Assessment Program Alignment Overview

1. Assessment
Program Alignment
Making Essential Connections Between
Assessments and Student Learning

2. Using the Right Tool
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3. How familiar are these statements?
 We have too many assessments.
 We are giving assessments and interrupting our instruction all year
long.
 We have too much data and too little time to make sense of it.
 We haven’t prioritized what data we are supposed to use.
 We have too many different opinions about which assessments are
most important.
 We are using assessment data but don’t seem to be seeing
improvement in our results.
 We’re frustrated that teachers don’t seem to understand their
assessments.
 We’re frustrated our district and state don’t provide teachers with
enough guidance in using assessments.
 With so many assessments, just analyzing the data takes all of our
focus.
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4. Choose a question that you connect with…
 How can a common understanding of assessment
vocabulary support a commitment to improved student
outcomes?
 What is the purpose of our assessments? What kind of
data do our assessments generate?
 What do our assessments reveal about student
learning? How do they support our instructional
choices?
 What constitutes an ideal assessment program? What
does it look like and sound like? What are the
strengths and areas that need improved in our current
system?
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5. Connecting Assessments and Student Learning
Consider these steps:
1. Analyze your system’s culture of data use
2. Examine your assessment program for
purpose, utilization, alignment and
accountability
3. Examine your actions to ensure they
reflect a shared vision
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6. Step 1: Culture of Data use
Engaging in analysis of your current
culture of data use draws upon:
1. Assessment Literacy
2. Developing a learning environment
conducive to collaborative inquiry
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7. Assessment Literacy
1. Create an activity to build a common
understanding of assessment vocabulary
2. Establish norms to ensure it is safe to say:
a.Don’t know
b.Think I should know, but I don’t
c.Think I know but want to check it out
d.No comment
e.Think I have it
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8. Assessment Literacy Activity
3. Given periodically to establish baseline assessment which give
1. A culminating data
A. Benchmark and measure progress toward a standard.
information on students’ mastery of
Assessment Provide data about standards that have been
content, knowledge or skills.
mastered and which need additional instruction.
I wonder if
5. Assessments where individual’s performance
everyone
B. Criterion- 2. Used in NRT to indicate a score below
is compared to specific learning objective or knows …
which a certain percentage falls. [Used
Referenced performance standard and not to performance
of other students. [student-to-standard data] to other students]
to compare students
Tests
4. Tool that assesses Given periodically to establish baseline data
3. student strengths
C. Diagnostic and weaknesses to inform instructional toward a standard.
and measure progress
Assessment Do we agree
decisions. Usually administered instandards that have been
Provide data about
on the
mastered and which need additional instruction.
advance of instruction.
definitions?
2. Used in NRT to indicate a that assesses student strengths
4. Tool score below
D. Percentile which a certain percentage falls. [Used
and weaknesses to inform instructional
to compare students to other students] administered in
decisions. Usually
advance of instruction.
What do I
need to know
5. Assessments where individual’s performance
1. A culminating assessment which give
E. Summative is compared to specific learning objective or
information on students’ mastery of
Assessment performance standard and not toor to learn?
performance
content, knowledge orstudents. [student-to-standard data]
of other skills.
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9. Supporting Collaborative Learning
What kind of behaviors and/or
characteristics support a group
to develop an environment
conducive to collaborative
learning?
Scaled Self-
Group Assessment
Inventory Inventory
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10. Step 2: Examine your Assessment Program
To examine your program for purpose,
utilization, alignment and accountability, begin
with the question:
What do we believe is important about
assessing for learning?
1. Self reflect
2. Examine your beliefs
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11. Self Reflection
1. What is my goal in terms of understanding
our assessment program?
2. What is my current reality?
3. What do I need to do to address the gap?
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12. Activity to Examine Your Beliefs
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13. How are we applying our assessment data?
• Complete a district assessment review
• Conduct a data inventory
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14. Step 3: Examine Your Actions
• Improvement plans contain areas of focus, actions
and timelines reflecting the hard work of educators.
• Revisit your plans through the lens of a shared
assessment vision and prioritize actions
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15. Addressing the Gaps
• What competencies do we need to learn that will
address gaps in reaching our assessment goals?
• When we build these competencies, what practices
will we see on a regular basis throughout the school?
• As our practices change, what student outcomes will
help us measure the affects of these changes?
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16. Aligning Plans with Vision
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17. Sustaining Capacity
 You have established a culture of data use
 You have examined your assessment
program
 You examined your improvement plan to
align actions and address gaps
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18. Questions for Ongoing Dialogue
 Are we painting pictures of our students
using multiple points of data?
 With what with know about assessment
purpose now, how do we “weight” the
information?
 How are we using assessment data to
design specific actions we need to take?
 How are we supporting student growth with
the data?
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19. Thank you for your
attention!