ASSESSMENT FOR
LEARNING
MOTIVATING - ENGAGING
- PURPOSEFUL
UBCO Candidate Teacher
Session
December 2013
1
Life seeks organization, but it
uses messes to get there.
Organization is a process, not a
structure.
Margaret Wheatley
2
JOURNALING
Notes to Self
(Reminders)
Follow Up (Want to
Know More)
Impressions
Celebrations
(Confirmations)
3
Margin Notes
  I agree
  A question I have about this

“Aha!”
Post-Its
4
Exploring
Quality Assessment
The teaching practice that ensures
greater understanding by placing the
student at the heart of their own
learning
5
Goals
Look at “Quality Assessment”
Determine Where We/You Are Now
Have a peak at SD 23 Vision
Resources
Reflect – What are your take-aways?
Leave you with question:
AFL – How does it fit with 21st Century
Attributes of a Learner
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What Quality Assessment
Means to Us?”
ASSESSMENT
DONE RIGHT
DONE POORLY
LOOKS LIKE
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ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
QUOTES
8
What forms does assessment
information take in your classroom?
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Assessment in Your Classroom?
 Grade
 Symbol
 Number
 Percent
 Raw score
 Comment
 Other
10
“Innovations that include
strengthening the practice of
formative assessment produce
significant and often substantial
learning gains.”
—Black & Wiliam, 1998b, p. 140
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Review of Research on Effects of
Formative Assessment
Read the excerpt from the article “Inside
the Black Box” by Paul Black and Dylan
Wiliam.
Note the reported gains in student
achievement.
Note important points about effective
formative assessment practices.
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What were the effect sizes
they reported?
 .4 to .7 gain
 .7 standard deviation score gain =
 25 percentile points on ITBS
(middle of score range)
 70 SAT score points
 4 ACT score points
Largest Gain for Low Achievers
13
What gives formative
assessment its power?
What practices do Black &
Wiliam recommend as
necessary?
14
Provision of descriptive feedback, with
guidance on how to improve, during the
learning
Development of student self- and peerassessment skills
15
Use of classroom discussions,
classroom tasks, and homework to
determine the current state of student
learning/understanding, with action taken
to improve learning and correct
misunderstandings
16
Increase descriptive, reduce evaluative
feedback
Increase self- and peer-assessment
Increase opportunities for students to
communicate their evolving learning during
instruction
17
Refining Our Definition of
Formative Assessment
Review the definitions of formative
assessment offered by other
researchers.
Taking into account these definitions,
and the practices Black & Wiliam
identified, revisit your own definition.
How might you change it?
18
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Formal and informal processes teachers and
students use to gather evidence for the
purpose of improving learning
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Assessments that provide evidence of
student achievement for the purpose of
making a judgment about student
competence or program effectiveness
19
It is the use we make of the
assessment information,
not the instrument itself, that
determines whether it is
formative or summative.
20
21
Assessment for Learning
“There are no hard and fast
rules, only ideas to be
thoughtfully explored and
decisions to be
made…Just as there are
many right ways to teach,
no one can tell you
exactly how you should
assess your students.”
Anne Davies
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The Big Idea
Assessment and instruction are
inseparable – effective assessment
informs learning.
Students become central to all aspects
of assessment – it is done with them,
not to them.
To be central, students must be partners
in all aspects of the assessment process.
23
“Learners need assessment like fish
need water.”
Anne Davies
Flipping the
dynamic Make your
efforts
fruitful
Fish need water like we need air – assessment needs to be
constant; ever present; learning from mistakes
24
SD #23 District Vision
Quality assessment is the teaching practice that ensures greater
understanding by placing students at the heart of their own learning.
Indicators of Student Involvement:
Students are able to articulate the
learning destination and understand
what success looks like
Students have time to learn
Students collect evidence of their own
learning
25
Effective Feedback
Evaluative language is:
 judgemental,
 value laden,
 rewarding or punishing.
Descriptive language is:
 value neutral,
 Directive, pinpoints strengths and weaknesses,
 Specific, implies a better way.
