Article+Summaries

Article Summaries

Article Summary Matt Borrelli __ Enhancing Student Learning __ By: Rick Stiggins and Jan Chappuis


 * [] **

This article discussed the possible achievement gains through formative assessments to students. Typically, formative assessments are used by teachers to help monitor student progress and provide the teacher with useful information to help adjust instruction to meet the needs of each student. This article addressed the point that formative assessments must also meet the information needs of students, as well as teachers.

The term “Assessment for Learning” is used to describe a formative assessment that is focused on providing information to the student. A typical formative assessment simply provides information to the teacher. However, both types are similar because they provide information early in the learning process that will help impact instruction.

It is important to include students in the learning process, and teachers must provide students with opportunities for ownership over their learning. Assessments for learning provide a progressive approach to monitoring student growth and understanding.

Article Summary Matt Borrelli __ Assessment for Learning __ By: Sally Brown

www2.glos.ac.uk/offload/tli/lets/lathe/issue1/articles/brown.pdf

This article focused on the topic of assessments, and the need to alter assessment methods in order for students to fully demonstrate their understanding of course material. When an assessment is being created, educators should consider not only what they are assessing, but why they are assessing it. After considering the “why”, it is then necessary to explore the many possible “hows” of assessing. This article explains that typical forms of assessment such as exams, essays, and reports have been overused in the past, and there should be more student-friendly forms of assessment available to our students.

Another point raised in this article is the timing of assessments. When is the best time during the course of a unit to assess student understanding? The article suggests involving students in this process, and that it is probably more beneficial to assess throughout the course of a unit rather than simply at the conclusion of the unit.

The most meaningful topic of this article is the focus on “evidence of achievement” rather than a student’s ability to recite memorized information. A major concern in education today is preparing our students to be ready for the “real world” workforce when they graduate from high school. In order to aid this effort, assessments need to be “practice-oriented”. Employers will not care if prospective employees can recite facts and information, they will want to hire someone with critical thinking and problem solving skills. By changing the way we asses, we can provide our students with the best opportunity for success upon completion of high school.

Anne M. Czawlytko

electronicportfolios.org/afl/Stiggins-**AssessmentCrisis**.pdf electronicportfolios.org/afl/Stiggins-AssessmentCrisis.pdf Stiggins is stressing the importance of assessment for learning. The assessment system today is set up that the majority of assessments are assessments of learning. In striving to have higher standards, there has been a large emphases placed on assessment of learning. Stiggins states that this vision in flawed; there needs to be assessment for learning to drive instruction. If there is assessment for learning, students will perform better in the high stakes tests. There needs to be a balance between assessment for learning and assessment of learning.
 * __Title__**: Assessment Crisis: The Absence Of Assessment //FOR// Learning
 * __Author__**: Richard J. Stiggins


 * I think teachers in Cecil County have a much better understanding of assessment for learning and use it to inform their instruction. We are so far ahead of everyone else:) **

[|http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ909943#.T4SMaRBzdJ8]
 * __Title:__**Testing What Has Been Taught: Helpful, High-Quality Assessments Start with a Strong Curriculum
 * __Author:__**Hamilton, Laura S.

Hamilton describes the current situation that exists with the emphases placed on high stakes tests. She summarizes all the research about the effects of high stakes testing stating that “The key lesson of all this research is that what is tested influences what is taught, in significant and some- times unexpected, problematic ways” (p 2). Therefore, there must be a reform in not only assessments, but curriculum as well. With the implementation of the Common Core and the changes being made in curricula and assessments, the time to pause and think about the purpose of the high stakes testing is now. The purpose of these assessments must be made clear so a strong assessment can be created that is aligned with the curriculum.

