How Formative Assessment Can Enhance Student Learning

Dylan William EMBEDDED—FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Have you noticed how customized your internet search engine has become? Web providers and social media are striving to personalize our search results to our individual taste based on our past selections and pathways. Some would argue this is incredibly helpful and saves us valuable time. Although if you think critically, it is incredibly limiting. This “filter bubble” is just giving us information we are familiar with rather than broadening our perspectives.

Formative Assessments are falling into the same trap. There is an amazing amount of definitions provided by a variety of researchers. Depending on who you talk to or what books you have read, some academics regard formative assessment as a process, others see it as a tool. Others declare the use of this term should not be used at all, unless instruction is improved. Another line of thinking popularized by Rick Stiggins in 2005 is to use the phrase assessment for learning as defined by the table below.

Formative Assessment	Assessment for Learning
More Frequent Assessments	Assessment for Learning is Continuous
Providing Teachers with Evidence	Informing the Students Themselves
Who Is, Who Is Not, Meeting Standards	Progress Each Student is Making Towards Standards While the Learning is Happening

William helps us to remember the extensive work of researcher Randy Bennett. Just replacing the term formative assessment with the term assessment for learning merely clouds the definitional issue. Bennett said, “It is an oversimplification to say formative assessment is only a matter of process, or only a matter of instrumentation. Good process require good instruments, and instruments are useless unless they are used intelligently.” William reminds us the original and literal meaning of the word formative suggest these assessments should provide us with information to shape our instruction.

William’s official definition of formative instruction is as follows:

An assessment functions formatively to the extent that evidence about student achievement is elicited, interpreted and used by teacher, learners, or their peers to make decisions about the next steps in instruction that are likely to be better or better founded, than the decision they would have made in the absence of that evidence.

Unpacking an assessment requires the teacher, the learner, and the peer to all be involved with where the learning is going, where the learner is, and how to get there to adapt teaching to meet the learner’s needs. It essentially a combination of Stiggins definition of formative assessment and assessment for learning.

My personal ah-ha moment when reading William’s book was remembering “The teacher’s job is not to transmit knowledge, nor to facilitate learning. It is to engineer effective learning environments for the students. These learning environments need to be engaging and allow teachers, learners, and peers to progress toward outcome goals.

Moving forward requires teachers and students to have a continuous informative understanding of the progress they are making towards standards while the learning is happening. These frequent assessments provide the evidence on who is, and who is not meeting standards and ultimately bridging the gap between teaching and learning.

What really matters is what kind of process we value, not what we call them. What filters are you using to determine your processes of value? I am sure you are utilizing collaborative filters to continue your growth mindset on what research teaches us is effective rather than what we think works.  

Rigorously Reading Your Way Through Complex Text

Nancy Frey & Douglas Fisher RIGOROUS READING—5 Access Points for Comprehending Complex Text

Last spring we were given the opportunity to pilot the Smarter Balance Assessment in sixth grade. This next-generation assessment measures student progress toward college and career readiness and is aligned to the new Common Core State Standards. Many would argue this added burden on top of state testing was too daunting and would be of no value. My amazing team led us in a much more positive mindset.

It shouted out to us loud and clear the direction we need to go to truly prepare our students to be the innovative thinkers required to compete in our competitive global economy. It is not enough to know what you know, but more importantly to show and share what you know in a variety of formats; reading writing, speaking, and listening.

Nancy Frey & Douglas Fisher’s Rigorous Reading is the framework to begin the process of developing a research based instructional system where our students accurately learn how to read complex texts. This instruction routine “makes it possible for students to read increasingly complex text and to gain exposure to thoughtful reading instruction that provides access to these texts.” This knowledge is powerful.

Frey & Fisher give the reader the analogy of two bookends. Anchor Standard 10 defines the outcome of instruction on, “Reading and comprehending complex literary informational text independently and proficiently.” On the other end of the bookshelf is Anchor Standard 1 where students, “Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.”  These two standards are the supportive bookends for the remaining standards.

Frey & Fisher support teachers, schools and districts to move toward proficiency through five access points.

1.     Purpose & Modeling: What am I learning and show me how through a teacher think- aloud. (My personal favorite part of the lesson- I do.)

