Category: Assessment

Parents & Guardians

TL: DR Meetings with parents and guardians can be made simpler and with more care.

A little story:

Many years ago, I saw the need for an alternative to the current ASB (Associated Student Body) group. The ASB at the time was comprised of very highly motivated, engaged, and energetic students who also understood the “rules of school.” Mind you, and I’m saying this clearly so there is no misunderstanding: the ASB leader and students were amazing. And, it was not a club where everyone/anyone could join. It’s based on elections and voting and is often a popularity contest.

via GIPHY

So, I asked my students if they were interested in starting their own club. They were mostly Black and multi-racial girls, about six of them, many of whom had negative experiences in school. They decided to go with the club name of Royal Queens because the feeder high school they’d be attending next year are the Royals, and yes, they were Queens. Okay, cool. Got permission from one of the assistant principals, (one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known) and carried on.

The girls did projects like, on Valentine’s for example, put a valentine heart on every single locker (over 600) from them. Some kids said it was the first Valentine they’d ever received. They would get a special pass to go help with projects around the school. And yes, sometimes — they took advantage of this or were a little disruptive for some teachers, and yes, I had at least two other teachers* complain about them. But they had fun, and so many of them grew and matured, and are loving young adults today. Just an amazing bunch of students.

Pausing to a parent meeting with one of the girls, “T.” T was imaginative, intelligent, funny, joyous, and a loyal and fierce friend to her peers. For some reason, she was in trouble, and we were called into a parent meeting. The other teachers* were ready to attack. They said their piece about how awful and disrespectful “T” was. When it was my turn, I told her mom that T was part of this club, worked really hard, and from everything I could tell did an amazing job of advocating for herself, and many other positive things. Her mom just stopped and stared at me for a second and said, “This is the first time a teacher has ever said anything good about my daughter.”

So.

Okay.

This doesn’t work for every situation, content area, teaching style, or student. I’m trying to coalesce concepts that are not easily filtered.

Parents and guardians want their children to do well. To thrive. Generational trauma, systemic racism, and white supremacy create a toxic mix when parents come into a meeting about their child. Add to that our own experiences we bring to the room, and our beliefs about parenting. The assumptions, stereotypes, and white savior tropes get in the way of many (white) teachers. Clear that away from one moment of clarity and just remember: no matter how good or bad you think the parent/guardian is sitting across from you, there is a blood bond between them and that child in the room, too. Our role is not only to deliver instruction and to ensure their child strives for mastery of that content area but to be and grow to who they are — that’s it. And it’s a collective, nourishing growth. They, students, can show up with love and self-respect. Do not demand respect from students and parents when you have not modeled self-respect.

When it comes to grades, oh boy, nothing upsets many teachers more than when I say don’t markdown for late work. Just don’t. If a student has nothing turned in, build a system in place, especially for older students, where they can call or text their parents to let them know. They always have their parent’s number, even if the grading software isn’t updated. In the age of digital grading systems and alerts, I promise you — speaking from my own experience – all the alerts in the world will not help a parent of a child who has #ADHD or other neurodiversity. And if the parent also has ADHD (ahem) she is most likely doing their best to function in the workplace as well as tend to a child who is struggling to stay organized. And please — throw out this “real world” notion that the real world only functions in a linear, time-demanding way. Notice I didn’t say always — I said only. There are many ways the world functions. People have depression, ADHD, autism, and many other cognitive demands. This does not mean whatever you’re asking them to go can’t be done. It means you’re going to have to work WITH parents/guardians and students to make it work for them. That’s it.

Asset-based mindsets, accurate diagnosis, continuous reflection, and readjustments. And for goodness sakes, just say something good, okay? OH AND FOLLOW THAT IEP/504. This is not a war of attrition against parents where teachers are “winning” something. The cruelty, egos, and overall garbage I’ve witnessed are egregious. But as Mr. Rogers says, I look for the helpers. Who’s in charge of making sure the education law and rules are followed? Who’s in charge of the grading practices and equity? What is my role in the following and adherence to the laws? Quite a large one, actually, as are most teachers.

