UNIT PLANNING AND
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
SLS:
Eknowledge
Series
Facilitators:
Lynn Radicello, OCM BOCES Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Auddie Mastroleo, OCM BOCES Network Team
March 7, 201 2
The Big Picture
Teachers
DDI
CCLS
APPR
Board of Ed
READINESS GUIDE
Awareness
Connections
Integration
QUALITY UNIT DESIGN
QUALITIES OF UNIT DESIGN
Begin by selecting the standards to teach
Standards are addressed with essential questions and guiding questions
Knowledge and skills are identified
Instructional strategies carefully and purposefully planned
Assessment criteria communicated to learners prior to beginning the work
Incorporates both formative and summative assessment
PRIORITIZING
THE STANDARDS
Which
ones to
teach?
Endurance
• Does the value
extend beyond a
single test?
Criteria
Leverage
• Is the value
multidisciplinary?
Readiness • Necessary for
for the next
success in the
level of
next grade?
learning
Prioritizing
the
Standards
School
• Does the value
extend beyond a
single test?
Criteria
Life
State
Test
• Is the value
multidisciplinary?
• Necessary for
success in the
next grade?
Prioritizing
the
Standards
Endurance
Leverage
Readiness
School
Life
State Test
What do your
students need for
success – in this
school year, next
year, and so on
(leverage; readiness),
in life (endurance),
and on your state
tests?
Prioritizing
the
Standards
What essential
understandings
and skills do
our students
need?
Which
standards
and/or
indicators can
be clustered or
incorporated
into others?
Guiding
Questions
for
Prioritizing
Standards
On your own
• Identify the
standards/indicators that
are non-negotiable
Talk with
your
colleagues
• Compare choices
• Note similarities/differences
• Reach initial consensus
Vertical
Alignment
• Grade Above & Grade Below
• Align all grade spans
A Protocol
for
Prioritizing
Standards
WITH YOUR GROUP….
First, independently identify
non-negotiable standards
Compare choices and reach a
consensus
Align standard selections by
comparing a grade above and
below (vertical alignment)
Prioritize
the
Standards
in the Unit
Essential
Questions
Guiding
Questions
LINKED TO
STANDARDS
Essential Questions
A universal question that has
no definitive answer
Provides a compelling and relevant
“hook” into the student’s experience
Encourages multiple perspectives as
well as ongoing inquiry and interest
When is
war
justified?
What
makes art
art?
Are
numbers
real?
Guiding Questions
Specific and answerable questions
What were the
causes and
consequences
of 20 th century
American
wars?
Support inquiry based instruction
linked to the essential question
Provides the cohesive thread in the
unit’s lessons
What are the
effects of
erosion on
our beaches?
IDENTIFY
KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
What do
students
need to
know and
be able to
do?
UNWRAPPING
Analyze standards for
CONTENT
SKILLS
what students need
to know
what students need
to be able to do
UNWRAPPING
Let’s unwrap RL6-8.1!
Underline
the nouns
Circle
the verbs
Enter these
into the
unwrapping
template
Bloom’s or
DOK?
UNWRAPPING
Cite textual evidence to support analysis
of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
Underline
the nouns
Circle
the verbs
Enter these
into the
unwrapping
template
Bloom’s or
DOK?
UNWRAPPING TEMPLATE
SKILLS (verbs)
Students need to be able to do…
CONCEPTS (nouns)
BLOOM’S/DOK
Students need to know
What kind of
about…
thinking?
• Cite
• Textual evidence
• DOK 3
• Support
• Analysis of explicit text
• Bloom’s 3-4
• Draw
• Inferences (prior knowledge)
(prior knowledge)
Topics/Big Ideas/Essential Questions
• Supporting analysis with details and examples
• How does textual evidence support and strengthen our thinking?
WITH YOUR GROUP….
