The Role of Formative Assessment
in Achieving Deeper Learning
Joan Herman
CREATE 24th Annual Conference
2015 Jason Millman Award Address
Charleston, North Carolina
October 9, 2015
Overview
•  Definitions
•  Research on implementation and impact
•  Challenges in teacher practices
•  Tools for moving head
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Definitions
Definitions: Deeper Learning
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Definitions: Formative Assessment
A process used by teachers and students during
instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing
teaching and learning to improve students’
achievement of intended instructional outcomes
(CCSSO FAST SCASS, 2008)
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Definitions: Formative Assessment
The formative-assessment process uses assessments as an
integral tactic to determine whether any adjustments are
needed. The assessments employed during this process are,
by definition, not the same thing as the process itself.
When teachers are told – inaccurately – that formative
assessment is a kind of test this is akin to telling a would-be
surfer that a surfboard is the same as surfing.
(James Popham, 2010)
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Key Attributes for
Formative Assessment
•  Learning progression
•  Learning goals and success criteria
•  Sharing goals and success criteria with students
•  Strategies for eliciting evidence during the lesson
•  Interpreting evidence
•  Taking action, providing feedback fill in gaps
•  Involving students through peer- and self-assessment
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Coherent Assessment Systems:
On-going Data for Improvement
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Recent Research on Two
Examples of FA-Embedded
Interventions
•  LDC: Literacy Design Collaborative
•  MDC: Math Design Collaborative
Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)
STUDENT
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INSTRUCTIONAL LADDER
CULMINATING
TEACHING TASK
EXAMPLE LDC Teaching Task
Template: Task 2
Argumentative/Analysis at 3 levels:
After researching
(informational
texts) on
(content), write an
(essay or substitute) that argues your
position, pro or con, on
(content).
Support your position with evidence from your research.
L2. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. L3. Give
examples from past or current events or issues to
illustrate, clarify, and support your position.
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Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)
Preparing
STUDENT
Reading
Process
Transition
To
Writing
MINI TASKS
INSTRUCTIONAL LADDER
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Writing
CULMINATING
TEACHING TASK
MDC Classroom Challenge Ex:
Sharing Gasoline Tasks
Each day Lara’s mom drives her to school. On the way, she
picks up three of Lara’s friends. Chan, Jason and Marla. Each
afternoon, she returns by the same route and drops them off at
their homes.
This map is drawn to scale. It shows where each person lives
and the route taken by Lara’s mom. At the end of a term, the
four students agree to pay $300 in total towards the cost of the
gasoline.
How much should each person pay? Try to find the fairest
possible method. Show all your work.
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Math Design Collaborative (MDC)
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Evaluation Questions
1.  How do teachers implement LDC/MDC?
2.  What is the impact of LDC/MDC on student learning?
3.  What conditions and contexts, including implementation
quality, influence LDC/MDC effectiveness?
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Similar Methodology in Both Studies
•  Implementation measures including:
ü  Teacher surveys and logs
ü  Artifact collection and analysis (modules for LDC; student
pre- and post-assessments for MDC)
•  Student outcome measures including:
ü  State assessments for treatment/control analyses
ü  Special CRESST-designed measures for treatment only
•  Quasi-experimental Design (QED) techniques, e.g. Coarsened
Exact Matching and HLM regression analysis
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Summary of 2012-13 QED
Results in LDC Studies
Intervention
and Setting
Model
Outcome
Effect Stat.
Coef. Signif.
LDC Kentucky
HLM with CEM
KPREP Reading
0.058 5%
level
LDC Kentucky
HLM with CEM
KPREP Social
Studies
-0.026
LDC Kentucky
HLM with CEM
KPREP Writing
0.030 NS
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NS
Bang for the Buck: Interpreting Significant Finding
in Kentucky 8th Grade History and Science Classes
Intervention
Time spent on
intervention
Effect
Coefficient
Estimation of
months of
school
associated with
effect
LDC in KY
History/Science
~1.5 months
0.058
2.2 months
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2012-13 QED Results for MDC
in KY 9th Grade Algebra Classrooms
Intervention
and Setting
Model
Outcome
Effect Stat.
Coef. Signif.