Erica Allen**Title:** Knowing Your Learning Target **By**: Connie M. Moss, Susan M. Brookhart & Beverly A. Long
 * []**

When a student walks into the classroom, the first thing they need to know is what they will be learning that day. This article talks about the importance of not just learning targets, but "shared learning targets", and how teachers need to use them to drive their instruction. The article compares a shared learning target to a GPS system. A GPS can get you anywhere you want to go, but without a description of where you want to go it is useless. Teachers need to know where they are going with a lesson, and what direction they want their students to go in, otherwise it is ineffective. There is a difference though between "objectives" and "learning targets." Objectives are derived from content standards and are written in teacher language to guide teachers during a lesson. They are designed specifically for teachers. Learning targets frame the lesson from a students point of view, and helps them grasp the purpose of the lesson. Learning targets need to be student-friendly, and developmentally appropriate. They need to be shared with students daily, as they enhance student learning, and give students an idea as to what they will be doing that day. I always start off my lessons with a "launch". Whether it be a study jams video, turn-and-talk discussion, or a think-pair-share question, I try to get students actively engaged with one another so that they understand what we will be doing that day. Cindy: Thanks, Erica! What is a study jams video??

**Oh they are awesome short clips that you can get off the internet. Check this one out!**


 * [] I love this site!! I'm going to see if my teachers know about it. **

Erica Allen __Title__**: Enhancing Student Learning** __By:__ **Rick Stiggins & Jan Chappuis** [] **

====When used appropriately and effectively, formative assessments helps students grow and progress. It is used as a tool for "teachers" to find out where students are so that they can adjust their instruction. What's wrong with this statement is that "teachers" shouldn't be the only ones included in the decision making. Formative assessments help teachers group students more effectively, but it also informs students about their own learning, and areas that they need to improve upon. Since formative assessments provide feedback and evidence of student success and student learning more frequently than summative assessments, teachers needs to assess do it correctly. For example, a teacher gives an exit slip to students at the end of class. She grades it, puts in the grade book, but does nothing with it (besides grade it). Giving students feedback on that exit slip will point out what they have mastered and what they still need to work on. Maybe that same exit slip can also be used to group students the next day, or it can be used to determine what students need to get pulled during warm up. Knowing HOW to use assessments is the key to enhancing student learning.====

====There were four strategies listed in this article to help teachers assess appropriately. First, teachers must make sure students have a clear vision of the learning targets being taught that day. Second, teachers must provide students with continuous access to feedback. Third, provide instruction that helps students improve the quality of their work. Lastly, teach students to keep track of their achievements so they develop a strong sense of self-sufficiency.====

Maria Nagle How to Create Adaptive Assessments Mark Koltko-Rivera Source: []

Adaptive assessments refer to tests in which there are different questions for different test takers. Based on how a test taker answers one question, the system will generate a question that is easier or harder than the last one. Adaptive assessments are appropriate for academic testing to determine achievement, but these tests are not appropriate for personality tests or surveys. Adaptive assessments are appropriate for the academic environment because there is a correct answer for each question, which allows for a level of academic achievement to be determined. When creating an adaptive test it should be divided into categories. The categories are the core content areas of curriculum. After creating questions for an adaptive assessment in a content area, the test needs to be tested for validity. Sample of at least 500 people is needed to validate the assessment. A sample size that does not include enough people can make the test invalid. Selected response answers should include answers such as skip this one or I do not understand the question should be options for test takers to make on the test. From the sample of test takers questions that show extreme response patterns will be eliminated. Then questions will be order. The questions that most people answers correctly go in the beginning and the questions that less people answered correctly will go at the end. Then questions can be entered into a software system for test takers to take the adaptive assessment. Scantron is a great example of an adaptive test that our students take to determine their achievement and knowledge in math and reading.


 * Is this something that the school system would purchase? I'm assuming that the questions would be aligned to the curriculum. Did the article mention how far above grade level the questions go?? It's a good idea; I just hope teachers don't have to do it!! **

Maria Nagle ** Too many curricular aims creates assessment problems ** // By Valerie Strauss // []

This article focused on two issues within education: too much content and not enough data sources. The number of curricular aims at each grade level and content area are too large. It would be more valuable to cover less content to mastery than to superficially touch on a variety of concepts within a single content area. Data should be used to track student progress, but be aware that data has limitation and can be distortion of actual content knowledge. Using a variety of data to determine progress is a more valid and reliable source of student academic progress. At the end of the article the author points out that a teacher not looking at variety of data to determine student progress is as idiotic as a teacher being evaluated based on one criterion.

