Using Assessments to Increase Student

Success

Connecting Assessments to Predict Success

Tiffany YelderOpelika High SchoolOpelika City Schools

Our Goal• Encourage school districts to use the ACT

assessment series to:– Meet students where they are– Increase achievement levels

Assessments

Assessments are a fundamental part of education.

Think about all of the different assessments your students encounter and the purpose they serve.

Take one (1) minute to discuss these and list as many assessments and uses of assessments as you can.

Alabama’s Old Assessment Series

ACTExplore 8

ACT Plan 10

ACT 11ACT

WorkKeys 12

“Longitudinal Baseline Data”

Alabama’s New Assessment Series

ACT Aspire

4

ACT Aspire

3

ACT Aspire

5

ACT Aspire

6

ACT Aspire

8

ACT Aspire

7

ACT Aspire 10

The ACT 11

ACT WorkKeys

12

Summative vs. Formative Assessments• Serve different purposes in the learning process

– Summative Assessments are assessments OF learning at a particular point in time

– Formative Assessments are assessments FOR learning in progress

Looking back at the list from your table talk, take a few seconds to place an “S” or “F” next to the items you would consider to be summative or formative assessments.

What are some examples of summative assessments? Formative assessments?

How Does Alabama Define a Successful Student?

College and Career Ready

ACT College and Career ReadinessACT researchers have identified knowledge and skills that:

– Colleges expect from incoming first year students– Employers expect from employees entering the

workforce

The same level of academic achievement is needed for success in

college or a meaningful career. www.act.org

How is College and Career Readiness Measured?• Prepared graduates must meet one of the

following College and Career Ready IndicatorsBenchmark

on ACTBenchmark

on WorkKeys

Military enlistment

Approved Career & Technical Education

credential

Qualifying score on AP or IB exam

Approved college credit transcripted

while in high school

www.alsde.edu

How Did ACT Predict Student Success in Entry Level College Courses?

ACT was able to:• link ACT Readiness Benchmarks

to the actual grade received• apply the same concept when

developing the readiness benchmarks for the assessment series www.act.org

We now have a general idea of where our students need to be each year and can use data to increase/predict success.

ACT Readiness Benchmarks

ACT Aspire The ACT

Test 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8thEarly HS

9th 10th 11th

English 413 417 419 420 421 422 426 428 18

Math 413 416 418 420 422 425 428 432 22

Reading 415 417 420 421 423 424 425 428 22

Science 418 420 422 423 425 427 430 432 23

How Do We Use Assessments to Increase/Predict Student Success?

ACT Readiness Benchmarks

ACT Aspire The ACT

Test 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8thEarly HS

9th 10th 11th

English 413 417 419 420 421 422 426 428 18

Math 413 416 418 420 422 425 428 432 22

Reading 415 417 420 421 423 424 425 428 22

Science 418 420 422 423 425 427 430 432 23

• Each assessment in this longitudinal series builds on the previous one• Each test is assessing the same subject areas with increasing skill levels

School systems should be able to use the data results from each year to drive instruction for the next year.

Meet Tommy

How Do We Get There? Use

assessment data results to

drive instruction

Use common assessments

Use formative & interim

assessments

• Look at the individual assessments

• Determine how to use assessment data results to drive instruction

• Become familiar with common, formative, and interim assessments

The only summative assessment that benefits learners is one that also

serves as a formative assessment.

http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2015/06/10-things-you-dont-know-about-formative-assessment.html

ACT AspireCurtis Walker

Tallassee High SchoolTallassee City Schools

What we know:• Measures academic achievement in English, math,

reading, science, and writing • Administered to:

Grades 3 through 8 * nothing for 9th grade

grade 10 (replaces ACT plan)• ACT Aspire is linked to the College and Career

Readiness Standards - research-based.

ACT Aspire

The Reports

Additional information:• whole class trends• grade level trends• teacher trends• school trends• others

*Practice making conclusions or predictions using data from experiments!

