Leadership for Innovative Omani
Schools in the 21st Century
Contemporary Assessment Practices
Creating a Multi-Faceted, Data Driven
Assessment Process for Student Learning
1
What Type of Assessment?
Norm referenced?
Standardized?
Summative?
Competency Based?
Large Stakes?
Low Stakes?
Performance
Based?
Formative?
Observation Checklists?
Standards Based?
2
?
Authentic?
Portfolios?
Current Global Issues in Education Assessment
Global Issues in Education Assessment:
• Accountability for teaching and learning (Quality
Assurance)
• High stakes testing; impact of No Child Left Behind
(NCLB); inclusion of ELL and special needs students
• Alignment of assessment, curriculum and instruction
• Development of standards-based and authentic
performance-based measures of student performance
3
Current Global Issues in Education Assessment
Global Issues in Education Assessment:
• Use of continuous assessment procedures to inform
instruction and gauge rate of student progress
(Formative)
• Use of multiple measures to determine student
performance
• Development of a comprehensive assessment system
FOR and OF learning
• Educator assessment literacy; use of data to
inform/change instruction to maximize student
performance; timely student performance data
availability
• Assessment ethics
4
Activity 1
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
FLIP CHART ACTIVITY
Assessment Issues for Oman Schools
What are assessment issues for
Oman secondary school educators?
5
Activity 2
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
FLIP CHART ACTIVITY
Assessment Issue Challenges
Use the sticky circles. Identify your #1 assessment
challenge (green), your #2 challenge (blue), and your
#3 challenge (orange).
6
?
??
Reflective Questions
1.
What are the 3 priority assessment challenges for
Oman secondary school principals? (green=1
blue=2 orange=3)
2.
What are the opportunities for addressing these
challenges?
3. What are the barriers?
7
Activity 3
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
PANEL DISCUSSION
What are the Purposes of Assessment ?
Choose one person from each group to sit on the panel.
Discuss the questions listed on the next slide.
Post discussion results for each question on a flip chart.
8
?
??
Panel Discussion Questions
1. What are the purposes of assessment?
2. What aspects of the education process should be assessed?
3. Who needs to be involved in the assessment process?
4. Who are the stakeholders?
5. How should assessment information be communicated?
6. What other components of the education process should be assessed?
9
What are the Purposes for Assessing Student
Learning? What Do Administrators and Teachers Say?
Assess
individual or
group
achievement?
Gain
information
about student
abilities
Inform and
improve
instruction
10
Guide curriculum
development and
revision
Show student
growth; rate of
growth
What are the Purposes for Assessing Student
Learning? What Do Administrators and Teachers Say?
Help students
understand
their own
learning
Certificate / graduate
students
Know if we are
achieving our
standards
Provide feedback
to stakeholders –
teachers, students,
parents, education
policy- makers
11
Know how to
compare to others
in the nation and
globally
Student Learning Assessment Measures
Example Student Learning Assessment Measures
• Standardized Tests uniform in content,
administration, and scoring
• Authentic Performance
Based – know and apply to
“real world situations”
• Norm Referenced
Achievement Tests comparative individual,
group performance
• Portfolios
• Large Scale High Stakes
Tests
• Curriculum Standards
Based
12
• Observation Check Lists
• Teacher-made Unit Tests
• Teacher Assigned Grades
?
??
Reflective Question
What is the leadership and management
role of a secondary school principal for
creating a data driven assessment process
for student learning?
13
What is the Principal’s Leadership Role for Creating
a Multi-Faceted, Data Driven System for Assessing Student Learning?
What do the experts say?
• Be informed about current issues and international
research-based practices in assessment.
• Be able to differentiate the purposes of different types
of assessment measures such as standardized
achievement tests, standards based, competency based,
formative, summative, portfolios, and other assessment
measures.
• Know the strengths and weaknesses of different
measurement strategies used to assess student
performance.
14
What is the Principal’s Leadership Role for Creating
a Multi-Faceted, Data Driven System for Assessing Student Learning?
Continued…
• Understand the need for using multiple measures of assessment
to fully describe student knowledge and skills.
• Ensure alignment of assessment, curriculum, and instructional
practices with goals and objectives for student learning outcomes
in a 21st century global world.