2.     Close and Scaffold Reading Instruction: Teachers guide students not just once, but several times through the text. (We do. We do. We do.)

3.     Collaborate Conversations: Teachers facilitate collaborative student conversations to develop habits of interactions and analytical thinking. (Ya'll do.)

4.     Independent Reading Staircase: Progressing students forward thinking through challenging text to foster metacognitive awareness. (You can do it!)

5.     Performance: Feedback and Instruction is based on assessments for learning to support student’s ability to demonstrate their understanding of text in a variety of ways.

I can’t remember reading a book and being exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. How can I move forward and share this critical research based practice with teachers? I believe, Frey & Fisher had the same experience because at the end of the book is a linear Professional Learning Guide. The framework is intended for school or district site professional developers to support teachers and leaders to develop instruction on how to effectively comprehend complex text through “Rigorous Reading.”  A rare find and worth every minute of your time!

Assessments Tools to Truly Measure Student Learning

Linda Darling-Hammond TESTING TO, AND BEYONG—New Assessments Can Support a Multiple-Measure Framework to Deepen Teaching & Learning (Featured article in the January/February 2014 Principal Magazine)

 

When I grow up I want to be an innovative academic like Linda Darling-Hammond. She continues to demonstrate forward thinking with what our students need to know and be able to do to be successful now and in their future. “The push is now to implement the next-generation of learning goals that encourage higher-order thinking skills,” and the Common Core State Standards is the pioneering tool leading the way for all of us.

In order to truly measure student’s growth with these new higher standards, Darling provides a valid argument on why our system is in need of a dramatic change. We need to measure what matters most and use the data to make instructional decisions to prepare our students for their future in a completive global economy. “If we are to achieve 21^st century standards for learning, it is critical that these new assessments:

1.    Measure higher order thinking skills including:

Critical Thinking--apply what you know

Communication—explain how you know it

Collaboration—it’s not just about you anymore

Social-Emotional Competence—others matter too

Moral Responsibility—you can make a difference

Citizenship—it’s a global economy in a flat world

2.    Measure it in multiple ways considering:

Valued Outcomes for Students

Teacher, Principal, and School Evaluations

Combination of Classroom & School Measures

Appropriate for the Student and Curriculum

3.    Measure to lead instructional change and providing:

Information to Guide Educational Improvement

My role as an Instructional Lead Learner (Principal) is critical in facilitating this necessary transformation to improve student learning, instruction, and school improvement. Darling reminds me to reflect on the system and to continue to ask myself the “How” questions to lead the change collaboratively as I work and support teachers.

1.    “How can we engage students in assessments that measure higher order thinking and performance skills—and use them to transform practice?”

2.    Ho”H”HOw”How can these assessments be used to help students become independent learners, and help teachers learn about how their students learn?”

3.    “How”How can teachers be enabled to collect evidence of student learning that captures the most important goals they are pursuing, and then to analyze and reflect on this evidence—individually and collectively---to continually improve their teaching?”

4.    WiWith WithWith multiple measures, “How could we use these to illustrate and extend our progress and success as a school?”

 

Darling has the growth mindset to lead the educational reform in the 21^st century standards for learning for students, teachers, and administrators to be successful now and in our future. This transformation is going to require deeper thinking from each of us.

Learning Targets

Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart LEARNING TARGETS—Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today’s Lesson

“The most effective teaching and the most meaningful student learning happens when teachers design the right learning target for today’s lesson and use it along with their students to aim for and assess understanding.” It is the relationship between:

Essential Content: Teachers collaboratively designing specific learning targets giving students a clear understanding what they should know and be able to do to reach their grade level goals. 

Meaningful Learning: Student’s ownership and motivation to learn are heightened when they aim for standards based learning targets. Students monitor their growth and effort and gain confidences in becoming proficient learners.

Effective Instruction: Teachers, Coaches, and Principals improve their leadership skills when they have a greater understanding of effective research based practices, use performance data to make instructional decisions, and provide targeted feedback as a collaborative Professional Learning Community Team.

Moss and Brookhart recommend  nine action points that advance this theory of action and provide context for ideas.