If there are serious issues, such as gang-related, criminal activity (and no, sorry, crop tops and spaghetti straps don’t count) those are issues that are at the administrative level. At this time in my career, I will do whatever is in my power to disrupt and stop the school-to-prison pipeline. But if it’s reached that point before the student is in front of me, I will still do what I can. This might mean offering an online course for a student, making my time and instructional available in flexible hours, whatever. This does not mean this is a choice other teachers can and should make.

One thing I’m “good” at, which came with a lot of tears and hard learning, is how to interact with parents and guardians in meetings. I’m not naturally good, or…perhaps I am. I took something in my personality and experiences and reflected many times over the years — what would I need and want to hear if I was on the other side of this table? And, with my second son, I was on the other side of the table. I learned so much.

I’m going to offer this to any teacher, veteran, or rookie, this service: I will have a conversation about how to approach grades, discipline, and just an ear to listen — with this caveat — I will give advice and ask questions. You can ask me on Twitter @mrskellylove

Series: White People Homework (23) Will This Be On the Test?

The test. Blech.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Note: I’m just beginning to dig into this.

I’ve been trying to find what my Twitter friend Jennifer Binis describes as Black parents asking for standardized testing from a historical perspective. I will in good faith ask her, because I know she’s an educational historian and scholar. When she and I have had the conversation and exchange of ideas about the state standardized testing, created by Pearson and presumably based on Common Core Standards, all I have to offer are my own observational and test data: the test sucks. It’s biased, racist, and does not achieve the educational equity that may have been its original intent. If we go by intent versus impact, its impact is overwhelmingly damaging. During the COVID19 shut down, the testing was either cancelled outright or put on hold. It costs districts millions. It takes up weeks out of the 180 days of educational instruction time, and speaking for the ELA (reading/writing) uses dissected and random autopsies of texts for students to show their “skills” but never strategies, background or contextual knowledge. Teachers struggle to teach strategies, background or contextual knowledge because of this cursed assessment.

It looks like the beginning of the end of America’s obsession with student standardized tests

History of Standardized Testing in the United States

The Racist Beginnings of Standardized Testing

What would many of us like to see instead? Project-based learning based on cross-content disciplines, portfolios, etc. There are many other more authentic assessments, both formative and summative, that we can look toward.

I’m planning on doing more research this summer regarding assessments, and found this in the meantime: https://fcit.usf.edu/assessment/basic/basicc.html

If anyone would like to join me, I’ve got my #2 pencil ready and am ready to learn.

Creating Curriculum

I love curating content and creating curriculum. Here are some units I’ve put together while in #quarantine:

https://sites.google.com/auburn.wednet.edu/mrslovespopculture/home
https://sites.google.com/view/mrslovesmonsters/home
https://sites.google.com/view/mrslovespoetrypage/home

My next projects include Greek Mythology with my Box of Destiny materials, and perhaps other units of study, such as Thesis Writing 101 and Thematic Discussions, and curated content about one or two big questions. Stay tuned!

PS Here’s another one https://sites.google.com/view/mrs-loves-logical-fallacies/home

testing season

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

An avocational educational historian and someone I admire is Jennifer Binis–she’s given me so much to consider and think about. One area where I sense I have some cognitive dissonance is understanding her position on state testing. From a few of her tweets, she suggested that the #optout movement was the domain of white, privileged suburban parents. (Jennifer, if I misinterpreted this I apologize in advice, and will edit accordingly.)

So, instead of picking apart or countering her points, I’m going to do some research on my own, and see if I can make sense or claims to the question: “Are standardized tests systemically racist?”

Articles on the history of racism in standardized testing:

The Racist Beginnings of Standardized Testinghttp://www.nea.org/home/73288.htm

History of Standardized Testing in the United States http://www.nea.org/home/66139.htm

Racial Bias Built into Tests https://www.fairtest.org/racial-bias-built-tests

Conclusion: Yes.