Jeremy Nagle []

**Title: Gift of Time: Stepping Back and Making Sense** **Author: Anne Davies** This article considers the strain that all teachers are under in managing increasing demands under a limited amount of time. Feeling overwhelmed from pressure the author decided that she needed to reevaluate her goals and create a picture of herself for herself. Through doing this she was able to identify what parts of her life were valuable and which were not necessary. By establishing priorities the author was able to gain a new perspective on how she spent her time. She credits much of her new found outlook on two simple strategies. First is the process of taking a moment to consider why we make the choices that we do. The second step for her was the ability to say no. She credits removing a lot of clutter from her life by simply saying no to television, negative conversations, and other things that were not positively contributing to her life. Evaluating how time is used through a lesson can also be an important indicator of what practices lead to student learning. Assessment practices need to consider the delicate balance of time. The author feels more comfortable with her decisions and has given herself the “gift of time”. How many of us would argue with more time?

Jeremy Nagle []

**Title: What are formative Assessments and Why Should We Use Them?** **Author: Judith Dodge** In this article the importance of formative assessments is stressed when comparing assessment of learning with assessment for learning. The author acknowledges the need for summative assessments to evaluate if students have met learning targets set by local and state officials. Throughout the reading it is suggested that focus must be more on day to day learning rather than long term goals that aim to evaluate assessment of learning. When assessing for learning through formative assignments the author believes teachers should grade formative assessments as they would summative ones in order to demonstrate to the student what is expected of them and if they need to make adjustments. Doing this will help students perform better on summative assessments and will allow teachers to know where students are in terms of future expectations. It is suggested to use a variety of formats when using formative assignments. The author believes that students are more likely to master a concept when they first work on it in groups and then follow up with a individual assignment on the same topic. Using frequent assessments should allow a teacher to differentiate by having students working with pictures, graphic organizers, charts, and other formats. Exit tickets are also recommended. Through the evaluation of student performance on formative assessments teachers can then offer corrective instruction when needed and provide students with a second opportunity to demonstrate success.

**Kelsey Schuch** **Website**: http://www.learningforward.org/news/jsd/stiggins202.cfm **Article Title:** Assessment Without Victims: An Interview with Rick Stiggins

This interview consisted of questions based around the essential ideas that teachers need to know when designing and assessing students. The essential ideas were assessment literacy for teachers, fit the assessment to a goal, students learn from assessments, assessments motivate teachers, and model new practices. Throughout the interview it was stressed to clearly articulate learning targets. This means that teachers need to be confident in what they are teaching and how to make standards student friendly. Stiggins stated that teachers typically spend from one third to close to half of their career involved with assessment related activities. However, Stiggins feels that most teachers are not well educated with implementing and creating formative assessments which leads to victimized evaluations. However, this is easy to fix due to in-service professional development practices. Teachers must realize they are trying to motivate and involve the student in the assessment process in order to not victimize them. This incorporates the importance of setting student friendly assessment standards. When students are actively involved in assessments and grasping an understanding of the standards, teachers are helping increase their motivation. Some advice that was given to teachers from Stiggins was to incorporate formative assessments in a fun way. This is by incorporating oral running records when students are reading. In writing, students should be made aware of the writing standards they are trying to achieve and then teaching students to evaluate their work as well as others work. This article provided great insight into what teachers and students need to do in order to not be victims of formative assessments. In order to complete this, it starts with the teacher and being confident in what they are teaching, but also realizing the value in what they are assessing. With this, teachers, students, and administrators will see increase in student motivation and test scores.


 * Kelsey Schuch**

**Website:** www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov05/vol63/num03/Seven-Practices-for-Effective-Learning.aspx
 * Article Title:** Seven Practices for Effective Learning

This article was focused around seven concepts that should be incorporated in the assessments and grading practices that are going to be taking place within the classroom. This article has split assessments into three different categories; summative, diagnostic, and formative assessments. Summative assessments were defined as material that is used at the end of a unit that shows what students learned. Diagnostic assessments are known as “pre-assessing” in order to see where students’ knowledge base starts and lastly formative assessments are happening with instruction as well as guiding instruction.