26
Students are able to articulate the learning
destination and understand what success looks
like, students:
Have access to samples showing
quality work
Are able to describe what evidence of
learning might look like
Set criteria with teachers to define
quality
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Students have time to learn, students:
Receive and give themselves specific,
descriptive feedback as they learn
Debrief their learning with peers and
others; get feedback for learning
Use feedback and self-assess to set
goals for future learning
Revisit and reset the criteria as they
learn more
28
Students collect evidence of their own
learning, students:
Present evidence of learning to
others and receive feedback
Are authentically engaged in the
learning/assessment process
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Other Thoughts…
 Students should know as much as us – outcomes,
indicators along the way; consider it “like a journey” to
Vancouver
 PLOs (See the destination – e.g., pictures, samples)
 Steps (Like stops along the way, Merritt)
 Students can be taught the meaning of PLO’s –caution
the use of “kid-friendly” language
 Asks us to question, “What we are doing because it is
a “fun” activity but it does not fit with learning
outcomes” (Our reality - we are pressed for time.)
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 Learning occurs when we are making mistakes
 Feedback is most effective when we are working
on the task
 Assessment is imperative at the moment of
greatest need
 Strategies to consider:
Group work, Cooperative Learning (E.g., Kagan
Peer assessment
3 before me
Silent signals – red light/green light
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Tests/Quizzes/Grades
Do not place the student at the centre.
Do not tell the whole story
Are easily reduced to a single grade.
Are so seductive !
32
Formative Assessment
in Teachers’ Hands
 Who is and is not understanding the lesson?
 What are this student’s strengths and needs?
 What misconceptions do I need to address?
 What feedback should I give students?
 What adjustments should I make to instruction?
 How should I group students?
 What differentiation do I need to prepare?
—Chappuis, 2009, p. 9
33
Formative Assessment in Students’
Hands
What are students’
information needs?
What formative assessment
practices address these needs?
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Formative Assessment
in Students’ Hands
The indispensable conditions for improvement
are that the student
 Comes to hold a concept of quality roughly similar to that
held by the teacher
 Is able to monitor continuously the quality of what is being
produced during the act of production itself
 Has a repertoire of alternative moves or strategies from
which to draw
—Sadler, 1989, p. 121
35
To attain the achievement gains
promised by formative
assessment, the ultimate user of
formative assessment
information must be the student.
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Where are you trying to go?
Identify and communicate the learning goals.
Where are you now?
Assess or help the student to self-assess current
levels of understanding.
How can you get there?
Help the student with strategies and skills to
reach the goal.
• Atkin, Black, & Coffey, 2001, p. 14
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Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning
Where am I going?
1. Provide students with a clear and understandable
statement of the learning target.
2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work.
Where am I now?
3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.
4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals.
How can I close the gap?
5. Design lessons to focus on one learning target or aspect of
quality at a time.
6. Teach students focused revision.
7. Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track
of and share their learning.
38
Achieving the Dream
Who will work hardest this year? You or
your students?
Dream of Ruth Sutton, AFL advocate:
“That I will leave school ready to play 18
holes of golf and the students will go home
exhausted.”
39
The Big Question!
In a classroom of between 24 – 30
students how can we keep assessment
immediate and ever present for every
child?
40
Research Findings
 Marking does not enhance achievement
 The first grade given sets the student’s
expectations for the course
 Subsequent grades confirm their expectations
 Gender influences attitude to grades
41
More Discussions and Findings
 You need criteria before evaluating.
 You need to communicate it clearly.
 The purpose or goal must be clear
 Without criteria personal preference becomes
unspoken criteria.
42
Effective Feedback
Evaluative language is:
 judgemental,
 value laden,
 rewarding or punishing.
Descriptive language is:
 value neutral,
 Directive, pinpoints strengths and weaknesses,
 Specific, implies a better way.
43
Encompassing the 3 R’s - Relevance, Relationship, Rigor
Relevance
purpose of each task is understood
relevant to life
fosters self-reflection and growth
develops skills for independent, life- long
learning
44
 Rigor
 Engaging
 Motivating
 Relevant to life
 Fosters creative thinking and problem solving,
 Exploratory
 Active
45
 Relationship
 Learning takes place in an atmosphere of mutual respect
and caring
 empowering
46
Assessment For
Learning is
reliable and valid
because
3 sources of
assessment
evidence are
used in a process
called
Triangulation
47
TRIANGULATION
Products Conversations
Observation
A KEY COMPONENT OF
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
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TRIANGULATION
As teachers learn more about various types of intelligence and learning styles they are expanding the
ways students can show or represent what they know. This makes it easier for students of all abilities to
experience success. Success leads to confidence, enjoyment and empowerment. Learning is enhanced
when it evokes a positive emotion. Showing your learning in varied ways is motivating and engaging!
tests
diorama
power point presentation
picture link
puzzle
journal
map
diagram
model
mind map
project
video
written assignment
oral presentation
poster
flyer
story
web page
song
play
timeline...
