Download or read book Assessing the Impact of Formative Assessment on Student and Teacher Middle School Science Efficacy written by Timothy Michael Kessler and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the use of an innovative formal formative assessment measure, Developing Inquiry Based Skills (DIBS), this study sought to identify dimensions of the formative assessment process that are related to changes in student and teacher efficacy. This study also sought to bring clarity and definition to the formative assessment process while examining its impact on student and teacher efficacy in middle school science classrooms. This study also explored what dimensions of formative assessment influenced student and teacher efficacy in middle school science classrooms. This mixed-methods study utilized quantitative data, collected from a survey of science efficacy attitudes of middle school students and two science teacher efficacy attitude surveys, and qualitative data collected from teacher and science supervisor interviews. Survey data from the treatment and non-treatment schools were compared to determine the impact DIBS had on student and teacher efficacy. Interview data were used to determine the impact of formative assessment on student and teacher efficacy and to identify dimensions of the formative assessment that influenced student and teacher efficacy. Quantitative data from the study reinforced current research indicating that there is a statistically significant relationship between student achievement in science and student science efficacy. Qualitative data from the study indicated that teachers perceive that the formative assessment process does have a positive impact on both student and teacher efficacy. The use of the DIBS process brought consistency to the introduction and assessment of science process skills by the grade level teams and the school-wide science department. As students tracked their own data they not only became more aware of personal strengths and weaknesses, but they also became excited to engage in the assessment process. The DIBS process provided teachers with quantifiable data that they could use to make instructional decisions. Teachers used data to develop targeted student interventions. The DIBS process also increased the level of transparency between student and teachers resulting in the development of a common language between stakeholders. The development of this common language was a critical component for improving student engagement, student science efficacy, and teacher efficacy in the middle school science classroom.
Download or read book Knowing What Students Know written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-10-27 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education. The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective? At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning. Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored. With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.
Download or read book The Effectiveness of a Classroom Response System as a Method of Formative Assessment in a Middle School Science Classroom written by Shannon Knodel and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Formative assessments are a great tactic to determine the level of student understanding of particular concepts taught in the classroom. However, this type of assessment may take time to plan, implement, analyze, and report back to students. Students need more immediate feedback in order for the assessment to be more meaningful. This research project focused on how effective the implementation of a Classroom Response System (CRS) into a middle school science classroom was as a method of formative assessment. The data collection took place over four complete units and alternated between non-treatment (without the CRS) and treatment (with the CRS). Data was gathered and analyzed from pre-and post-surveys, pre- and post-tests, student interviews, and teacher observations. The results showed that there was no significant gain in post-test scores, but students enjoyed using the CRS, thought that it helped clear up misconceptions, and considered it to be effective in determining if information was learned. The CRS was also effective in helping the teacher assess student knowledge gained and in helping the teacher assess teaching strategies and improve lesson delivery.
Download or read book Middle School Classroom Teacher Perceptions of the Impact of Formative Assessments on the Needs of At risk Students written by Gaye Walk and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of middle school classroom teachers regarding the impact of formative assessments on the needs of at-risk students. A phenomenological approach was used to gain understanding of how the teacher works with at-risk students and how the steps of formative assessments meets the needs of at-risk students. The theory framing this study was Albert Bandura’s (1977) social cognitive theory and the self-efficacy belief system. Data collection took place with 12 middle school teachers and included a questionnaire, individual interviews, and a focus group. The study was guided by three research questions. First, how do middle school teachers perceive the steps of formative assessment? Second, what are the middle school teacher’s perceptions of the formative assessment theory and its practices? Third, how do middle school teachers perceive the impact of formative assessment on the needs of the at-risk student? Data analysis methods followed Moustakas’ (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology. Trustworthiness was verified through triangulation of data, member checking, and peer checking. Each participant’s identity was kept confidential using pseudonyms and by keeping the location of the study confidential to protect their privacy.
Download or read book Advancing Formative Assessment in Every Classroom written by Connie M. Moss and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2019-05-13 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Formative assessment is one of the best ways to increase student learning and enhance teacher quality. But effective formative assessment is not part of most classrooms, largely because teachers misunderstand what it is and don't have the necessary skills to implement it. In the updated 2nd edition of this practical guide for school leaders, authors Connie M. Moss and Susan M. Brookhart define formative assessment as an active, continual process in which teachers and students work together—every day, every minute—to gather evidence of learning, always keeping in mind three guiding questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? What strategy or strategies can help me get to where I need to go? Chapters focus on the six interrelated elements of formative assessment: (1) shared learning targets and criteria for success, (2) feedback that feeds learning forward, (3) student self-assessment and peer assessment, (4) student goal setting, (5) strategic teacher questioning, and (6) student engagement in asking effective questions. Using specific examples based on their extensive work with teachers, the authors provide - Strategic talking points and conversation starters to address common misconceptions about formative assessment; - Practical classroom strategies to share with teachers that cultivate students as self-regulated, assessment-capable learners; - Ways to model the elements of formative assessment in conversations with teachers about their professional learning; - "What if" scenarios and advice for how to deal with them; and - Questions for reflection to gauge understanding and progress. As Moss and Brookhart emphasize, the goal is not to "do" formative assessment, but to embrace a major cultural change that moves away from teacher-led instruction to a partnership of intentional inquiry between student and teacher, with better teaching and learning as the outcome.
