Transcript Slide 1

MSTA/MCTM Leadership
Conference
February 5-6, 2010
Jean Howard, OPI Mathematics Specialist
Katie Burke, OPI Science Specialist
Judy Snow, OPI State Assessment Director
I can explain to a colleague the main points of
the research linking formative assessment to
student achievement.
A.
B.
C.
Yes, I am confident I could sufficiently
answer this prompt.
I could partially answer this prompt
No, I cannot adequately answer this
prompt.
[Default]
[MC Any]
[MC All]
I can explain the relationship between
formative assessment and standard-based
instruction.
A.
B.
C.
Yes, I am confident I could sufficiently
answer this prompt.
I could partially answer this prompt
No, I cannot adequately answer this
prompt.
I can explain the difference between formative
assessment and spontaneous assessment.
A.
B.
C.
Yes, I am confident I could sufficiently
answer this prompt.
I could partially answer this prompt
No, I cannot adequately answer this
prompt.
I can explain the standard-based framework and
its components and describe how they can be
implemented.
A.
B.
C.
I feel confident I can sufficiently answer this
prompt.
I could partially answer this prompt.
I cannot adequately answer this prompt.
Clapping Hands Exercise
Assessment Cycle
Expert Jigsaw

Work in Expert Groups
– 30 minutes

Share with original team
– 30 minutes

Write your muddiest point
about the assessment cycle on
a note card- turn into Jean,
Katie or Judy as your ticket to
lunch!
What is the relationship between…?
 Curriculum
 Assessment
 Content
Standards
 Instruction
An Aligned Standards-Based Program
Instruction
Curriculum
Assessment
Adapted from Lisa Carter 2007 Total Instructional Alignment
Montana
StandardsBased
Education
Framework
Yikes Statements

Why would I make a significant changes in
my classroom practice?

What kind of resources should I need?

What kind of support would I need?

How do I know if the changes are working ?
“A strong sense of efficacy enhances human
accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways.
People with high assurance in their capabilities approach
difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as
threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters
intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They
set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong
commitment to them. They heighten and sustain their efforts
in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense of
efficacy after failures or setbacks. They attribute failure to
insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which are
acquirable. They approach threatening situations with
assurance that they can exercise control over them. Such an
efficacious outlook produces personal accomplishments,
reduces stress and lowers vulnerability.”
12
“In contrast, people who doubt their capabilities shy
away from difficult tasks which they view as personal
threats. They have low aspirations and weak
commitment to the goals they choose to pursue. When
faced with difficult tasks, they dwell on their personal
deficiencies, on the obstacles they will encounter, and
all kinds of adverse outcomes rather than concentrate
on how to perform successfully. They slacken their
efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties.
They are slow to recover their sense of efficacy
following failure or setbacks. Because they view
insufficient performance as deficient aptitude it does not
require much failure for them to lose faith in their
capabilities.”
13
What If ?



Well-conducted and documented research
found that the practice produces significant
learning gains, particularly for low achieving
student?
And that the practice works in all content
areas?
And that STUDENT learning/self-efficacy is
the centerpiece?
14
One-on One Tutoring
The Gold Standard
Scriven, 1967
Studied ways to foster development and
improvement within an ongoing activity, product,
program, etc. to evaluate curriculum.
 Formative: “on-going improvement of the
curriculum--During
 Summative: “enable administrators to decide
whether the entire finished curriculum, refined
by use of the evaluation process in its first role,
represents a sufficiently significant advance on
the available alternatives to justify the expense
of adoption by a school system--After
11
Bloom, 1971 and 1984
Mastery of Learning
 Students do not progress to the next learning
objective until they have mastered a current
one.


Instruction followed by formative assessment.
Classroom activities that improve student
learning.

Formative assessment
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Ramaprasad (1983)
“Feedback is information
about the gap between
the actual level and the
reference level of a
system parameter that is
used to alter the gap in
some way” (p 4.)
14
Sadler (1989)
Stresses feedback as a key element in “altering
the gap”:
 Two audiences for feedback: the teacher and
the student
 Teacher gets feedback from formative
assessment.
 Students acquire feedback from external
sources and through self-monitoring.
 Engage in appropriate action which leads to
some closure of the gap.
Landmark Research Questions



Is there evidence that improving formative
assessment raises standards?
Is there evidence that there is room for
improvement?
Is there evidence about how to improve
formative assessment?
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Landmark Research
Black and Wiliam, 1998
Answered YES to the research questions
 Inside the Black Box.