What We Want to KnowHow to use Aspire to increase/predict student growth?

Use Aspire to:1. Set goals for your CIP2. Help assess formative assessments3. Drive instruction4. Meet individual student needs

Trends:3rd 46% not ready4th 40% not ready5th 42% not ready

School Wide Data

READING Readiness Status

Gr Exceeds Ready Close In Need of Support Met CCR XCS Met CCR Nat'l Avg CCR

3 27% 27% 19% 27% 54% 55% 34%

4 36% 24% 29% 11% 60% 56% 37%

5 40% 18% 26% 16% 57% 54% 33%

Use Aspire to Set Goals for the CIP

*School/grade level trend*

Goal 1: Increase the number of students who are “ready” according to Aspire reading assessment Objective: increase the number of students who are “ready” by 10%1)How (strategy & activities): Adjust instruction

• Review your data weekly• Give the students the help they need

small group one-on-one peer tutoring

• Refer to RtI

Remember:Score connects the student to specific areas which are in need of improvement or enrichment.

Use Aspire to Set Goals for the CIP

Goal 1: Increase the number of Students who are “ready” according to Aspire reading assessment

2) How (Strategy & activity): Professional Development• Grade level meetings

• share your ideas• observe each other

• Instructional Coach• example lessons• model teaching

Use Aspire to Set Goals for the CIP

Aspire Compared to Formative AssessmentsREADINGAspire Form Diff55% 69% 14%56% 66% 10%54% 68% 14%58% 60% 2%53% 60% 7%

Gr 3-Gr 4-Gr 5-Gr 6-Gr 7-

Formative assessments and Aspire

need to be more closely aligned.

Are the standards being taught? Are they being assessed? Is there rigor?

Use Aspire to Drive Instruction Aspire results may show common areas of need.Lessons can focus on that specific area

Use Aspire to Meet Individual Student Needs Aspire results show strength as well as weakness

What are Ben’s strengths? Weaknesses?

What might the teacher use to help Ben improve in reading and English?

Aspire can help increase and predict student learning when it is used to:

1. Create goals for the CIP

2. Help assess formative assessments

3. Drive instruction

4. Meet individual student needs

ACT Plus WritingAva Cranmore

Prattville High SchoolAutauga County Schools

The Capstone of the Aspire Assessments

Final assessment following the ACT Aspire to help students determine what they still need to learn and what knowledge and skills they have learned to prepare them for college and career.

11th Grade Assessment

Validity of ACT Scores to Predict Student Success

• Stability and validity studies conducted by ACT over the past 28 years have shown the scales to be consistent in their ability to predict meaningful outcomes.

• Validity of score ranges are an ongoing process to ensure that the tests are relevant.

www.act.org

ACT College and Career Readiness Standards

• ACT developed College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) • CCRS are descriptions of the necessary skills and knowledge

students must have to become ready for college and career.

www.act.org

ACT Readiness Benchmark

TestACT Aspire

The ACT3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Early HS

9th 10thEnglish 413 417 419 420 421 422 426 428 18Math 413 416 418 420 425 425 428 432 22

Reading 415 417 420 421 424 424 425 428 22Science 418 420 422 423 427 427 430 432 23

2014 ACT Scores

http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/states.html

Average Composite

Score

Average English Score

Average Math Score

Average Reading

Score

Average Science Score

AverageWriting

Score

National 21.0 20.3 20.9 21.3 20.8 7.1

Alabama 20.6 20.7 19.5 21.3 20.4 6.5

ACT College and Career Ready Standards

For each subject area of the test, there is a breakdown of the standards covered for each score range and a curriculum review worksheet that faculty and students can use to evaluate where they are in proficiency.

