
b________________
f_________________
c________________
g________________
d________________
h________________
h
Tracking My Own Learning
Student Name______________________ Date__________
Topic
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
My score at beginning:_______________ My goal:_________ by ______________
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Pretest 2/12 (48%)
a________________
e________________
Quiz 2/15 (60%)
b________________
f_________________
Quiz 2/19(60%)
c________________
g________________
d________________
h________________
h
 Identify no more than four grade-level (or course) learning goals per quarter (grading period) for each of
the following subject areas: mathematic, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
 Construct a rubric, or other type of common scale, for each learning goal.
 Have teachers formally and informally assess each learning goal at least once every two weeks keeping
track of each student’s score on each learning goal. (Use of appropriate computer software is highly
recommended)
 Have students keep track of their progress on each goal and use the data as the basis for teacher/student
interactions about student progress.
Periodically (at least once per quarter)
aggregate the data by grade level. Have
teachers meet to discuss student progress and
how it might be improved.
A. Items 1-10
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
Total for section=
B. Items 11-14
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
Total for section=
C. Item 15-16
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
Total for section=
Total
/100
A. Items 1-10
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
Total for section=
/40
Total for section=
/40
Total for section=
/20
B. Items 11-14
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
C. Item 15-16
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
Total
/100
A. Items 1-10
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
Total for section=
All correct
/40
+
Total for section=
/40
B. Items 11-14
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
Two correct
+
C. Item 15-16
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
Total for section=
None correct
Total
/20
/100
A. Items 1-10
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
Total for section=
All correct
40/40
+
B. Items 11-14
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
Total for section=
Two correct
20/40
+
C. Item 15-16
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
Total for section=
0/20
None correct
Total
60 /100
A. Items 1-10 Level 2.0
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
All correct
+
Two correct
+
B. Items 11-14 Level 3.0
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
C. Item 15-16 Level 4.0
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
None correct
Rubric Score:
A. Items 1-10 Level 2.0
Ten items that require recall of
important but simpler content
that was explicitly taught
All correct
+
Two correct
+
B. Items 11-14 Level 3.0
Four items that ask for
application of complex content
that was explicitly taught AND in
situations similar to what was
taught.
C. Item 15-16 Level 4.0
Two items that asks for
application in novel situations
that go beyond what was
explicitly taught
None correct
Rubric Score:2.5
Topic Scores for 3 Students
2.0
1.5
2.0
3.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.0
2.0
2.5
3.0
2.0
3.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
3.5
3.0
Averages and Trend
Scores
Average
Trend
Score
Student 1
2.0
1.5
2.0
3.0
Student 2
3.0
2.0
2.0
2.5
Student 3
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.0
3.0
2.0
2.5
3.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
2.5
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.5
3.0
2.55
3.00
2.60
2.71
2.35
3.00
Power Law
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
learning
1 rep
10
20
100 1000 2000 3000 4000
reps reps reps reps reps reps reps
In search of the “true score”
• True Score=Observed Score + Error
• SAT SEM= 33 points
•GRE SEM = 45 points
Low Tech Method:
Growing Preponderance of
Evidence
1.0
1.0
1.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.5
1.0
2.5
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.0
2.5
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.5
2.0
2.0
Academic Grade:
NonAcad. Grade:
Investment:
Homework:
Grade for
Class/Subject
Academic Grade:
Topic:
Topic:
Topic:
NonAcad. Grade:
Investment:
Homework:
Grade for
Class/Subject
Grading…Best Practices
1.
We clearly and consistently communicate our grading
criteria to our students.
2.
These criteria are clearly aligned with our content and
performance standards.
3.
We revisit evaluation criteria for important assessment tasks
via class discussion of exemplar tasks and work samples.
4.
We regularly use reflective assessments, including peer
review and student self-assessments, to monitor students’
understanding of our grading criteria.
5.
We have eliminated the “zero conundrum.”
A JIGSAW Response to Robert Marzano’s
“Standards-Based Grading and Assessment”
1.
Form “Response Teams” consisting of 2-3 participants.
2.
Each team will assess their reactions to Robert Marzano’s
assertions about standards-based grading and assessment
(pp. 36-38) using the rating scale in # 3 below.
3.
Be prepared to share with the whole group your reactions to
the following:
a. How strongly does your team agree with each of
Marzano’s assertions? (3=Highly Agree; 2=Agree;
1=Somewhat agree; 0=Disagree)
b. To what extent are Marzano’s assertions operational in
your current school or district? (3=Fully operational;
2=Generally operational but needs some attention;
1=Minimally operational with much attention needed;
0=Absent/non-operational)
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (I)
1.