Opt-Out Movement

Now – the #optout movement. Her articles on this topic are clear and go deeper than our conversation on Twitter: https://jennbbinis.com/uncategorized/what-do-we-lose-due-to-opt-out-what-do-we-gain/

The “and then what” (Binis) is my question, too.

At some point, we’ll get around to better assessments like what’s happening in the NYS Performance Consortium, New Hampshire, or on the local-level across the country. At some point, we’ll move past multiple choice and get to what’s next.
The problem with what’s next is that the performance-based assessments pool is shallower. To be sure, there are structures, guidelines, protocols, and research around ensuring reliability, but the pool is not nearly as deep as it is for multiple choice.
In effect, what’s next is going to be messy as all get up. If the field doesn’t trust the subset of [the] field that designed the easier stuff using research-based practices, what’s going to happen in the next evolution? https://jennbbinis.com/uncategorized/vegetarian-butchers-unite/

Ultimately, I am wondering at my own experiences and discomfort. Speaking for myself, I know that not once have I ever been asked to make the current SBA accessible or transparent to my colleagues and more importantly to students. It’s been shrouded in secrecy and trauma. (Understand that though I wasn’t asked to share, I’ve taken it upon myself to design and share PD resources with the SBA, and will continue to do so.) The secrecy and lack of transparency is a form of systemic racism, no question of that in my mind. And so is the secrecy of the #optout movement. Was it begun by and large by white, suburban moms? I assume so because the message doesn’t go to the families I serve.*(see edit) The thought of #optingout of a standardized test is not shared with families whose children go to Title I schools, and teachers are absolutely and 100% censored from saying anything about the test in any form. The reprimand might even be career-ending.

And with no small amount of paranoia, and from my professional experience, I don’t want the test to be opted-out of, but I do want it to be as transparent and mastery-oriented as possible. I want it to be a valid assessment. I don’t want to waste hours of time and test-prep and students still walk away at the end of the year with few skills and hatred of reading. And I sure as heck don’t want an entire month carved out for testing. Even if the test is “only” 8 school days, the unintended consequences are students literally asking me, year after year, if they “have to do any more work” after May (school goes until the third week of June in the Pacific Northwest). Why can’t the assessment be broken down into quarterly targets? It is at my current district, but those assessments count as a grade, not THE BIG TEST. So by the time, we get to May, if we’ve completed narrative writing in November. and that’s the random writing question students receive in May, how much will they remember? And again, no notes, no posters, nothing on the walls, bare rooms, no help, no support nothing. Good luck, kid. Oh, you’ve been in the country for less than two years and it takes seven years to acquire a new language? Too bad. Oh, and school with 75% free and reduced lunch and a high ELL population – your scores are improving? Get rid of the admin team and keep trying.

So, back to my and Jennifer’s question: this is messy. So then what? Well, I guess that is my “then what.” Take the standards, make bite-sized, authentic assessments and collect the data in smaller frequencies. Kind of like what we teachers do all year long with our formative assessments, and if we have a functioning PLC with our Common Formative Assessments.

Maybe my bias is from the ELA/ELL worlds: this learning is a spiral, not a flat line. It’s not linear. The behemoth that is standardized testing must be stopped or made simpler. No student should have the idea that “school is over” once the big test is over. And that’s what this test has done.

Twitter and Voice 101 – worth a listen:

https://www.bradshreffler.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Planning-Period-E85-Jenn-Binis.mp3

*Edit: Per Jennifer: “That is, modern (post 2012 movement) is the domain of white, suburban parents. The older movement – Chicago and NYC isn’t. This study gets into the demographics: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/media/news/docs/Opt_Out_National-Survey—-FINAL-FULL-REPORT.pdf …”

Postscript:

Jennifer sent me some other things to think about:

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And his book: Beyond Test Scores: A Better Way to Measure School Quality

I am still questioning, however, (and not coming to any fast conclusions), whether or not the privileged parents who consider the ‘opt-out’ movement another layer of privilege are not seeing that the worst transgression is not advocating for all students and families to know this information. Many of my students and families don’t even know how to find the grade book on-line, much less understand their rights to opt-out. How about we start there?