• Facilitate continuous training of instructional staff for using best
practice assessment measures and interpretation of assessment
results.
• Ensure a process for accurate, timely reporting of assessment
results to key stakeholders.
15
We need to spend more time, energy, and
attention asking the question:
“Why are we assessing students?”
rather than
“How are we assessing students?”
National Leadership Institute 1
16
If we wish to maximize student achievement, we must
pay far greater attention to the improvement of
classroom assessment.
We face the danger that student progress may be
inaccurately measured day after day, in classrooms
throughout the world.
Both assessment FOR learning and assessment OF
learning are essential.
Stiggins, R. 2
17
The Importance of Assessment Literacy 3
Educators need to ask:
• Why do we assess?
• What is the purpose of the assessment?
• Who are the stakeholders?
• How will the assessment results improve curriculum
and instruction?
18
The Importance of Assessment Literacy 3
Assessment issues to consider:
• What are the outcomes we desire for students?
• What is it students should know and be able to do?
• Who needs the information? Who are the key
stakeholders?
19
The Importance of Assessment Literacy 3
More issues to consider:
• Assessment should be a feedback tool for students,
teachers, and parents to determine student progress
toward expected outcomes.
• There needs to be a “continuum” of progress on which
student performance can be gauged .
• Assessment is an integral aspect of curriculum and
instruction.
Assessment is not a separate event
20
Types of Student Learning Measures
Typical Traditional Measures - Summative
• Norm Referenced Achievement Tests
• Content Standards Based Assessments (U.S. Ed
Reform)
• Large Scale High Stakes
• Teacher Made Unit Tests
• Letter Grades, Point System
21
Types of Student Learning Measures
Continuous Measures - Formative
• Authentic Performance-Based Assessments
• Curriculum-based Assessment
• Rapid Response Assessment
• Portfolios
22
Examples of Norm Referenced Standardized Tests
Stanford Achievement Tests—used in schools
Iowa Achievement Tests—used in schools
Woodcock-Johnson—assessment of students referred for
special education services
SAT—used for university admissions criteria
ACT—used for university admissions criteria
LSAT—law school entrance
GMAT—business school entrance
GRE—graduate school or college of education entrance
23
Assessment OF learning
OR
Assessment FOR learning
?
What’s the difference?
Adapted from Stiggins, R. & Chappius, J. (2006) 4
24
Assessment OF and Assessment FOR Learning:
What’s the Difference? 4
Assessment OF learning
A summative audit check, e.g.
- End of unit assessment
- Once or twice a year assessment
Assessment FOR learning
A classroom assessment process used to continuously check
student progress
- Use data to make rapid instructional change decisions to
optimize student learning
- Use data to provide immediate feedback to students
- Involve students in setting their own goals and process for
advancing their own learning
IMPORTANT: Use assessment information for instructional change
decisions before it is too late to maximize student progress
25
Activity 4
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS
Assessment OF Student Learning
Discuss the questions on your handout. Then choose a
team member to report the results of your discussion.
Use a flip chart or other methods to visually present your
team report.
26
?
??
Assessment OF Student Learning
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways is assessment OF student learning
implemented in your school?
2. Who receives the assessment information? How
frequently?
3. How is the information reported? How frequently?
4. Who uses the information? In what ways?
5. What is the typical role of the principal in the process?
27
Assessment OF Learning
Standardized Tests
Standardized tests are:
• Usually developed for national, international use
• Typically commercially prepared and norm referenced
• A yardstick to provide age, grade level comparison
information on individual, or group student
performance
IMPORTANT: Standard methods are used to develop test
items, administer, score tests, and report scores
28
Criteria for Standardized Test Selection
Sample Questions to Ask:
• Population sample—Does the sample population
represent school population? Does it include students
with special needs? Students representing diverse
cultures? Students not proficient in the language of
instruction?
• Reliability—Does student performance remain the same
on repeated tests?
• Validity—Does the test measure what is was designed to
measure?
29
Criteria for Standardized Test Selection
Sample Questions to Ask:
• Norm referenced—Does the test provide individual and
group comparisons?
