http://www.halldale.org/index.php en jarmentrout@halldale.org Copyright 2008 2008-11-20T18:07:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/formative_and_summative_assessments_in_standards_based_reporting/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/formative_and_summative_assessments_in_standards_based_reporting/#When:12:23:01Z Students and parents may be encountering some unfamiliar language as we move towards Standards-Based Reporting.  We need to become familiar with the differences between formative and summative assessments. Formative Assessments are assessments given for the teacher to get a general sense of whether or not the students “get” what they’re discussing or reading.  The purpose to the formative assessment is to inform the instruction – not to evaluate the student.  For example, a teacher wants to know how well the students understand the previous night’s reading so he or she will know what to focus on in their class discussion.  That teacher could give quiz.  They could do a quick-write or a whip-around.  They could have a brief conversation.  They could do anything that gives them a sense of the students current level of understanding.  The important thing about formative assessments, though, is that they do not count towards the students’ grade.* Summative Assessments, however, are assessments designed to determine whether or not the student is meeting the standard or not.  These do not have to be the “big assessments at the end of the unit” as they are typically thought of, but they are the assessments that are used to track student progress towards meeting the standard. Summative assessments must have a four-point rubric that is keyed directly to the standards as described in the MSAD16 Curriculum.  Summative Assessments, then, are the ones that count. Quality Worker/Work Ethic Rubric: The Middle School and High School will each have a common rubric for determining whether or not students meet standards connected to deadlines, work completion, teamwork, and work ethic.  These standards are embodied in each schools’ Academic Expectations, and in the MSLRs in the Career Preparation content area.  This rubric is being designed by the Career Preparation team and should be done by the end of September.  The purpose of the rubric is to separate work ethic issues from content-area concerns.  Every teacher will have the opportunity to report on quality worker/work ethic.  Kids need to be accountable for deadlines et al., and the quality worker/work ethic standards are the way in which that will happen. Printable Version News 2008-09-13T12:23:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/hall_dale_school_board_passes_standards_based_reporting/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/hall_dale_school_board_passes_standards_based_reporting/#When:13:20:01Z Last night, the School Board approved a motion to use standards-based grading and reporting at the middle school gr. 6-8 beginning this fall 2008.  They approved the initiation of standards-based grading in gr. 9 for fall 2009.  The motion also approved the creation of an “Implementation Team” consisting of some administrators, teachers, parents, and students to focus on developing timelines and answering the many questions still being asked by the community.  Thanks to so many of you who worked hard to support this initiative.  We’ve seen what it can do for kids at elementary school.  Now the middle school students will benefit from standards-based instruction and grading! - Chris Chamberlain News 2008-06-12T13:20:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/the_programme_international_student_assesment_pisa_2006/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/the_programme_international_student_assesment_pisa_2006/#When:23:48:01Z There was much discussion at tonight’s meeting on the things that are “broken” that we (the educators at Hall-Dale) are trying to fix.  As educators we must focus on providing an education for our children that prepares them for the 21st century global environment.  This report is very telling and explains why we need to make changes in the education system that was built more than 50 years ago to prepare students of that era for industrialization. We must prepare our student at Hall-Dale for this global environment that they will be living in.  This report explains some of the reasons we are trying to improve our student achievement, by using tools such as standards assessment and reporting, that help students, parents and teachers understand what the student “gets” and what they don’t. This 2006 report, the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA studies student achievement globally. To illustrate my point, page 22 summarizes the science achievement for 15 year olds all over the world.  Who is number 1?  Number 2?  Where is the United States? PISA Report 2006 More information on the OECD and PISA can be found here. 2008-06-05T23:48:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/what_is_trending/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/what_is_trending/#When:18:51:00Z Trending is a classroom practice in which the teacher looks at the pattern of achievement to determine whether a student “gets it,” rather than averaging all scores taken over the course of a grading period. To provide a simple example, let’s say we’re talking about the ELA writing standard.  