Conceptualizing the Domain of Teaching for Formative Assessment Practices

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Conceptualizing the Domain of Teaching for
Formative Assessment Practices
Margaret Heritage
State Collaborative on Assessment and Student
StandardsFormative Assessment for Students and
Teachers ( FAST) Austin, Texas - October l0 - 13,
2006
UCLA Graduate School of Education Information
StudiesNational Center for Research on
Evaluation,Standards, and Student Testing
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Overview

• Elements of Formative Assessment
• Teacher Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes
• Toward a Conceptualization of the Domain of
  Teaching for Formative Assessment

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Elements of Formative Assessment
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Identifying the Gap

• Formative assessment is the means to identify the
  gap between a learners current status and the
  desired goal
• Different students will have different "gaps"
• (Sadler, 1989)

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The Just Right Gap

• Student perceives the gap as too large - goal
  unattainable
• Student perceives the gap as too small - closing
  it might not be worth the individual effort
• (Sadler, 1989)

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Interpretive Framework

• Teachers need to interpret evidence from
  formative assessment
• Having an interpretive framework means having a
  roadmap articulating the sub goals that
  constitute progression toward the ultimate goal
• Interpretive frameworks provide the touchstone
  for formative assessment strategies
• Evidence is interpreted within the framework

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Interpretive Frameworks

• Developmental criteria (Harlen, 2006),
• Theory of knowledge in a domain (NRC, 2001
  Shavelson, 2006),
• Ontology (Baker, 2005)
• Clearly articulated progression of learning in a
  domain (Forster Masters, 2004 Wilson Sloane,
  2000).

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Closing the Gap
Formative assessment gathers and uses
information about students knowledge and
performance to close the gap between students
current learning state and the desired state by
pedagogical actions (Shavelson 2006, p.3)
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Matching Action to the Gap

• Pedagogical action to close the gap
• The zone of proximal development
• Scaffolding instruction within the zone of
  proximal development

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Feedback

• Feedback to teachers about current status to
  adapt instruction
• Feedback to students to respond to instructional
  adaptations

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Feedback Students

• Clear, descriptive, criterion-based feedback to
  students that indicates
• v where they are in the learning progression
• v how their response differed from that reflected
  in desired learning goal
• v how they can move forward

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Feedback Loops
Feedback loops include a teacher who knows which
skills are to be learned, who can recognize and
describe good performance, demonstrate good
performance, and indicate how poor performance
can be improved (Sadler 1989, p.120)
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Shared Ownership

• Teachers and students have shared understanding
  and ownership of the learning goal
• Students become involved in self-assessment
• Students need to learn the strategies of
  self-assessment
• Students make more knowledgeable decisions
  regarding their current learning tactics
  (Popham, 2006)

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Teacher Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes
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Content Knowledge

• Knowledge, concepts and skills that need to be
  taught within a domain
• Learning pathway/progression of sub goals
• Knowledge of good performance
• Necessary precursor knowledge and understanding
• Knowledge of student metacognition
  (self-regulation, self assessment, motivation)

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Pedagogical Content Knowledge

• Multiple models of teaching for student
  achievement in content areas
• Gap will differ so multiple, differentiated
  instructional strategies
• Multiple models for teaching student
  metacognitive strategies

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Student Prior Knowledge

• Prior knowledge students bring to the new
  learning
• How to determine prior knowledge

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Assessment Knowledge

• Range of methods/strategies for formative
  assessment
• Formative assessment cycles
• Validity purpose and interpretation
• Reliability

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Skills

• Interpretation of evidence
• Determining the zone of proximal development
• Adapting instruction
• Supporting new learning within the zone of
  proximal development (scaffolding) selecting
  the right strategy

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Skills

• Providing clear, descriptive, criterion-based
  feedback
• Feedback indicates to student how they can move
  forward
• Assisting students to develop metacognitive
  knowledge and "learning tactics"

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Attitudes

• Formative assessment is worthwhile
• Formative assessment yields valuable and
  actionable information about students learning
• Formative assessment is integral to instruction
• Students are partners in formative assessment and
  in learning

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Toward a Conceptualization of the Domain of
Teaching for Formative Assessment
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Conceptualizing the Domain
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Conceptualizing the Domain
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Conceptualizing the Domain
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