• Criterion referenced—Is the test designed to assess
student performance related to what is taught?
expected skill outcomes?
• Practicality—Is the cost prohibitive? Does the test take
too much time to administer?
30
Assessment OF Learning
Strengths of Standardized Tests
Strengths of Standardized Tests
• Help answer the question, “ Do You Know It?
• Provide first level analysis of student basic
knowledge/facts; What do students know?
• Suitable for content that can be assessed in that manner
• Cost effective for large scale assessment of large
numbers of students
• Are assessments OF learning—how much?
31
Assessment OF Learning
Strengths of Standardized Tests
Strengths of Standardized Tests
• Summative—typically administered at one or two
points in time
• Student performance is evaluated in reference to
performance of similar students
• Standardized measures are used
• If norm referenced, student performance is compared
to the performance of those in the normative group
• Easy to administer and score
32
Assessment OF Learning
Curricular Standards Based Assessments
Curricular standards based assessments are used to
refer to the practice of specifying curricular content
standards for individuals or groups of students.
Example
• The extent to which students meet, or are making
progress toward meeting, the specified standards in
core academic subjects is assessed.
• Development was spearheaded by U.S. standards-based
education reform movement.
33
Assessment OF Learning
Curricular Standards Based Assessments
Example, continued:
• All U.S. states but one have specific state standards for student
achievement in specified academic subjects (math, science, social
studies, English).
• All U.S. states now use state tests which have been developed to
make summative judgments about whether students meet the
standards.
• Students in Minnesota are tested at grades 3, 9, and 11 in core
academic subjects. They do not graduate from high school if they
do not pass (High Stakes Benchmark Testing)
34
Assessment OF Learning
U. S. Large Scale High Stakes Assessments
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
U.S. Federal Legislation
Goal: Reduce the achievement gap  education
reform  standards based teaching and
learning
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml?src=pb
35
Assessment OF Learning
U. S. Large Scale High Stakes Assessments
Accountability for Student and
School Performance
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
•
Statewide tests are mandated for development in core academic areas.
•
Schools that produce high scores on state tests are rewarded with funding.
•
Schools that do not achieve Annual Yearly Progress are sanctioned.
•
Secondary school students do not graduate unless they achieve a certain score.
•
Statewide results, by school, are reported in newspapers.
Educators are held accountable for student achievement !
36
Activity 5
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP
TEAM DISCUSSION
High Stakes Summative Assessment Issues
1. What assessment problems, if any, do you see in using scores as a quality
indicator of student learning on a state or national test?
2. What issues do you think U.S. teachers, principals, students, and
parents have as a result of using a high stakes standardized assessment
process as a measure OF learning?
37
Assessment OF Learning
Limitations of Standardized Tests
Standardized tests have limitations, including:
•
Not timely for instructional change decisions; usually administered
once or twice yearly—summative audit checks
•
Sample populations may not be representative (may exclude special
needs, culturally diverse students, non proficient mother tongue
language learners)
•
Primarily assess low-level knowledge and skills; limited range of skills
•
Provide little or no information on critical thinking, problem-solving
and social skills
•
Inadequate for testing higher level thinking skills
•
May lack content validity; may not be curriculum criterion referenced
38
Assessment OF Learning
Limitations of Standardized Tests
Limitations, continued:
•
May not provide information analogous to what is being taught and
learned (lack of content validity)
•
Pose “teach to the test” potential
•
Do not provide formative, continuous evaluation of student progress;
need frequent and continuous assessment of student performance
•
Results may be high stakes audits for state and federal governments,
school districts, university admissions e.g., state, national exams, SAT,
LSAT, GMAT scores
•
Need to supplement use of standardized tests with rich array of
alternative assessment strategies
39
Assessment Cautions 4
Assessment Cautions
• Even the best tests can create problems if results are being
misused.
• The issue is not whether standardized tests are being used,
but how RESULTS are being used.
• Do not use the results of standardized tests to judge the
success of local program goals.
• Not suitable for evaluating instruction in limited units, or
judging how well a local instructional goal is accomplished
• Low scores can be the results of health, poor test
environment, lack of test taking skills, test anxiety
40
Assessment Cautions 4
A single test does not measure ALL the content,
skills, or behaviors of interest; Tests are limited
in what they can cover.
