This document summarizes key points from a seminar on aligning assessments. The seminar covered: - Defining assessment and exploring how it fits within a standards-based system - Analyzing classroom assessment options and aligning them to content standards - Discussing four types of assessments: selected response, constructed response, performance, and personal communication - Learning how to choose assessments that best measure specific standards while being efficient to implement The goal was for teachers to understand how to align assessments to standards and design assessments that inform instruction and support student learning.

1. October 8, 2008 Aligning Assessments: Session 3

3. Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary 6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two Is it getting better???? Share positives from previous two weeks 4:30 – 4:45 Four Types of Assessments Aligning Assessments to Standards Jigsaw Activity Activity 2 5:15 – 6:00 Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to: Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths http://illuminations.nctm.org www.TeachingTipsMachine.com Teaching Tips 7:20- 7:30 Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed? Share prompt Check for Understanding 7:10 – 7:20 Examining Student Work Content Pedagogy Content Knowledge “ Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both students and teachers to continuously improve.” Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards Standards & A ssessments 6:00 – 6:50 Classroom Assessment Profile Review Article 4 What is assessment? Opening Activity 1 4:45 – 5:15 Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes Activity / Topic Wheel Components Time AGENDA SEMINAR THREE : ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08

5. Designing for Student Achievement

10. Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary 6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two Is it getting better???? Share positives from previous two weeks 4:30 – 4:45 Four Types of Assessments Aligning Assessments to Standards Jigsaw Activity Activity 2 5:15 – 6:00 Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to: Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths http://illuminations.nctm.org www.TeachingTipsMachine.com Teaching Tips 7:20- 7:30 Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed? Share prompt Check for Understanding 7:10 – 7:20 Examining Student Work Content Pedagogy Content Knowledge “ Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both students and teachers to continuously improve.” Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards Standards & A ssessments 6:00 – 6:50 Classroom Assessment Profile Review Article 4 What is assessment? Opening Activity 1 4:45 – 5:15 Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes Activity / Topic Wheel Components Time AGENDA SEMINAR THREE : ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08

12. Assessment Methods Types of Assessment Selected Response Constructed Response Performance Personal Communication

14. Aligning Assessments Jigsaw - Graphic Organizer, page 11 Sample Standard: Personal Communication Sample Standard: Performance Assessment Sample Standard: Constructed Response Sample Standard: Selected Response B L O O M’s Minuses (-) Pluses (+) Examples Definition Method

17. Selected Response Know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core. Know the definition of conditional probability. Locate on maps of North and South America land claimed by Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia. Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry. Know waves carry energy from one place to another. LEVELS OF BLOOM’S 1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension Sample standards for which a Selected Response Assessment would be a strong match:

20. Constructed Response Use a variety of methods, such as words, numbers, symbols, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, and models, to explain mathematical reasoning. Compare and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic. Explain the influence and achievements of significant leaders of the time (e.g., John Marshall, Andrew Jackson, Chief Tecumseh, Chief Logan, Chief John Ross, Sequoyah). Use properties of numbers to demonstrate whether assertions are true or false. Describe temperature and heat flow in terms of the motion of molecules (or atoms). LEVELS OF BLOOM’S 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation Sample standards for which a Constructed Response Assessment would be a strong match:

23. Performance Assessment Construct a cube and rectangular box from two-dimensional patterns and use these patterns to compute the surface area for these objects. Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch and/ or centimeter. Decode two-syllable nonsense words and regular multisyllable words. Know how to build a simple compass and use it to detect magnetic effects, including Earth’s magnetic field. Use speaking techniques, including voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact, for effective presentations. LEVELS OF BLOOM’S 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation Sample standards for which a Performance Assessment would be a strong match:

25. Personal Communication Pose relevant questions about events they encounter in historical documents, eyewitness accounts, oral histories, letters, diaries, artifacts, photographs, maps, artworks, and architecture. Describe the properties of common objects and communicate observations orally. Ask and answer simple questions related to data representations. Respond to persuasive messages with questions, challenges, or affirmations. LEVELS OF BLOOM’S 1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation Sample standards for which Personal Communication would be a strong match:

27. Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary 6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two Is it getting better???? Share positives from previous two weeks 4:30 – 4:45 Four Types of Assessments Aligning Assessments to Standards Jigsaw Activity Activity 2 5:15 – 6:00 Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to: Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths http://illuminations.nctm.org www.TeachingTipsMachine.com Teaching Tips 7:20- 7:30 Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed? Share prompt Check for Understanding 7:10 – 7:20 Examining Student Work Content Pedagogy Content Knowledge “ Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both students and teachers to continuously improve.” Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards Standards & A ssessments 6:00 – 6:50 Classroom Assessment Profile Review Article 4 What is assessment? Opening Activity 1 4:45 – 5:15 Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes Activity / Topic Wheel Components Time AGENDA SEMINAR THREE : ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08

28. What to Look for in Classroom Assessments Effective and efficient - Students can present and defend their judgments and opinions in an interactive setting that delves deeply into their thinking. Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly demonstrate their evaluative capabilities. Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired evaluative thinking. Difficult to construct effective items. VI Evaluation Effective and efficient - Students can demonstrate their ability to compile and reformulate information in a number of different ways. Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly describe their process of synthesizing information. Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired synthesis processes. Difficult to construct effective items. V Synthesis Effective but may be inefficient – The teacher would have to measure both process and product to truly get at students’ analytical thinking. Effective and efficient - Students can construct responses that clearly indicate their analytical process. Not recommended – does not effectively provide evidence desired analytical thinking. Difficult to construct effective items. IV Analysis Most effective - Students can demonstrate written, oral, and physical applications of knowledge and understanding. Somewhat effective - this type of assessment can only measure applications in the written form. Not recommended – does not Effectively demonstrate ability to apply knowledge and comprehension. Difficult to construct effective items. III Application Not recommended – too inefficient This is an efficient and effective way to measure comprehension, and determine the nuances of student understanding. Effective way to measure students’ comprehension, but will not get at their actual reasoning. II Comprehension This can be both effective and efficient way to measure any level of Bloom’s, but may be hard to formally record or track. Not recommended – too inefficient You can get at knowledge with this method, but it may be inefficient, or somewhat subjective. This is an efficient and objective way to quickly gauge student knowledge of discrete facts. I Knowledge Personal Communication Performance Assessment Constructed Response Selected Response Level of Bloom’s

34. Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary 6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two Is it getting better???? Share positives from previous two weeks 4:30 – 4:45 Four Types of Assessments Aligning Assessments to Standards Jigsaw Activity Activity 2 5:15 – 6:00 Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to: Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths http://illuminations.nctm.org www.TeachingTipsMachine.com Teaching Tips 7:20- 7:30 Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed? Share prompt Check for Understanding 7:10 – 7:20 Examining Student Work Content Pedagogy Content Knowledge “ Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both students and teachers to continuously improve.” Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards Standards & A ssessments 6:00 – 6:50 Classroom Assessment Profile Review Article 4 What is assessment? Opening Activity 1 4:45 – 5:15 Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes Activity / Topic Wheel Components Time AGENDA SEMINAR THREE : ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08

38. Blackboard / Assignments / Upper Elementary 6:50 – 7:10 Review Seminar Project: Part One & Two Is it getting better???? Share positives from previous two weeks 4:30 – 4:45 Four Types of Assessments Aligning Assessments to Standards Jigsaw Activity Activity 2 5:15 – 6:00 Homework for Seminar #3 10.8.08 Read Article 6: Designing Instruction and respond to: Prompt #3: How has your use of assessments in your classroom changed since Seminar 3? Share an example. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths http://illuminations.nctm.org www.TeachingTipsMachine.com Teaching Tips 7:20- 7:30 Now, how has your understanding of assessments changed? Share prompt Check for Understanding 7:10 – 7:20 Examining Student Work Content Pedagogy Content Knowledge “ Assessment must support student learning and inform classroom instruction, allowing both students and teachers to continuously improve.” Practice Aligning Assessments to Standards Standards & A ssessments 6:00 – 6:50 Classroom Assessment Profile Review Article 4 What is assessment? Opening Activity 1 4:45 – 5:15 Classroom Connections, Guiding Questions, Notes Activity / Topic Wheel Components Time AGENDA SEMINAR THREE : ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS 10.08.08