roadmap: 2 mile mark

Here are some additional resources to my post ‘roadmap’ concerning learning targets, success criteria, and considering when and how to modify, abandon, or double-down:

How Clear Expectations Can Inhibit Genuine Thinking in Students

Throughout that first week of school and on into the school year, Karen was reliably consistent with her students. Still, the thinking remained largely elusive, and the culture seemed never to approach a true culture of thinking. Classes started promptly with a review of homework. New procedures were cheerfully explained, questions answered, and new practice sets given for homework. True to her word, scores were posted on the bulletin board beside the door each week, and students were informed at the beginning of class if any assignments were missing or late. At times it seemed like each student in the class had made an internal calculation regarding how much attention needed to be paid to complete the homework successfully or prepare for the looming test. Each student operated just slightly below this threshold and rarely stretched beyond it, creating an atmosphere of compliance and passivity.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46442/how-clear-expectations-can-inhibit-genuine-thinking-in-students

A Critique of Instructional
Objectives by James McKernan*

Abstract
The ‘objectives model’ of curriculum planning, predicated upon behavioral performances, has become the dominant form of curriculum planning in Europe and elsewhere in the world. This paper argues that the objectives model is satisfactory for training or instruction, but falls down when applied to a true sense of ‘education’. The paper outlines 13 limitations on the use of educational objectives. It is argued that those interested in using objectives are guided by evaluation as an assessment rather than principles of procedure for education. Education is about the process of ‘travelling’ on an educational journey – not about ‘arriving’ at a destination.
Keywords: instructional objectives, limitations of objectives, curriculum planning, process model.

A Grading Strategy That Puts the Focus on Learning From Mistakes

Alcala also projects “favorite mistakes” on the board that they talk about as a class. And students get time to look at their own mistakes and figure out where they went wrong. The other advantage of highlighting is that she can call attention to things that she won’t necessarily take points off for, but that she wants students to notice. For example, she might highlight that they didn’t put the correct units in a word problem. They got the math correct, so Alcala is not worried they won’t be able to move forward, but she wants to remind them that units are important.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52456/a-grading-strategy-that-puts-the-focus-on-learning-from-mistakes

roadmap

John Hattie’s learning target and success criteria work may be misused or misguided, and I am constantly searching on ways to improve these concepts of purpose for students.

https://teachersgoinggradeless.com/2019/02/09/thakor-learning-maps/?fbclid=IwAR36pHL6peNtTcqtW63cYqs_itCBSSM7ZgY77_QOPkhiimjwczwv6AOsjDI

One of my personal professional challenges is to practice and pursue the best possible use of learning targets and success criteria. And it’s come to my attention that most educators have strong opinions on their use, prescribed wording, and how students employ them.

Turns out, I’m not the only one who questions this. https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/mandating-the-daily-posting-of-objectives-and-other-dumb-ideas/

Effective vs. ineffective goal-setting. The aim is to ensure that students understand goals and how current activities support those goals. Ideally, then, the student has perspective and sees value in the work: they understand the why of the current work in order to find it more meaningful and to facilitate purposeful learning, and they have a touchstone for gauging progress (and thus use of time).

Think about any long meeting. We have an agenda not only to remind us of what we must accomplish but what action items should follow. Why is that useful to provide a written agenda at the start – and, importantly, keep referring to? Because we easily lose track of time or focus unwisely on less important matters than the goals require. In other words, an ongoing reminder of larger purpose (and a double-check on whether current talk is on-task and a good use of our time) is always wise, given human propensity to get lost in the moment. True for teachers as well as learners.Thus, the bottom line test of the effect of any school policy about goal posting is whether or not students learn better and have greater perspective because of it. For example, when asked, can students  say why an activity is being done and why it matters and how it connects to prior work?

Alas, having hundreds of times asked students in class Why are you doing and learning this?  I cay say that the results are not pretty. I dunno is the most common. (Older kids sometimes sullenly retort: I dunno; go ask the teacher.) And this is often in schools where there are posters on the wall or objectives on the board.