You need to assume that tests are fallible and
not always accurate.
Use more than a single test score to make
important education decisions.
41
Activity 6
PAIRS of TWO ACTIVITY
Digging the Data: School Assessment Data
1. Analyze the Oman secondary school student learning data
provided to your team.
2. Prepare a visual report of the results for the large group.
42
?
??
Reflective Questions
1. What do the data tell us?
2. What are the implications for principals
as instructional leaders?
43
Making Student Learning Assessments Meaningful 5
Merely conducting an assessment of student learning
does not mean it will be meaningful.
To be meaningful, assessment has to have purpose,
which includes:
• Involving students in setting learning goals and planning
how to achieve learning goals
• Providing stakeholders with accurate and detailed
feedback abut how students are learning, quality and
quantity of their learning
• Improving learning and instruction
• Providing direction – road map for future efforts to learn
44
Making Student Learning Assessments Meaningful 5
Meaningless assessment results when:
• Students do not understand the procedures
• Students feel assessment is being forced on them
• Assessment does not measure what is being taught
• Assessment produces scores with no implications for what
the student should to do to correct or advance his/her
learning
• Teachers do not use results to inform instruction
45
Activity 7
ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT TEAM
Assessment OF Learning
As quality assurance consultants for student learning in
Oman for 2020, develop a set of recommendations for a
summative assessment process for determining student
performance in core academic subjects.
See the next slide and the handout.
46
Activity Information
Based on what you know about both the advantages, and
limitations of using summative assessments what will you
recommend?
Create a report which includes your recommendations.
Include in the report:
• the advantages and disadvantages of your recommendations
• intended outcomes and possible unintended outcomes
Prepare to present your report to a panel of peer assessment experts.
47
Activity 8
ASSESSMENT TEAM
SYNTHESIS ACTIVITY
Assessment OF Learning
Executive Summary Report
Prepare an Executive Summary Report of the information
about Assessment OF Learning that you think is important for
the teachers in your school to learn. You plan to use this
information in a teacher training session.
48
Assessment Crisis:
The Absence of Assessment FOR Learning
There is compelling world-wide evidence that investment
in assessments FOR learning will yield significant
achievement results.
Simply knowing that schools are to be held accountable
for raising test scores is not enough. We must provide
teachers with the assessment tools they need to do the job.
Stiggins, R. & Chappius, J. 4
49
Assessment Crisis:
The Absence of Assessment FOR Learning
“By failing to supplement standardized
tests with richer, more meaningful
alternatives, we…invite our
communities to use only test scores to
judge us.”
Schmoker, M. 6
50
Principles of Assessment FOR Learning:
Formative Assessment 4
With formative assessments:
• Classroom assessment results are continuously
communicated into informative, descriptive feedback
for students.
• Classroom assessment results provide students with
specific strategies for improvement.
• Instruction is continuously adjusted based on classroom
assessment results.
• Teachers use classroom assessments to build students’
self confidence as learners:
--helping students take responsibility for their own learning
--helping students build a foundation for lifelong learning
51
Principles of Assessment FOR Learning:
Formative Assessment 4
• Teachers use a classroom assessment process to
advance, “not merely” check on student learning.
• Teachers are assessment literate. They set targets for
teaching and learning.
• Student achievement targets are clearly articulated to
students in advance of the instruction process.
• Students and parents clearly understand learning
expectations from the outset of the teaching and
learning process.
52
Assessment FOR Learning:
Learner Centered Assessment Principles 7
• The fundamental purpose of any educational assessment of
students should be to promote meaningful learning.
• Assessment should provide credibility and legitimacy to a
broad range of talents and accomplishments of students
across the curriculum.
• Assessment should occur continuously in classrooms in
order to provide longitudinal evidence of individual
progress.
• The strategies, skills, and knowledge required to excel in
academic assessment should be the same as those required
to master the curriculum on a daily basis.
53
Assessment FOR Learning:
Learner Centered Assessment Principles 7
• Assessments should be based on authentic and meaningful
tasks that are consistent with the regular curriculum and
instruction provided in the classroom.
• Assessments should be fair and equitable to all students
regardless of prior achievements, gender, race, language, or
cultural background.
