Creating a Focus on

LearningT h e P o w e r o f

C o m m o n F o r m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t s

Here ’s the th ing about assessments . . .

• Schools should certainly use a variety of assessments: those developed by individual teachers, a state or provincial test, district tests, national tests, tests that accompany textbooks, and so on . . .

HOWEVER . . .

to be an excuse for ignoring the need for common,

team-made

formative assessments

. . . school leaders should never a l low the

presence of these other assessments

W hy

s h o u l d w e u s e

f o r m a ti v e a s s e s s m e n t s ?

Teachers active engagement

in the development of the assessment

leads them to

accept greater responsibility for the results

“. . . assessment for

learning rivals one-on-

one tutoring

in its effectiveness

and that the use of

assessment particularly

benefits

low-achieving students."

A s t e a c h e r s

work together

t o s t u d y t h e

e l e m e n t s o f e ff e c t i v e

a s s e s s m e n t ,

t h e y i m p ro v e t h e i r

a s s e s s m e n t l i t e r a c y

Teachers have been told that

eff ective teaching is

preceded by p l a n n i n g

and

fol lowed by r e fl e c t i o n

Refl ection enhances s tudent learn ing on ly

when i t i s :

• collective - a team of teachers reflecting rather than

an individual

and

• based on actual evidence of student

learning

rather than an appraisal of particular teaching strategies

Dis t r i bu t ing s ta te and

d i s t r i c t gu ide l i nes to

ind iv idua l teachers

a s a subs t i tu te

f o r team d ia logue

Beware!

Failing to include team dialogue

based on evidence of student

learning

as part of the curriculum and

assessment process

Assigning a committee of teachers to establish the curriculum and present it to their colleagues

A r g u m e nt s

Teachers a re

too busy to c l a r i fy

cu r r i cu lum and /o r c rea te

assessments ,

a n d . . .

t e a c h e r s lack the knowledge

and ski l ls

t o d o t h e w o r k w e l l .

h a v i n g

someone else

d o t h e w o r k p ro v i d e s t e a c h e r s w i t h a n

i m p o r t a n t s e r v i c e ,

School leaders wi l l need to prov ide

t i m e ,

re s o u rc e s,

a n d t r a i n i n gt o ass i s t them.

I t i s b y

e n g a g i n g t h e p ro c e s s

t h a t t e a c h e r s l e a r n ,

s o d o n o t

r e m o v e t h e m

f r o m t h e p r o c e s s !

•W h a t mu s t ou r

s t u den t s l ea rn ?

• H ow w i l l we

kn ow i f t h ey

h a ve l ea rn ed i t ?

K e y Q u e s t i o n s

Tips for Moving Forward !

L e s s i s m o r e :

m a i n p r o b l e m i s n o t t h a t w e

d o n o t d o e n o u g h ,

b u t r a t h e r t h a t

w e a t t e m p t t o o

m u c h

I d e n t i f y t h e e i g h t - t e n

m o s t e s s e n t i a l o u t c o m e s

s t u d e n t s w i l l b e e x p e c t e d t o

a c h i e v e

i n t h e i r c o u r s e o r s u b j e c t a r e a

f o r t h a t s e m e s t e r

Focus on profi ciency in key

skills –

not coverage

B y f o c u s i n g o n e s s e n t i a l s k i l l s ,

t e a c h e r s p r e p a r e f o r

8 0 - 9 0 p e r c e n t

o f t h e c o n t e n t t h a t w i l l b e a d d r e s s e d

R e c o g n i z e t h a t c o m m o n a s s e s s m e n t s m i g h t

c r e a t e t e a c h e r a n x i e t y

T h e y w i l l r e c o g n i z e t h a t

r e s u l t s

f r o m t h e s e

a s s e s s m e n t s c o u l d b e

u s e d t o

e x p o s e w e a k n e s s e s

i n t h e i r i n s t r u c t i o n

But what if I

am the

weakest

teacher on

my team?

My teammates

will lose respect for

me.

The principal may use

the results in my

evaluation.

If the results become public,

parents may demand that their child be removed from

my class.

I don't want to participate in a process that can be

used to humiliate or punish me.

I would rather work in blissful ignorance than become aware that I may be ineffective.

These are very real and understandable human emotions which should be acknowledged,

but not allowed to derail the effort to create a common curriculum and

common assessments.

Helpful Assurances :

individual results will not be distributed

to their teammates,

will not leave the building,

will not appear in board of education

reports,

or show up in district newsletters.

Te s t s c o re s

wil l take care of

themselves w h e n

s c h o o l s a n d t h e p e o p l e w i t h i n

t h e m

a re p a s s i o n a t e l y c o m m i t t e d

t o h e l p i n g e a c h s t u d e n t

d e v e l o p t h e k n o w l e d g e a n d

s k i l l s e s s e n t i a l

t o h i s o r h e r s u c c e s s .

U s e

a s s e s s m e n t s

a s a means

r a t h e r t h a n

a n end .

P l e a s e r e v i e w t h e

a c c o m p a n y i n g G u i d i n g

Q u e s t i o n s w i t h i n y o u r P L C t e a m s !