Continually trying to encourage students to read–and talk about ideas. Why is this so hard?

Back to Learning Maps. The author of the article, Azima Thakor, is a French teacher in Canada. She and her colleagues are practicing a gradeless classroom. When asked, her students say:

“Place yourself where you believe you’re doing in the class. The Learning Map helps with self-evaluation. The Learning Map helps communicate how you think you’re doing, the teacher checks in, then we can talk about relating that to a number. I like doing it because I know where I am so there are no surprises – I got what I deserved; I expect the result because I talked to the teacher about it; I know how I’m doing in class.”

Learning Targets are not ‘activities,’ but they are assessments. The trick is allowing students to understand and maintain agency in their success. This doesn’t mean a wild-west free-for-all, but allow the continuum of progress. In a robotic world, a student would parrot the LT/SC and “get it.” I like the idea of reframing the “I Can” statements:

Standards are not the same as learning targets. Here are three tips to consider when converting the former to the latter:

  • If a standard calls for multiple independent actions (e.g., I can identify a dog. I can identify a cat.), split it up into multiple learning targets.
  • Make sure all learning targets are in student-friendly language, because we ultimately want students to be able to leverage these targets to drive their own learning through self-assessment (assessment as learning).
  • To promote inquiry, present each learning target in the form of a question. (“Can I…?” instead of “I can…”)

Resources:

My attempt at next week’s learning map: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11dWAR5gPPAApBi3mIwZ-GmhZg3e6mXvISKKfTnRk7XQ/edit?usp=sharing

Writing Workshop Feedback Forms https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_HyVATymeztcNegjoC91pwtDQkj4sKRcZhqFEGSsaYU/edit?usp=sharing

Digital Content and Curriculum Self Assessment (put this together over a year ago for beginning computing skills course) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g2yOztu7vyQ1wTSmvz4CGHzrWHCNC_fWI_147bsEEFg/edit?usp=sharing

Reading Life Guide I created to help students with IRLA: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11fbRvsFQAumTU1TRunbUcSfWPtKOGerFfCr7J2XNXM8/edit?usp=sharing

How to Focus Lessons and Learning Goals: https://www.edutopia.org/focus-student-learning-power-standards

Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning: https://www.edutopia.org/article/putting-students-charge-their-learning

Self-Assessment in Middle School: https://www.edutopia.org/article/self-assessment-middle-school

56 Examples of Formative Assessment https://www.edutopia.org/groups/assessment/250941

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nzhdnyMQmio5lNT75ITB45rHyLISHEEHZlHTWJRqLmQ/pub?slide=id.gb49e70aa_480

stuck

little help…

Bom dia. What if we looked at obstacles as situations put in our path so we can get the blessings that come from overcoming them? How would our attitudes toward them shift with this change of perspective? #TuesdayThoughts— Julia E. Torres (@juliaerin80) January 15, 2019

My new sweet colleague ‘A’ bought me so many Secret Santa treats and goodies, it’s as if she sat next to my soul, chatted, and discovered what would delight me. I mean, dang, she really doesn’t know how much this meant. (The past two years at my previous school whoever was my Secret Santa didn’t get me squat. For real. Signed up, and bailed.)

One of the treats is a new travel mug from Starbucks, and the first day I used it I could not for the life of me figure out how to open it. Not wanting to let a travel mug get the better of me, I went as far as to look up directions on the ‘net and alas, nothing. In humble exasperation, I asked her — how do I open this thing? And of course, being the kind soul she is, she showed me, and in her funny, sweet way.

Teaching is about obstacles: observing them, reflecting, removing, and determining if they can indeed, be remedied. Most of the time I just get in my own way it seems lately, and I’m trying — sincerely trying — to keep things simple, impactful and focused. I not succeeding though. I am still caught up in the sharp threaded net of evaluations, panic over being in a provisional contract again, no tenure or safety, and it’s making me feel numb-headed and woozy. Occupational vertigo, as it were.

