Formative Assessment

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Formative Assessment
Margaret Heritage
Iowa High School Summit December 9, 2008 Des
Moines, Iowa
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Overview

• What is Formative Assessment?
• Key Features of Formative Assessment
• The Process of Formative Assessment

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What is Formative Assessment?
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What is Formative Assessment?

• Assessment that takes place continuously during
  the course of instruction to shape and refine
  ongoing teaching and learning.
• (Assessment Reform Group, 2002 Bell Cowie,
  2000 Black et al., 2003 Black Wiliam, 1998
  OECD, 2005 Sadler, 1989 Shepard, 2000)

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Close the Gap (Sadler, 1989)
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The Final Report of the National Mathematics
Advisory Panel (2008)

• Use of formative assessment in mathematics can
  lead to increased precision in how instructional
  time is used in class and can assist teachers in
  identifying specific instructional needs.
  Formative assessment should be an integral
  component of instructional practice in
  mathematics (p. 48).

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Sadler (1989)

• Formative assessment can short-circuit the
  randomness and inefficiency of trial and error
  learning (p.120).

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Large Scale Assessment
Assessment OF and FOR Learning
Interim Assessment
Formative Assessment
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Keeping Learning on Track
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Key Features
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Key Features

• Establishing clear learning goal(s) and criteria
  for success
• Eliciting evidence about student learning
• Providing feedback to teachers and students about
  learning
• Using feedback to adjust instruction and learning
  tactics in real time
• Involving students actively in their learning

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Creating the Conditions
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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Learning Goal and Success Criteria

• Learning goal shared with students
• Criteria for success shared with students
• Goal and criteria are manageable
• Goal and criteria are in language students can
  understand
• Criteria made explicit through exemplars

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Eliciting Evidence No Single Way

• Systematic
• Planned
• Appropriate to purpose
• Yield detailed and actionable information
• __________________________________________________
  __
• Something must get formed as a result of
  formative assessment

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Eliciting Evidence No Single Way

• Questioning
• Discussion (student/student - teacher/student)
• Observation (watching and listening)
• Tasks (representations, explanations, problem
  solving strategies)
• Mid-lesson checks (white boards, ABCD cards,
  clickers)
• Exit cards
• Notes to teacher
• Curriculum-embedded assessments

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Questioning Models of analysis from previous
years. Is this a good way to analyze the data for
trends? If so, why? If not, why not? Paired work
to provide explanations
Observation Manipulation of data (combining,
averaging, finding change) while groups work on
analysis Questioning Why have you chosen to
manipulate the data in X way? What would happen
if you? Observation of discussion Groups
present graphs of the analysis to peers and
explain logic of analysis. Peers provide feedback.
Class presentations What patterns have you
observed in the data? Feedback from peers and
teacher
Individual written explanations Justify
conclusions by articulating evidence for basis of
conclusion.
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Create a multi- genre paper, informed by your
research on a particular subject that presents
one or (more likely) more perspectives on a
research question or thesis statement
Paper is personal, creative and not copied from
any other source
Group discussion and presentation In groups
examine multi-genre papers explain why they do
or dont meet success criteria and report out to
class
Paper has clear thesis statement
Written statement Individuals write thesis
statements teacher feedback
Paper demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the
topic and conscious decisions about what
information is important and how it should be
presented to the reader
Discussion groups and peer feedback Outline of
paper with rationale for what information is
important, why particular genres have been
selected and what will connect the paper (peer
feedback groups of 4 - teacher observes
discussion)
Multiple genres are included
Ideas are presented in clear, logical flow
Exit Cards What issues/problems/questions do you
have that you would like us to discuss in class?
Genres are connected by a unifying theme,
repeated motifs, or topics that are mentioned in
some genres and expanded in others
Feedback conference with peers First draft
peer feedback - revisions
Feedback conference with teacher First draft
feedback conference with teacher - students
bring up to three specific questions in relation
to the success criteria they have about their
draft to guide the conference.
Clear transitions are made between each genre
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Observation Teacher observes students while
creating dot plots and writing description of
shape of plot Peer feedback Students share with
a peer their five number summary for their
data Observation Teacher observes students
while creating box plots Sample of written work
From your data plots identify measures of central
tendency and the standard deviation for your
data. If you are having problems with this,
please leave me a note.
To understand descriptive statistics
Create a dot plot of the data from survey about
time spent on homework
To understand transformations
Create a box plot from the five number summary of
the data
Identify measures of central tendency and the
standard deviation for the data
Predict and Explain In groups, discussion of
what would happen if students responding to the
survey all pledged to spend 5 more minutes on
homework each day. Then 5 minutes less. Which
elements in activity 1 would change? Explain why
and how. Group presentations to the class - peer
and teacher feedback.
Explain how and why data and statistics change
when responses to survey questions are slightly
different
Individual written explanations what would
happen if students responding to the survey all
pledged to double the amount of time they spend
on homework each day. Which elements in activity
1 would change? Explain why and how.
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On the Fly Assessment