Score Range Close Reading (CLR)

13-15 CLR 201. Locate basic facts (e.g., names, dates, events) clearly stated in a passageCLR 202. Draw simple logical conclusions about the main characters in somewhat challenging literary narratives

16-19 CLR 301. Locate simple details at the sentence and paragraph level in somewhat challenging passagesCLR 302. Draw simple logical conclusions in somewhat challenging passages

20-23 CLR 401. Locate important details in somewhat challenging passagesCLR 402. Draw logical conclusions in somewhat challenging passages CLR 403. Draw simple logical conclusions in more challenging passagesCLR 404. Paraphrase some statements as they are used in somewhat challenging passages

http://www.act.org/standard/planact/reading/

Use the ACT College and Career Ready Standards to Assess Student Learning

Score Range Close Reading (CLR)

24-27 CLR 501. Locate and interpret minor or subtly stated details in somewhat challenging passagesCLR 502. Locate important details in more challenging passagesCLR 503. Draw subtle logical conclusions in somewhat challenging passagesCLR 504. Draw logical conclusions in more challenging passagesCLR 505. Paraphrase virtually any statement as it is used in somewhat challenging passagesCLR 506. Paraphrase some statements as they are used in more challenging passages

28-32 CLR 601. Locate and interpret minor or subtly stated details in more challenging passagesCLR 602. Locate important details in complex passagesCLR 603. Draw subtle logical conclusions in more challenging passagesCLR 604. Draw simple logical conclusions in complex passagesCLR 605. Paraphrase virtually any statement as it is used in more challenging passages

33-36 CLR 701. Locate and interpret minor or subtly stated details in complex passagesCLR 702. Locate important details in highly complex passagesCLR 703. Draw logical conclusions in complex passagesCLR 704. Draw simple logical conclusions in highly complex passagesCLR 705. Draw complex or subtle logical conclusions, often by synthesizing information from different portions of the passageCLR 706. Paraphrase statements as they are used in complex passages

ACT Worksheets to Determine Where Standards are in the Curriculum

http://www.act.org/standard/planact/reading/

CLR – Close ReadingIDT – Central Ideas, Themes & SummariesREL – Relationships

WME – Word Meanings & Word Choice

TST – Text StructurePPV – Purpose & Point of View

How Students Can Use ACT Results• Students should learn to use ACT tools for self-

evaluation to evaluate their own knowledge base. • To assess their own readiness for college and career• To identify academic areas where they need

improvement• To support their college admission applications

How Schools Can Use ACT Test Scores• All grade level teachers should evaluate the standards

to ensure that students are being taught the ACT Standards in the curriculum.

• To identify students who need assistance with certain subject areas or academic skills

• To determine instructional strategies to enhance learning throughout all grades

ACT WorkKeys Rob Mitchell

Prattville High SchoolAutauga County Schools

WorkKeys• Assessment required for all 12th grade students• Assesses students’ potential job skills• Helps measure and develop real world skills • Evaluates all job levels• Job profiling

– Helps businesses find potential employees • Influences instructional support

The Break DownThree Test Areas

• Applied Mathematics

• Locating Information

• Reading for Information

5 Levels of Difficulty• Level 3 Bronze Certificate• Level 4 Silver Certificate• Level 5 Gold Certificate• Level 6 Platinum Certificate• Level 7

Why WorkKeys?• Intentions of WorkKeys assessment is to blend

businesses and student success together to result in more efficient job placement.

• Currently businesses do the tests to assess job skills but now schools will help assess them as well.

• Creates a smoother transition into the work place

Applied Mathematics Level 3 QuestionIn your job as a cashier, a customer gives you a $20 bill to pay

for a can of coffee that cost $3.84. How much change should you have?

a) $15.26b) $16.16c) $16.26d) $16.84e) $17.16

http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/

Why Is This a Level 3 Item?• Examinees must perform a single subtraction

operation.• Numbers are presented in logical order ($20.00-$3.84)• Number of dollars must be converted to a decimal

(dollars and cents:$20.00)

Answer: $16.16

http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/

Applied Mathematics Level 6 QuestionYou are preparing to tile a floor of a rectangular room that is 15 ½

feet by 18 ½ feet in size. The tiles you plan to use are square, measuring 12 inches on each side, and are sold in boxes that contain enough tile to cover 25 square feet. How many boxes of tile must you order to complete the job?

a) 11b) 12c) 34d) 59

e) 287http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/

Why Is This a Level 6 Question?• Examinees must use multiple steps of logic,

calculations, or conversion.• Examinees must use mixed numbers.• Examinees must eliminate unnecessary information. • Examinees must find the area of basic shapes and

use the result in further calculations.Answer: 12 boxes

http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/

How Can WorkKeys Improve Classroom Instruction?