Of the course of a trimester there are five assessments of this standard.  The scores are 30, 30, 75, 90, 90 If these were averaged, the grade would be a 63.  However, if you look at the pattern of achievement—the trend—it’s clear that, though the student struggled in the beginning they worked at it and “got it” by the end of the trimester.  “Meets” the standard. If the scores were distributed like this: 90, 90, 75, 30, 30 Then the trend indicates some kind of disconnect—there’s something about the standard they don’t get.  The first course would be to investigate why this is so and recommend the appropriate interventions.  For summative assessments in a standards based system kids, always have a chance to revisit assessments after further instruction.  Still, if, after these interventions, the scores stood as above, then this would be a “Partially Meets” the standard. If the scores were distributed like this: 90, 75, 30, 30, 90 There really is no apparent trend.  From this spread it’s impossible to say whether or not the student “gets it.” Investigation would be required and further assessment may have to be done.  More data almost always helps in trend analysis. Gary Chapin Social Studies Teacher Hall-Dale High School 2008-05-22T18:51:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/dclt_letter_regarding_standardized_grading/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/dclt_letter_regarding_standardized_grading/#When:15:23:00Z May 13, 2008 To:  The Board of Education, MSAD 16 From:  The District Curriculum Leadership Team, MSAD 16; Gary Chapin, Chris Chamberlain, Dan Crocker, Brenda Dalbeck, Chris Poulin, Truax McFarland, Tim Soule, Misty Favreau, Scott Hunt, Jeff Smith, Kirsten Langmeyer, Sara Frautten. Dear Board Members, After the recent public meeting on Standards-Based reporting and looking ahead to our informational meeting on May 21st, we – your DCLT – felt it necessary to reaffirm our support for standards-based reporting, and to try to explain that support in as clear terms as possible.  We also hope to address some of the specific concerns being brought up regarding this issue. Over the past ten years, since the implementation of the Maine Learning Results, the faculty of MSAD 16 has engaged in professional development and research around the subjects of standards-based instruction, education, and reporting.  Teachers from all levels – elementary, middle, and high school – have engaged in hundreds of hours of work exploring this issue.  We have attended conferences.  We have formed faculty-led research and action groups.  We have participated in summer symposia sponsored by the Maine DOE, Promising Futures, and Great Maine Schools.  We have worked in K-12 content area teams to understand, pilot, and implement the best of these practices.  We have sent teams to schools working from a standards-based model to observe their practices.  We have done this at the request of the district, having been asked to determine whether or not moving towards a standards-based system would benefit our district.  The answer we have come to is unequivocally:  Yes.  Moving to a standards-based system – including instruction, assessment, and reporting – will prove invaluable to improving the achievement of all of our students.  All of the research – e.g., the work of Michael Fullan, Kenneth O’Connor, Robert Marzano, Grant Wiggins, etc. – has strongly indicated that adoption of a standards-based system improves student achievement.  The fact that we have seen similar improvements in student achievement at our own elementary school over the past seven years only reinforces the point. Having said that, we would like to address specific concerns. News 2008-05-20T15:23:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/what_works_in_schools/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/what_works_in_schools/#When:15:21:00Z WhatWorksInSchools.pdf By Robert Marzano 2008-05-20T15:21:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/analyzing_two_assumptions/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/analyzing_two_assumptions/#When:15:20:01Z AnalyzTwo.pdf by Robert Marzano 2008-05-20T15:20:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/applying_the_theory_on_measurement_of_change/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/applying_the_theory_on_measurement_of_change/#When:15:18:00Z Classroom_Assessment.pdf 2008-05-20T15:18:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/examples_of_standards_based_rubrics/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/examples_of_standards_based_rubrics/#When:15:13:00Z History_Standard_Short_Answer_Test_Rubric.pdf Rubric_Napoleon.pdf 2008-05-20T15:13:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/standards_based_powerpoint_presentation/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/standards_based_powerpoint_presentation/#When:15:09:00Z SB_Grading.mov 2008-05-20T15:09:00-05:00