• Assessments should measure students’ motivation and
attitudes … as well as their cognitive skills, strategies, and
knowledge.
• Assessments should include projects, exhibits, portfolios and
performances to demonstrate a wide range of behavior and
accomplishments.
54
Assessment FOR Learning:
Learner Centered Assessment Principles 7
• The design of standards of excellence and
assessment systems should include teachers,
administrators, students, and parents to ensure
consensus, commitment and ownership among
primary stakeholders.
• The results of assessment should provide clear, and
immediate feedback to the participants.
• All assessment should provide for periodic review
and revision among the participants and
consumers of assessment information.
55
Assessment FOR Learning:
Authentic Performance Based Assessment 8
The education reform movement has provided the
emphasis for alternative strategies to assess student
learning.
• This reflects the changing nature of teaching and
learning.
• Assessment needs to model the kinds of learning
students are expected to achieve.
• Performance assessment is more compatible with
curricular reforms that emphasize:
– The identification and solution of authentic, real world
problems
– Reasoning and higher order thinking skills
(Adapted from Glatthorn, A.(1998). Performance Assessment and
standards based curricula-The achievement cycle)
56
Assessment FOR Learning:
Authentic Performance Based Assessment 8
Authentic assessment
strategies:
• Provide useful information
for teachers to evaluate
what students:
– know and
– can do
• In real-life 21st century
situations.
57
Assessment FOR Learning:
Authentic Performance Based Assessment 8
Authentic Performance Based Assessment:
• Is an approach for assessing students by
directly examining their performance on tasks
designed to:
– Represent complex, real-life tasks
– Emphasize critical thinking and problem
solving skills
• Focuses not only on what students know, but
how they can apply their knowledge
• Is often project based
58
Assessment FOR Learning:
Authentic Performance Based Assessment 8
Example:
• Collecting and analyzing water samples for a local
government agency
• Developing a business proposal for a tourism
project in Oman
Rubrics:
• Specific criteria and measurement scale used for
different levels of proficiency in performance
assessment
59
Assessment FOR Learning:
Authentic Performance Based Assessment 8
•
Authentic learning and performance based assessment actively
involves students in what is taught, how it is taught, and how it is
evaluated (by a system of standards and rubrics).
•
Authentic assessment strategies provide useful classroom information
to evaluate what students know and do in real-life situations.
•
Authentic assessment creates the possibility that teachers will align
curriculum to develop high standards and student performance skills.
•
Teachers use the resulting information about students’ learning and
performance to shape their teaching in effective ways.
•
Authentic assessment can achieve a coherent system for assessment,
curriculum development, instruction, and professional development.
60
Assessment FOR Learning:
Performance Based Assessment 8
What’s the Balance?
How well can you use what you know?
61
Do you know it?
Can you use it?
Recall
Identify
List
Match
Classify
Compare
Analyze
Evaluate
Assessment FOR Learning: Most Common Authentic
Performance Based Assessment Characteristics
1. Is student oriented and involves students in selfassessment and development of assessment measures
2. Is assessment of student learning over time
3. Is authentic – includes knowledge and skills needed for
real world situations
4. Requires students to generate and apply knowledge to real
life situations
5. Provides useful information for teachers to evaluate what
students know and can do in real life situations
6. Provides strategies for assessing complex, higher-order
thinking skills
62
Assessment FOR Learning: Most Common Authentic
Performance Based Assessment Characteristics
7. Is based on criteria known in
advance by students, teachers,
and parents
8. Requires students to produce a
product or performance
9. Requires development of
performance tasks and scoring
guidelines (rubrics)
63
Assessment FOR Learning: Most Common Authentic
Performance Based Assessment Characteristics
10. Provides for use of teaching
and learning processes that
do not unfairly
discriminate with respect to
learning styles,
backgrounds, and cultures.
11. May included group
performance assessment;
experiment design; report
analysis which
demonstrates that any
member of the group can
meet rubrics.
64
Activity 9
ASSESSMENT TEAM ANALYSIS
Assessment FOR Learning
In your teams, discuss the questions on the handout.
