Assessing For Learning and
Transfer
Pre-Assessment
• Questions for us to consider:
• How do I define assessment?
• What is the role of assessment in my classroom?
• How do I consider both individual and grade-level
expectations?
• How will I measure higher-level thinking and
understanding through assessment?
• How will I also prepare students for their end of
course assessments?
• How will assessment relate to my instruction?
Updating Questions, Concerns,
Etc.
Agenda
1. Overview of formative vs. summative, the
power of each type of assessment.
2. Developing formative assessments that
align with KUDs and build toward
performance tasks.
3. Developing performance tasks that show
evidence of transfer and meaning
(including rubrics).
Michael Jordan:
• “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my
career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26
times I’ve been trusted to take the gamewinning shot and missed. I’ve failed over
and over and over again in my life. And
that is why I succeed.”
In Your Groups…
• Define assessment
• What is the purpose of assessment?
• How do you most often see assessment
used in today’s classrooms?
On Page 136 of Your Workbook
• What questions do you have about this
framework that we will be investigating?
• Individually complete the self-assessment
on page 143 and then discuss what areas
you would like to improve on.
– Use this as a self-improvement guide for the
next two days.
Assessment and Instruction are parts of
an interdependent process….
Big Ideas of discipline/
Understanding of student development
Objectives: Understandings, skills,
and facts; standards integrated
Pre-assessment
Instruction:
Designed to help students
master the objectives while
addressing issues indicated by
pre/formative assessments
Ongoing, formative
assessment
Summative Assessment:
(Evaluates students’ grasp of big
ideas, objectives, standards)
Stage 1: Establishing Priorities
around “Big Ideas”
worth being
familiar with
”nice to know”
4 weeks
important to
know & do
foundational
knowledge & skill
4 years
Big ideas
See pages 78-80
“big ideas”
worth
exploring and
understanding
in depth
40 years
9
Recognizing Effective Assessment
EL Reading: “Learning to Love Assessment”,
Carol Ann Tomlinson.
► Video:
What is formative assessment? at
http://bcove.me/zmouirm8
►
Based on the readings and video, identify various
assessments types used in your classroom/school,
distinguish the purpose and determine the value of each,
then look for areas of your instruction where formative
assessment might help you and your students.
The Assessment Continuum:
Use a Range and Variety of
Assessments
– performance tasks and projects
– academic prompts for essays and
reflection
– quizzes and test items
– informal checks for understanding,
including observations, dialogues with
students
Use Formative and
Summative Assessments
Summative Assessment
(Assessment OF Learning)
Formative Assessment (Assessment
FOR Learning)

Assessment occurring during the
process of a unit or a course.
During the formation of a concept
or item. Answers question: How
are students doing? What are
they learning? What
misconceptions do they have?
Quiz, exit card, bellringer
questions, journals, teacher
observations, mid-unit test, oneminute essay



Gives feedback to either the
teacher or student (or both) on
what revisions to make to
teaching or to student work.
The assessment done at the end of
a unit, course, grade level.
Provides a final summation of
learning.


End of chapter, final exam, final
draft of writing portfolio, benchmark
test, senior exhibition.
The adding-up or summary stage.
Summarizes the learning for both
the teacher and the student.
Assessment-Centered
Classrooms
Use ongoing, formative assessments –
both formal and informal. Goals:
– Uncover students’ misconceptions
– Give students the chance to revise and
improve their thinking, as well as to see
their own progress
– Help teachers target areas that need to
be remediated.
For our purposes, we will “…use the
definition offered by Black and William
that formative assessment encompasses
‘all those activities undertaken by
teachers and/or by students which
provide information to be used as
feedback to modify the teaching and
learning activities in which they engage’
(pg. 7-8).”