MDC Kentucky
HLM with CEM
PLAN Algebra
1%
0.130 level
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Bang for the Buck: Interpreting Significant Finding
in Kentucky 9th Grade Algebra Classes
Intervention
Time spent on
intervention
Effect
Coefficient
Estimation of
months of
school
associated with
effect
MDC in KY
Algebra
~0.5 months
0.130
4.6 months
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Studies’ Findings: Promising
•  LDC and MDC both show posi1ve, sta1s1cally significant impact on learning in at least one context, with no evidence of harm. Impressive given early stage of interven1on and limited dosage. •  Broad support from teachers for both interven1ons – par1cularly LDC •  BUT: •  Students struggling with new demands •  Evidence of gap enhancing 21 / 65
NSF funded research on
Challenges to FA practices in
mathematics
ü  Quality of teachers’ formative and interim
assessment (n=176 elementary and middle school
teachers)
ü  Challenges in teacher practice (case studies of 8
teachers in 4 schools)
Exemplar Analysis: Tool Quality
(n=176 California Teachers)
•  Coding categories:
•  Tool cycle
•  Format (number and type of items)
•  Diagnostic information available from tool
•  Content quality
•  Intellectual demand
•  Almost 1/3 of teachers submitted benchmark tests as
exemplars of their FA practice
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Analysis of Benchmark Tests
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Case Study Results (n=8 teachers)
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Case Study Findings
•  Some formative assessment practices are a familiar part of
teacher routine, but quality varies (mean on most dimensions
2.0 on 4 pt scale)
•  Instruction tended to focus on procedures/ computation vs.
deeper conceptual understanding.
•  Opportunities for meta-cognition, reflection often missing.
•  Teachers admittedly struggling with incorporation of math
practices, mathematical thinking and reasoning
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Some Tools for Moving Forward
•  Formative Assessment Tools for Middle School
Mathematics
•  CSAI formative assessment resources
•  Model units/PD for integrating ELA and content,
including assessment
FAM Formative Assessment Prototypes
•  Builds on FAM study findings: teachers need help with
integrating mathematical reasoning
•  Focus: standards key to Algebra I success: 8.EE.5-6, MP3
•  A series of task sets to be used at appropriate point in going
math curriculum
•  Task structure that applies all six attributes of FA
•  Structure can be adapted for different grades and standards
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Big Idea
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Task Structure
•  Set up: Whole class, 5 minutes
•  Mind stretch: Whole class 5 minutes
•  Workout: Individual 10-15 minutes
•  Check your pulse: pair, individual, whole class, 10 minutes
•  Final stretch: Individual, 15 minutes
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Setup
How can we
use math to get
a fair deal?
SETUP
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Mind Stretch
MIND
STRETCH
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Workout
WORKOUT
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Check Your Pulse
CHECK
YOUR PULSE
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Final Lift
FINAL LIFT
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Task Materials
Teachers
Students
•  PowerPoint slides
•  Task Worksheets
•  Task answer sheets
•  Challenge Worksheet
•  Teaching suggestions
•  Anticipated responses
•  Teacher work review
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FAM Tool Development Guidelines
Item
1
•  Are challenging yet accessible.
2
•  Gather diagnostically rich information.
•  Embed key content at increasing depth, complexity.
•  Promote talking, writing, thinking about math.
•  Scaffold teachers (and students) in analyzing student work,
determining next steps.
•  Provide support materials/processes for teachers
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Effects of the FAM Tasks
•  Small experimental study
•  Survey results show teachers liked using them and thought
they were valuable for their students. Will use them again.
•  Teachers noted the special value of the webinars, after each
task, opportunity to review student work, share lessons
learned.
•  Student survey results positive; post test results
scored, stay tuned!
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still being
CSAI Resources to Support
Teachers Implement CCRS and
Formative Assessment
CSAI Resource Goals
•  Coach teachers’ thinking
•  Deepen teachers’ content
knowledge
•  Develop connected learning
pathways
•  Create coherent and
accessible process moving
from CCRS to daily classroom
practice with formative
assessment
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CSAI Resource Continuum
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Formative Assessment Process
1.  Understand learning/teaching progressions between and
within standards
2.  Establish clear Learning Goals for the lesson and associated
Success Criteria which will be shared with students
3.  Plan strategies to elicit evidence of learning through the
lesson
4.  Anticipate student responses and how they will be interpreted
5.  Plan on appropriate pedagogical action to respond to student
progress
6.  Involve students in the process through Peer and
Self-Assessment
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Users Guide for Education Leaders
•  Select the right resources for
teachers
•  Design effective professional
learning for teachers
•  Pre-implementation planning
•  Use of the CSAI resources
•  Sustaining the use of key practices
over time
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Model Units Integrating ELA with
Disciplinary Content
•  Subject areas: Science, social studies, history, standardsbased
•  Middle school focus
•  Incorporate coherent assessment:
ü  formative (in process, formal)
ü  Culminating tasks incorporating deeper learning
•  Purpose:
ü  Usable instructional tools
ü  Models as part of professional learning experience
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Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?
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For further information, please
contact me: [email protected]
For CSAI resources: http://
www.csai-online.org/collection/
1505