And as one of my favorite educational philosophers taught me, removing the obstacles and helping students discover their paths is our duty and joy.

“A teacher in search of his/her own freedom may be the only kind of teacher who can arouse young persons to go in search of their own.” – Maxine Greene

Maybe this is just what I needed: a low-risk reminder that I don’t know everything, reflection and adjustment are daily necessities and showing that vulnerability to grow and change will be my survival. While I envy those teachers who have a comfortable routine, status in their buildings, and security with their communities, students, and administration, I am not sure that is my karmic path. But at least I’ll have hot coffee while I’m on this trip.

disrupting mockingbirds.

TFW I asked for help on teaching To Kill A Mockingbird and received so much support and guidance.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Is anyone going to understand, aside from other teachers, how amazing what happened is? For all the ills of social media, there is so much good. Note to new and veteran teachers: find your PLN (professional learning network) via social media, and expand your thinking and horizons.

Here is what happened: my district uses packaged novel units based on another district’s work, or now a business, called EL or Expeditionary Learning. The program has many benefits, one of which each student (or scholar as they are known in the district) receives a copy of the central text. There are four modules, each with more lessons than is possible, and the intent is to provide some flexibility and professional judgment in the how to teach, but not the what, and the assessments are ironclad. We first taught Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and I followed the pacing guide and time frame and came out of it three weeks ahead of my PLC colleagues. No matter–I forged ahead with more essay and creative writing until winter break began on December 21.

Well, break is over on Monday, January 7th, and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is our next Module of Study, titled “Taking a Stand.” Being a Grants/Wiggins fangirl, I am all about the concepts of Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions. But–

…but–To Kill A Mockingbird?

My relationship with the novel is probably typical of a little white southern girl with liberal, progressive parents–I loved it. I loved Scout. I loved the bravery, and the characters, the mystery, the strength, and the suspense. I can’t remember when I first read it if it was a choice or assigned, but I see a wavering fog of memory of some teacher and I connecting over my lightbulb moment of why Mrs. DuBose chose to go off her morphine toward the end of her life. The novel taught me so many things, and I am grateful to Harper Lee for this novel. And to this day, it holds a special place in my heart. However, we paradoxical humans can and should hold two or more truths at once, and over the past year or so (long before I knew I would switch districts and be mandated to teach the novel), many respected educators questioned and criticized this novel. I learned and listened to new perspectives and considerations, many of which hold important truths. Truths about race, racism, misogyny, and injustice masquerading as justice.

#edchat #ncte #disrupttexts Looking for help in pulling all the pieces together:— Kelly (@mrskellylove) January 2, 2019

One of the focuses will be https://t.co/OvUczzQe6W— Kelly (@mrskellylove) January 2, 2019

I had this amazing professor in college. He was Sri Lankan, teaching the required Brit Lit class from the POV of colonized people. He gave us “Heart of Darkness” and said:— Tom Rademacher (@MrTomRad) January 2, 2019

“This book is a racist piece of crap. I want you to read it because I want you to know what a racist piece of crap it is.” We read the book and had amazing discussions, using it as a central text to talk about white gaze and other things. So, teach, but teach context.— Tom Rademacher (@MrTomRad) January 2, 2019

I’m just listening in but I do think if you have to teach a problematic text, then you teach it as a vehicle to learn a critical reading process that allows kids to identify other problematic texts out in the world. Because they WILL encounter them.— Jess (@Jess5th) January 2, 2019

When Jess@Jess5th tweeted this –I knew I found the center focus.

The responses received fill my heart. With the deepest of gratitude, I must acknowledge @MrTomRad, @Jess5th, @debreese, @Ebonyteach, @CrazyQuilts, @Caitteach, @ShanaVWhite, @JenniferBinis, @spencerideas, @TheJLV, @ValerieBrownEDU, @triciaebarvia and if I missed anyone, my apologies. You all came to the conversation, and this-this is what I’ll share with my scholars first — we are all learning together, and trying to do better, and ask the big, tough questions.

