Mathematics Content

Formative Assessment

Monday, June 17, 2019

 Goals
Students will
• Identify and use various formative assessment
tools to elicit student thinking;

• Apply understanding of student thinking to adapt

instruction.
 Why Assessment?

The most important single factor influencing

learning is what the student already knows.
Ascertain this and teach accordingly.
---Ausubel, 1978
 Assessment and Planning Process

Use pre- Use formative

assessment to Formative assessment to
Clear Learning Goals Pre-assess
inform Assessment inform
Instruction instruction

1 2 3 4 5
 Assessment Types

Pre-Assessment

Formal Summative Benchmark or

Accountability-
Formative (Graded) Assessment Based
Assessment
Informal
(Ungraded)
 Ten Formative Assessment Principles
“Formative assessment is - or should be - the bridge or causeway between
today’s lesson and tomorrow’s.”
C. Tomlinson (2016)
• Help students understand the role of formative assessment.
• Begin with clear learning goals.
• Make room for student differences.
• Provide instructive feedback.
• Make feedback user-friendly.
• Assess persistently.
• Engage students with formative assessments.
• Look for patterns.
• Plan instruction around content requirements and student needs.
• Repeat the process.
Assessment for learning
 Formative Assessment Jigsaw
Each group will be responsible for two formative assessment strategies. In your
expert groups please:
1. learn the strategy well enough to explain it to your peers and answer
questions
2. create an example for each strategy to share in mixed groups. Begin with the
learning goal then develop a topic or question for your assessment format.
Expert Groups
RED ORANGE
Jeff, Monica, Kiera, Patrick Elizabeth E., Allie, Ellen, Sean
(1,2) (3,4)
YELLOW Katie, Corey, Colin, Owen
Elizabeth D., Thomas, Brendan, Michael (7,8)
(5,6)
 Mixed Groups

A B C D
Jeff (1,2) Monica (1,2) Kiera (1,2) Patrick (1,2)
Elizabeth E. (3,4) Allie (3,4) Ellen (3,4) Sean (3, 4)
Elizabeth D. (5,6) Thomas (5,6) Brendan (5,6) Michael (5, 6)
Katie (7,8) Corey (7,8) Colin (7,8) Owen (7, 8)
How do I know if my students have learned?
What do I do if they aren’t there yet?
Clear Learning Goals

What do I want students

to know, understand
and be able to do?

Formative assessment is
only formative if it informs
Inform and Adapt Formative
future instruction!
Assessment
Formative assessment
information drives Continually collect
changes to next lesson. evidence of student
thinking.
New teaching not reteaching
Clear learning goal Initial teaching strategy New teaching strategy
Students will know the formula for the Students copied notes and were assigned
volume of a rectangular prism. memorization for homework.

Students will understand the relationship Students worked in small groups to discuss
between a net and the surface area of a relationships between nets and 3D figures.
three dimensional figure.

Students will be able to use nets to find the Students were given nets and asked to find
surface area of three dimensional figures. the surface area of the 3D figure.
Your turn!
1. Analyze the lesson or unit you brought with you
today for places where you can include formative
assessment.

2. Design a formative assessment for your

lesson/unit.

3. Describe how the responses from this formative

assessment may inform or change your future
lessons.
Characteristics of Effective Formative Assessment and
Feedback
Teachers and students should seek answers to the questions:
1. Where am I going?
Feedback should aim at reducing the discrepancy between current
understandings and goals.
2. How am I going?
Feedback is effective when it consists of information about progress
and/or how to proceed.
3. Where to next?
Enhanced challenges, more self-regulation over learning, greater
fluency, more strategies to work on tasks, deeper understanding...

