Roadmap to Proficiency

Roadmap to Proficiency: Formative Assessment in the FL classroom Barbara Bird College of Southern Nevada

A balanced assessment system •Interim assessments •Summative assessments •Formative assessments

Formative assessment …an ongoing assessment process that provides students and teachers with feedback on progress toward instructional goals

Formative assessment Not a grade!

Formative assessment cycle Identify proficiency level Consult, compare, & share

Establish language goals

Modify instruction

Identify formative tasks and tools Provide feedback to students

Identify proficiency level Consult, compare, & share

Establish language goals

Modify instruction

Identify formative tasks and tools Provide feedback to students

Identify proficiency level

Identify proficiency level Consult, compare, & share

Establish language goals

Modify instruction

Identify formative tasks and tools Provide feedback to students

Establishing language goals •Text type (genre) •Language function (i.e. greetings, making requests, describing) •Language control (grammar) •Vocabulary

Identify proficiency level Consult, compare, & share

Establish language goals

Modify instruction

Identify formative tasks and tools Provide feedback to students

Formative tasks •Writing a postcard to a friend •Introducing yourself to a stranger •Reading a short essay •Understanding a dialogue •Drafts

Formative tools •Checklists •Rating scales •Rubrics

GUIDELINES FOR CREATING A CHECKLIST • Aligned to learning progression.

• Descriptors are discrete (e.g. Yes, No; Present, Absent)

actions, perceptions or behaviors.

• Targets important and actionable behaviors clearly and

succinctly • Any steps are clearly identified and sequenced.

• Appropriate for the proficiency and age level.

• No more than one page of reasonable font.

• Both teachers and students can easily understand.

GUIDELINES FOR CREATING A RATING SCALE

• Rating scales have 3 to 7 levels.

• Rating scales have similar intervals.

• Focuses on the most important aspects.

• Each level is clearly defined and succinct.

GUIDELINES FOR CREATING A RUBRIC

• Can be holistic or analytic: • Holistic rubrics identify a variety of characteristics within each

interval.

• Analytic rubrics identify unique characteristics, and there is an

interval for each characteristic.

Sample rubric

Identify proficiency level Consult, compare, & share

Establish language goals

Modify instruction

Identify formative tasks and tools

Provide feedback to students

Criteria for good feedback • There are clear criteria for what good performance looks like.

• It is clear how current performance relates to good performance.

• Students know what to do in order to close the gap between current and good

performance.

• Timely, specific, understandable, and actionable.

• Simple and brief, focusing on just a few of the most important elements.

• Provides corrective advice, not just information on strengths/weaknesses.

• A dialogue, rather than a transmission of information.

• DOES NOT: focus on grades, compare student performance, or discourage the

learner.

Types of feedback • Teacher • Peer • Self

Teacher feedback • Provide feedback on work in progress and increase

opportunities for resubmission.

• Introduce 2-stage assignments where feedback on stage

1helps improve stage 2.

• Model strategies to close a performance gap in class

(e.g. model how to structure an essay).

• Provide ‘action points’ alongside descriptive feedback.

• Involve students in groups in identifying their own action

points in class after they have read the feedback on their assignments.

Peer feedback • Provide feedback using 1-minute papers in class.

• Review feedback in tutorials, where students are asked to read

the feedback comments they have been given on an assignment, and discuss these with peers (they might also be asked to suggest strategies to improve performance next time).

• Ask students to find examples of feedback comments they

found useful and to explain how these comments helped them better understand the material.

• Ask students to give each other descriptive feedback on their

work using specific criteria before submission.

• Ask students to discuss criteria and standards before beginning

work on a group project.

Self feedback • Allow students to request the kinds of feedback they

would like when they hand in work.

• Ask students to identify strengths and weaknesses in

their own work using preset criteria or standards before handing it in for teacher feedback.

• Have students reflect on their achievements and select

work to compile as a portfolio.

• Ask students to reflect on achievement milestones

before a task and on progress after a task.

Modify instruction • Reteach • Focus on difficult aspects • Teach in a different way • Individualize instruction / feedback • Allow students a 2nd (3rd, 4th) opportunity

Consult, compare, & share • Get feedback from other teachers • Save time creating tasks and tools • Find solutions to problems

Thank you!

Barbara Bird barbara.bird@csn.edu