Live from Berlin - Formative Assessment Strategies & STAR 360

This blog post accompanies our Wednesday, September 7, 2016 PD session at Berlin Elementary. 

Essential Question:  How can we use assessments to maximize student learning?

Entry Slip Formative Assessment (5 minutes):

Choose either a high tech or low tech option:

• High tech option - Complete the entry slip in Google Forms (Note: you will need to be logged into our google domain wcsu32.org to access the form.)
• Low tech option - On a notecard, jot your name and complete these sentences: 

1. Some of my formative assessment strategies are...
2. I would assess my skill level for designing and using formative assessment strategies as... (Choose 1 - beginning, 2 - developing, 3 - proficient, 4 - advanced) 

Take a minute to share favorite strategies with those seated around you.  Consider these questions:

  

Facilitator to hand out hard copies of:

• Formative Assessment Strategies
• 2016-2017 Teachers' Guide to Administering the STAR 360 Screener

Introduction (5 minutes)

Next week, we start our first math residency at Berlin Elementary.  We'll be focusing on using formative assessment to inform teacher (and ideally student) planning for instruction. This focus ties into these aspects of Berlin's Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP):

Literacy 1a: Task 2: Staff will use a variety of measures to assess student performance data to guide instruction and allocate instructional resources

Literacy 1b: Task 4: Students are actively involved in setting their own goals based on learning targets and feedback; moving toward student centered classroom.

Math 2a: Task 3:  Teachers develop and use formative assessment regularly that is aligned with the WCSU Levels of Math Knowing to plan instruction

Math 2a: Task 4:  Teachers assess all students using the WCSU Levels of Math Knowing and benchmark expectations (based on WCSU Scope and Sequencing)

Math 2a: Task 7:  Set up a system for teachers to self-assess and peer-assess citing evidence and track teacher growth in relation to expectations.

Math 2b: Task 9: Teachers routinely use formative assessment to improve their instruction.

Additionally, formative assessment strategies and systems are included in components 1f (Assessing Student Learning) and 3d (Using Assessment in Instruction) of the Danielson rubric.

This afternoon, we prime the pump for this work with a workshop targeting these learning objectives:

• Learn how to use the STAR 360 assessment tool to administer reading and math screening assessments.
• Reflect on how formative assessment strategies can be used systematically across the curriculum to provide feedback and inform instruction.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Formative Assessment (1 minute):  

How well do either (or both) of these objectives align with Berlin's CIP goals for this year? 

How well do either (or both) of these objectives align with your own goals for this year? 

Thumbs Up (Well aligned), Sideways (Somewhat aligned) or Down (Not at all aligned)

Popcorn Discussion (10 minutes)

One person starts a prompt.  Each person responding picks the next person to respond.  Facilitator records responses.

1. Formative assessment is ...
2. A "screener" (screening assessment) is ...

Question: How can these two types of assessments work together to improve student outcomes?

Administering the STAR 360 (30 minutes)

• Walk through the WCSU STAR 360 Training website.
• Walk through the 2016-2017 Teachers' Guide to Administering the STAR 360 Screener.
• Use the checklist to complete your training (either assisted or independently).

Exit Card (5 minutes)

Choose either a high tech or low tech option:

• High tech option - Complete the entry slip in Google Forms (Note: you will need to be logged into our google domain wcsu32.org to access the form.)
• Low tech option - On a notecard, jot your name and: 

1. Rate your comfort level administering the STAR 360 screener (on a scale of 1-4 where 1 means "Help! I don't know how!" and 4 means "No problem! I've got this!) 
2. What are you taking away from this session?
3. What would you like to know more about?
4. What is your feedback for the facilitator. 

Parting shot: How many formative assessment strategies can you spot in this session?

I'll send mathematically correct tattoos (temporary ones, of course) to WCSU employees who can find them all...  Send me an email.