Then report the results of your discussion
65
Activity 10
VIDEO VIEWING
Project Based Learning and Assessment
View the video segment.
Then discuss the questions that appear on the next slide.
66
?
??
Reflective Questions
1. What examples of authentic, active learning were
evident in the projects presented in the video?
2. How was student performance assessed? What learning
objectives do you think were assessed?
3. What do you see as strengths of the assessment process
implemented? Weaknesses?
4. What new information or ideas did you gain for the
assessment of Oman secondary students?
67
Activity 11
PAIRED ASSESSMENT TEAMS
Authentic Assessment Activity
1. Create an example of an authentic, performance-based
assessment activity relevant to an Oman secondary school
student.
2. Create rubrics for performance.
3. Using a flip chart, present your example.
68
Assessment FOR Learning:
Performance Based Assessment Concerns
What are the issues related to:
• Diversity?
• Equity?
• Education for all?
• Performance task authenticity?
• Differentiated instruction?
• Teacher training?
69
Assessment FOR Learning:
Performance Based Assessment Concerns
Performance-based Assessment:
• Can be time consuming and costly
• Requires sufficient teacher training
REMEMBER:
• No single assessment can always meet all purposes
in all situations.
• A multifaceted assessment system, using both
traditional and alternative measurements tools is
beneficial.
What are the instructional leadership and
policy implications?
70
Activity 12
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS
Performance Based Assessment
1. What opportunities do you see for the application of
performance based assessment in your school?
2. What are the challenges?
3. Summarize your group discussion results on a flip chart.
71
Assessment FOR Learning: Contemporary Assessment
Curriculum Based Assessment
Curriculum Based Assessment is:
• A procedure for continuously
determining the instructional
needs of a student based on the
student’s ongoing performance
within existing course content
• A specified system of curriculum
based measures developed by
researchers at the University of
Minnesota and the Minneapolis
Public Schools, Minneapolis, MN
72
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement
Curriculum Based Measurement is:
• An alternative approach to traditional norm-referenced
assessment
• Characterized by standardized, frequent, and direct
measures of a student’s skill in curriculum content
(reading, math, spelling, written expression, reading
comprehension)
• Multi-faceted and curriculum referenced
• Individually referenced and peer referenced
73
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement
Curriculum Based Measurement is:
• A procedure for determining ongoing instructional
needs for student(s)
• A system of data-based instruction in which teachers
can:
– Plan
– Monitor
– Evaluate
– Modify their instruction
• Highly sensitive to student growth
• Time and cost efficient
74
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Procedures
Measurement Procedures:
• Implement an instructional
strategy
• Test and chart student
progress (weekly, biweekly)
• Determine whether the
student is progressing at the
expected rate
• Revise the instructional
strategy if the student’s
performance growth rate is
below the specified goal
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Performance
5
4
3
2
1
Goal
Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3
Wk 4
Time
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student Growth Charts
76
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student
Growth
Charts
77
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student
Growth
Charts
78
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student
Growth
Charts
79
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student Growth Charts
80
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student Growth Charts
81
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student Growth Charts
82
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Curriculum Based Measurement Data Analysis
Student Growth Charts
83
© 2007 Magnusson, D. No reuse without permission
Assessment FOR Learning:
Portfolio Assessment
Portfolio Assessment:
Provides an authentic,
student-centered, continuous
assessment strategy
Is a multi-faceted collection
of authentic student work
products collected over time
84
Assessment FOR Learning:
Portfolio Assessment
Portfolio Assessment:
• Is a systematic and organized collection of evidence to
evaluate and monitor the growth of student knowledge,
skills
• Provides a long term portrayal of student work; not a
single snapshot
• Provides opportunity for continuous feedback which
enables teachers to make more informed diagnostic and
curricular decisions
• Teachers and students work together as co-constructors of
knowledge, skills, work habits
85
Assessment FOR Learning:
Portfolio Assessment
Portfolio Assessment:
• Potential value of portfolios is the
capacity to enable the individual
student to internalize criteria and
develop personal standards
• Provides opportunity for student selfassessment and reflection; brings
students to a definition of excellence
• A critical element of portfolios is the
reflection of students about their own
learning
86
• In a portfolio culture, students realize
many modalities of learning;
experience much of their assessment
as instruction
Assessment FOR Learning:
Guidelines for Developing and Using Portfolios
Portfolio Assessment:
•
Teachers may want to develop a timeline so that at the end of every
unit, semester etc. the student’s portfolio is reviewed, items added
and/or deleted.
•
Without a specific timeline, portfolios may remain stagnant, merely
becoming a record-keeping system rather than a link to instruction.
•
Alternatively, teachers may want to update and check a specified
number of portfolios daily, weekly, or biweekly.
•
Teachers need to schedule reviews with students at regular intervals to
continuously monitor progress and link to instructional change.
•
Portfolios provide useful communication vehicles to discuss student
progress with parents.
87
Assessment FOR Learning:
Guidelines for Developing and Using Portfolios
The Portfolio is:
• An individualized, reflective
chronicle of student learning
• A selective collection of
authentic work samples related
to class instructional goals, such
as:
• Work samples
• Projects
• Other types of exhibits
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Assessment FOR Learning:
Guidelines for Developing and Using Portfolios
Example time frames:
2007
• Units
• Projects
• Calendar segments
• Quarterly
• Annually
• Over multiple years
2008
Effective portfolios contain a conceptual and physical
structure of student work samples developed over time.
Both the teacher and student help construct the portfolio.
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Assessment FOR Learning:
Organizing a Portfolio
Structure Examples:
In Chronological Order
By Subject
By Themes
By Projects / Exhibits
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Assessment FOR Learning:
Organizing a Portfolio
IMPORTANT: Work sample exhibits in the portfolio
need to include evidence of student reflection.
Example Reflective Journaling:
•
•
•
•
Why is this meaningful to me?
What new knowledge or skills did I learn?
To what level of excellence?
How has this activity, experience changed
my thinking?
Teachers and students may want to include a reflection category (see
questions above) for each work sample included in the portfolio.
Portfolios should be accessible to students and teachers so information
may be frequently updated.
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Assessment FOR Learning:
Portfolios: What do Teachers Say?
I see higher levels of
student engagement in
learning tasks.
Students better
understand concepts
and goals of
curricular aligned
assessment.
Students can explain
how they learn best
and what they’ve
learned.
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I see greater
persistence in
completing
learning tasks.
Students
frequently use
reflection and
evaluation.
Assessment FOR Learning:
Computer-based Digital Portfolios 9
Computer-based digital (electronic) portfolios are a
solution for the information age. They:
• Address the issue of storage and
management of portfolio materials
• Allow student information to be collected,
stored, and managed electronically
• Can store information for entire classes,
grade levels, or schools
• Allow easy transfer of student documents
(on CD) from teacher to teacher or school to
school.
Adapted from
Niguidala, D. (2005)
The use of commercial software (ex: File Maker Pro) allows
teachers to create their own portfolio assessment templates
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Assessment FOR Learning: Computer Based Digital
Portfolios: Making Portfolios Meaningful 9
Research findings show that schools using digital portfolios
as assessment tools need to ask the following questions:
• Vision: What skills and content should students master
and demonstrate in their portfolios?
• Purpose: Why do we collect student work?
• Audience: Who are the audiences for the portfolios?
• Assessment: How do the entries in portfolios reflect the
school’s assessment vision and how can we assess the
quality of those entries?
Adapted from Niguidala, D. (2005)
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Assessment FOR Learning: Computer Based Digital
Portfolios: Making Portfolios Meaningful 9
Questions to ask-continued:
• Technology: What hardware, software, networking, and
technical support will our school need to implement adigital
portfolio assessment system?
• Logistics: How will students enter their work into the digital
portfolios?
• Culture: Is discussing student work already part of our
school culture?
Adapted from Niguidala, D. (2005)
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
• Technology is the least important consideration for use
of portfolios (digital or otherwise).
• The essential element is integrating digital portfolios
into a larger assessment system with clear learning
goals.
• It is important to determine the purpose of portfolios,
e.g.,
• Showcasing student best products
• Showing students have mastered graduation requirements
• Communicating student progress to parents and other
audiences
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
What kinds of work should portfolios include?