• S1 This block is definitely going to sink.
  Its bigger than the rest.
• S2 No way, its going to float because its
  above the line on the graph on mass and volume.
• Teacher please explain more about what you mean
  when you say above the line on the mass/volume
  graph. Why does that information matter?

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Interpreting Evidence

• What does my evidence tell me about the students
  current learning status?
• Is there a gap between my students current
  learning status and the desired goal? What is it?
  Can I determine that from the evidence I have or
  do I need more evidence?
• Are my students on track to meeting the success
  criteria/have they met the success criteria?

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Making Assessment Formative

• Assessment is not formative unless something is
  formed as a result of interpreting evidence
  elicited

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The Just Right Gap
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Moving Learning Forward

• Provide feedback
• Adjust instruction
• Students adjust learning tactics

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Why Feedback?

• Formative assessment can enhance learning when
  it provides students with feedback about specific
  qualities of their work, and about how to improve
  
• (e.g., Black Wiliam, 1998 Crooks, 1988
  Kluger DeNisi 1996 Hattie Timperly, 2007
  Natriello, 1987 Rea-Dickens, 2001 Turnstall
  Gipps, 1996)

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Feedback
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Feedback to Students

• Clear, descriptive, criterion-based that
  indicates
• ? areas of success in meeting success criteria
• ? areas for improvement and possible strategies
  rather than total solutions

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Methods of Feedback Group/Individual

• Oral Questioning Why have you chosen to
  manipulate the data in X way? What would happen
  if you?
• Written Written statement Individuals write
  thesis statements
• Comment markers Individual written explanations
  Justify conclusions by articulating evidence for
  basis of conclusion
• Demonstration Observation manipulation of data
  (combining, averaging, finding change) while
  groups work on analysis

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Written

• You have a clear thesis statement and your paper
  provides a series of claims and examples.
• Your paper could be strengthened by improved use
  of transitions.
• I have marked places where you have used
  effective transitions with an X, and with a Z to
  indicate where transitions could be improved.
• Review the Xs and to help you think about how to
  create better transitions in the Z sections.

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Oral

• Two of your measures of central tendency are
  correct and one isnt. See if you can find it and
  fix it.

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Oral and Comment Markers

• All your conclusions should be backed by
  evidence. Ive used the check comment marker to
  indicate the statements that are backed by
  evidence.
• Find the statements that are not backed by
  evidence and provide the evidence.
• be

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Using Feedback

• Feedback is only formative if it is USED by
  students
• Teachers must allow TIME for students to use
  feedback
• Using feedback helps students develop LEARNING
  STRATEGIES

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Peer-Assessment

• "Research shows that the people providing the
  feedback benefit just as much as the recipient,
  because they are forced to internalize the
  learning intentions and success criteria in the
  context of someone elses work, which is less
  emotionally charged than ones own work (Wiliam,
  20066).

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Peer-Assessment

• Involves thinking about learning
• Needs to be taught
• Deepens understanding of own learning goals
• Can support self-assessment
• Fosters collaboration

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Self-Assessment

• Involves metacognition process of reflecting
  upon ones own learning
• Crucial to effective thinking and problem-solving
• Hallmark of expert thinking (NRC, 2000 2001)
• Supports self-regulation and feelings of control
  over ones learning

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Self-Assessment

• Needs to be taught
• Keeps a focus on learning
• Use information formatively
• Develop learning strategies

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Adjustments to Teaching and Learning

• Teachers build on ripening functions
• Students make more knowledgeable decisions about
  learning strategies/tactics

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Iowa Core Curriculum Determine learning goals
Define criteria for success
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Close the Gap

• Close the gap between the learners current state
  and desired goal

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Margaret Heritage mheritag_at_ucla.edu