Assessment For Learning: Elementary
NESA Spring Educators Conference
April 2, 2011
Damian Cooper
(905) 823-6298
dcooper3@rogers.com
Session Outcomes
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Review the research base behind current
assessment directions
Examine the importance of metacognition, feedback,
and self and peer assessment.
Understand the critical role played by “assessment
for learning” in providing students with the information
they need to improve
Learn about research-based “assessment for
learning” strategies that are proving to be effective in
improving student learning
Share with colleagues how these strategies may be
appropriate to my own classroom
Time to Talk About Assessment
Identify for yourself your #1 issue or
concern about classroom assessment
at your school.
 Share your concerns at your table.
 Which of these are shared by the
majority at your table?
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Mission: to sift and sort students
Mean
Mission: excellence from ALL
Range of Competent
Achievement
If the new goal of education is success for
all, then we have no choice but to
Differentiate Instruction & Assessment
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Instruction
Students bring different
knowledge &
experience to school
Students learn at
different rates
Students learn in
different ways
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Assessment
Not all students are
able to demonstrate
their learning in the
same way
Not all students
respond the same way
to test pressure
Some students need
more scaffolding than
others
Research on Effective Assessment
•The provision of effective feedback to students
•The active involvement of students in their own
learning
•Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of
assessment
•Recognition of the profound influence assessment
has on motivation and self-esteem
•The need for students to be able to assess
themselves and understand how to improve
Crooks, 1988; Black & Wiliam, 1998
The Big Ideas of Classroom
Assessment
1. Assessment serves different purposes at
different times: it may be used to find out
what students already know and can do; it
may be used to help students improve their
learning; or it may be used to let students,
and their parents, know how much they
have learned within a prescribed period of
time.
Assessment for Learning
“Assessment for learning is
any assessment for which the
first priority in its design and
practice is to serve the purpose
of promoting students’
learning. It thus differs from
assessment designed primarily
to serve the purposes of
accountability, or of ranking,
or of certifying competence.”
Black, Wiliam et al. 2004
Assessment of Learning
“Assessment of learning
includes those tasks that are
designed to determine how
much learning has occurred
after a significant period of
instruction. The data from
such assessments is often
used to determine report
card grades.
Differing Assessment Purposes
Assessment for
Learning
Assessment of
Learning
 Tryouts
 Games
 Practices
 Playoffs
But we must
begin with the
question,
“What
constitutes
essential
learning for
students in the
st
21 . century?”
“Backward Design” Program
Planning
Stage 1: Identify targeted understandings
Stage 2: Determine appropriate assessment of
those understandings
Stage 3: Plan learning experiences and
instruction that make such understanding
possible
Wiggins and McTighe, Understanding by Design
Stage 1: Identify targeted understandings
Assessment of Learning
“Assessment of learning
includes those tasks that are
designed to determine how
much learning has occurred
after a significant period of
instruction. The data from
such assessments is often
used to determine report
card grades.
When the classroom culture focuses on
rewards, gold stars, grades, or class ranking,
then (students) look for ways to obtain the best
marks rather than to improve their learning.
One reported consequence is that, when they
have any choice, (students) avoid difficult
tasks. They also spend time and energy
looking for clues to the “right answer”.
“Inside the Black Box”, Black & Wiliam, 1998
“…assessment which is explicitly designed
to promote learning is the single most
powerful tool we have for both raising
standards and empowering lifelong
learners.”
Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box, 1999,
University of Cambridge School of Education
Stage 2: Determine appropriate
assessment of those understandings
Stage 1: Identify targeted understandings
Stage 2: Determine appropriate
assessment of those understandings
Assessment for Learning
“Assessment for learning is
any assessment for which the
first priority in its design and
practice is to serve the purpose
of promoting students’
learning. It thus differs from
assessment designed primarily
to serve the purposes of
accountability, or of ranking,
or of certifying competence.”
Black, Wiliam et al. 2004
Diagnostic Assessment
Engage students with a hook: “If you won the
lottery…”
 Activate prior knowledge
 Assess current skills and understanding in 3
ways:
-through written work
-through performance assessment and
observation
-through oral assessment: questioning,
conferencing, discussion, etc.
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Grade 1.
Time to “Talk About Assessment”
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Discuss this 3-way model for diagnostic
assessment:
-how closely does it align with your current
practice?
-how does it differ?
-what elements of this model could be
adapted to your own class?
-what challenges do you anticipate?
-how might these be solved?
Using Assessment Data to
Differentiate Instruction
Examine the data from diagnostic
assessments to group students
according to their strengths and needs
 Use mini-lessons followed by practice to
address these needs
 Identify individual students who are
most “at risk”
 Use a combination of groupings to
increase understanding …

Purposeful Grouping of Students
Heterogeneous groups to provide
support and to consolidate new learning
 Homogeneous groups to deepen
learning and to provide specific
instruction to struggling learners
 Flexible grouping to ensure all students
work in their “zpd”

Using Assessment Data to
Differentiate Instruction
Schedule time to conference with
individuals or small groups of students
who need the most support
 Plan this time strategically as a routine
part of your instruction
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Differentiating Instruction
Teachers need to fully understand
accommodation, modification, and
substitution
 To develop skills, simplify the content
e.g. Simpler texts, less depth/breadth,
etc.
 To master content, present using a
different mode suited to student’s
strengths e.g. Graphics, audio, video,
manipulatives, etc.
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Differentiating Assessment
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Content standards:
learning outcomes
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Must be within
student’s “ZPD”
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Performance standards:
rubrics/checklists
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Keep consistent for all
students
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Student products &
performances
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May be adapted to be
within student’s “ZPD”
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Assessment conditions
Tiered Assessments
Design task @ grade level, to
demonstrate proficiency, independently
 Adapt or modify task to increase
challenge: less structure, more choice,
greater sophistication, etc.
 Adapt or modify task to reduce
challenge: more structure, less choice,
less sophistication, etc.
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Tiered Assessments
Tiered Assignment: Grade 5 Science
Strand : Life Science: Human Body
Enduring Understandings: students will understand how the different body systems
are interconnected
Essential Skills: research, organization, communication
Overview of Task:
Students will select a specific disease of the human body to research. They will present
their findings using one of several presentation media. The research and presentation
task has been tiered to suit different strengths and needs of students
Assessment Criteria: a common rubric is provided for all versions of the task.
Research: posing questions, locating and using resources to answer questions,
organizing materials to answer questions
Communication: selection of appropriate medium, clarity of material, quality of
product presented, ability to respond to questions
Content: accuracy, depth, vocabulary, level of understanding
Tiered Assessments
Tier One Task: (designed to provide evidence of proficient achievement
at grade level)
The teacher provides a list of possible diseases to be researched.
(alternatively, students may select their own disease to research). The
teacher provides a list of presentation methods, including written report,
oral report, Powerpoint presentation, etc. Students are provided with
templates that guide them through the research process, as well as
templates relating to each of the presentation methods. Students work in
pairs, assigned by the teacher, to support each other as they conduct
research, organize their findings, and prepare their presentations.
Tiered Assessments
Tier Two Task: (designed to provide an additional level of challenge)
Students work as a group to brainstorm the following: range of diseases
they will research; all possible sources of information; range of media
they will use to communicate their findings. They will serve as
resources for each other throughout the project, collaborating as
necessary to accomplish the task.
Tiered Assessments
Tier Three Task: (scaffolded task designed to provide struggling students
with an appropriate level of challenge)
Students work under the direct supervision of the teacher. Using one
disease, she works closely with students to model each step in the research
process. Following each modeled step, she has students complete the same
step independently, using a second disease that she has selected. She
repeats the same modeling/independent work process for each step in the
preparation of students’ presentations. The presentation medium is tailored
to each student’s profile.
Reporting to Parents
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Grade level at which
student is working
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Achievement level at
which student is
performing
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Rubric levels
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Anecdotal comments
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Degree of support
provided
Learning outcomes
(incl. IEP ref. if applicable)
Time to Talk About Assessment
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To what extent are the preceding descriptions
of instruction, assessment and reporting for
diverse learners consistent with current
practice in your school or classroom?
Time to Talk About Assessment
What is your assessment of Kim’s
instructional & assessment practices?
 +?
 -?
 Interesting?
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Components of Assessment for
Learning (Black & Wiliam, 2003)
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Oral questioning
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Marking as feedback
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Peer and self-assessment
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Formative use of summative tests
Components of Assessment for Learning
(Wiliam, 2007)
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Clarifying learning intentions and sharing
criteria for success
Engineering effective classroom discussions,
questions, and learning tasks that elicit
evidence of learning
Providing feedback that moves learners
forward
Activating students as owners of their own
learning
Activating students as instructional sources for
one another
Components of Assessment for Learning
(Cooper, 2007)
1.
Do I routinely share learning goals with my students so they
know where we are heading?
2.
Do I routinely communicate to students the standards they are
aiming for before they begin work on a task?
3.
Do I routinely have students self and peer assess their work in
ways that improve their learning?
4.
Does my questioning technique include all students and
promote increased understanding?
5.
Do I routinely provide individual feedback to students that
informs them how to improve?
6.
Do I routinely provide opportunities for students to make use of
this feedback to improve specific pieces of work?
Time to Talk About Assessment
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To what extent are these 6 “Look For’s”
evident in your classroom or school?
Assessment for Learning:
am I already doing it?
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Do I routinely share learning goals with my
students so they know where we are
heading?
Math Class
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Learning Goal: You will demonstrate that you
understand the relationship between the numerator
and the denominator in a fraction.
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At the end of the lesson, Linda points to the poster on
the classroom wall and asks her students:
What did you learn in this lesson today?
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Their exit slip is to answer on a “leaf” and post it on the
“knowledge tree”
Linda told me that the most effective AFL strategy for
her has been to write the learning goal for each day’s
lesson on the board.
Assessment for Learning:
am I already doing it?
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Do I routinely share learning goals with my
students so they know where we are
heading?