Select a priority
standard to unwrap
Underline nouns and
circle the verbs
Select level of thinking
and key vocabulary
Unwrapping
the
Standards
in the Unit
Required
Knowledge
Provides
scaffolding
and extension
Required
Skills
Instructional
Strategies
Opportunities
to make
meaning
Rigor and
complex
thinking skills
Real world
connections
ASSESSMENT TYPES
DATA RESOURCES
LET’S BE CLEAR
Assessment
for
Evaluation
Assessment
for
Instruction
Summative
Formative
AT YOUR TABLES….
Brainstorm
Craft a definition
for each
Share
Formative
vs.
Summative
FORMATIVE? SUMMATIVE?
A science teacher has students complete a
graphic organizer identifying the different
parts of a cell. He grades the assignment
and returns it to students. He speaks
privately with a few students (who did not
pass) to tell them that they’ll need to study
more since this information will be on the
unit test at the end of the chapter.
FORMATIVE? SUMMATIVE?
A Kindergarten teacher asks her
students to write their first name
and draw a self-portrait. She
identifies those students who can’t
spell their name and targets them
for specific sound/letter
instruction.
FORMATIVE? SUMMATIVE?
Each student in Jazz Band
played an on-demand musical
piece as part of their final
exam. The score was factored
in and became a part of their
final average.
An assessment is formative if it…
Occurs during the
learning process
Identifies students
experiencing
difficulties
Results are used to
help students
continue to learn
(informs instruction)
Informs teachers as
to the effectiveness
of instruction for
current students
Informs students in
regards to progress
in becoming
proficient (provides
feedback)
Typically are NOT
used to assign
grades
Formative
vs.
Summative
Exit/Entrance
Slips
Journals
Questioning
Discussions
Observations
Whiteboards
Examples of
Formative
Assessments
An assessment is summative if it…
Occurs after the
learning process has
ended
Is not used to
improve students’
understanding of
content
Results are used to
inform stakeholders
of individual student
achievement
Informs teachers as
to the effectiveness
of instruction for
future students
Informs students
about their
academic standing
in relation to others
Assigns a grade to
indicate student
progress at a
specified point in
time
Formative
vs.
Summative
End of Unit or
Chapter Tests
State
Assessments
*Benchmark
Assessments
Final Exams
Placement
Tests
Achievement
Tests
Examples of
Summative
Assessments
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
YOU USE FORMATIVE
AND SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS?
Formative
Summative
Common
Balanced Assessment
COMMON? NOT COMMON?
The 5th grade team collaboratively
designs an assessment that is focused
on common learning goals. Each
teacher grades his/her own
assessments & they reconvene to
discuss the results. During the analysis,
one teacher reveals she gave an
additional week’s worth of instruction
to students prior to administering it
because she felt they needed more
time to master the material.
What
does
common
mean?
COMMON? NOT COMMON?
Three English 7 teachers each
develop a section (accompanied by
an answer key or rubric) for a short
story unit assessment and combine
them into one. All students will take
the assessment, but some of the
assessment items are generic so the
teachers can modify them to fit the
stories taught.
What
does
common
mean?
COMMON? NOT COMMON?
A team of 10th grade
Geometry teachers agree to
administer
quizCOMMON?
located
COMMON?the
NOT
at the end of each chapter to
all students. They don’t teach
the same units at the same
time, but all the units are
taught before the end of the
year.
What
does
common
mean?
An assessment is common if it…
Is developed
collaboratively by
teachers who teach
the same grade level
or content
Uses a common
process for
determining the
criteria for quality
work
Measures the same
learning targets no
matter the teacher
Administered
systematically and
timely to all students
enrolled in a course
or grade
Results are scored
and analyzed
collaboratively
Facilitates a
systematic,
collective response
to struggling
students
What
does
common
mean?
SOUND FAMILIAR?
Teach, test,
and hope for
the best
I taught it,
they just
didn’t
learn it.
Spray and
pray
The more you teach
without finding out who
understands the
information and who
doesn’t, the greater the
likelihood that only
already-proficient
students will succeed.
Grant Wiggins, 2006
Putting It
All
Together
WHERE DO INTERIM
ASSESSMENTS FIT?
Balanced
Assessment
System
Developed
collaboratively &
may mimic highstake tests
Given quarterly (not
unit tests) to all
students enrolled in
a course or a grade
Aligned with
standards/state
tests/college
readiness
Cumulative
(reassess previously
taught standards)
Collaboratively
scored and analyzed
Result in action
planning
Involve students in
the process
Are the starting
point of instruction
Hallmarks of
Interim
Assessments
Formative
In-the-moment
Interim
Provides a link
between the two
Summative
Larger year-end goal
Balanced
Assessment
System
DESIGNING QUALITY
ASSESSMENTS
Decide What to
Assess
Set Proficiency
Criteria/Gather
Data
Review the
Assessment
Decide How to
Assess
Develop
Assessment Plan
Write the
Assessment
Determine the
Timeline
Designing
Quality
Common
Assessments
A Seven
Step
Process
Examine your
learning targets
Which
targets are
most likely
to cause
certain
students
difficulty?
Which
targets are
prerequisite
skills for
information
to come
later in the
unit?
Which
targets are
absolutely
necessary
for students
to know?
Step
1
DECIDE
WHAT
TO
ASSESS
LEARNING TARGETS
Clear?
(student-friendly language)
Focused?
Appropriate?
LEARNING TARGETS
Knowledge
Reasoning
Skill
Product
Identify the type of
learning target
Understanding…
Understands
Knows
…”Understanding”
Know Your
Learning
Targets
Knowledge
Reasoning
Skill
Product
Know
List
Name
Identify
Tell
Examine
Recognize
Explain
Understand
Describe
Define
Compare
Contrast
Distinguish
Analyze
Organize
Infer
Deduce
Predict
Interpret
Hypothesize
Sort
Evaluate
Prove
Judge
Support
Justify
Classify
Play
Do
Use
Observe
Measure
Explore
Demonstrate
Carry out
Model
Listen
Perform
Question
Conduct
Speak
Make
Generate
Design
Construct
Invent
Produce
Draw
Write
Create
Develop
EXAMPLES OF LEARNING TARGETS
Knowledge
Recall details
and examples
from a text
ELA
Reasoning
Skill
Product
Compare and
contrast the
point of view in
different stories
Write an
opinion piece
on a topic.
Produce clear
and coherent
writing
Determine your
assessment strategy
Selected
Response
Constructed
and
extended
written
response
Performance
assessment
Step
2
DECIDE
HOW TO
ASSESS
Assessment Strategy
Considerations
Accurately
measure
the
intended
LT at the
level of
thinking it
was
taught?
Provide
timely
turnaround?
Require
a
rubric?
Step
2
DECIDE
HOW TO
ASSESS
DESIGNING QUALITY
ASSESSMENTS
Learning
Target
Assessment
Method
ASSESSMENT METHODS
Method
Ideal for assessing
Selected
Response
Knowledge-level
learning targets
Examples
Multiple Choice
Fill-in-the-blank
T/F
Matching
Extended written
response
Chunks of knowledge
that interrelate &
student reasoning
Essay
Short Answer
Playing an instrument
Performance
Assessment
Learning best achieved
through observable
actions (skills) or the
development of
products
Changing the oil in a car
Conversing in a foreign
language
Scoring
Number or
percent of points
Rubric
Design the
Assessment
Measure
what you’ve
taught
(identified
learning
targets)
Assess
student
learning at
the cognitive
level the
information
was taught
Step
3
DEVELOP THE
ASSESSMENT
PLAN
Consider the
sample size
How many
items do I
need to
accurately
assess a
learning
target?
Step
3
DEVELOP THE
ASSESSMENT
PLAN
Triangulate
Step
Increased
student
achievement
Frequent
assessment
Time to
plan
Time with
students
Time to
intervene
Time to
turnaround
TIME!
4
DETERMINE
THE
TIMELINE
General
Guidelines
Selected
Response
Items
Constructed
Response
Items
Step
5
WRITE THE
ASSESSMENT
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Advantages
• Can measure a
variety of objectives
• Easy to score
• Can cover lots of
material efficiently
• Carefully crafted
distracters can
provide diagnostic
information
Disadvantages
• Multiple-guess
• Can be difficult to
identify plausible
distractors
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
#1 Keep the wording simple
Not this…
When scientists rely on magnets in the
development of electric motors they
need to know about poles, which are?