R.J.Marzano
Affective Benefits of
Assessment FOR Learning…
► “Self- efficacy is defined as people's beliefs in their own
capabilities….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 setbacks. They attribute failure to insufficient effort
or deficient knowledge and skills which [they believe] are
acquirable [rather than to a lack of inherent ability]”
(Bandura, 1994, p. 71).
R.Stiggins
Help students understand how to close the gap
between where they are now and where you
want them to end up:
• Teach them to improve the quality of their
work one key attribute at a time, always
realizing that they will have to put the pieces
together.
• Provide the opportunity for students to sense
and understand the improvements that are
evident in their work; help them learn to
reflect on those changes and why they are
happening.
R.Stiggins
Powerful Assessment
• “Formative assessment can help students
focus on a task, direct attention towards
the processes needed to accomplish this
task, provide information about
misunderstood ideas, and motivate
students to invest more effort.”
– Hattie, 2012, p. 115
• What sets powerful assessment apart?
Provide some examples.
How Could This Be Used As a
Powerful Assessment?
• http://emc7x.edu.glogster.com/assessingfor-learning
Assessment: What Does Brain
Research Tell Us?
►Formative
 Formative, non graded assessment
is less likely to be stressful.
 Formative assessment builds
competence, which makes
summative assessments less
stressful.
 Effective assessment is an effort in
clarity, not in judgment.
Summative
 Students may or may not retain info after taking a test (especially if
they don’t see a need to retain it).
 21st century skills require use of knowledge, not retention, so we
need to prepare students for divergent and executive thinking.
 Divergent and evaluative questions engage multiple areas of the
brain. When more areas of the brain have to respond, there is a
greater likelihood of endorphins being released and greater
learning.
 Tasks being aligned with learning goals (that are clear and known
to the students) will lead to better performance
 Performance tasks that are layered and authentic attach meaning
and challenge students, which can lead to increased retention and
achievement.
 Allow them to show what they know rather than what they
►
memorized, forgot, or never learned.
From Sousa and Tomlinson (2010) Differentiation and the Brain.
Transfer tasks (Performance):
different types
Mathematically model complex phenomena
 Tell and justify your own “history” of an event, era
 Write effectively for a genuine audience and
purpose
 Speak effectively and sensitively in the target
language, in a culturally-demanding situation
 Respond to a specific Request for Proposals as
an artist, with an appropriate portfolio of work
 Adapt your strategy in a game with an opponent
whose strength plays to your weakness

21
Discussion: Wormeli on Assessment
► Watch
the videos
► After each one, jot down some ideas about how
his ideas might be included in your assessment
plan.
► At the end I would like you to share your ideas.
► Some questions to get things going:
 What benefits might standards-based grading have on
schools? Teachers? Students?
 Are there any drawbacks to these changes?
 Think about the practicality of the suggestions.
Understandings Serve as…
Bloom Levels (2001)
Create
Remember
Evaluate
Evaluate
Analyze
Analyze
Analyze
Apply
Apply
Apply
Apply
Understand
Understand
Understand
Understand
Understand
Remember
Remember
Remember
Remember
Remember
What should we assess?
• Categorize what you listed under the
following three aspects:
1. Grade-level expectations
2. Individual expectations
3. Working smart: habits, effort, response to
feedback, etc.
assessments serve
different purposes…
“The quality and quantity of feedback
is directly proportionate to the
increase in student achievement”
Grant Wiggins
ONGOING ASSESSMENT
Some teachers
talk about---
LEARNING
Some teachers
talk about--VS.
GRADES
• Can these two coexist peacefully?
• Should one receive emphasis over the other?
Quote Discussion
► Select
one of the following quotes on the
next slide. How does this play out in the
classroom?
► Get with one other person who has chosen
the same quote.
► Share your ideas.
► Get with someone else who chose a
different quote. Share again
► Group discussion
►
►
►
“We need both standards of achievement and defensible rates of
progress. Students go to school to make progress beyond what they
bring at the start; hence progress is among the most critical
dimensions for judging the success of schools.” P. 59
“The aim of feedback is to assist students moving from what do I know
and what can I do, to what do I not know and what can I not do, to
what can I teach others and myself about what I know and can do.