Some key concepts that were addressed within this article are to introduce the summative assessments that are going to be used at the beginning of the unit. This allows for the students to understand what goals are expected to be mastered at the end of the unit. However, summative assessments should be incorporated in a variety of ways; by doing, orally, visually, or in writing which allows the student to pick the best way to demonstrate their understanding using their strengths. Another important aspect was to give the grading criteria in advance. This gives students the ability to self-monitor throughout the unit. When assessing it is important to pre-assess as well as provide feedback in a timely, specific, and in an understandable way. When teachers take the time to implement these key concepts into their teaching, students are going to demonstrate progress and mastery. Students need to understand why they are being assessed and fairly assessed. This article gave important examples and explanations for different ways to incorporate diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments successfully within the classroom.

http://www.districtadministration.com/article/enhancing-student-learning __//Title//__: Enhancing Student Learning __//Author//__: Rick Stiggins and Jan Chappuis
 * Scott Dellosso**

In the beginning of the article, Stiggins makes the point that only recently the purpose of assessment began to change; it moved from a judge of achievement to a way for teachers to change their own practices based on student learning. It points out that while there are many names for formative assessment, a useful name might simply be to call it a “GPS” system for teachers. Formative assessment tells teachers where they need to go next, and approximately how much learning is needed until the destination will be reached. As the article continues, Stiggins discusses the importance of putting students more in charge of their own learning. Self-assessment is an extremely important tool that can be used every day, rather than waiting for the next assessment. “Formative assessment, as commonly used, provides evidence of student learning more frequently than does annual, large-scale summative testing-every few weeks, for example” (Stiggins 2008). By putting the learning more in the hands of the students, we will be able to more accurately track where our students are when they begin, anywhere along the way, and, of course, where they are for the summative assessment. However, teachers that use formative assessments in their classrooms will have no surprises for where their students are when it comes times to summatively assess them.

http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/11/student-friendly-learning-goals-.html __//Title//__: Writing Student Friendly Learning Goals __//Author//__: Bill Ferriter
 * Scott Dellosso**

I am always surprised when I hear stories about teachers who are “outraged” when their principals demand they post learning goals for every class. This has been a practice that has been pervasive in my teaching experience since I began. However, when it is considered the article was written in 2008, it becomes clear this practice is more recent than I thought. Ferriter discusses how math teachers “have it easier” in posting learning objectives in a measureable way. As a fellow English teacher, I can sympathize with him. When I post the objective “Students will analyze and understand theme” – how exactly can we measure the level of understanding in one class period time? How do we measure the depth and complexity at which they analyze the theme of a story? Among different stories? His point, which I agree with, is that many English concepts are not taught in one class period. They must be learned and expanded upon over time. Ferriter also discusses the difference between simply posting objectives, and posting objectives in a student friendly manner. His research supports this assertion that it is the kid friendly language that makes a difference.

Carolyn Trimble-Weber Cur 509 Spring 2012 ** Article Summary **


 * Assessment Through the Student’s Eye** Stiggins, R., (2007). Assessment through the student’s eye. //Educational Leadership// May2007, Vol. 64 Issue 8, p22-26, 5p. Retrieved March 7, 2012 __ [] __

The article addresses the purposes & utilization of assessment in the U.S. historically. Stiggins suggests that assessments were mostly used for highlighting student differences and rank in the school and within their class. However, schools are required to gather student assessment information just the same, when you receive monies from the government they need to see that the schools are meeting standards and in Maryland’s case we have decided to go with the Common Core Standards. Siggins has a wonderful chart labelled “The Assessment Experience” that I copied and will put at my desk. Basically it is a statement and guideline to what Stiggins believes and that is educators must address student confidence and motivation as well as potential. Assessment for learning begins as soon as the teacher shares out the expectations of their achievement objective for the class, unit, etc. This provides both the student and teacher (who are a collaborative team) understandable information that will enable improvements in performance. I liked that he talked a little about failure because I say that in my classes all the time. Because from analyzing a failure keeps you from becoming a chronic low achiever and thus affects confidence in many areas some not even related to school/classroom setting. Stiggins suggests using assessment for learning rather than using it only to verify learning has taken place. He explains that assessment for learning involves sharing information with students, discussing goals, and providing descriptive feedback to improve performance. Even the most valid and reliable assessment cannot be regarded as high quality if it causes a student to give up.

