Aligning Outcomes, Assessment & Reporting

School of Education | www.newcastle.edu.au
1
EDUC2036
Specialist Studies in History 1
Aligning Outcomes, Assessment
& Reporting
Dr Robert J. Parkes
Senior Lecturer in Curriculum Studies
Covenor of HERMES History Education Research Group

2The Teacher’s Toolkit
• Assessment
• Formal / Informal
• Formative / Summative
• Norm-Referenced / Criterion-Referenced
• Standards-Based Assessment
• Assessment of / for / as Learning
• Outcomes { Aims > Objectives > Outcomes }
• Feedback & Reporting
• Backward Design
• Teaching Strategies & Learning Activities

3The Meaning of Assessment
• 1423, "to fix the amount (of a tax, fine, etc.)," from Anglo-Fr.
assesser, from M.L. assessare "fix a tax upon," originally
frequentative of L. assidere "to sit beside" (and thus to assist in
the office of a judge), from ad- "to" + sedere "to sit." One of the
judge's assistant's jobs was to fix the amount of a fine or tax.
• The sense: "to judge the value of a person, idea, etc." is from 1934.

4What is assessment?
• Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting
information about students' learning. BOS (1999)
• Any systematic method of obtaining information from tests and other
sources, used to draw inferences about characteristics of people, objects,
or programs; the process of gathering, describing, or quantifying
information about performance; an exercise—such as a written test,
portfolio, or experiment—that seeks to measure a student's skills or
knowledge in a subject area. SABES (System for Adult Basic Education Support, n.d.) online
at www.sabes.org
• The process of judging student behavior or product in terms of some
criteria. It may include objective tests as well as the use of rating scales,
observation checklists, content analysis, interviews based on
performances, discussions and written assignments. Carmen L. Armstrong’s (1994)
Designing Assessment in Art

• Assessment is an integral part of instruction, as it
determines whether or not the goals of education are
being met.
• Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement,
advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in
some cases, funding.
• Assessment inspire us to ask these hard questions: "Are
we teaching what we think we are teaching?" "Are
students learning what they are supposed to be learning?"
"Is there a way to teach the subject better, thereby
promoting better learning?"
Why do we Assess?

Why do we assess?
Competing curriculum visions provide different answers!
6

Competing Curriculum Visions
[and their relationship to assessment goals]
* Schiro, M. S. (2008). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns. Los Angeles: SAGE
Publications.
Schiro’s Model* Assessment Goal
Academic Idealist Curriculum Ranks students for a future in an academic
disciplinary field.
Techno-Rationalist Curriculum Certifies to a client (ie. Business) that the
student has attained certain skills.
Learner-Centred Curriculum Diagnoses students’ abilities to inform future
lesson planning to best support children’s
learning.
Social Reconstructionist Curriculum Measures progress with respect to a
student’s perceived capacities and abilities.

8Types of Assessment
• Ranking: Norm-Referenced vs Rating: Criterion-
Referenced Assessment
• Assessment of learning vs Assessment for learning
• Summative vs Formative
• Internal vs External
• Formal vs Informal

Types of Assessment
Formal Assessment Informal Assessment

Types of Assessment
Summative Assessment Formative Assessment

Rating vs Ranking
RATING RANKING

12Ranking: Norm-Referenced Assessment
• Assessment by comparison of individuals
• The Bell Curve
• Reality TV uses it all the time!

13Ranking: Best Film/TV Series

14Ranking: Best Film

15Rating: Criterion-Referenced Assessment
• Rating candidates or artefacts against defined (and
objective) criteria.
• Criterion-referenced assessment is often, but not
always, used to establish a person’s competence
(whether s/he can do something).
• The best known example of criterion-referenced
assessment is the driving test, when learner drivers
are measured against a range of explicit criteria (such
as “Not endangering other road users”).