This leads to higher engagement and confidence which tends to lead
to more effort.” P. 121
“Students prefer feedback that is forward looking (i.e. next steps),
related to the indicators for success in the lesson, just in time,
individualized, and about the work the students do, not the students
themselves.” P. 131
Formative assessment is critical
► We
do too much “testing” and not enough
“feedback giving”
 The research is clear: lots of formative
assessment is key to the greatest gains in
learning, as measured on conventional tests.
Some of the Most Powerful
Influences on Student Achievement
(Hattie, 2012)
Nine Guidelines For Providing
Feedback (Shute, 2008 p.136)
Focus feedback on the task and not the learner
Provide elaborated feedback (what, how, why)
Present this feedback in manageable units
Be specific and clear with feedback messages
Keep feedback as simple as possible, but no simpler
Reduce uncertainty between performance and goals
Give unbiased, objective feedback, written or via computer
Promote a learning goal orientation via feedback (errors are
welcome and essential)
 Provide feedback after students have attempted a solution
(leading to more self-regulation).








7 Keys To Effective Feedback
(Wiggins)
► Read
the Article, then select two keys to
focus on.
Effective Feedback
► Video:
“Key Characteristic: Results in Rapid
Feedback” (http://bcove.me/k0u24cpl )
► Try and think of two groups of students in your
class based on a recent lesson, one with some
grasp of the material, and one with a strong grasp
of the material. Provide feedback to each student
based on the guidelines provided by Wiggins in
Seven Keys to Effective Feedback.
“Assessment is today’s means of
understanding how to modify
tomorrow’s instruction.”
Carol Tomlinson
A Private Universe: Revisited
• Why did these misconceptions persist?
• What could the teacher have done
differently?
Essential Question
► Why
do teachers fail to use formative
assessment? What can be done to increase
the use of formative assessments in
schools?
Why Formatively
Assess?
What is formative-assessment?
►
Finding out:
 What students
about to teach
know (or don’t know) about what you’re
 What students are
interested in
process
information
 How students best
FA Examples
 VIDEO 1: Elementary teacher Andrea Fulginiti
works with students on note-taking and
summary skills in their comparison of historical
fiction vs non-fiction history texts.
►http://bcove.me/j7fsovan
 VIDEO 2: Example is from science class; lab
experiment.
►
http://bcove.me/yqfxheco
EXIT CARD GROUPINGS
Group 2
Group 1
Students who are
struggling with the
concept or
skill
Readiness Groups
Students with
some understanding
of concept or skill
Group 3
Students who
understand the
concept or skill
Teaching Channel Ex’s
► Exit
cards
► Podcasts
3-2-1 Cards
Name:
►3 things I learned today about
ecosystems
►2 questions I still have/ am confused
about…
►1 thing I would like to learn more
about…
Another Alternative….
ENTRY CARDS
Metaphor Lesson
ENTRY CARD
Name: ____________
Period:_____
► What
► Give
is a “metaphor”?
at least two examples.
► Explain
why song-writers and poets use
metaphors.
Two Tasks…
“ME” Metaphor Poem
A
•Choose something to compare yourself to. It can be something in
nature, a machine of sorts, a song, a force, and animal, a color—
the only thing it CAN”T be is another person.
•Strive for at least 4 stanzas (line lengths in stanzas can vary).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Advanced Understanding – Complete assignment independently)
“ME” Metaphor Poem
B
►
Write a poem describing yourself using a series of metaphors
and similes. You can describe both what you are and what you
are not.
►
Try using couplets – and strive for about 5-7 couplets. See
page 314 an 315 for more information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~
(Basic understanding – Assignment follows mini-lesson on metaphors)
Frayer Diagrams
TOPIC or CONCEPT
DEFINE IT
LIST EXAMPLES
GIVE IMPORTANCE
LIST NON-EXAMPLES
You can
change the
category titles
to suit your
instructional
needs.