Do I routinely communicate to students the
standards they are aiming for before they
begin work on a task?
Most
students can
hit the target
if they can
see it clearly
and it stays
still for them.
Rick Stiggins
Clear Targets
Clarity of curriculum standards
 High quality assessment tasks
 Rubrics to describe what quality looks
like
 Checklists to enable students to monitor
their own progress
 Anchors to show students what quality
looks like
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Using Rubrics in the Classroom
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Use a rubric analytically to provide feedback
to students when conducting diagnostic or
formative assessment
– I.e. focus on the indicators and don’t worry about
the overall level
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Use a rubric holistically for summative
evaluation purposes
– I.e. Ask, “What set of indicators best describes the
student’s overall performance at this time?”
Assessment for Learning
Assessment of Learning
Time to Talk About Assessment
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As you view Jackie’s class, consider:
-what are some of the potential pitfalls
in assessing this task?
-how is Jackie’s use of a rubric similar
to or different from your own practice?
Bump It Up Walls
(Our Story by Kristeen Bunda and Janice Prangley)
The Bump It Wall is a teaching tool that we have used successfully within our classroom for the past six
months. The tool has been adapted for use in improving writing forms, reading responses, and we hope
to start using it to improve math responses.
To begin, we administer a diagnostic assessment to see what the students bring to the table. Then, as a
teacher team, we look at their responses and select a cross-section of responses to view as a class. The
focus here is to collaborate to identify what a level 3, or even 4, answer might look like. It is through
these discussions and feedback that some of the most rich, accountable talk occurs.
From there, we as teachers, take the feedback and write level 1, 2, 3 and 4 sample responses with no
more than 3 arrows indicating the next steps needed to “bump up” the responses. These are posted in
an area where students can easily access the information. Students then are encouraged to go to the
wall, compare their responses to the samples provided and bump up their work based on the next steps
provided on the arrows. Students then submit their newly revised responses for teacher feedback.
Generally, at this point, a new opportunity to practice the skill is provided. Students still have access to
the wall as well as their diagnostic piece and the teacher feedback.
Our goal by using this tool is to increase student achievement in various areas of writing and responding
critically to texts. We hope that through multiple opportunities to practice this strategy, students will
show a marked improvement in their tasks and will be more independent (gradual release of
responsibility). Eventually, a summative task is assigned for assessment.
Throughout this process, we have noticed that our students have grown in confidence when accepting
teacher feedback and moving through the revising/editing process. They are more willing to persevere
to achieve their highest level of success because they believe they can. They have experienced what it is
like to reflect on their work and identify their next steps.
Assessment for Learning:
am I already doing it?
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Do I routinely share learning goals with my
students so they know where we are
heading?

Do I routinely communicate to students the
standards they are aiming for before they
begin work on a task?

Do I routinely have students self and peer
assess their work in ways that improve their
learning?
Math Class
Pete has his students use “Traffic Light” signs at
the start of a lesson on equivalent fractions,
decimals and percentages to assess prior
knowledge.
Teacher: Do you know what the word “equivalent”
means?
Students show either the red or green side of the
“traffic light” in response.
He orally checks a sample of the “green”
responses to see if they do, in fact, understand the
term.
Music Class
Students had been practising in groups of 3, playing a 3part jazz composition. At the end of the lesson, each group
performed and the teacher required peers to assess what
they heard. Here is some of the conversation:
Rachel: Holly went too fast.
Sam: You all need to listen more to each other.
Teacher: Now, who hasn’t given any feedback yet? Tam, tell
Emma’s group how they did, and remember to be specific.
Tam: Emma’s fill was really good. Everyone was in good
time.
Teacher: Are you sure about that, Tam? (Tam hesitates….)
Michael, what did you think about Emma’s group?
Michael: They all started out together, then Freddy seemed to
get lost, but then they finished together.
Teacher: Good feedback, Michael. Emma’s group, do you
agree with what Michael said?
Self and Peer Assessment
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Assessment for learning ONLY
Requires training
and modelling
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Focus assessment
on what was taught
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Begin with short sessions
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Needs to be part of your routine
Time to Talk About Assessment
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With your colleagues, discuss current
use of self and/or peer assessment in
terms of purpose, frequency and design
in your classroom or school.
Assessment for Learning:
am I already doing it?

Does my questioning technique include all
students and promote increased
understanding?

Do I routinely provide individual feedback to
students that informs them how to improve?

Do I routinely provide opportunities for
students to make use of this feedback to
improve specific pieces of work?
Provide tons of feedback …
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Oral & written feedback
tell students how to
improve – marks DON’T
 Establish classroom
routines that create
opportunities for teacher
& peer feedback
 Provide feedback
ALONE on formative
assessments; do NOT
include marks
Provide tons of feedback …
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Needs to cause thinking: don’t provide the
“answer”
Must not be evaluative
Must direct students towards improvement
Must make reference to specific quality
indicators (a rubric or checklist)
Must include an expectation that it will be
implemented
Must include strategies for checking that it has
been implemented
Commitment to Action
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Spend a few moments reflecting on today ….
What was your most significant learning?
What specific actions do you plan to take
immediately and/or between now and June 2011?
Who will be involved?
What results would you like to see from these
actions?
How will you assess the effectiveness of these
actions?
Suggested Reading
1. Black, Paul and Wiliam, Dylan. “Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards
Through Classroom Assessment”, Phi Delta Kappan, October, 1998
A seminal article on the value of formative assessment that summarizes
effective assessment practices as described in 250 studies in the UK, the US,
Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Africa.
2. Cooper, Damian. Talk About Assessment: Strategies and Tools to Improve
Teaching and Learning, Nelson Education, 2007.
3. Cooper, Damian. Talk About Assessment: High School Strategies and Tools,
Nelson Education, 2010
4.
Davies, Anne. Making Classroom Assessment Work, Connections Publishing,
2000
A short and very useful overview of the basics of assessment in today’s
classrooms, with particular relevance to elementary schools.
5. Marzano, Robert J. Transforming Classroom Grading, ASCD, 2000
An excellent examination of past and present trends in classroom grading
practice.
6. O’Connor, Ken. How to Grade for Learning 3rd. Edition, Skylight, 2009
A solid treatment of the grading dilemmas that arise in intermediate and senior
grades.
7. Stiggins. Richard. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, Assessment
Training Institute, 2004.
An in-depth “textbook” for students of assessment, organized according to
principles of assessment, assessment methods, and communication.
8. Wiggins, Grant. Educative Assessment, Jossey Bass, 1998
A comprehensive publication from a true expert in the field, this work
provides all the background to Wiggins” approach to classroom assessment.
9. Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay. Understanding By Design, ASCD, 1998
A concise and very readable guide to designing program from an assessment
point of view.