A Documented, Researched Approach to Impact Student Learning
A step–by–step guide, with supporting templates, to make the process work.
Step 1
Chart the data
Step 6
Re Assess
Step 2
Analyze the
Results
USING AN
ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVELY
Step 5
Utilize Strategy
Step 3
Set
Performance
Goal
Step 4
Select Effective
Teaching Strategy
“if the organization is to become more effective in helping all students learn, the adults in the organization must also be
continually learning. Therefore, structures are created to ensure staff members engage in job-embedded learning as part of
their routine work practices.”
Table of Contents
Using an Assessment Formatively
2-3
Chart for Monitoring Class Proficiency
4
Chart for Monitoring Individual Student Proficiency
5
SMART Goal Worksheet
6
Instructional Strategies
7-12
Student Reflection of Assessment
13
Identify Essential Outcomes
14
Unwrapping the Outcomes
15-18
Examples of Guiding Questions
19
Tying the Assessment to the Essential Outcome
20
What is a Formative Assessment?
21
1
USING AN ASSESSMENT FORMATIVELY
Start:
Give the assessment to students in the next two weeks as part of your regular instructional plan.

1. Before scoring, decide what “proficient” will be for each learning target you are monitoring.
 What percent does a student have to answer correctly in order to be proficient? (General rule is 80%+)
 What is proficient on a rubric? (Score of 3 on a 1-4 point scale)
2. Score Assessment
3. Collect and chart results
 See chart examples
 For each learning target, record the score for each student and categorize as meeting, not meeting, or exceeding proficiency.
4. Analyze Strengths and Barriers (internal-we have control over)
 List the strengths of students who were proficient and higher.
o At what learning targets did they all do well?
 List specific reasons for students not achieving proficiency.
o What were the errors?
o Is there a trend?
o Were there common errors?
o What is preventing students from being proficient?
o Are their misconceptions about concepts and skills?
 Look at student review of assessment, if completed.
o Were there a lot of simple mistakes?
o Did they miss problems they thought they had right?
2
5. Set a Goal for Student Improvement
 Using the SMART method set a performance target for students to reach proficiency.
o Example: The percentage of students scoring at proficiency or higher in “writing conventions” will increase from 28%
to 60% by 11/14, as measured by a 10 minute write given prior to the end of the current unit.
 Share goal with principal.
6. Utilize different instructional strategies in your classroom as often and appropriate as possible, without interrupting
the flow of your instruction.
 Use a graphic organizer to help students understand your SMART goal.
 Remember, you are varying your instruction methods in order to reach the students who are below proficiency.
7. Give the assessment again, or utilize a similar assessment or part of another assessment to measure results.
 The type of assessment should be the same. If you originally assessed only using an essay, you should reassess using an essay.
8. Celebrate student improvement.
 Look at results and determine who showed growth and who met or exceeded proficiency.
 Share results with principal
Repeat the cycle with the same or a new essential outcome & learning targets.
3
Monitoring Class Proficiency
Learning Target: _________________
Class
# of Students
in class
Number
Proficient or
Higher
Number Below
Proficient
Percent
Proficient or
Higher
1
2
3
4
5
6
TOTALS
4
Collect & Chart Student Results
Monitoring Individual Proficiency
Learning Target: _________________________________
STUDENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
5
Goal for Student Improvement
Teacher: ___________________________
Date: ______________________
Subject: __________________________
Unit: ______________________________
Learning Target: __________________________________________________________________________________
Proficient is: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Instructional Strategy Utilized: ______________________________________________________________________
Current Reality:
The percentage of students who scored at or above proficiency is ____________.
Goal:
The percentage of students at or above proficiency by ________________ , will be ___________.
Date
Measurement Tool:
The assessment used will be ______________________________________________________.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Results:
The percentage of students who scored at or above proficiency is:
___________.
The difference in the percent of students scoring at or above proficient is:
___________.
The percentage of students who scored higher (growth) then previous assessment is:
___________.
Next Steps:
6
Instructional Strategies
Researchers at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have identified nine instructional
strategies that are most likely to improve student achievement across all content areas and across all grade levels. These
strategies are explained in the book Classroom Instruction That Works by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane
Pollock.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Identifying similarities and differences
Summarizing and note taking
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
Homework and practice
Nonlinguistic representations
Cooperative learning
Setting objectives and providing feedback
Generating and testing hypotheses
Cues, questions, and advance organizers
The following is an overview of the research behind these strategies as well as some practical applications.
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences
The ability to break a concept into its similar and dissimilar characteristics allows students to understand (and often
solve) complex problems by analyzing them in a more simple way. Teachers can either directly present similarities and
differences, accompanied by deep discussion and inquiry, or simply ask students to identify similarities and differences
on their own. While teacher-directed activities focus on identifying specific items, student-directed activities encourage
variation and broaden understanding, research shows. Research also notes that graphic forms are a good way to
represent similarities and differences.
Applications:


Use Venn diagrams or charts to compare and classify items.
Engage students in comparing, classifying, and creating metaphors and analogies.
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2. Summarizing and Note Taking
These skills promote greater comprehension by asking students to analyze a subject to expose what's essential and then
put it in their own words. According to research, this requires substituting, deleting, and keeping some things and
having an awareness of the basic structure of the information presented.
Applications:


Provide a set of rules for creating a summary.
When summarizing, ask students to question what is unclear, clarify those questions, and then predict what will
happen next in the text.
Research shows that taking more notes is better than fewer notes, though verbatim note taking is ineffective because it
does not allow time to process the information. Teachers should encourage and give time for review and revision of
notes; notes can be the best study guides for tests.
Applications:


Use teacher-prepared notes.
Stick to a consistent format for notes, although students can refine the notes as necessary.
3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Effort and recognition speak to the attitudes and beliefs of students, and teachers must show the connection between
effort and achievement. Research shows that although not all students realize the importance of effort, they can learn to
change their beliefs to emphasize effort.
Applications:

Share stories about people who succeeded by not giving up.
8

Have students keep a log of their weekly efforts and achievements, reflect on it periodically, and even
mathematically analyze the data.
According to research, recognition is most effective if it is contingent on the achievement of a certain standard. Also,
symbolic recognition works better than tangible rewards.
Applications:


Find ways to personalize recognition. Give awards for individual accomplishments.
"Pause, Prompt, Praise." If a student is struggling, pause to discuss the problem, then prompt with specific
suggestions to help her improve. If the student's performance improves as a result, offer praise.
4. Homework and Practice
Homework provides students with the opportunity to extend their learning outside the classroom. However, research
shows that the amount of homework assigned should vary by grade level and that parent involvement should be
minimal. Teachers should explain the purpose of homework to both the student and the parent or guardian, and teachers
should try to give feedback on all homework assigned.
Applications:



Establish a homework policy with advice—such as keeping a consistent schedule, setting, and time limit—that
parents and students may not have considered.
Tell students if homework is for practice or preparation for upcoming units.
Maximize the effectiveness of feedback by varying the way it is delivered.
Research shows that students should adapt skills while they're learning them. Speed and accuracy are key indicators of
the effectiveness of practice.
Applications:


Assign timed quizzes for homework and have students report on their speed and accuracy.
Focus practice on difficult concepts and set aside time to accommodate practice periods.
9
5. Nonlinguistic Representations
According to research, knowledge is stored in two forms: linguistic and visual. The more students use both forms in the
classroom, the more opportunity they have to achieve. Recently, use of nonlinguistic representation has proven to not
only stimulate but also increase brain activity.
Applications:


Incorporate words and images using symbols to represent relationships.
Use physical models and physical movement to represent information.
6. Cooperative Learning
Research shows that organizing students into cooperative groups yields a positive effect on overall learning. When
applying cooperative learning strategies, keep groups small and don't overuse this strategy—be systematic and
consistent in your approach.
Applications:



When grouping students, consider a variety of criteria, such as common experiences or interests.
Vary group sizes and objectives.
Design group work around the core components of cooperative learning—positive interdependence, group
processing, appropriate use of social skills, face-to-face interaction, and individual and group accountability.
10
7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Setting objectives can provide students with a direction for their learning. Goals should not be too specific; they should
be easily adaptable to students' own objectives.
Applications:


Set a core goal for a unit, and then encourage students to personalize that goal by identifying areas of interest to
them. Questions like "I want to know" and "I want to know more about . . ." get students thinking about their
interests and actively involved in the goal-setting process.
Use contracts to outline the specific goals that students must attain and the grade they will receive if they meet
those goals.
Research shows that feedback generally produces positive results. Teachers can never give too much; however, they
should manage the form that feedback takes.
Applications:



Make sure feedback is corrective in nature; tell students how they did in relation to specific levels of
knowledge. Rubrics are a great way to do this.
Keep feedback timely and specific.
Encourage students to lead feedback sessions.
11
8. Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Research shows that a deductive approach (using a general rule to make a prediction) to this strategy works best.
Whether a hypothesis is induced or deduced, students should clearly explain their hypotheses and conclusions.
Applications:


Ask students to predict what would happen if an aspect of a familiar system, such as the government or
transportation, were changed.
Ask students to build something using limited resources. This task generates questions and hypotheses about
what may or may not work.
9. Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
Cues, questions, and advance organizers help students use what they already know about a topic to enhance further
learning. Research shows that these tools should be highly analytical, should focus on what is important, and are most
effective when presented before a learning experience.
Applications:


Pause briefly after asking a question. Doing so will increase the depth of your students' answers.
Vary the style of advance organizer used: Tell a story, skim a text, or create a graphic image. There are many
ways to expose students to information before they "learn" it.
Source: Adapted from Classroom Instruction That Works by R. J. Marzano, D. J. Pickering, and J. E. Pollock, 2001,
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
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Student Reflection of Assessment
Prob
lem
Learning
Target
Pretty
Sure I
have
Correct
Not sure
Right?
Wrong?
Simple
Mistake
More
Study?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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13
14
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17
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STEP 1—Identifying Essential Outcomes
If you are working as a grade level team:
As a team, identify the essential outcomes that are addressed within the assessment you brought with you today; and determine one or
two of those essential outcomes that you want to assess in the next two weeks. If you know students have struggled with a particular
outcome, you may want to choose that one.
Elementary Example:
Assessment:
An essay describing one’s favorite childhood object.
Essential Outcome addressed:
Continue to build on the writing process through the writing of descriptive essays (5th grade ELA essential
outcome).
If you are working as a department with separate grade levels:
Individually, identify the essential outcomes that are addressed within the assessment you brought with you today; and determine one
or two of those essential outcomes that you want to assess in the next two weeks. If you know students struggled with a particular
outcome, you may want to choose that one. (Suggestion: this process may be easier if you can use essential outcomes that are similar
or parallel to the essential outcome of a colleague in your department)
Secondary Example:
Assessment:
A quiz in which students have to label the parts of a cell.
Essential Outcome addressed:
Students will understand the underlying principles of cell structure and function.
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STEP 2—“Unwrapping” the Outcomes
Systematically analyze or “unwrap” the essential outcome(s) you have chosen from the assessment tool. There are four parts to this
step.
A. Using the essential outcome(s) you have chosen; underline things you want students to know, and circle things you want students
to be able to do.
Example:
Continue to build on the writing process through the writing of descriptive essays.
B. Utilize a graphic organizer to break down or “unwrap” the essential outcome(s). The graphic organizer can take a variety of forms
as long as it accurately represents a full list of what students need to know and be able to do relative to that essential outcome.
*Templates are provided in this packet along with sample unwrapped outcomes
C. For the “be able to do” skills, determine whether there is a variety of levels associated with Bloom’s Taxonomy, such as recall
(level 1), understand (level 2), apply (level 3), interpret (level 4), synthesize (level 5), and create (level 6).
*A more detailed description of Blooms is located inside this packet.
D. Utilizing the same template from part B, create Guiding Questions.
What is a Guiding Question?
 A question that students will be able to answer as a result of instruction.
 A question that is high level and probably has multiple acceptable responses.
 Written in student friendly language.
**Are you “unwrapping” the same essential outcome as colleagues?**
YES—Compare graphic organizers. Are there elements that you agree to? Decide about the need to knows and be able to dos
that not each of you have. Decide whether to add or leave off, so you can move on to the next step confidently.
NO—Look at a colleague’s graphic organizer. Peer edit and discuss the need to knows and be able to dos represented so that
you can move on to the next step confidently.
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Examples of Unwrapped Outcomes
To Know:
Need to Know about the writing process
Stages
 Pre-writing/brainstorming
 Drafting
 Editing
 Revising
 Publishing
Need to Know about descriptive essays
Essays
 Format (introduction, body, conclusion)
 Thesis Statement
 Paragraphs
 Topic Sentences
 Sentence structure
Description
 Voice
 Organization (spacial, topical, chronological)
To Do:
Be Able to Do
 Read (descriptive non-fiction)
 Analyze (elements of description)
 Use (writing process)
 Communicate (with teacher and peers about own
and others’ writing)
 Apply (elements of descriptive writing to own work)
 Develop (orderly, interesting written description)
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Other Examples:
Essential Outcome: Students demonstrate number computation for three-digit numbers and simple fractions.
To Know:
Need to Know about Number Computation
Number Sense
 Three-digit whole numbers
 Simple fractions
Number Properties
 Simple fractions (fourths, thirds, halves)
 Three-digit whole numbers
 Place value
 Properties
To Do:





Use (numerical/computational concepts and procedures)
Demonstrate (number sense, simple fractions, 3-digit whole
numbers)
Recognize (number system properties)
Apply (fractions, money, number system properties)
Explain (number system properties)
Essential Outcome: Students understand literary elements.
To Know:
Need to Know about Literary Elements.
Structural Elements of Literature
 Plot
 Theme
 Character
 Mood
 Setting
 Point of View
Understanding of Language
 Unfamiliar Words (uncommon or low frequency)
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 Implied Main Idea
 Probable Outcomes
 Details (supporting, non-supporting)
 Summary and Paraphrase
Literary Devices
 Metaphor
 Foreshadowing
 Flashback
 Allusion
 Satire
 Irony
To Do:
Be Able to Do
 Demonstrate (integrated understanding of language and
literature; comprehension of main idea, supporting details)
 Respond (to all listed concepts)
 Predict (probable outcome)
 Summarize
 Paraphrase
 Ask and Answer (questions to demonstrate comprehension)
 Compare and Contrast (characters, objects, events)
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Examples of Guiding Questions
Essential Outcome – Continue to build on the writing process through the writing of descriptive essays.
Guiding Questions for this outcome –
1. Why is it better to use the writing process when writing?
2. How should an essay be structured?
3. What are effective descriptive writing strategies?
Essential Outcome – Students demonstrate number computation for three-digit numbers and simple fractions.
Guiding Questions for this outcome—
1. What is a fraction? What is its relationship to a whole number?
2. What are numbers? How do we use them?
3. Why isn’t a digit always worth the same amount?
4. What is estimation? When and how do we use it?
Essential Outcome—Students understand literary elements.
Guiding Questions for this outcome—
1. How is fiction organized to tell a story effectively?
2. Why are knowledge of comprehension techniques and the ability to apply them important to readers?
3. What are literary devices? Why do authors use them?
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STEP 3
Tying the Assessment to the Essential Outcome.
A. Look at the assessment
a. Identify which questions/elements of it assess the unwrapped components of the essential outcome you chose.
Highlight them.
b. Determine whether questions are clearly worded.
c. Do any of the questions or elements of the assessment you highlighted measure the upper levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy*? Star them if they do.
i. If you feel you are lacking enough upper level questions or elements then try then try substituting key words or
stems to address some of the critical thinking skills.
ii. If you feel there is not enough variety of levels of Bloom’s taxonomy addressed, then try substituting key words
or stems to create a range of questions or elements within the assessment tool.
d. Determine, “What does proficient look like on this assessment?” Define it and include a performance level.
Examples:
i. 85% of questions correct
ii. Meets or exceeds level 3 on rubric.
B. Look at the “left over” questions/elements of the assessment.
a. Do those questions measure a different essential outcome of this unit of study?
b. How many essential outcomes does this assessment address? How many is too many?
c. Can/should any of your “left over” questions be modified to address this essential outcome?
C. Modify this assessment so that you are confident that it will measure at different levels of rigor the essential outcome(s) you
have chosen.
*Samples and templates are provided in this packet.
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What is a Formative Assessment?
The chief purpose of this step is to ensure that the results of this assessment can give you the information you need to improve student
learning.
Comparison of Formative and Summative Assessments
Formative Assessments
Summative Assessments
Purpose
To provide information to
To measure student
teachers and students
competency at a point in time
When Administered
Ongoing throughout unit
End of unit or course
How students use results To self-monitor their
To gauge their progress
understanding and give
toward course or grade-level
nd
students a 2 chance to
goals and benchmarks
demonstrate success
How teachers use results To check for understanding
For grades, promotion,
To provide corrective
comparisons
instruction
The qualities of a Formative Assessment:
 The assessment can be used to identify students who are struggling and need extra support.
 The assessment provides students with specific feedback.
 If needed, students receive additional opportunities to demonstrate they have learned the material.
 Teachers use them to identify corrective instructional strategies-not re-teaching, but specific strategies that meet needs of
different learning styles of students
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End
of
Unit
Test
Correctives
Continued Mastery
Formative
Assessment
Formative
Correctives
Assessment
Beginning
Instruction
22