The plan, such as it is, when we come back on Monday, January 7, in the midst of adolescents who’ve been homebound for two weeks (most of them) caring for younger siblings and doing whatever it is kids do over rainy breaks when resources are limited, and the building expectations PowerPoints that must be shown, is to let them first take and get reoriented, but also–share what happened. How other teachers discussed their ideas, openly and freely. I intend to pair this text with my #projectlit collection, of course, and allow students to find their own relationship with To Kill A Mockingbird along with other paired texts and discussions. I want so much for them.

If you would like the resources and ideas shared, please go to Twitter and follow me, and click on the discussion thread: @mrskellylove

Resources:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sg5itwdpj_gWT1NDDebgyJLWhvM8T4aQ5k5sIZQoKLs/edit?usp=sharing

This is a draft–just trying to organize the scope and sequence: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c4BmPo53CFhk3dFi6PuTQr9ln_OvJaeQzjWgzLzW5xI/edit?usp=sharing

https://disrupttexts.org/portfolio/2-disrupting-to-kill-a-mockingbird/
#disrupttexts To Kill A Mockingbird https://disrupttexts.org/portfolio/2-disrupting-to-kill-a-mockingbird/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wkQXV6d7f-9NoZR6Ma4z-WtU9gQy4BvHB_mrVbCvxkE/edit?usp=sharing

Such Bountiful Assessments

Just in time, during our ELL Endorsement class yesterday, we reviewed various assessment protocols and terms. They weren’t unfamiliar, but a timely reminder. Funny, that.

Two, at the top:

  • Reliable.
  • Valid.

As the man said, “Houston, we may have a problem.”

Is the SBA test, or Smarter Balanced Assessment, actually Smart, Balanced or a valid/reliable Assessment? Here are some resources for you to draw your own conclusion, with a dash of my own observations.

From the Department of Education, ESSA page:

 

Ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students’ progress toward those high standards.

Yelp. About that. I was told I was ‘teaching to the test’ when I offered my resources about the brief write rubrics so we could help students grow as writers, the resources I wanted to share did not find a forum in my building last year (or this year, either.) But okay–it’s still good stuff, and there are many ways that the Common Core and SBA have some challenging and rigorous questions. I just wish it wasn’t all at once, in secret, but little assessments over the course of the year (i-ready doesn’t count) that show growth.

Think about it: instead of a minimum of four days, with three-hour testing blocks during the month of May, there were smaller assessments, open, transparent, and available for PLC discussions, to show student growth? And what if—WHAT IF — Federal dollars weren’t tied to the scores? If accountability is the order of the day, I would wager most teachers have no issue with accountability as long as their professional judgment and expertise drive the assessment and continuing instructional decisions.

Plus sides (with caveats)

  • It is essentially a reading comprehension test, even for many of the math questions. If we continue to build strong literacy programs with this focus, that is a plus. However, literacy does not need to mean solely text: it should include multiple pathways and access points for all learners and abilities.
  • There has been a huge increase in the resources available for educators. Many of the questions are aligned with Common Core.

Drawbacks:

  • Currently, it is one of the few measurements for Federal dollars.
  • It’s expensive in terms of instructional time, financial, and stress for students, parents, and teachers. And administrators.
  • It may not be reliable or valid. It’s chock full of inaccuracies.
  • Educators may not be accurately helping students prepare for it. (And this could lead to further undermining of teachers as professionals, implementing more canned or scripted programs.)
  • It is not transparent. This goes against everything Hattie, et. al prescribe for student and teaching effectiveness: know the targets and criteria for success, and allow students to monitor and reflect. This style of summative, opaque assessment flies in the face of that research and best practices.

Some previous posts on this topic:

Theatre of the Absurd

Tomb Raider

http://prezi.com/1ellu5vq58bz/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

 

My own conclusions? More of a wish list, I suppose.

I wish…there are more collaboration instead of isolation about assessment.

I wish…there were alternative pathways for all students with varying abilities and needs to have access to assessment and instruction that challenges, celebrates and is based on growth.

I wish…much, much time and money were spent on this.

For further reading: