Day 2: Formative Assessment Design & Tools
Design Process
Article
“Are Your Assessments
Good, Not So Good,
What does a
good
formative
assessment
look like?
Or… Great?”
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Assessments must provide information about
important learning targets that are clear to
students and teacher teams.
Assessments must provide timely information
for both students and teacher teams.
Assessments must provide information that
tells students and teacher teams what to do
next.
Bailey & Jakicic, p. 49
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Decide What to Assess
Decide How to Assess
Develop the Assessment Plan
Determine the Timeline
Write the Assessment
Review the Assessment Before Administration
Set Proficiency Criteria and Decide How to
Gather the Data
*Details for key steps on following slides.

Design an Assessment Plan for that Unit
How many formative assessments will your team give?
When will you and your teammates give them?
Which learning targets will you assess?

Choose 1-3 learning targets based on the state
standards that you unwrapped. Questions to
consider:
Which targets do you anticipate that students will have trouble
with?
Which targets will students have to master before they can
perform other skills later in the unit?
Which targets are critical for students to master?
CCSS Place Value Standards - Unpacked:
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http://www.corestandards.org/
Domain: Number and Operations in Base Ten
Cluster: Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers.
Standard 4.NBT.1: Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten
times what it represents in the place to its right.
 LT: Explain how digits within a multi-digit whole number relate to each other by their place
value.
 LT: Find and record all possible outcomes for a situation (Problem Solving-Make an
Organized List).
Standard 4.NBT.2: Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number
names, and expanded form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on meanings of the digits in
each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
 LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in standard form.
 LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in expanded form.
 LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in word form.
 LT: Compare whole numbers through hundred thousand.
 LT: Use knowledge of place value to order numbers.
Standard 4.NBT.3: Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.

LT: Demonstrate how to use place value to round whole numbers.
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Assessment Plan for Place Value Unit:
 How many formative assessments will your team give? (2 common FA)
 When will you and your teammates give them? (after LT 1-4; after LT 5-8)
 Which learning targets will you assess?
 4.NBT.2 & 4.NBT.1 Read and write 4-digit numbers in standard form.
 4.NBT.2 & 4.NBT.1 Read and write 4-digit numbers in expanded form.
 4.NBT.2 & 4.NBT.1 Read and write 4-digit numbers in word form.
 4.NBT.1 & 4.NBT.2 Explain how digits within a multi-digit whole
number relate to each other by their place value.
----------------------------------------------------------- 4.NBT.2 Compare whole numbers through hundred thousand.
 4.NBT.2 Use knowledge of place value to order numbers.
 4.NBT.3 Demonstrate how to use place value to round whole numbers.
 4.NBT.1 Find and record all possible outcomes for a situation.
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Which Learning Targets Will We Assess On
Our Common Formative Assessment #1?
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Read and write 4-digit numbers in standard form.
Read and write 4-digit numbers in expanded form.
Read and write 4-digit numbers in word form.
Explain how digits within a multi-digit whole number relate to
each other by their place value.
1) Selected Response
(Requires students to select the correct answer)
 Multiple Choice
 Matching
 True/False
2) Constructed and Extended Written Response
(Requires students to provide their own answer)
 Short and Long Essays
 Complete a Graphic Organizer
 Solving a Math Problem
3) Performance Assessments
(Requires students to perform in front of the teacher, who uses a rubric to assess)
 Oral Reports
 Demonstrations
 Creating a Product
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How Will We Assess Our Learning Targets?
Constructed and Extended Written Response
(Requires students to provide their own answer)
 Solving a Math Problem
 Short Answer
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Recommendation:
 Use a combination of selected response and
constructed response items. Include 4 selected
response items and 1 constructed response item or
performance task for each learning target.
Learning Target
Knowledge Application Analysis Evaluation Total Items/
(Selected
(Constructed
Total Time
Response)
Response)
Read and write 4-digit
numbers in standard
form.
Four
constructed
responses (2
read and 2
write)
Total Items:
4 items
Read and write 4-digit
numbers in expanded
form.
Four
constructed
responses (2
read and 2
write)
Total Items:
4 items
Read and write 4-digit
numbers in word form.
Four
constructed
responses
(write only)
Total Items:
4 items
One
constructed
response
(short answer)
Total Items:
1 item
Explain how digits within
a multi-digit whole
number relate to each
other by their place
value.
Total Time:
3 minutes
Total Time:
3 minutes
Total Time:
3 minutes
Total Time:
3 minutes
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How often should our team administer a
common formative assessment?
Recommendations:
 Administer a common assessment every 1-3
weeks.
Week
1
Day
Power Standard Focus (Skills or
Concepts)
Materials and Lessons
Monday
Standard 4.NBT.1: Recognize that in a
multi-digit whole number, a digit in one
place represents ten times what it
represents in the place to its right.
LT: Explain how digits within a multi-digit
whole number relate to each other by their
place value. (Base 10 System)
Tuesday
Standard 4.NBT.2: Read and write
LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in
multi-digit whole numbers using base- standard form.
ten numerals, number names, and
expanded form. Compare two multidigit numbers based on meanings of the
digits in each place, using >, =, and <
symbols to record the results of
comparisons.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
2
Monday
LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in
expanded form.
LT: Read and write 4-digit numbers in word
form.
(Combine) Read and write 4-digit numbers in
standard, expanded, and word forms.
• Review and Practice Learning Targets 1-4
• Administer Place Value Common
Formative Assessment #1 (15 Minutes)
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Recommendations:
Assess 1-3 learning targets at a time.
Write the learning target above all questions
pertaining to that target so students can clearly see
what they are being assessed on.
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Writing Quality Selected-Response Items:
 Use complete sentences for all questions.
 Use similar format for all answer choices.
 Choose simple vocabulary and sentence structure.
 Use bold and italics for important words that students might miss.
 Write questions in a positive form (avoiding the word ‘not’).
 Multiple Choice:
 Do not include funny or obviously wrong answers as choices.
 All answer choices should be possible to get, but only one definite
answer.
 Matching:
 Keep the list short.
 Create unequal-sized lists to eliminate guessing.
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Writing Quality Constructed-Response Items:
◦ Make sure directions are clear and easy to understand.
◦ Leave space for your students to respond.
◦ Provide students with a reference for their answer
(example: If students are asked to write about the effects of slavery on the
United States, remind them about the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854).
◦ Make sure the prompt is one that has not been provided
in class.
(example: If you discussed the effects of slavery on Southern families in class,
ask them to discuss the effects of slavery on Northern families on the
assessment.)
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Designing Performance Assessments:
Students should not have the opportunity to choose
between performance assessments unless (1) the
options offered are all the same difficulty and (2) the
tasks assess the same learning target.
A rubric should be designed ahead of time to assess
the task.
Rubrics will be discussed in depth at a later time.
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Formative Math Assessment #1 for a 4th Grade
Place Value Unit ~ See back of your packet
Questions to Consider…
Are the directions and questions clear?
Are the learning targets written above the questions
related to that target so students understand what they
are being assessed on and why?
How much time should it take for students to complete
the assessment?
Is the reading level of the questions low enough so it
doesn’t interfere with the assessment?
Are there zero “freebie” answer choices?
Are constructed response items related to the real world?
Teams must agree on a level of proficiency.
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Selected Response: How many items must a
student correctly answer for each learning
target to be considered proficient (example:
3/4 items)?
Constructed Response: (A rubric is usually
necessary) How many points does a student
need to score for each learning target to be
considered proficient (example: on a 0-4
point rubric, 3=proficient)

The fourth grade team agreed on a
proficiency level of 3 out of 4 items being
answered correctly for each learning target.
Gather and organize your data according to each
learning target that was assessed.
Learning Target
Students Who
Need More Time
& Support
Students Who
Students Who
Will Benefit From Will Benefit From
More Practice
Enrichment
Target 1: Read and write
4-digit numbers in
standard form.
Penny
Leonard Hofstadter
Rajesh Koothrappali
Howard Wolowitz
Bernadette Rostenkowski
Sheldon Cooper
Amy Farrah Fowler
Target 2: Read and write
4-digit numbers in
expanded form.
Penny
Howard Wolowitz
Leonard Hofstadter
Rajesh Koothrappali
Bernadette Rostenkowski
Sheldon Cooper
Amy Farrah Fowler
Target 3: Read and write
4-digit numbers in word
form.
Penny
Howard Wolowitz
Leonard Hofstadter
Rajesh Koothrappali
Bernadette Rostenkowski
Sheldon Cooper
Amy Farrah Fowler
Target 4: Explain how
digits within a multi-digit
whole number relate to
each other by their place
value. (Base 10 System)
Penny
Leonard Hofstadter
Rajesh Koothrappali
Howard Wolowitz
Amy Farrah Fowler
Bernadette Rostenkowski
Sheldon Cooper
What Does the Data Tell Us?
 Which
specific students did not
demonstrate mastery?
 Which instructional practices proved to be
most effective?
 What patterns can we identify from the
student mistakes?
 How can we improve this assessment?
 What interventions are needed to provide
failed students additional time and support?
Bring needed materials for a lesson and/or
unit to create formative assessments for.