Assessment and Data
Students demonstrate learning through authentic, rigorous, and relevant assessment and engage in frequent feedback cycles in order to improve. Data drives instructional decision-making.
Phase 2: Demonstrating Mastery of Learning
"Look-Fors" During Observations
Remember: The most helpful part of the observation is not checking off items but the conversations and reflections that happen after the visit.
Remember: The most helpful part of the observation is not checking off items but the conversations and reflections that happen after the visit.
Beginning/ Practicing
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Developing/ Achieving
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Questions to Guide Observation
- How do students demonstrate their learning?
- What do formative and summative assessments ask of students?
- Are students mostly expected to recall information and demonstrate comprehension, or are students asked to apply/analyze/synthesize what they’ve learned?
- Do assessments reflect an actual task or challenge that a student might face in college or career?
- Based on the learning objective(s), how are you expected to demonstrate your learning? How will you show what you know?
- How can opportunities to show what you know help you grow?
- Why does your teacher ask you to demonstrate your learning?
- What are the different ways you show your teacher and your peers what you know?
Resources
- What Are Some Types of Assessments? , describes not only standardized assessments, but also includes alternative authentic assessments (Article from Edutopia)
- How Should We Measure Student Learning?, focuses on 5 keys to assessments (Video from Edutopia)
- Assessment Professional Development Guide, includes a series of workshop activities that could be used in a PD session about assessment with staff (Article from Edutopia)
- What is “Authentic” Assessment?, includes overview of assessment at a 6-12 school in NYC (Video from Edutopia)
- Studies in Success: A Survey of Assessment Research, reports the effectiveness of relevant evaluation of student work (Article from Edutopia)
- Using Exhibits as Assessment, includes an overview of how a K-8 school uses four annual exhibits for students to share what they’ve learned over the course of a unit
- Celebrations of Learning at Expeditionary Learning schools, includes two video clips: one that shows how kindergarteners share what they’ve learned with a public audience and another that shows how 7th graders shared their work at the end of an expedition
- Portfolios as Authentic Assessment, a toolbox that describes what a portfolio is, why portfolios are valuable, and how to create and use a portfolio in the classroom
- Resource List: Assessment in PBL, includes 20+ links to videos, blog posts, and tools to support assessment throughout a project
In the Field
Click here to view pictures and artifacts to see how personalized learning teachers and leaders in Dallas ISD are using data to drive instructional decision-making.
Click here to view pictures and artifacts to see how personalized learning teachers and leaders in Dallas ISD are using data to drive instructional decision-making.