• Relating the level of questions and how many get them wrong or right to drive instruction for the following year

• Encourages teachers to ask practical questions that relate to real life situations

• Helps students to get career ready

Career Ready Certificates

Resource: http://alabamaschoolconnection.org

County ResultsNone Bronze

Level 3Silver

Level 4Gold

Level 5PlatinumLevel 6 Total

PercentProficient(Silver or better)

School A 5 13 6 0 0 24 25%6 of 24

School B 6 18 20 12 0 56 57%32 of 52

School C 14 23 60 22 2 121 69%84 of 121

School D 41 91 160 128 7 427 69%295 of 427

Total County 66 145 246 162 9 628 66%417 of 628

Overview of County/School Proficiency(Silver, Gold, Platinum)

School D

School C

School B

School A

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percent Proficient

Percent Proficient

Donna DenningTransition Specialist

Autauga County Schools

Special Education and Assessments

Accessibility is a universal concept that is not restricted to any one group of students. It describes needs we all have regardless of whether or not we have an official diagnostic label. The older more familiar term accommodations describes one intensive level of support that few students actually need.

ULTIMATE GOAL: Accessibility supports do nothing for the student academically that he or she should not be doing independently: they just make interaction and communication possible and fair for each student.

Accessibility vs Accommodations for ACT/Aspire

Retrieved from ACT Accessibility User’s Guide

The ACT Aspire accessibility system defines four levels of supports that range from minor support (default embedded system tools) to extreme support (modifications).

Levels of SupportsThe four levels of support in the ACT Aspire accessibility system

represent a continuum of supports, from least intensive to most intensive, and assumes all users have communication needs that fall somewhere on this continuum. The unique combination of supports needed by a single test taker is called the Personal Needs Profile (PNP). A PNP tells the system which supports to provide for a specific test taker. The continuum of supports permitted in the ACT Aspire results in a personalized performance opportunity for all.

Automatically available to a default user where accessibility needs are sufficiently met through the basic test administration experience.

Default embedded system tools meet the common, routine accessibility needs of the most typical test takers. All students are provided these tools, as appropriate, even students who have no documented PNP. Default embedded system tools include but are not limited to these examples:

● Paper test booklet (paper)● Answer document (paper)● Number 2 pencils (paper)● Erasers (paper)● Computer keyboard (online)● Mouse (online)● Browser zoom magnification (online)● Scratch paper (online and paper)● Personal calculators for Mathematics tests (online and paper)● Mark items for review (online and paper)

Support Level 1: Default Embedded System Tools

● Large print (paper)● Color overlay (paper)● Respond in the text booklet or on separate

paper (paper)● Line reader (online and paper)● Magnifier tool (online and paper)● Answer masking (online and paper)● Dictate responses (online and paper)● Keyboard or augmentative or assistive

communication (AAC) + local print online and paper)

● Breaks: supervised within each day (online and paper)

● Special seating/grouping (online and paper)● Location for movement (online and paper)● Individual administration (online and paper)● Other setting (online and paper)● Audio or visual environment (online and paper)● Physical/motor equipment (online and paper)

Support Level 2: Open Access Tools

Open Access tools are slightly more intensive than default embedded system tools but can be delivered in a fully standardized manner that is valid, appropriate, and personalized to specific access needs identified within an individual student’s PNP. ACT Aspire, Open Access tools include but are not limited to the following examples:

• Text-to-speech English audio• Text-to-speech English audio+orienting

description for blind/low vision• Text-to-speech Spanish audio• Word-to-word dictionary• Human reader, English audio

• Translated test directions• Braille + tactile graphics (online and paper)• Sign language interpretation• Extra time (online and paper)• Breaks: securely extend session over multiple

days (paper)

Support Level 3:Accommodations

High-level accessibility tools needed by relatively few students. The ACT Aspire system requires accommodations-level supports to be requested by educational personnel on behalf of a student through the online PNP process. This will allow any needed resources to be assigned and documented for the student. Students who receive this high level of support have a formally documented need for resources or equipment that requires expertise, special training and/or extensive monitoring to select, administer, and even to use the support effectively and securely. These can include but are not limited to the following examples:

Decisions about accommodations-level supports are typically made by an educational team on behalf of and including the student. Accommodation decisions are normally based on a formal, documented evaluation of specialized need. Accommodation supports require substantial additional local resources or highly specialized, expert knowledge to deliver successfully and securely.

Supports that are sometimes used during instructions, but they alter what the test is attempting to measure and thereby prevent meaningful access to performance of the construct being tested. Because modifications violate the construct being tested, they invalidate performance results and communicate low expectations of student achievement. Modifications are NOT permitted during ACT Aspire testing

Support Level 4: Modifications

Retrieved from: www.wcass.org/resource

General Policies Guiding the Alabama Student Assessment Program

• Testing accommodations should enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

• Must be based upon individual student needs and not upon a category of disability, level of language proficiency , or level of instruction

• These accommodations must have been regularly made during classroom instruction and on classroom tests.

• These accommodations must be justified, proven, successful and documented in the student’s IEP/504 Plan/I-ELP.

• These accommodations should foster and facilitate independence for students not dependence.

• Only test accommodations listed on the approved testing checklists should be used.

Alabama State Department of Education Student Assessment Program Policies and Procedures for Students of Special Populations

• Justification of the need for the testing accommodations

• Prior practice in the classroom on a regular basis for instruction and on classroom tests

• Success of the accommodations during prior practice

Required to Qualify for Testing Accommodations

1. Expect Students of Special Populations to Achieve Grade-Level Academic Content Standards.

2. Learn About Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment.

3. Select Accommodations for Instruction and State Assessments for Individual Students.

4. Administer Accommodations during Instruction and On State Assessments.

5. Evaluate and Improve Accommodations Use.

The Five Step Process

The results from formative and summative assessments should be used for:IEP Development

• Profile - current areas of strengths and weaknesses• Provide data for making the decision for the most appropriate pathway:

General Education Pathway - college and career Essential Life Skill Pathway - school to career Alternate Achievement Standards Pathway (Previously AAA)• Goal Development - use results to develop measureable and attainable goals

and benchmarks that align with standards

Use of Assessments for IEP Development

*Students are not required to have an IEP to access Life Skills Pathway courses.

Common AssessmentsAaron Stewart

J.F. Drake Middle SchoolAuburn City Schools

Key Questions What?Who?Where?When?How?Why?

What Are Common Assessments?

Common Assessments are teacher formulated, standards based, formative assessments used to gauge students’ mastery of content.

Who Uses Common Assessments?Common Assessments can be used by any

group of teachers that teach the same content.

- Grade Level Teachers- Curriculum Area Teachers

Examples:1. 3rd Grade Language Arts Teachers2. 5th Grade Science Teachers3. 7th Grade Math Teachers4. 10th Grade Social Studies Teachers

Where to Use Common AssessmentsCommon Assessments are simply “Classroom

Assessments” - used for formal and informal formative assessments in the classroom.1. Exit Slips2. Quizzes3. Chapter/Unit Tests

When to Use Common AssessmentsCommon Assessments should be used whenever

there is a need for formative assessment. This process should happen:

- every week - every month - every quarter - every semester - all year long

How Common Assessments Are DevelopedTeachers collaborate and determine:

1. What do we expect students to learn? 2. How will we know students learned? 3. What will we do when students do not learn? 4. What will we do when students do learn?

(DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010, p. 119)

Using the four guiding questions, teachers then create a test, timeline, and lessons.

How Common Assessments Work- After the creation of the test, timeline, and lessons, each

teacher then progresses through the unit.

- After all teachers have completed the assessment within the testing window, all teachers meet to discuss data.

- Each teacher’s tests are ordered from highest level of mastery to lowest level of mastery.

- Teachers then rearrange classes based on students’ mastery of material.

Data Tables

TEACHER A TEACHER B TEACHER C TEACHER D

STUDENT A1 STUDENT B1 STUDENT C1 STUDENT D1

STUDENT A2 STUDENT B2 STUDENT C2 STUDENT D2

STUDENT A3 STUDENT B3 STUDENT C3 STUDENT D3

STUDENT A4 STUDENT B4 STUDENT C4 STUDENT D4

STUDENT A5 STUDENT B5 STUDENT C5 STUDENT D5

STUDENT A6 STUDENT B6 STUDENT C6 STUDENT D6

STUDENT A7 STUDENT B7 STUDENT C7 STUDENT D7

STUDENT A8 STUDENT B8 STUDENT C8 STUDENT D8

STUDENT A9 STUDENT B9 STUDENT C9 STUDENT D9

STUDENT A10 STUDENT B10 STUDENT C10 STUDENT D10

STUDENT A11 STUDENT B11 STUDENT C11 STUDENT D11

STUDENT A12 STUDENT B12 STUDENT C12 STUDENT D12

STUDENT A13 STUDENT B13 STUDENT C13 STUDENT D13

STUDENT A14 STUDENT B14 STUDENT C14 STUDENT D14

STUDENT A15 STUDENT B15 STUDENT C15 STUDENT D15

Data Tables

TEACHER A TEACHER B TEACHER C TEACHER D

86 60 73 7595 90 75 7590 60 98 9594 95 90 8591 75 92 8593 60 82 8096 95 76 8386 84 76 7693 65 80 7695 55 60 8695 65 76 9391 95 83 9382 70 83 8096 70 85 8690 75 66 95

Data Tables

TEACHER A TEACHER B TEACHER C TEACHER D

96 95 98 9596 95 92 9595 95 90 9395 90 85 9395 84 83 8694 75 83 8693 75 82 8593 70 80 8591 70 76 8391 65 76 8090 65 76 8090 60 75 7686 60 73 7686 60 66 7582 55 60 75

Data Tables

TEACHER A TEACHER B TEACHER C TEACHER D

98 92 83 7596 91 83 7596 91 83 7595 90 82 7395 90 82 7095 90 80 7095 90 80 6695 86 80 6595 86 76 6595 86 76 6095 86 76 6094 85 76 6093 85 76 6093 85 75 5593 84 7593

Potential Problems1. Student Perception

2. Teacher Fairness

3. Teacher Limitations

Teacher JudgmentA student is not mandated to any mastery level!

– Tweaks can be made based on teacher input• “I think she had a lot going on at home.”• “He usually does better than this.”

– Behavior issues may affect performance• “There’s a personality conflict with her.”• “He’ll do very well without an audience.”

Key QuestionsWhat?Who?Where?When?How?Why?

Why Use Common Assessments?1. Promote Teacher Accountability

– By making their student results public to their colleagues, the level of accountability to improve their practice rises dramatically; no one likes to be perceived as ineffective (Lenz, 2012)

2. Enhance Teacher Practice– The goal is to compare what works best!

3. Increase Student Success– Based on mastery model– Grouping students based on content mastery allows for the

appropriate remediation and enrichment. – Beginning stages of preparation

Formative AssessmentsRenatta Rives

Councill Middle SchoolTallapoosa County Schools

Assessment is not the endgame of learning. It is a toolset consisting of summative, periodic, and

formative components. No single element, no matter how well-intentioned or detailed, can match a

complete assessment solution.

http://www.discoveractaspire.org/assessments/

Question: Where do schools get reliable data in order to predict student success on the Aspire Assessments?

Answer: ACT Aspire Interim Assessments

What are Interim Assessments?These are short-duration, highly revealing

assessments designed to produce snapshots of each learner’s achievement at intervals throughout the academic year.

As such, they are ideal for acknowledging that a

learner’s progress is on pace for success with the Aspire assessment at the conclusion of the year.

ACT Aspire Formative Assessments Are Outcome Based

• Emphasizes learning objectives

• Makes goals and objectives transparent to students

• Provides feedback that is relevant, comprehensive, and attainable

• Provides valuable diagnostic information by generating informational data

Interim Assessments are Important Interim Assessments are

important because they identify whether a learner may require critical, corrective re-teaching to develop the essential skills that will be measured by the Aspire assessment.

ACT Aspire Interim Assessments

• 3 Interim assessments per grade and per content area• Fixed-format, computer based, multiple choice• 3rd -10th grades• 45 minute duration• Immediate feedback to students with reports generated for

student/parent, teacher/group, item response analysis

Interim Assessments serve as a means for fast, convenient and accurate measurement of CCRS standards leading up to the ACT Aspire Assessment.

Table TalkInstructions: Take one (1) minute and discuss with the people beside

you the following questions:

1. Why would ACT Aspire Interim Assessments be beneficial to students?

2. Why would ACT Aspire Interim Assessments NOT be beneficial to students?

3. How do Interim Assessments relate to the Aspire and ACT data?

4. Would student test scores increase if we invest in the formative assessments developed by ACT Aspire?

5. What would my system “give up” in order to implement Interim assessments?

Why Choose ACT Aspire Interim Formative Assessments?

Benefits include: • Aligned with College and Career Readiness Standards• Places ready made formative assessments in the hands of

teachers• Eases the transition to computer based Aspire Assessment• Formative assessments are where teachers can make the

changes within the classroom with greatest potential to affect student learning.

Negative Points to Consider:1. Assessment pacing is fixed and may not adhere to current

pacing guides.

2. Available only as computer based testing

3. Teachers may be resistant to adjusting coaching strategies for students not meeting proficient level of learning.

4. School systems will need to develop their own system of cumulative reporting.

5. Interim Assessments are expensive.

Results of Pilot Series• Students and teachers report

greater confidence on the Aspire Assessment

• As a result of formative interim testing, students were supported with appropriate coaching and this resulted in increased Aspire scores

Interim Assessments Are Instructionally Informative

• Allows for purposeful selection of strategies

• Embeds assessment in instruction• Provides a way to align standards,

content and assessments

CONCLUSION

What is the Goal?Assessment results should drive classroom

instruction, continuous improvement plans, and professional development.

References:1. Tiffany Yelder: Connecting Assessments to

Predict Success1. www.act.org2. www.alsde.edu

2. Curtis Walker: ACT Aspire1. www.discoveractaspire.org

3. Ava Cranmore: ACT Plus Writing1. www.act.org2. http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/states.html3. http://www.act.org/standard/planact/reading/

4. Rob Mitchell: ACT WorkKeys1. www.act.org2. http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-workkeys/3. http://alabamaschoolconnection.org

5. Donna Denning: Special Education and Assessments

1. ACT Accessibility User’s Guide2. www.wcass.org/resource3. Alabama State Department of Education Student Assessment

Program Policies and Procedures for Students of Special

Populations

6. Aaron Stewart: Common Assessments1. Ainsworth, L., & Viegut, D. (2006). Common formative

assessments: How to connect standards-based instruction and assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

2. DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010) Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

3. Lenz, B. (2010, December 20). How common assessments boost accountability. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-assessments-accountability-bob-lenz

7. Renatta Rives: Formative Assessments1. http://www.discoveractaspire.org/assessments/