by Angela Mansel, SPS Professional Learning Specialist
STANDARD # 7: Student Assessment and Data Analysis
Quality Indicator #2: Assessment data to improve learning
November is the start of what can be a frantic season of traveling to see family and friends. As we prep for trips we not only map out a travel plan but we also consider what to do when there are bumps along the way. What if the flight is delayed or the highway is under construction? What detours will be required?
The journey of learning for our students requires similar planning. What is our destination? How are we going to get there? What detours do we need to be prepared to take?
Formative assessments are the “travel guides” teachers use to help gather the answers to these questions. These assessments offer guidance to teachers on how much more “traveling” students still need. Students also benefit from knowing the results of formative assessments as it stimulates growth and initiates self-regulation within the student. So share formative assessment information with students, and they can also plan for the journey.
Formative assessments are not special quizzes or something extensive that teachers have to add into their lessons. These on-going assessments are simple checks of learning for the purpose of informing students and teachers on what the next steps are in making it to the final destination.
The following are a few examples of informal, formative assessments.
Questioning/Directed Discussion - Ask students questions about what they have learned or what they are to learn. It might be to simply restate in their own words what they have learned, or how it connects to something they have already learned. A variation that allows more students to share answers and to collaborate with a peer is to use the Kagan Cooperative Learning structure Timed Pair Share.
Entry or Exit Slips - Pose a specific question about the content and have students respond in writing. This can occur as students exit the class or the next day as they enter. The teacher looks for a critical mass in relation to how the majority of students respond. This information can guide the teacher in making decisions about the next lesson.
Brain Dump – Give students an opportunity to either write down or tell a partner everything they learned during the lesson. The teacher either collects the written information or monitors the partners to see what misconceptions may have occurred.
Rate of Understanding – Ask students to rate how well they understand the lesson. Here are three methods for rating understanding.
- Show of fingers, 0-5 (or
sometimes called fist to 5)
- Show of thumbs up, down
or sideways
- Show a colored
card. Red is for “Stop! I don’t
understand.” Yellow stands for “I’m
starting to understand but I’m still not completely there.” Green is for, “Keep going. I understand.”
Black, P., & William, D. (2010). “Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment.” Phi Delta Kappan, 92, 81-90.
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY: Routledge.
Moss, C. M. & Brookhart, S. M. (2009). Advancing formative assessment in every classroom: A guide for instructional leaders. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Sousa, D.A. & Tomlinson, C.A. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience supports the learner-friendly classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.