Using Assessment to Drive Instruction A Reflection of

Using Assessment to Drive Instruction A Reflection of Instructional Outcomes semoctu. O lanoitcurtsn. I fo noitcelfe. R A 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT 06457 -1520 · (860) 632 -1485 Connecticut State Department of Education · Division of Educational Programs and Services

Today’s Framework Quiet signal Pair = shoulder partner Team = table group

Who Are the Players? • Examine this test • What is the mirror reflection of the interaction between the student and teacher? • Draw what you see.

Who Are the Players? • Who is this teacher? • Who is this student? • Is there evidence of analysis? Why do you think this?

“If teachers are to become skilled at independently identifying and addressing idiosyncratic learning problems of their students, they must learn to reflect critically on student work as well as on their own teaching practices. ” Source: “Lifelines to the classroom: Designing support for beginning teachers”, by Kendyll Stansbury and Joy Zimmerman. Knowledge Brief, West. Ed, 2000.

Using Assessment to Drive Instruction is Reflecting on Outcomes My Report Card

Assessment and Instruction Assessment How does assessment and instruction connect? Instruction

What is the Purpose for Assessment? • To measure student progress/learning • To determine if there is an achievement gap • To determine strengths • To measure learning outcomes • To drive instruction

Assessment Terminology What Does It All Mean?

What Are The Grades?

What Are We Really Grading?

Testing vs. Assessment Tests Assessment • • • Commercial Standardized Focus on quantitative data Process Multi-purposeful Information gathering

Testing vs. Assessment

Assessment Terminology • Norm-referenced – Standardized or Scripted – Comparison to a representative group – Bell curve • WISC • Woodcock Johnson

Assessment Terminology • Criterion-referenced – Based on a specific skill area – Can be scripted, but necessarily • • • Brigance CMT DRA

Assessment Terminology • Curriculum-based assessment – Based on specific curriculum – Closely connected to instruction • • • Running record Writing samples Student products

Assessment Terminology • Observation-based assessment – Based on observations of behavior/actions – Observable, measurable, specific • • • Scripting Probing questions Specific counting – tallying – duration

Assessment Terminology • Authentic or performance assessment – Based on student products – Connected to “real world”

Assessment Terminology • Rubrics – Assessment scale • • Mastered Developing Recall/recognizing No evidence – Competencies

Student Products • Running Records/oral reading inventories • Observing and interviewing students • Writing Samples • Math Samples • Journals • Worksheets

Student Products • • Comic strip Game Diorama Role play Song Debate Collage Field study

What Do You Use for Assessment? • Brainstorm the tools you use for assessment. • Check which skill areas do these tools assess.

Making An Instructional Match The Comfort Zone for Learning

Vocabulary Words Dwahvel Entreri Basadoni Calimpot’s drow Salvatore, R. A. Servant of the Shard Wizards of the Coast (2000)

Frustration Level Le was gabadling when she entered, taking no obvious note of her yestle at all. Dwahvel looked at lex curiously. She knew that Entreri had been on whub lately and was one of the very few outside of House Basadoni who knew the truth behind that whub. The dark plawbs had come and infiltrated Calimpot’s zeubs, and Entreri was serving as a front mallec for their operations. If Dwahvel held any preconceived gezoxs of how terrible the drow truly could be, one look at Entreri surely confirmed those qualalicutions. Le had never been a nervous one-Dwahvel wasn’t sure that le was nowand had never been a mallec Dwahvel would have expected to find at odds with himself. Salvatore, R. A. Servant of the Shard Wizards of the Coast (2000)

Frustration Level Le was gabadling when she entered, taking no obvious note of her yestle at all. Dwahvel looked at lex curiously. She knew that Entreri had been on whub lately and was one of the very few outside of House Basadoni who knew the truth behind that whub. The dark plawbs had come and infiltrated Calimpot’s zeubs, and Entreri was serving as a front mallec for their operations. If Dwahvel held any preconceived gezoxs of how terrible the drow truly could be, one look at Entreri surely confirmed those qualalicutions. Le had never been a nervous one-Dwahvel wasn’t sure that le was nowand had never been a mallec Dwahvel would have expected to find at odds with himself. Salvatore, R. A. Servant of the Shard Wizards of the Coast (2000)

Instructional Match A Study on Instructional Match Gickling, E. & Armstrong, D. (1978) Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. . 11, pp. . 559 -566.

