FOCUS
Formative, Ongoing Classroom
Understanding of Students &
Standards
Assessment System Goals…
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To provide quarterly assessments for grades 3-8
in math & literacy, EOC algebra, EOC geometry, &
EOC literacy formatted after the Benchmark while
learning is still underway
To provide diagnostic feedback to students,
parents, and teachers regarding student
performance in relation to standards so that next
steps in planning for instruction and intervention
can occur in real time
To provide feedback to students so that they can
improve the quality of their work
What is meant by Assessment of and for
Learning?
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Of Learning
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Happen after learning is
supposed to have occurred
to determine if it did
Make statements of
student learning status at
a point in time to those
outside of the classroom
Examples: state
assessments, local
standardized tests, college
admissions tests,
classroom assessments
used to gather evidence to
determine report card
grades
How did I do?
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For Learning
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Assessments that happen
while learning is still
underway
Conducted throughout
teaching & learning to
diagnose student needs,
plan next steps in
instruction, & provide
students with feedback
they can use to improve
quality of their work
Grading function is laid
aside; not about
accountability-those are
assessments of learningthese are about getting
better
How can I get better?
“Classroom Assessment
for Learning”
Individual Read
Group Discussion
Edusoft as a Tool…
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Assessment Delivery System
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Storage for test item bank
Delivery system for disaggregated reports
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Performance band report
Class list report
Subgroup report
Intervention grouping report
Item response report
AFSC’s FOCUS Approach…
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General Pacing Guide Committee
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Identify SLEs to be tested by quarter
Develop general pacing guide as option for
districts without one in use
Test Development Committee
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Trains on use of Edusoft as a storage area for
test bank
Creates m/c & o/r questions and rubrics
aligned with quarterly testable SLEs &
formatted after the Benchmark
AFSC’s FOCUS Approach…
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Test Review Committee
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Reviews test items for clarity, validity, & alignment to
standards
Reviews rubrics for alignment to standards & openended response/prompt
Professional Development Committee (TOTs)
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Trains on intent and use of formative assessments
Trains on Edusoft for scanning of reports & downloading
of reports
Trains on report interpretation & open-ended scoring
Trains district staff in the above after initial training
Pacing Guide Committee…
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Goal: collaborate to create a calendar based
curriculum map for K-8 math & literacy, algebra I,
geometry, & EOC literacy that is
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Aligned with state standards
Focused on power standards
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Endurance: Does the standard provide knowledge and
skills that are useful among several disciplines?
Leverage: Will the standard provide knowledge and skills
that are useful among several disciplines?
Readiness for the next level of learning: Will attaining the
standard provide students with the knowledge and skills
necessary to be successful at the next level of learning?
Clustered into testable objectives
Non-program specific
Flexible in nature
Identifying the Power Standards…
Actual
Classroom
Curriculum
Filter & Focus
What endures? What skills are essential?
What prepares students for the future?
What is most likely to be on the state test?
Potential Curriculum
(every conceivable state test item)
Test Objectives & Curriculum Documents
State Standards
Pacing Guide Development Process…
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Lay all curricular pacing documents next to each
other by grade/course
By quarter, identify common SLEs
By quarter, identify unique SLEs
Evaluate both charts according to key elements
of committee goal:
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Alignment with state standards
Focused on power standards
Clustered into testable SLEs
Non-program specific
Collaborate for consensus
Format into word document
Test Development Committee…
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Goal: to develop quality quarterly
assessments for grades 3-8 math and
literacy, algebra I, geometry, and EOC
literacy that
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Measure student performance against testable,
power standards as outlined in pacing guide
Are formatted to the Benchmark
Consist of multiple choice & open response
items that are valid and clear
Test Development Committee
Process…
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Train on Edusoft to upload test items into bank
Train in test question and rubric development
Review pacing guide for testable, power
standards
Review contributing district test items & released
items to identify usable questions
Write multiple choice and open response items
formatted to the Benchmark and aligned to state
standards
Upload into Edusoft
Test Review Committee…
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Goal: to review created test and scoring
items for clarity, validity, and alignment to
state standards
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Review multiple choice items to meet above
criteria
Review open response items to meet above
criteria
Review rubrics to meet above criteria
Make recommendations for improvement
Review item response report for validity
Test Review Committee Process…
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Read each test item for validity & clarity
Check for alignment to SLEs by comparing test
item to state standard
Read scoring rubric for validity & clarity
Check scoring rubric for alignment to question
and SLEs by comparing to state standard
Make written recommendations for improvement
Review item response report to check for
indicators of invalid questions according to
student response
Professional Development
Committee…
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Goal: train to become a trainer for the
district in communicating the purpose and
use of FOCUS assessments, scanning of
reports, report downloads and
interpretation, and scoring of open
response items
Professional Development Committee
Process…
Training on use of Edusoft for scanning,
downloading reports, and report
interpretation
 Training on communicating the purpose
and use of formative assessments
 Training on rubric scoring
 Training district during back-to-school
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Calendar of Events…
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June
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July
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15 & 16: Math Pacing Guide
Committee
26: Co-op Core Committee
20: Lit. Pacing Guide Committee
21: Math Test Dev. Committee
27: Prof. Dev. Committee TOT
training
28: Literacy Test Dev. Committee
Sept.
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Oct.
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4-6: FOCUS Assessment window
Jan.
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9-11: FOCUS Assessment window
Oct. 12: Test Dev. Committee
13: Test Rev. Committee
Dec.
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14: Prof. Dev. Committee Edusoft
Training
15: Prof. Dev. Committee Edusoft
Training
23-24: Prof. Dev. Committee
Edusoft Next Steps training
Jan.
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25: Test Dev. Committee
26: Test Rev. Committee
Calendar of Events…
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Feb.
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April
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12-14: FOCUS
Assessment window
15: Test Dev. Committee
16: Test Rev. Committee
30-May2: FOCUS
Assessment window
May
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3: Test Dev. Committee
4: Test Rev. Committee
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Summer 2007
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Dates to be scheduled
with committees
Candie Watts
Arch Ford Education
Cooperative
501-354-2256 ext. 1025
cwatts@afsc.k12.ar.us