Unit “Hook” Example
POWER
Where Do
you have it?
“Shrew”
Characters who
had it:
Where do you
lack it?
“Shrew” Characters
who lacked it:
Economics Example
Free Enterprise System
DEFINE IT
GIVE IMPORTANCE
LIST EXAMPLES
LIST NON-EXAMPLES
Think-Pair-Share
NOTE:
SEE
PACKET
Windshield Check
► CLEAR
– “I get it!”
► BUGS – “I get it for the most
part, but I still have a few
questions.”
► MUD – “I still don’t get it.”
Alternative Method:
Thumbs-up/Wiggle palms/Thumbs down
Graffiti
► Similar
to “Carousel”
 Students move in small groups to respond to
different questions with new material.
 Great way to begin and end activities
► Another
Option – “Roundtable”
 One pencil and piece of paper per small group
 Group members write one idea and pass; no
talking, but may pantomime
THINKING ABOUT
ON-GOING ASSESSMENT
•
Formal
•
Journal entry
Open response question
•
Home learning
•
Notebook
•
Oral response
•
Portfolio entry
•
Question writing
•
Exit cards
•
•
•
Informal
•
Anecdotal records
Observation by checklist
•
Skills checklist
•
Class discussion
Small group interaction
•
Teacher – student
conference
Instructional Questioning
Example: Informal Checks for
Understanding (p. 234)









Hand Signals
Instructional Questions
Index Card Summaries/Question
Questions Box/Board
Analogy Prompt
Web/Concept Map
One-Minute Essay
Misconception Check
Wordle.net
Stage 2
Individual Learning Checks
Creating Formative Assessments
► Brookhart
Action Tool
Pre-Assessment or
Diagnostic Assessment
for your Unit
Pre-assessment is a type of formative
assessment for the teacher to gain
information about what the student already
knows about concepts, knowledge or skills to
be taught in the unit
“What is most important is that teaching
is visible to the student, and that the
learning is visible to the teacher. The
more the student becomes the teacher
and the more the teacher becomes the
learner, then the more successful the
outcomes.”
Hattie, 2012, p. 17
Willingham Article Graffiti
► Relate
this article to the need for preassessment (and formative assessment)
► What key components of pre-assessment
need to be included to avoid the issues of
familiarity and partial access?
► What issues do you find with his argument?
Think about the evidence he cites.
Pre-assessment Is...
Any method, strategy or process used to determine a
student’s current level of readiness or interest in order to
plan for appropriate instruction.
• provides data to determine options for students
• helps determine differences before planning
•helps teacher design activities that are respectful and
challenging
•allows teachers to meet students where they are
•identifies starting point for instruction
•identifies learning gaps
•makes efficient use of instructional time
Common Types of Readiness or Pre
Assessments
K-W-L Check
Pre-test
Skills Check
Misconception check
Writing samples or journal with prompt
► Mind mapping (graphic organizer)
► Checklist through observation, cruising
► Student products and work samples
► Interviews or oral defense
► Draw what you know
► Anticipation/reaction guide
► Informal Q and A
►
►
►
►
►
Identify Pre-Assessments
The most effective summative:
Authentic Performance
Assessment

The most effective performance assessments
are developed to show transfer of learning in
the most “real world” or authentic tasks.
In a UbD unit, the authentic performance
assessments should assess the understandings
as much as possible. That may mean two or
three small authentic assessments during or
one large assessment at the end of the unit.

What Does it Mean To Promote
Authentic Learning?
• Freeman Hrabowski and UMBC
Let’s Examine A Previous
Performance Task
• Use page 91 in your High Quality Units
(Orange) books.
• Using the chart on 95 (and the six facets
of understanding), quickly brainstorm how
you might better measure meaning and
transfer.