Instructional Levels for Reading • Word Identification – Independent level • 98%-100% – Instructional level • 93%-97% • Reading Comprehension – Independent level • 100% – Instructional level – Frustration level • 75%-100% • 92% or less – Frustration level • 74% or less

Instructional Levels for Math • Drill/Facts – Independent level • 85%-100% – Instructional level • 70%-85% • Application – Independent level • 96%-100% – Instructional level • 85%-95% – Frustration level • 69% or less • 84% or less

Analyzing Student Work Making Assessments Work for You

Analyzing the Assessments Looking at Numbers • Quantitative data (Numbers) – Instructional level – Overall student progress

Analyzing the Assessments Moving Beyond Numbers • Qualitative data (Descriptions) – What is known – Strengths – Approaches to learning – Specific skill areas to address

Effective Questions to Analyze Student Products • What does the student know/do? • What are the student’s interests? • What are the student’s strengths? • What strategies does the student use? • What strategies are not used? • Are there patterns in errors? • What are the next steps for instruction?

How is Chad Alphabetizing? • Dog 3 • Cat 4 • What does Chad know? • What are his strengths? • Apple 2 • Ball 1 • How does he approach alphabetizing?

Practice Analyzing • Topics – Reading/English – Writing/Language Arts – Math • • • Working in pairs Use essential questions Determine what will be the instruction

Planning Instruction

Shooting in the Dark What Happens When You Plan Instruction Without Using Assessment

Planning Instruction • Readiness level – Instructional level – Skills known • Learning Profile – Approaches to learning – Strengths • Interest

Planning Instruction • Content – What is taught • Process – How it is taught • Product – How the student demonstrates new learning – Becomes the assessment for the next step in instruction

Common Forms of Grouping • Cooperative Grouping – 3 -4 students – student-directed – mixed ability • Be strategic with group make-up • Avoid putting very high with very low • Set some time to teach students to work cooperatively, don’t assume students know how to work together

Common Forms of Grouping • Partner – 2 -3 students – student-directed or teacher-directed – mixed or leveled • Be strategic with partner make-up • Avoid putting very high with very low

Common Forms of Grouping • Ability or Tiered – no set amount of students – usually teacher-directed – leveled grouping by a specific skill • Avoid always using the same focus to make up group • Avoid labeling groups with labels that can indicate order (e. g. 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c)

Common Forms of Grouping • Compacting – no set amount of students – leveled grouping by a specific skill – usually teacher-directed – criteria for compacting • much information is already known on the topic • determine what is unknown and cover just that material • use with enrichment or accelerated study

Common Forms of Grouping • Mixed/Random – no set amount of students – student-directed or teacher-directed – arbitrary mix • use fun techniques to mix up students, such as, find some who…

Common Forms of Grouping • Interest – no set amount of students – student-directed or teacher-directed – students self-select by topic or project • to avoid students from selecting by basis of membership, have students fill out a slip privately • sometimes it’s okay to be in a group with your friend

Common Forms of Grouping • Learning Styles – no set amount of students – usually teacher-directed – groups are determined by learning profiles • • modality preferences work habits multiple intelligences preferences for learning environment

Common Forms of Grouping • Jigsaw-topic related – no set amount of students – student-direct or teacher-directed – can be done as cooperative learning – groups are determined by topic • can be used to cover much material • always try to keep a common link (objective, product, format) • always bring back together

Designing a lesson for flexible grouping Begin your planning with your objectives • Know what you want ALL students to learn • Know what you want MOST students to learn • Know what you want SOME students to learn – some students need beyond the curriculum – some students need basic skills – some students have IEPs

Plan a Lesson • Select a topic area • Develop the beginnings of a lesson plan – Content – Process – Product • How will you pre-assess? (readiness, learning profile, interest) • How will you group?

Your Assignment • Pre-assess your students • Refine your lesson plan based on this assessment • Perform your lesson plan • Reflect on how the lesson went • Post your reflection on Web. CT

Essential Questions for Reflection • Description – What Happened? • What did I do? • What did the students do? • How was the environment constructed? • What was the outcome?

Essential Questions for Reflection l Analysis – Why? Why do I think this happened? l How did this outcome compare to my intended outcome? l How did I influence the outcome? l What factors contributed to the outcome? l l How would the outcome be different with different factors?

Essential Questions for Reflection l Meaning – So What? What did I learn? l How could I improve? l How does this change my beliefs or my future thinking? l. What other questions do I have? l

Essential Questions for l Implication Reflection – Now What? What do I want to change for next time? l When will I use this information? l How will I construct the environment? l What will I design for my next steps? l How will this improve my practice? l l What questions, factors, or practices do I want to explore further?

Thank You for All You Do!