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TRIANGULATION
Conversations involve listening to what students have to say about their l
learning, face-to-face or in writing – student to student, student to teacher,
student to parent
 Conversations enliven the learning process, making students think about
their learning and helping them relate it to personal experience and prior
knowledge. The latest brain research states that every encounter with
something new requires the brain to fit the new information into an existing
category or network of neurons. If a connection cannot be found the
information is dropped.
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CONVERSATION POSSIBILITIES
Pair / Share – Turn to your L shoulder partner (or
your R shoulder partner or your face partner ) and
share some aspect of your learning.
For example together determine:
5 things the pioneers needed in order to survive
the 3 steps you can take to be assertive
3 things you learned from the film
A tells B then B tells A the most important thing
that you learned.
51
CONVERSATION POSSIBILITIES
CONT’D…
Professor / Student – 1 student teaches the other student
the concept just taught.
Class Meetings – for example for conflict resolution
Philosophers Walk – one student performs an activity,
summarizes a concept or teaches another student while
walking. For example create a story using the key elements
while walking around the field with another student – have
your story ready to share when you have walked once
around the field. Great for a sunny spring day. Make them
accountable in sharing activities by having the pairs or
group share in some way after.
52
CONVERSATION POSSIBILITIES
Brainstorming
Cooperative Group Problem Solving
 Create a skit showing the steps to take when
someone is trying to talk you into something
you don’t want to do
 Design a bridge according to the criteria
 Create a game using 3 different apparatus
 Perform an experiment
53
MORE CONVERSATION
POSSIBILITIES
Oral Presentations
Listening to peer assessments
Discussing self-assessments
Written Comments
Exit Slips – Reflections. When a student leaves the class he is asked to
writes down a reflection. For example:
 1 thing you learned and 1 question you still have
 1 thing you know and one thing you would like to find out about
 2 things you feel you did well and one thing you feel you need to work on
Written self-assessments – the possibilities are
endless!
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Exit Slips
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Self-Assessment
8 Intelligences?
57
Written conversation at the end of a term
58
Self-Assessment Checklist
59
Check off a criteria sheet for each
student
- add more checkmarks as the student
progresses.
Highlight skills on a rubric for each
student
- change the colour of the highlighter as
the student progresses
60
Check off a criteria sheet for each
student
- add more checkmarks as the student
progresses.
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Recording
Observations
Using a class list place # 1,2,3,4 according to
your rating scale. Change the numbers as the
student progresses.
For quick recording place a 1 (or a
 +) by the student’s name when he is exceeding
and a 3 (or a check - )when he is approaching.
Change the numbers or symbols as the student
progresses. Leave the rest blank as you know they
are meeting. Make comments as necessary.
64
Using questions
to observe and engage
student learning
Raise your hand as soon as you have
the answer.
Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for
no
Show me with your fingers
65
Using questions
to observe and engage
student learning
Person 1 answers question. Person 2 says
whether or not they are correct. Person 3
explains why. Students are chosen randomly.
Keep your hand down if you know the answer.
Raise your hand if you don’t know and you
have a question. There are 2 choices – you know
the answer or you have a question that will help you
find the answer.
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Other Types of
Observations
Observe manipulative activities – For example:
 Make the time 1:20 on the mini clock – hold it up when
you are finished.
 Make the fraction 4/6 with the green hexagonal
pattern tiles.
 Point to question # 3 in your text.
Play Bingo for various concepts such as spelling patterns
– observe who can find the answer easily.
Red Cup / Green Cup – students put the small green cup
on the outside when they understand and the red cup on
the outside when they have a question. In this way they
don’t need to raise their hands.
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Small steps will lead to big gains for teachers and
students!
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Anne Davies
RESEARCH MATTERS
IF WE KNOW THE RESEARCH, WE
CAN SPEAK MORE POWERFULLY
70
Seek Out Research
Finding Time for Professional Learning
 Hattie & Timperley (2007) – teacher tests
more valid if using formative assessment
 Students who struggle most are hurt the most
from evaluation
 Successful learners can turn an 8/10 to
descriptive feedback; struggling learners
need more
 The more assessment for learning, the more
learning
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Mistakes become feedback
Our goal is to multiple feedback – working
differently, not harder
Brain research supports need for constant
feedback
Students should be working harder than
us; they need to learn to picture quality
Talk about learning; involve students in
shaping their learning
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 The more marks and numbers, the more
evaluative feedback – the less learning takes
place (Black & Wiliam; Hattie & Timperley)
 We need to teach the language of assessment in
order for students to be self-managing
 Is what I do help students set criteria around
things that are important (e.g., classroom
management kinds of stuff?)