16Rating: Best Film/TV Series
1. Skill in cinematography
2. Sophistication of characterisation
3. Historical accuracy

17Rating: Best Film
1. Skill in cinematography
2. Sophistication of characterisation
3. Clever storyline

Assessment works best when it . . .
• Provides diagnostic feedback
• Helps educators set standards
• Evaluates progress
• Relates to a student’s progress
• Motivates performance

19Criterion-Referenced Rating Instruments /
Rubrics
• Competency Based Rubric/Scheme
• Analytical Rubric/Scheme
• Holistic (Standards-Referenced) Rubric/Scheme

20Competency Based Assessment Rubric
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Accurate Spelling
Well Formed Sentences
Well Structured Paragraphs
Clear Introduction & Conclusion

21Analytical Rubric
5 3 1

• links the achievement of students to specified
standards, through evidence collected from a number
and variety of activities and from observations over
time.
• involves teachers gathering evidence of student
achievement formally and informally, to make
judgements and to facilitate and monitor students'
progress using syllabus outcomes.
Standards-Referenced Assessment

• what students are expected to know, understand and
do at each stage, described in NSW syllabuses
through outcomes, content and stage statements
• how well students have achieved.
Standards Describe:

24Standards-Based Rubric

The Common Grade Scale shown below can be used to report student achievement in
both primary and junior secondary years in all NSW schools. The Common Grade Scale
describes performance at each of five grade levels.
A. The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can
readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level
of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new
situations.
B. The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high
level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to
apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.
C. The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content
and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.
D. The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has
achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills.
E. The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the
content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and
skills.
Common Grading Scale
[Standards-Based Assessment]

• A learning outcome is a statement of what a learner is
expected to know, understand or be able to do as a
result of a learning process.
Learning Outcomes

This model for developing assessment activities emphasises:
• that outcomes are central to the decisions teachers make
about teaching, learning and assessment
• the importance of gathering evidence about student
learning in relation to the outcomes
• how teachers use evidence to determine how well
students are achieving in relation to the outcomes
• the importance of teacher feedback and student reflection
• how evidence of student achievement informs future
teaching and learning.
Using Syllabus Ouctomes

Standards-referenced assessment refers to the process of
collecting and interpreting information about students'
learning, using syllabus outcomes as key reference points
for decisions about students' progress and achievement.
Syllabus outcomes:
• indicate the knowledge, understanding and skills
expected to be acquired by most students by the end of
a stage as a result of effective teaching and learning
• are derived from the syllabus objectives
• present a sequence of learning for each stage and take
into account prior and subsequent learning of students.
Using Syllabus Outcomes in

Syllabus outcomes are used by teachers to:
• plan and develop learning and assessment
opportunities
• monitor student progress throughout each stage
• assess and measure student achievement against
intended learning at each stage
• report student progress and achievement during,
and at the end of, a stage.
Using Syllabus Outcomes in

Applying Standards-Based
Assessment - 1

Assessment - 2

Assessment - 3

34Moderation: Developing Consistency of
Teacher Judgement
• Moderation may involve pre-assessment and post-
assessment procedures.

You should consider whether each assessment strategy:
 is appropriate in meeting the requirements of the syllabus
 has explicitly stated purposes and addresses the outcomes
 is integral to the teaching and learning program
 shows a clear relationship between the outcomes and content being assessed
 allows students to demonstrate the extent of their skills, knowledge and
understanding in an appropriately challenging way
 focuses on what was taught in class and what students were informed would be
assessed
 provides opportunities to gather information about what further teaching and
learning is required for students to succeed
 provides valid and reliable evidence of student learning and is fair.
Assessment Strategy Checklist

36What makes good assessment?
Validity
• The appropriateness of the inferences, uses, and consequences that result from the
assessment. The best evidence of the validity of assessment comes from the alignment of
the assessment tasks to unit learning outcomes and content. Validity seeks to answer
questions such as “Are we assessing the right things in the right manner and making the
right interpretation of the results?”
Reliability
• The consistency, stability and dependability of the assessment. Reliability seeks to answer
questions such as “Would the same or similar results be achieved on another occasion or by
another assessor?”
Fairness
• The integrity of the assessment. Fairness seeks to answer questions such as “Does the
assessment provide opportunities for the student to demonstrate what they have learnt?”
and “Is the assessment examining students’ performance on what was actually taught?”