Carolyn Trimble-Weber Cur 509 Spring 2012 **Article Summary**

Criteria for Effective Assessment in Project-Based Learning

Miller, A. (2011) Criteria for Effective Assessment in Project-Based Learning Retrieved March 7, 2012 from: www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-andrew-miller

Because I teach primarily project based courses I was interested in the assessment for learning in this case. I became a Tech Ed teacher because this is what I liked and how I learn the best. But now as a teacher for 7 years I want to take a look at my assessments and what the literature/experts have to say. I have always thought of it as authentic assessment because what I teach I try to keep as real life/world as possible. With the pressures of high stakes testing and traditional assessments, teachers and administrators need to make sure they accurately design projects that target the standards they need students to know and be able to do. Teachers need to make sure they are continually assessing throughout a project to ensure their students are getting the content knowledge and skills that they need to complete the project. The author speaks about what he calls “Power Standards”, because the intent is not to //cover//, but to get //in depth// authentic assessments that truly show a student has mastered a few given standards (power standards). When students are going in depth on a targeted standard, the teacher can be confident that they have learned that target. If a teacher covers a standard, can a teacher be certain that all students truly have an understanding of the learning target? The author states, “…there is never enough time to target every standard, so it is important to focus on power standards and target them in depth to ensure deep learning for all students in the classroom”. In order to be transparent to parents and students, you need to be able to track and monitor ongoing formative assessments that show the students work toward that/those standard(s). Formative assessments give meaningful feedback to students and specific ways to improve and for me as an educator to improve also. Students often write notes to me in their Engineering Notebooks that have caused me to think about things differently and even doing them differently if need be. I try to involve my students in the process as much as I can. When the summative assessments have appropriate characteristics, formative assessments and assignments become relevant to my students. The daily work is filtered through an authentic task that is engaging (like using dial calipers to take measurements). My students will do the work because I have taught them that it will improve the culminating product that will ultimately show they know the content and skills necessary to be successful in my class and others; but they also know that these skill sets can and are used in the real world. And the joy I get out of seeing a kid have an”AAHHAA moment” is incredible – it’s why I’m a teacher!!!

This article was focused around seven concepts that should be incorporated in the assessments and grading practices that are going to be taking place within the classroom. This article has split assessments into three different categories; summative, diagnostic, and formative assessments. Summative assessments were defined as material that is used at the end of a unit that shows what students learned. Diagnostic assessments are known as “pre-assessing” in order to see where students’ knowledge base starts and lastly formative assessments are happening with instruction as well as guiding instruction. Assessment for Learning Article Reflection #1 Kelly Roberts

Involving Students in Communicating about their Learning [] By Anne Davies

Throughout the article it expressed how providing students with a way to communicate within the classroom on what they have learned is a very beneficial way to expand their knowledge and prove their understanding of the topic. Within the classroom allowing students to have a voice provides them the opportunity to express how they would like to be assessed. In the article it gives neat examples of allowing the students the opportunity to choose an audience to come and listen to them perform or show them what they have learned. I really thought this to be such a great idea. It makes the student become responsible of really becoming the expert and it would show the students full knowledge of the topic. The article provided different ideas and suggestions on how to get students opinions on assessments.

Assessment for Learning Article Reflection #2 Kelly Roberts

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Assessment for Learning [] By Sally Brown

This article kept my attention the whole time. I really liked the lay out and the way she translated the information to her readers. This article went through how assessment is changing and how it is extremely important to involve students with the process. It highlighted making sure that the assessment has a purpose and that the students are aware of it. Also, to make sure that when teachers are assessing the students it is the best time. While making sure that teachers are getting feedback from students of how they feel and if they think they are ready for an assessment. Than at the same time making sure that teachers are providing mini assessments along the way to see where students are struggling so teachers can redirect their instruction. I liked how the article pointed out how crucial feedback is to the students for assignments they have been assessed on. It talked about the need to be provided with constructive feedback not just the grade or a “good job.” The article continued to pull out all of the great importance of communicating and working with students to develop meaningful assessments. The last part of the article was great it really made you reflect upon how influential assessments and student feedback is. Instead of listing all the things that you should be doing when teaching and giving assessments it provided a list of “How to use assessment to prevent learning!” It made you really think about how the students feel when you don’t take certain aspects into consideration. This article made me think about my own assessments and the strategies I use to assess my students.