• Once a school determines the primary purpose of
portfolios, a decision can be made about the kinds of
artifacts (both teacher and student) to be included.
• Schools need to identify strategies for assessing portfolios
• Schools should evaluate individual entries and the
portfolio as a whole
• Schools need to develop school-wide rubrics, e.g., “What
makes a good lab report?”
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Ponaganset High School Example
• Students use portfolios to demonstrate mastery of
state standards
• Purpose is to demonstrate students can meet state
standards while showing they are individual
learners
Ponaganset High School is a secondary school serving students
in grades 9-12 in North Scituate, Rhode Island.
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Rubric Example from Ponaganset High School –
A “good lab report” is defined as:
• A report with a clear statement of purpose
• A report that establishes an hypothesis
• A report that presents data in an easy-to-read
format, appropriate to the type of information that
has been collected
• A report that has a clear conclusion
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Example from Barrington and Bristol-Warren
Rhode Island Elementary Schools
• At a parent-teacher conference, the teacher shows the
student’s portfolio which displays samples of the
student’s work in reading, writing, and math from
grades K-5.
• GOAL: To show growth over time. Twice a year teachers
video tape each student reading a passage and answering
comprehension questions.
• Teachers report that the video component allows them to
powerfully convey a student’s reading skills to the
parents.
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Digital portfolios need to include
student’s self reflections.
• Student reflections are a crucial part of the
assessment.
• Reflections should be included for each
portfolio entry. Suggested prompts:
–
How does this entry fulfill the school’s
expectations?
–
What skills did you use in this project?
• When students read their reflections, they
see how their skills have grown over time;
• They begin to see “where they can go
next”.
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Report Generation
• Schools need a system that regularly creates reports,
summarizing the contents and implications of
students’ portfolios.
• Digital portfolios offer teachers and students the
advantage of creating reports in multiple ways.
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Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Reporting example from Ponaganset High School
Students click on links for each graduation expectation
in their portfolios.
They can instantly review how many expectations have
been fulfilled and identify expectations where evidence
is still needed.
Teachers get reports telling them how all students have
performed on particular rubrics.
This information allows the teacher to adjust
instruction if needed.
103
Computer Based Digital Portfolios9
Online Digital Portfolio Samples
http://www.efoliominnesota.com
(click on Gallery)
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Activity 13
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS
TEAM DISCUSSION
Portfolio Assessment Strengths and Challenges
1. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of
using portfolio assessment in Oman secondary schools?
2. What are the opportunities?
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Portfolio Assessment: Issues
Issues related to Portfolio Assessment
• Portfolios can merely become a collection of “stuff”.
• It can be difficult to create uniformly calibrated standards.
• Some argue it is difficult to use portfolio data for comparative
evaluation; There is the need to develop content standards and
rubrics.
• Teachers need to know the strengths and weaknesses of using
portfolios.
• Using portfolios takes time to review and discuss.
• There is the need to develop electric storage and
teacher/student ability to input and output data for efficiency
and economy.
106
Activity 14
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS
Portfolio Assessment Teacher Training Plan
Create a teacher training plan for using portfolio
assessment in Oman secondary schools.
Prepare to present your plan to large group
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Activity 15
ASSESSMENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS
TEAM DISCUSSION
Assessment Ethics
1. What standards for ethical assessment practice need to
be considered?
2. What cultural considerations, if any, need to be
considered?
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Assessment Ethics Issues
Assessment Ethics Issues
• Selection of technically adequate assessment
measures (normative sample, validity, reliability)
• Exclusion of under-represented populations
• Use of a single assessment measure to describe
student performance
• Teaching to the test
• Administration of a test without meeting training
requirements; unskilled examiners
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School Assessment Ethics Issues
Ethics Issues--continued:
• Administering the test without following
standardization procedures
• Not administering the entire test – using only
selected subtests
• Poor testing environment
• Misinterpretation of results – excluding certain
populations from test result reporting
• Confidentiality of information
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Activity 16
SWOC ANALYSIS
SWOC Analysis: Assessment Process
1. Conduct a SWOC analysis of the assessment process
used in your school. Post your results to a flip chart.
2. Use colored stickers to indicate your priorities for
change.
Green = #1
Red = #2 Orange=#3
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