1.       Learning targets are the first principle of meaningful learning and effective teaching.

2.       Today’s lesson should serve a purpose in a longer learning trajectory toward some larger learning goal.

3.       It’s not a learning target unless both the teacher and the students aim for it during today’s lesson.

4.       Every lesson needs a performance of understanding to make the learning target for today’s lesson crystal clear.

5.       Expert teachers partner with their students during a formative learning cycle to make teaching and learning visible and to maximize opportunities to feed students forward.

6.       Setting and committing to specific, appropriate, and challenging goals lead to increased student achievement and motivation to learn.

7.       Intentionally developing assessment-capable students is a crucial step toward closing the achievement gap.

8.       What students are actually doing during today’s lesson is both the source of and the yardstick for school improvement efforts.

9.       Improving the teaching-learning process requires everyone in the school – teachers, students, and administrators – to have specific learning targets and look-fors.

Data as the Tool for Instructional Change

Cheryl James-Ward, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & Diane Lapp USING DATA—To Focus Instructional Improvement

Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey’s Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) system is designed to enhance equitable student achievement with targeted instruction. "Equitable student achievement begins with high-quality core instruction focused on high expectations for student learning."  In their new book, Using Data, To Focus Instructional Improvement, they help define our job as educators and our continuous journey of "monitoring the process related to instructional improvement” with data as our guide and tool.

Gradual Release of Responsibility Instructional Framework

The Gradual Release of Responsibility Instructional Framework principles also applies to adult learners, although the roles of student and teacher are not so clear cut. Depending on what is being taught and, the roles of I Do, We Do, Ya'll Do, and You Do shift fluidly. We each take turns being the instructional lead learner and share research best practices through the lens of instructional improvement. 

Hard Data  

Hard data is quantifiable and should be formative and/or summative. Data is reported using descriptive statistics that answer the questions of Who, What, and When.  Often this hard data is limited because it is just one "snapshot of achievement", and fails to "illuminate a pathway of improvement.” Consequently, messengers of data must also ask a fourth question, Compared to What?  This will help support the thinking of what interventions are working, and/or what adjustment in instruction is needed.

Soft Data

Soft Data is qualitative and tells the student’s story. It includes all the students and adult interactions, in and outside of the classroom, in words and pictures. Listening to the language of interactions in the classroom on a daily basis gives us the opportunity to see instruction in action. "The single most important factor that affects student learning is instruction. What the teacher does in the classroom has a profound effect on students' learning.” (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Walstrom, 2004).

Getting to the Root of the Problem

Education is complex and the sheer number of factors contributing to its success can be overwhelming. Comparing the Sphere of Influence--What we can do; curriculum, instruction and assessments, engagement, etc. to the Sphere of Concern--What we know; poverty, background knowledge, language development, etc. helps determine which root causes it can influence, write learning targets for, and then provide the intervention that targets student learning.

It takes a Collaborative Village

High quality core instruction targeting equitable student achievement requires teachers coming together regularly and systematically to monitor student progress in a "Professional Learning Community" (DuFour, DuFour). "A plan is only as good as the monitoring that accompanies it." The essentials of this learning community routinely discuss:

1. What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
2. How will we know what students have learned?
3. What will we do when they don't know or learn it?
4. What will we do when they do know or learn it?

Data is the tool to drive the instructional change and focus needed for getting better at teaching the skills and strategies our students need now and in their future as they progress to graduation, college and life. It's a competitive global market and it's our job to make sure students are prepared to contribute!

Enhancing RTI

Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey, ENHANCING RTI—How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction and Intervention

I love this book. I have already read it once, highlighted key components as I read, re-read my anecdotal notes, and I know I must go back through it carefully at least one more time to digest its important message. The goal of an RTI model is to ensure that each and every student has access to learning. Fisher and Frey remind us, “This Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) system is designed to change learner performance as a function of targeted instruction.” 

The term “RTI” is familiar to most educators and the author’s use of a comparison framework supports the reader’s understanding of an updated RTI model that integrates instruction and intervention. The hard question becomes evaluating which RTI scenario system is currently being implemented in your teaching and learning system and what steps are needed to move forward school-wide. 

The Traditional School What is wrong with Adam?

The RTI School How can we help Adam?

The RTI² School How can focusing on Adam        help the system improve?

                                                                            

Equitable student achievement begins with high-quality core instruction focused on high expectations for student learning. Before recommending supplemental and intensive interventions, the RTI² model reminds us to begin with strong core instruction with a gradual release of responsibility to build student confidence and encourage independent learning. The work of Madelyn Hunter, Dr. Anita Archer, and Jo Robinson comes to mind as we think of the quality indicators of core instruction needed in each and every lesson; establishing a purpose (learning targets), teacher modeling, guided instruction, productive group work, and independent learning. Teachers and students each have responsibilities to promote the long term goal of “I do it. You do it. You do it together. You do it alone.”

This Release of Responsibility Model is not new, but needs to be revisited repeatedly to ensure these research based instructional routines are integral to quality teaching.

Sound instruction benefits all students, but what are the next steps when student’s progress begins to slide in an RTI² structure? Moving from how can we help Adam, to how can we help the system improve, requires aligning Tier 2 supplemental instruction with high quality core instruction and increasing the intensity of group size, time, assessments, and expertise. Tier 3 interventions are distinguished from Tier 2 by further intensifying the same above components with more individualized one-to-one instruction. Honestly, this is has become the most difficult task due to the lack of resources needed to implement an effective RTI² model. Difficult, but not impossible, and requires creativity and manipulation of funding and resources.

Important to note are the conditions necessary for interventions to make a difference, and actually are components needed for each Tier no matter the level.

ü  The teacher should play a critical role in assessment and instruction,

ü  The intervention should reflect a comprehensive approach to reading and writing,

ü  The intervention should be engaging,

ü  Interventions should be driven by useful and relevant assessments, and

ü  Interventions should include significant opportunities for authentic reading and writing.

“For RTI² to work, it has to become accepted and institutionalized, not a special program that individual teachers can opt into or out of. It has to be hardwired into the very culture of the school.” Richard DuFour, one of the founders of the Professional Learning Community model, reminds each educator to “Embrace Learning rather than Teaching as the fundamental purpose of your school.” The goal of an RTI² model is to ensure that each and every student has access to learning. Working collaboratively to “vary instruction and time in order to hold achievement constant,” will be challenging but rewarding.

  

Instructional Rounds in Education

Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Lee Teitel, Sarah E. Fiarman, & Andrew Lachman Instructional Rounds in Education—A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning

The authors of Instructional Rounds Education were inspired by the medical rounds model used by physicians to refine their practice and insure the health and safety of their patients. They use highly effective protocols to develop a common understanding of best practices. In a quick summary, Instructional Rounds is School Improvement in action. Small groups of teachers and other instructional leaders develop a shared understanding of what effective and engaging instruction looks like by briefly observing each other and comparing their practices to improve the quality and level of student learning.

The important work comes after the observations. Collaboratively, the discussion revolves around The Instructional Core. This is “the relationship between the teacher, the student, and the content—not the qualities of these by themselves—that determines the nature of instructional practice”. At the center of the instructional core, is the instructional task. What is the actual work that students are asked to do—not what teachers think they are asking students to do—but what are students actually doing.

“Making meaningful and productive changes in instructional practice requires us to confront how they upset and, in some sense, reprogram our past ways of doing things.”

Student learning is the fundamental core of this practice and the model of the instructional core provides seven principles needed to improve the quality and level of student learning. In summary, the basic framework includes:

1. 1.   ­ student learning = improvement of ­ content, ­ teacher knowledge/skill + ­ student engagement
2. 2.   To change one element of the core, you have to change the other two
3. 3.   If you can’t see it in the core, it’s not there
4. 4.   Task predicts performance
5. 5.   Real accountability = the task students are asked to do
6. 6.   We learn to do the work by doing the work
7. 7.   Description before analysis, analysis before prediction, prediction before evaluation

Douglas Reeves, founder of The Leadership and Learning Center supported the use of Instruction Rounds in Education. He stated, “At last, we have a book that moves school and district leaders closer to the classroom……Instructional Rounds in Education will have a profound influence on education leaders who are willing to invest the time to observe, listen, and learn.”