Feedback from classroom assessments should provide
students with a clear picture of their progress on learning
goals and how they might improve.
2.
Feedback on classroom assessments should encourage
students to improve, reinforcing their sense of efficacy and
personal motivation.
3.
Classroom assessment should be formative in nature
(“Formative classroom assessment can and should begin
immediately within a learning episode and span its entire
duration. Additionally, formative classroom assessment can
take a wide variety of formal and informal formats”).
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (II)
4. Formative classroom assessments should be
quite frequent.
5. State standards need to be “unpacked,”
addressing the issue of an inordinate amount of
content inconsistent with the amount of time
educators have to teach.
6. State standards frequently lack “unidimensionality” (i.e., a single score on a test
represents a single dimension or trait that has
been assessed). Effective standards should
identify the dimensions that are absolutely
essential for all students to learn.
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (III)
7. Standards dimensions should be organized into categories of
related information and skill (reinforcing “covariance,” i.e., “as
ability in one dimension increases so does that in another”).
8. Clear guidelines for designing a comprehensive system of
measurement topics include: (a) limiting the number of
measurement topics to 20 or less per subject area per grade level;
(b) including measurement topics for “life skills,” i.e., information
and skill that is not specific to traditional academic subject areas
but is important to success in a variety of situations (e.g., class
participation, work completion, behavior, teamwork); (c) changing
the structure of measurement topics at the high school level (e.g.,
distinguishing between lower and upper division courses); and (d)
allowing for a teacher choice of measurement topics (i.e., allowing
teachers to include appropriate topics consistent with their interest
and expertise).
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (IV)
9.Effective educators, schools, and districts use
measurement scales that are sensitive to learning over
time, including assessment of student understanding.
10. Viable assessment must address the concept of “true
score,” i.e., “…that which represents the students’ true
level of understanding or skill regarding the topic being
measured.”
11.Marzano presents an argument against using the point
method for scoring assessments in favor of the “logic
of Item-Response Theory,” i.e., the need for teachers to
translate student response patterns into scores on a
scale that represents progression of understanding and
skill for a given measurement topic.
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (V)
12. Teacher-designed assessments are “ideal” when they involve
three types of items or tasks: (a) Type I—addressing basic
details and processes that are relatively easy for students; (b)
Type II—addressing more complex ideas and processes; and (c)
Type III—requiring students to make inferences or applications
that were not taught in class.
13. Type III assessment items can provide evidence of students’
mental procedures and their capacity for using what they are
learning in new or unanticipated settings and situations,
including such cognitive processes as application and
inferencing. Such assessments can also be designed to
measure students’ psychomotor achievement and growth.
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (VI)
14. Items and task types can include: (a) forced-choice
items and tasks; (b) short written responses; (c)
essays; (d) oral responses and oral reports; and (e)
demonstrations and performances.
15. Designing and scoring classroom assessments
involves such technical issues as the following: (a)
addressing illogical patterns of student responses and
(b) assessing life skill topics.
16. Effective assessments encourage student learning,
including: (a) having students track their own progress;
(b) encouraging self-reflection; and (c) focusing on
learning at the end of key juncture points (e.g., “true
scores” at the end of grading periods).
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (VII)
17. The computation of final scores for topics and translating
these into grades should emphasize the concept of “grades
being standards-based.” Marzano analyzes a computer
software system for grading that includes the following
characteristics: (a) Teachers can easily enter multiple topic
scores for an assessment; (b) Software should provide for
the most accurate estimate of students’ final score for each
topic; (c) Software should provide graphs depicting student
progress; and (d) Compensatory (i.e., performance on one
measurement topic can “compensate” for performance on
another) and conjunctive (i.e., one score does not pull up or
pull down another score; rather, overall grades are
determined by score patterns across the measurement
topics) systems should allow for combining final topic scores
to compute overall grades.
Robert Marzano: Standards-Based
Grading and Assessment (VIII)
18. Marzano contends that using these design
principles for “standards-based or topic-based,
formative assessment” has the potential of
dramatically enhancing student achievement due
to its specificity and timeliness of feedback. “That
approach also has the potential of changing a
system in which students progress based on time
spent in school to one in which students
progress at their own individual rates as a
consequence of demonstrated competence in
content knowledge.”