Hattie and Timperley (2007)

Provide feedback to one another

With the following partner, discuss the revisions you made. Your
partner will provide feedback to you.
Three Critical Questions for Effective Teaching and Learning

• What do we want students to learn? Clear Learning Goals

• How will we know that they have learned? Assessment

• What will we do if students have not learned? Teach differently,

spaced teaching and learning,
retrieval practices
 Ten Formative Assessment Principles
“Formative assessment is - or should be - the bridge or causeway between
today’s lesson and tomorrow’s.”
C. Tomlinson (2016)
• Help students understand the role of formative assessment.
• Begin with clear KUDs.
• Make room for student differences.
• Provide instructive feedback.
• Make feedback user-friendly.
• Assess persistently.
• Engage students with formative assessments.
• Look for patterns.
• Plan instruction around content requirements and student needs.
• Repeat the process.
 Feedback Strategies
Hattie, Fisher, and Frey, 2017, p. 204

Feedback strategies can In these ways… Recommendations for

vary in… good feedback
• Provide immediate feedback
for knowledge of facts
(right/wrong)
• Delay feedback slightly for
more comprehensive
reviews of student thinking
• When given and processing.
Timing
• How often • Never delay feedback
beyond when it would make
a difference to students.
• Provide feedback as often
as is practical for all major
assignments
 Feedback Strategies
Hattie, Fisher, and Frey, 2017, p. 204

Feedback strategies can In these ways… Recommendations for

vary in… good feedback

• Prioritize – pick the most

important topics
• Choose topics that relate to
• How many topics addressed
Amount major learning goals
• How much about each topic
• Consider the student’s
developmental level.
 Feedback Strategies
Hattie, Fisher, and Frey, 2017, p. 204

Feedback strategies can In these ways… Recommendations for good

vary in… feedback
• Select the best mode for the
message. Would a comment in
passing the student’s desk
suffice? Is a conference
needed?
• Interactive feedback (talking
• Oral
with the student) is best when
Mode • Written possible.
• Give written feedback on written
• Visual/demonstration
work or on assignment cover
sheets.
• Use demonstration if “how to do
something” is an issue or if the
student needs and example.
 Feedback Strategies
Hattie, Fisher, and Frey, 2017, p. 204

Feedback strategies can In these ways… Recommendations for good

vary in… feedback

• Individual feedback says, “The

teacher values my learning.”
• Group/class feedback works if
• Individual most of the class missed the
Audience
• Group/class same concept on an
assignment which presents an
opportunity for reteaching.
Feedback Strategies Hattie, Fisher, and Frey, 2017, p. 204

Feedback
Strategies
In These Ways… Recommendations for Good Feedback
Can Vary
In…
• Provide immediate feedback for knowledge of facts (right/wrong)
• Delay feedback slightly for more comprehensive reviews of student thinking
• When given
Timing and processing.
• How often
• Never delay feedback beyond when it would make a difference to students.
• Provide feedback as often as is practical for all major assignments
• How many topics
• Prioritize – pick the most important topics
addressed
Amount • Choose topics that relate to major learning goals
• How much about each
• Consider the student’s developmental level.
topic
• Select the best mode for the message. Would a comment in passing the
student’s desk suffice? Is a conference needed?
• Oral
• Interactive feedback (talking with the student) is best when possible.
Mode • Written
• Give written feedback on written work or on assignment cover sheets.
• Visual/demonstration
• Use demonstration if “how to do something” is an issue or if the student needs
and example.

• Individual feedback says, “The teacher values my learning.”

• Individual
Audience • Group/class feedback works if most of the class missed the same concept on an
• Group/class
 Levels of Feedback
Feedback about the task

Feedback about the process

Self-regulatory feedback

Feedback about self

 Seven Keys to Effective Feedback (Wiggins, 2012)

1. Goal-referenced

2. Tangible and transparent

3. Actionable

4. User-friendly

5. Timely

6. Ongoing

7. Consistent
 Feedback Versus Advice
You need more examples in your report.
You might want to use a lighter baseball bat.
You should have included some Essential Questions in your unit
plan.

Are these statements “feedback” or “advice”. Discuss with a partner

and describe why you believe them to be feedback or advice.
 Feedback Versus Evaluation
Good work!
This is a weak paper.
You got a C on your presentation.
I’m so pleased by your poster!

Are these statements feedback or evaluation? Why?

Take about five minutes with a partner to modify these statements to make them into useful feedback.