 Mismeasure of Man (Stephen Gould,1996) –
deconstructs Fraser Institute
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Story of emotion – can’t change others’
minds – can invite them in
Molecules of Emotion – Alfie Kohen
Mindset – Carol Dueck
Others – Marzano, Fullan, Senge
The Global Achievement Gap – Tony
Wagner (978-0-465-00229-0) Pub. Basic
Books
Sousa (emotion  attention  learning)
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Some of My FAVOURITE Picks
 7 Strategies of Assessment –
Jan Chappuis
 Integrating Differentiated
Instruction + Understanding by
Design (Tomlinson / McTighe)
 Rick Wormeil
 Meet Me in the Middle
 Fair Isn’t Always Equal
 Kagan Cooperative Learning
Resources
 Knowing What Counts Series
 Classroom Criteria A-Z
 Diane Gossen’s Resources (e.g.,
It’s All About We
 Building Moral Intelligence – Dr.
Michele Borba
75
Anne Davies
 Assessment for Learning: Putting it into Practice
 by P. Black, D. Wiliam, C. Harrison, B. Marshall, and C. Lee
 Clarity in the Classroom Using Formative Assessment by Michael Absolum
 Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design or Educational
Assessment
 - J. Pellegrino, N Chudowsky, and R. Glaser – Editors.
 Assessment and Learning edited by John Gardner
 Powerful Designs for Professional Learning edited by Lois Brown Easton
 Engaging All by Creating High School Learning Communities
 by Jeanne Gibbs and Teri Ushijima
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Sharon Friesen & Sandra Herbst
 Powerful Learning: What We Know about Teaching for Understanding by
Linda Darling-Hammond et al.
 The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
 The Element by Sir Ken Robinson
 Leading Change in Your School by Douglas Reeves
 A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink
 Change Wars by Andy Hargreaves & Michael Fullan (Eds)
 Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of
Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition by Dennis T. Perkins
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Mary Hill & Paul LeMahieu
 Leadership Mindsets by Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert
 Using Evidence in Teaching Practice: Implications for Professional Learning by Helen
Timperley and Judy Parr
 Coaching Educational Leadership: Building Leadership Capacity through Partnership
by Jan Robertson
 Teaching the New Writing: Technology, Change and Assessment in the 21st Century
Classroom edited by Anne Herrington, Kevin Hodgson, and Charles Moran
 Working Toward Equity: Resources and Writings for the Teacher Research
Collaborative edited by Linda Friedrich et al.
 Assessing Writing: A Critical Sourcebook edited by Brian Huot and Peggy O’Neill
 Teachers in Professional Communities: Improving Teaching and Learning edited by
Anne Lieberman and Lynne Miller
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Beth Reynolds
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
The Shack by Paul Young
Revisiting Professional Learning
Communities at Work by Richard Dufour,
Rebecca DuFour, and Robert Eaker
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Rick Stiggins
 Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing
Streaks Begin and End by Rosabeth Moss
Kanter
 The Global Achievement Gap: Why Our Kids
Don’t Have the Skills They Need for College,
Careers, and Citizenship and What We Can Do
About It by Tony Wagner
 Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really
Tells Us by Daniel Koretz
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Inside the Black Box
Raising Standards Through Classroom
Assessment
Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam
King’s College London School of Education
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The Power of Feedback
Hattie & Timperley 2007
Online Version of Article:
http://rer.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abst
ract/77/1/81
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Other ideas… sd23co /togetherwelearn
Visual AAC…
http://www.aac.ab.ca/pdfs/SL_EnglishP12.
pdf
Learning to Love Assessment (Carol Ann
Tomlinson)
http://www.aac.ab.ca/public/LearningToLo
veAssessmentCT.doc
Become a Member of the AAC!
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Videos….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AZVCjfWf8&NR=1&feature=fvwp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CIh7F
Wv4UA
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Great Website
Alberta Assessment Consortium Site
AAC...everyday assessment tools
for teachers http://www.aac.ab.ca/
ID: sd23co
Password: togetherwelearn
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Conclusion
 These ideas are not new—they have been part
of good teaching all along.
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