**Amanda McCoy** **Website-** http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/creativearts/assets/visualarts/pdf/vaasses05.pdf **Title-** __Assessment in Visual Arts__, by Wendy Ramsay

This article highlights the important principles that need to be taken into consideration when designing curriculum and assessing student learning. The idea is that students should become self-directed learners, and that assessment activities should provide students with the opportunity to reflect upon their own achievement and progress. The author describes the difference between assessment for learning being self-refection and on-going feedback, and assessment of learning being what students can do at a designated point in time. Ramsay goes on to outline various assessment activities based on the visual art learner outcomes, and offers suggestive activities for assessment, including material investigations, visual arts diaries, exhibits of student work, and writing artist statements for exhibitions.

**Amanda McCoy** **Website-** [] **Title-** __Students Thrive on Cooperation and Problem Solving: Project-based Learning Teaches Kids the Collaborative and Creative Thinking Abilities They’ll Need to Compete__, by Bob Pearlman

Bob Pearlman begins his article with the following, “Let's assume the No Child Left Behind Act works fine and that by 2014 every student meets the targeted standards and passes his or her state's exit exam. Will those students be successful as citizens and workers in the twenty-first century? Not a chance.” He goes on to say that even if all student had their own computers in the classroom, that would still not prepare them for life after school. His opinion is that no matter how sophisticated the tools are, the curriculum is still not adequate enough to transform students into critical thinkers that can compete in today’s global society. Pearlman goes on to describe the importance of communication and collaboration, incorporating responsibility and self-management, qualities which are reinforced in project-based learning. The author follows up his opinions with tips for measuring the results of project-based learning, including continuous feedback through living document grade books, and Peer Collaboration rubrics, which are completed anonymously online.


 * Ange Dziemburski **


 * Website **: []


 * Article Title: ** Assessment Without Victims: An Interview with Rick Stiggins

This article was a question and answer interview with Mr. Rick Stiggins. The interview questions focused around five areas. Below I have shared Stiggins viewpoint on each topic. Important for teachers to be confident, competent masters of the learning **targets** Teachers need to understand which assessment method to use and use it well In reading—use of running records, oral retelling, one-on-one and class discussion In writing- kids write and others evaluate the product, using shared standards Science- posing scientific problems and students demonstrate scientific thinking Understanding of relationship between assessment and student motivation Make **learning targets** clear and have students help design assessments that reflect those targets NO surprises and NO excuses Good formative assessment processes gives teachers evidence of progress Formative assessment gives teachers confidence of improvement Students and teachers are in control Teachers need to be given the tools they need to help students succeed Staff development resources need to be allocated Must demonstrate and Model classroom learning environments
 * Assessment literacy for teachers**
 * Fit assessment to goal**
 * Students learn from assessments**
 * Assessment motivate teachers**
 * Model new practices**

Stiggins shared the importance of clear and up front sharing of learning **targets** with our students. I agree with Stiggins when he says that we (teachers) are not being given what we need to help our students succeed. I think my favorite point in the whole article was when Stiggins posed this thought….If we place a premium in the classroom students **taking a lead in their own learning**, we need to model that same thing in professional development. In the area of assessment, teachers **need the opportunity to manage their own development and to monitor their increased competence in classroom assessment.**


 * Ange Dziemburski**


 * Five Assessment myths and Their Consequences by Rick Stiggins**
 * Education Week, Vol 27, No. 8, 2007**