37SMART Assessment
 Specified
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Realistic
 Timed

• In a standards-referenced framework, teachers will
make professional judgements about student
achievement at key points in the learning cycle,
perhaps at the end of a semester or year, or
whenever schools choose to report on the levels of
knowledge, understanding and skill demonstrated by
students.
• The grade descriptions provide a common language
for reporting.
Reporting

Teachers can use this evidence to:
• evaluate student progress in relation to the syllabus outcomes and content
being addressed
• decide what needs to be taught next, and at what level of detail to assist
students in their learning
• determine any adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment
• form a judgement of student achievement at key points throughout the year
• inform students, parents and subsequent teachers of a student’s progress,
strengths and areas for improvement
• monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning programs.
Using Evidence

• The aim of feedback is for you to communicate to students how
well their knowledge, understanding and skills are developing in
relation to the outcomes. When planning programs and units of
work, you need to think about the ways in which you will provide
feedback to your students.
• Feedback enables students to recognise their strengths and
areas for development, and to plan with you the next steps in
their learning. In this way they are given opportunities to improve
and further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills.
• Teacher feedback about student work is essential for students,
and is integral to the teaching and learning process. Student
self-reflection and peer evaluation can also provide valuable
feedback to students. provide your students with regular
opportunities to reflect on their learning.
Providing Feedback to Students

• focus on the activity or task and what was expected
• be constructive, providing meaningful information to
students about their learning
• correct misunderstandings
• identify and reinforce students' strengths
• state clearly how students can improve
• allow students to take a more active role in their learning.
Feedback to Students should . . .

• is timely, specific and related to the learning and assessment
intention
• is constructive and provides meaningful information to students
about their learning in a variety of forms
• focuses on the activity and corrects misunderstandings
• identifies and reinforces students’ strengths
• provides information about how they can improve
• facilitates the development of and provides opportunities for self-
assessment and reflection during the learning process
• informs future teaching and learning opportunities.
Principles of Effective Feedback

• oral discussion with class, groups or individual
students
• written annotations
• general comments to the class about those aspects
of the activity or task in which students excelled and
those aspects that still need addressing
• examples of good responses
• peer evaluation and self-evaluation.
Forms of Feedback

Aligning Outcomes, Assessment, Learning Activities,
Teaching Strategies, and Reporting

• Step 1: What are the
important and enduring
concepts students should
know and understand, or
skills they need to perform?
• Step 2: What would
constitute evidence that they
know or understand these
concepts, or can perform
these skills?
• Step 3: What learning and
teaching strategies would
support the students to attain
the target knowledge,
understandings, and
capacities?
• Outcomes: What do you want the students
to learn?
 Identify the syllabus outcomes for the unit.
 Decide on the subject matter or focus of the unit.
• Rationale: Why does this learning matter?
• Assessment: What are you going to get the
students to do (or to produce)?
 Decide on the evidence of learning that will be
required, how students will demonstrate this in relation
to the outcomes and how this evidence will be
gathered and recorded.
 Ensure a range of assessment strategies is used and
that meaningful feedback in a variety of forms can be
communicated to students.
• Standards/Reporting: How well do you
expect them to know it or do it?
 What criteria will you use to indicate to students what
you expect them to do?
 What standards will you define to indicate to students
how well you expect them to meet the criteria?
• Activities/ Strategies: What will you do to
scaffold student success?
 Select the relevant syllabus content for the identified
outcomes relating to the knowledge, understanding and
skills that students will develop.
 Plan the learning experiences and instruction and identify
the assessment for learning strategies that will provide
the evidence of learning.
• Sequencing: In what sequence should
these learning activities and teaching
strategies occur?
 Provide opportunities to reflect on student progress
and modify future learning experiences accordingly.
BackwardDesign

Questions for BEFORE the lesson
begins
Official Term Why you need to know it
Where are we going? Aims, Outcomes
& Objectives
Must determine the goals for a lesson or it will go
no where! Must know how it fits into the “big
picture” aims.
How are we going to get there? Teaching
Strategies
& Learning
Activities
Must design the optimal sequence of activities to
help students achieve the goal.
Why are we going this way? Rationale Must be able to justify to yourself, your head
teacher, the students, and their parents, why you
have chosen the Teaching approaches you
employ.
Questions for DURING the lesson Official Term Why you need to know it
Are we there yet? Informal
Assessment
Must know what will count as evidence that the
goals are being achieved or you won’t know if you
need to change what you are doing mid-flight, in
order for you to successfully reach the goals.
Questions for AFTER the lesson Official Term Why you need to know it
Was the journey worthwhile? Evaluation So you know what to do next time!
Always good to make written notes so you
remember next time what you thought would be
improvements . . . Otherwise new ideas and
improvements are easy to forget.
What did we (students and teacher) learn?
Did everything work as planned?
Are there that could be improved for next time
in terms of planning, sequencing, resources,
activities?
Map of the Learning Journey

Questions?
Comments?
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Aligning Outcomes, Assessment & Reporting

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