Report on a large and methodical review of
research studies of classroom assessment.
Reviewed over 250 studies from around the world
Concluded that formative assessment,
(filling the gaps) used properly, will help students
learn what is being taught to a “substantially better
degree.”
19
Feedback: Filling the Gaps



Integration of formative
assessment within each
instructional activity
More diversity in how learning is
assessed ( e.g., observation,
teacher-student dialogue,
student-student dialogue and
whole class discussions)
Students as active participants
in assessment
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What is formative feedback?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Praise and encouragement
Grades
Information about what was incorrect
Information on how to improve
All of the above
A. [Default]
B. [MC Any]
C. [MC All]
What Makes it Effective
Black and Wiliam’s research review identified a
number of important studies that shed light
on what makes feedback effective
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Butler, 1988
Butler, 1987
Simmons, M. and Cope, P., 1993
Day, J. D. and Cordon, L. A. , 1993
Kluger, A. N. and DeNisi, A., 1996
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Research on effective feedback suggests
Feedback is not effective when:

Grades and comments are given together

It is focused on praise

It is given too soon

It takes the thinking away from the learner
Feedback is effective when:

It provides specific details about how to improve

It is focused on the task, not the individual

It allows students to grapple with the problem first

It is “just enough”
Feedback Example – 1
“This is generally fine, but you are mixing up the terms
‘particle,’ ‘element’ and ‘compound.’ Look at the glossary
we made and use it to check through this piece again.”
A. Focuses on the task not the student?
B. Causes students to think in language they can
understand?
C. Recipe for future action?
D. Can be actually used by students to make
improvements?
Feedback Example – 2
“There are two key aspects that you need to work on. You
must show all your work so that we both know you
understand all the stages to get the answers. Also, you
must keep up with the work in class even if you have to
finish it at home.”
A. Focuses on the task not the student?
B. Causes students to think in language they can
understand?
C. Recipe for future action?
D. Can be actually used by students to make
improvements?
Classroom Issues: Time for Feedback

Select the pieces of work will provide most
benefit to students if feedback is provided



Not every piece of work lends itself to rich
comments
Better do it less frequently and well
What might not get done? Identify trade-offs
28
Classroom Issues: Time for Students to
Respond

Students’ beliefs about themselves as learners will
impact their response to feedback (Cowie, 2005)

If comments are provided by the teacher, but students do
not have time to read them/use them, it was wasted
effort.

Responding to the comments may draw on other
strategies – using peers as resources to provide a
sounding board for next steps, groups of students
working together to compare work etc.
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Timing is crucial


A study of geometry students, half worked with paper and
pencil and half used a computer program.

Students given feedback after carefully considering their
revisions learned more.

Students given feedback too early or too easily learned
less.
If feedback is given to students before they have a chance to
grapple with a problem, they have no motivation to think
deeply about the content and learning is hindered.
In Summary … Feedback




Focuses on the task not the student
Causes students to think in language they
can understand
Recipe for future action
Can be actually used by students to make
improvements
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Just enough feedback

Students given only as much help as they need to make
progress, learn more and retain their learning longer

When students are given complete solutions, an opportunity
for learning is missed

Developing skills of “minimal intervention” promotes better
learning.

Feedback needs to make students think, not just give them
the right answer
Traditional vs. Standard-based Instruction
Commonalities
Traditional Practice
Standard-based Practice
Reflection




What do you regard as the major difference
between traditional and standard-based
approaches to designing instruction?
Which of the two models makes the most
sense to you?
What makes this approach preferable?
What do you see as the most immediate
difficulty in implementing a standard-based
model?
Individual Work Time
In your journal, bullet point the main points
that would be in an answer to the following:

I can explain to a colleague the main points of the research
linking formative assessment to student achievement.

I can explain the relationship between formative
assessment and standard-based instruction.

I can explain the difference between formative assessment
and spontaneous assessment.

I can explain the standard-based framework and its
components and describe how they can be implemented.