Stiggins shares his concerns about helping students and teachers with assessment versus contributing to our problems. He identified five of the most problematic myths about assessment. Although testing scores have been used for ranking purposes as far back as the 1950’s the problem occurs because we have not referenced day-to-day assessment. This assessment represents 99.9% of the assessments within a students school life. Have we not neglected classroom assessment in our obsession with standardized testing? Very few educational leaders have been trained to understand what these tests measure, relationships to the curriculum, what scores mean, how to use them and whether better instruction can influence the scores. Many in the community believe we get better schools by comparing and rewarding or punishing. Is there a misunderstanding of the implications for struggling schools and students? Teachers spend a quarter or more of their time involved in assessment related activities. Typically teachers have not been given the opportunity to learn these things during preservice training or even while they are teaching. Helpful assessment training is rarely included in leadership-preparation either. We assess to inform instructional decisions; Annual tests-for annual decisions; Interim tests-to fine tune programs; classroom assessments-lead to what comes nest in instruction or for a grade on report card. Nowhere in the 60 year assessment legacy is there reference to students as assessment users and instructional decision makers. This would in fact give them feedback, let them decide if there is hope of success and is it worth the energy, and should I keep trying? Stiggins points out that valid and reliable “high stakes” testing causes students to give up in hopelessness. Is this productive? Does it do more harm than good? In the past, there were winners and losers in education. Then Society changed the mission, “No child left behind”. This represented a fundamental redfinition of productive assessment dynamics. We now are **assessing for learning**. BUT, yet again our educators have never been given the opportunity to learn about it.
 * Myth 1: Path to school improvement is paved with standardized tests**
 * Myth 2: School and Community leaders know how to use assessment to improve schools**
 * Myth 3: Teachers are trained to assess productively**
 * Myth 4: Adult decisions drive school effectiveness**
 * Myth 5: Grades and test scores maximize student motivation and learning**

Mr. Stiggins raised some very valid points. I do believe that we as educators want productive learners. We are trying to use assessments for learning and involve our students in the process. I agree with Stiggins that there must be more training and preparation for the educator in these areas.

Pat Cline

Assessment FOR Learning, the Achievement Gap, and Truly Effective Schools

http://www.ets.org/Media/Conferences_and_Events/pdf/stiggins.pdf

This article addresses the issue of closing the achievement gap in schools and the role assessment plays in this. There are 7 major areas that need to be addressed; Balance Assessment, Refine Achievement Standards, Classroom Assessment Quality, Turn Learners in to Assessors, Provide Descriptive Feedback, Build the Confidence of All Learners, and Promote Assessment Literacy.

I agree that all of these areas need improvement but for most of them good effective teachers should already be doing them. The article says that assessments need to be of higher quality. This is true, poor assessments is not only a poor indicator of student achievement but leads to disengagement of the student. However it needs to be said that the only assessments that teachers have control over are the ones that “we” create. All the assessments that we have to give that are created either by the county or state need to be of high quality. It seems unfair that people who are evaluated by the assessment have no input into it.

Pat Cline

The Tempered Radical

http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/11/student-friendly-learning-goals-.html

This article addresses writing Learning Goals in student friendly language. Posting Objectives, or Learning Goals is something that we as teachers have been required to do for so long it is second nature to us. However, it is not utilized as effectively as possible because most times the students don’t understand what it means. Most often teachers get their Learning Goals from the standards in the curriculum guide. This is exactly what we should be doing, however most of the standards are long and hard for teachers to unpack them into what we need to do. How can you expect a middle school student to know that they are going to learn from the Standard, “The learner will examine key ethical ideas and values deriving from religious, artistic, political, economic and educational traditions, as well as their diffusion over time, and assess their influence on the development of selected societies and regions in South America and Europe.” That is why teachers need to write them in student friendly language.

I completely agree that writing Learning Goals in student friendly language. This allows the students to be responsible for their own learning. Writing the Learning Goals in this manor requires a certain amount of time, it begs the question why are they not written that way to begin with. It seems that it would save so much time an effort on not only the teachers, but administrators and curriculum writers if they were written in this format to begin with.

Krystal Pugh [] Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom Catherine Garrison and Michael Ehringhaus, Ph. D.