But rather this…
What are the poles of a magnet called?
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
#2 Ask a full question in the stem (the
part that precedes the options)
Not this…
But rather this…
Between 1950 and 1965
a. Interest rates increased.
b. Interest rates decreased.
c. Interest rates fluctuated greatly.
d. Interest rates didn’t change.
What was the trend of interest rates
between 1950 and 1965?
a. Increased only
b. Decreased only
c. Increased, then decreased
d. Remain unchanged
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
#3 Eliminate clues to the correct answer
within the question
Not this…
But rather this…
All of these are examples of a bird that
flies, except an
a. Ostrich
b. Falcon
c. Cormorant
d. Robin
Which of the following is an example of a
bird that can NOT fly?
a. Ostrich
b. Falcon
c. Cormorant
d. Robin
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
#4 Highlight critical, easily overlooked words
i.e., NOT, MOST, LEAST, EXCEPT
Not this…
Which of the following is an example of a
bird that cannot fly?
a. Ostrich
b. Falcon
c. Cormorant
d. Robin
But rather this…
Which of the following is an example of a
bird that can NOT fly?
a. Ostrich
b. Falcon
c. Cormorant
d. Robin
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
#5 Remove repetitive words within each option;
instead, reword the stem
Not this…
But rather this…
Between 1950 and 1965
a. Interest rates increased.
b. Interest rates decreased.
c. Interest rates fluctuated greatly.
d. Interest rates didn’t change.
What was the trend of interest rates
between 1950 and 1965?
a. Increased only
b. Decreased only
c. Increased, then decreased
d. Remain unchanged
WRITING QUALITY MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
Eliminate
“throw away”
choices
Put choices
in a logical
order such
as
alphabetical
or small to
large
Avoid equalsized lists in
matching
questions
Choose
distractors
carefully;
plausible, yet
illuminate
errors in
thinking
Reduce the “guessing” games
WRITING QUALITY CONSTRUCTED
RESPONSE QUESTIONS
Provide context for student answers
Environmental issues can have social, economic, and
political effects on our country. For example, the 2010 oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected our economy through
the tourism industry – an economic effect. The
greenhouse effect has resulted in many new laws
reducing car emissions – a political effect. Choose one
environmental issue that has such an impact and explain
what the social, political, and economic impact was.
WRITING QUALITY CONSTRUCTED
RESPONSE QUESTIONS
Novel Prompt
Describe the
effects of the
Civil War on the
economy of the
South.
Recall?
OR
Applying to a
new situation?
Step
Are the
directions
clear?
Will students
understand
what you are
asking them
to do and
why?
6
REVIEW THE
ASSESSMENT
Are the
learning
targets
accurately
assessed and
represented?
Are the
questions
written
according to
best practice?
What does proficiency look like for
each learning target being assessed?
Step
7
SET
PROFICIENCY
CRITERIA
AND DECIDE
HOW TO
GATHER
DATA
IS IT VALID?
Validity
We identified
specific learning
targets.
Accuracy
We determined
the level of rigor
for each target.
We matched the
assessment to
the identified
level of thinking.
IS IT RELIABLE?
Reliability
We used a
sufficient
number of
questions.
Consistency
We agree on
proficiency levels
& how items will
be scored.
How will the data be
gathered?
Target
Target One
Target Two
Students
needing
intervention
Students
needing
more
practice
Students
needing
enrichment
Step
7
SET
PROFICIENCY
CRITERIA
AND DECIDE
HOW TO
GATHER
DATA
Decide What to
Assess
Set Proficiency
Criteria/Gather
Data
Review the
Assessment
Decide How to
Assess
Develop
Assessment Plan
Write the
Assessment
Determine the
Timeline
Designing
Quality
Common
Assessments
A Seven
Step
Process
SO NOW WE KNOW
What students
should know and
do
How teachers
and students will
know they are
successful