• Pages 197-206 in your workbooks will help
you generate ideas for quality
performance tasks.
6 Facets of Understanding: When
Students Really Understand
– explanation – student theories - ‘the why’
– interpretation – meaning, stories, translations
made by student
– application – of knowledge in (new) context
– perspective – awareness of other points of
view, critical stance
– empathy – “walk in the shoes of...”
– self-knowledge – wisdom, “knowing thyself”,
aware of one’s prejudices and habits of mind
Scenario Example for Science
– The goal is to determine the best solution for evaluating
water quality and usability for recreational purposes in
your city.
– Role: You are the director of the water authority
– Audience are members of the city council who must
make final decisions on usability based on your
recommendations.
– Situation: You must plan and assess the water quality
from at least 5 different fresh water locations in your
city, conduct experiments, and write a report for nonscientists on your findings and recommendations.
– Products or Performances: Identified experiments,
tests, and results from 5 water samples. Written or oral
report with visuals and recommendations to explain the
conditions and analysis of each water site.
Something to Keep in Mind
► Reliability
vs. Validity
 Reliability measures the extent to which you will
get consistent results with a measurement
 Validity measures the extend to which the
measurement actually assesses the intended
goal
► How might you improve validity and reliability in
your classroom?
► Use pages 177-179 in your workbooks to check for
validity of your performance task.
Rubrics
Analytic vs. Holistic
Generic vs. Task Specific
• Which do you prefer and why?
• What about with your students? Which
might they prefer?
• Pages 182-196 have plenty of examples
that will help you develop rubrics.
What Good Are Rubrics?
•
Content/Coverage: What counts? What they see is what you’ll get.
– Does it cover everything of importance?
– Does it leave out unimportant things?
•
Clarity: Does everyone understand the terms and criteria used?
– Are terms defined?
– Are various levels of quality defined?
– Are there samples of work to illustrate levels of quality?
•
Practicality: Is it easy for both teachers and students to use?
– Would students understand the terms and criteria used? Is there a student-friendly
version?
– Could students use it to self-assess?
– Is the information provided useful for planning instruction?
– Is the rubric manageable?
•
Technical Quality/Fairness: Is it reliable and valid?
–
–
–
–
Is it reliable? Would different raters give the same score?
Is it valid? Do the ratings actually represent what students can do?
Is it fair? Does the language adequately describe quality for all students? Are there
racial, cultural, gender, or other biases?
Stiggns/ETS 2008
Still Needs Work
No reason for assessment
is apparent and none can
be inferred from the context;
it is not clear why the
assessment is being
conducted.
There seem to be too many
purposes (users and uses)
and the assessment
couldn’t possibly serve them
all.
The specified purpose is
inappropriate – the
information gathered will not
serve the needs of the
intended users.
If an assessment FOR
learning context, the
assessment will not serve to
build student confidence.
Well on Its Way
Users and uses can be
implied but are not made
explicit.
There is some question
about whether the
assessment can fulfill its
intended purpose.
If an assessment FOR
learning context, the
assessment may be
encouraging.
R.Stiggins
Ready to Use
Intended users and uses
are explicitly stated.
It is clear that the
assessment will help them.
If an assessment FOR
learning context, the
assessment will provide
motivational support for
students to shine for
excellence.
Rubric Workshop
• Begin working on a rubric based on the
examples that you’ve been exposed to
so far. Keep in mind that you will be
using this to assess your performance
assessment.
– Analytic or holistic?
– What characteristics or indicators of
quality might you be looking for?
– What about degrees of quality?
Post-Assessment
• Questions for us to consider:
• How do I define assessment?
• What is the role of assessment in my classroom?
• How do I consider both individual and grade-level
expectations?
• How will I measure higher-level thinking and
understanding through assessment?
• How will I also prepare students for their end of
course assessments?
• How will assessment relate to my instruction?