This article focuses on assessments in the classroom. I really connected to this piece when I read their explanation of assessment. They described assessment as locating student knowledge. It was then explained that the more information about a particular student’s understanding gives their teacher a more comprehensible picture of where the gaps in their knowledge occurs. The description is so simplistic that I wonder why I have never before thought of evaluations in such a simple approach. I think teachers that still give assessments that are not directly related to a valid learning target should think of assessment in this way. Summative assessments were described as a “gauge of student learning relative to content standards”. Formative assessments were explained as information tools to assist teachers to be able to “adjust teaching and learning while they are happening”. The article also listed a number of examples of summative and formative assessments. The formative assessment strategies included tips on ensuring that they are being executed appropriately, guidelines, and how to use the information gathered. The overarching idea of this piece really hits home the importance of summative and formative assessments. Only with both types being utilized effectively can students express their learning in suitable ways. It assists teachers in how to involve students as well as alter teaching to guarantee that all students are learning to their potential.

Krystal Pugh [] Samuel J. Meisels, Ed.D.
 * Performance Assessment**

This article really hit home with me since my undergraduate degree is Early Childhood Education and I work with primary grade students. It begins with an agreement that traditional assessments that work for older students often do not work well with primary aged students. The tools are typically designed for older skill sets and unknown to younger children. Performance assessment is a way to get many of the same results as standardized tests but in more age appropriate ways. As a primary classroom and intervention teacher, I have spent a lot of time searching for age suitable assessments that will identify whether or not students have the specific knowledge being assessed. Often the assessments available do not reflect the student’s specific knowledge and the question of whether the student does not understand the content or what was being asked comes up. This piece highlights the positives of performance assessments such as methodically recording and being flexible. The three components are developmental checklists, portfolios, and summary reports, which many teachers are already using in their classroom primary classroom. This an important point since for a lot of teachers this means that they do not have to do more work, merely modify what they are already doing. It also gives examples of performance assessments with definitions of each along with how to use it in an early childhood or primary grade classroom. A number of benefits are cited in this article. Teamwork among educators, sharing valid data with parents, evaluating the entire child, involving students throughout the progression are a few of the benefits that really resounded. This article could definitely be used in primary grade level discussions regarding age appropriate assessments as the Common Core Standards become our new learning targets and assessments will have to be created or modified.

Melissa Pratt Enhancing Student Learning By: Rick Stiggins and Jan Chappuis

[|**http://www.districtadministration.com/article/enhancing-student-learning**]

In this article Stiggins and Cappuis argue that teachers should use “assessment for learning” rather than formative assessment. The authors make the argument that formative assessments are one sided. Although, they are a useful tool to help guide instruction for teachers, formative assessment leave out the students as key players of their learning.

Stiggins and Chappuis explained that “assessment for learning” is similar to formative assessment but more powerful because “assessment for learning” provides instructional information to both the teacher and students. In assessment for learning the teacher, as well as the students, are able to identify the strength and identifying area of need. This type of assessment empowers the students to take control of their learning and focus on their weakness. By empowering students you are increasing their motivation and increased motivation leads to increased achievement and growth.

Melissa Pratt Assessment without Victims: An Interview with Rick Stiggins By: Dennis Sparks

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In this interview Stiggins suggests that improved formative assessment can improve student learning by first clearing and concisely communicating the learning target students are expected to meet. The teacher then needs to use the same learning targets as daily achievement objectives. When using assessment in this manner it is possible to see student growth over time.

Stiggins is concerned that very few states require teachers and even administrator to be assessment literate. He urges school systems to provide professional development to build teachers’ capacity in assessments. Teacher need to know the various types of assessments and the rationale behind the use of each assessment type. It is essential that teachers are able to fit the assessment into the learning target.

Stiggins argues that assessments can motivate both teacher and students. Students become active participants in their learning because they know the learning targets; they know where they need to go. Students are able to see themselves make progress, which increases student achievement. Formative assessments motivate teachers because they are able to see student growth on a day-to-day basis. Formative assessments power both students and teachers since they each see the hard work pay off in student achievement.

However, grading systems do not do this. In order to fully understand if students are making improvements teachers need look at student improvement through new evidence compared to where they started out.