Download or read book Assessment for Learning Meeting the Challenge of Implementation written by Dany Laveault and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-15 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides new perspectives on Assessment for Learning (AfL), on the challenges encountered in its implementation, and on the diverse ways of meeting these challenges. It brings together contributions from authors working in a wide range of educational contexts: Australia, Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Israel, Philippines, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States. It reflects the issues, innovations, and critical reflections that are emerging in an expanding international network of researchers, professional development providers, and policy makers, all of whom work closely with classroom teachers and school leaders to improve the assessment of student learning. The concept of Assessment for Learning, initially formulated in 1999 by the Assessment Reform Group in the United Kingdom, has inspired new ways of conceiving and practicing classroom assessment in education systems around the world. This book examines assessment for learning in a broad perspective which includes diverse approaches to formative assessment (some emphasizing teacher intervention, others student involvement in assessment), as well as some forms of summative assessment designed to support student learning. The focus is on assessment in K-12 classrooms and on the continuing professional learning of teachers and school leaders working with these classrooms. Readers of this volume will encounter well documented accounts of AfL implementation across a large spectrum of conditions in different countries and thereby acquire better understanding of the challenges that emerge in the transition from theory and policy to classroom practice. They will also discover a wealth of ideas for implementing assessment for learning in an effective and sustainable manner. The chapters are grouped in three Parts: (1) Assessment Policy Enactment in Education Systems; (2) Professional Development and Collaborative Learning about Assessment; (3) Assessment Culture and the Co-Regulation of Learning. An introduction to each Part provides an overview and presents the suggestions and recommendations formulated in the chapters.
Download or read book Common Formative Assessment written by Kim Bailey and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teams that engage in designing, using, and responding to common formative assessments are more knowledgeable about their own standards, more assessment literate, and able to develop more strategies for helping all students learn. In this conversational guide, the authors offer tools, templates, and protocols to incorporate common formative assessments into the practices of a PLC to monitor and enhance student learning
Download or read book Bringing Math Students Into the Formative Assessment Equation written by Susan Janssen Creighton and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2015-01-21 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make formative assessment work for you—and your math students! Finally, formative assessment that adds up! Bringing Math Students Into the Formative Assessment Equation is the ultimate resource for helping teachers implement formative assessment in the middle school mathematics classroom. And it’s much more than that. With this research-based, teacher-tested guide, you won’t just learn effective teaching strategies—you’ll turn your students into self-regulated learners. They’ll monitor and assess their own progress—and communicate to you about it! Features include: A clear and manageable six-aspect instructional model Detailed strategies for helping students own their successes Real-life examples from middle school mathematics teachers Useful resources and a companion website to help you implement formative assessment in your classroom Formative assessment isn’t just for teachers anymore. With the help of this essential resource, you’ll work together with your students toward a common goal of math success. "This book is outstanding. I would recommend it to any math educator. The depth of research integrated into practice is extensive and, as a result, it is the most practical book I have come across related to formative assessment and mathematics The self-regulation aspects, as well as the ownership and involvement emphasized in the book, went beyond the traditional cognitive strategies endorsed in most books." Marc Simmons, Principal Ilwaco Middle School, Ocean Beach School District, Long Beach, WA "The ideas in this book are brought to life with examples of teachers and students in the classroom. The teacher voices, comments, and quotes lend credibility and are a big component of the book’s strengths as well as the visuals and graphics." Rita Tellez, Math Coordinator Ysleta Independent School District, El Paso, TX
Download or read book Formative Assessment and Science Education written by Nigel Bell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-21 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work documents the findings of a research project which investigated the ways in which teachers and students used formative assessment to improve the teaching and learning of science in some New Zealand classrooms. It will be of interest to graduate students and researchers, as well as teacher educators, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists.
Download or read book What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment written by Laura Greenstein and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2010-07-13 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does formative assessment look like, and when should I use it? What kind of planning does it require, and what kinds of data does it generate? How will formative assessment improve my teaching and help my students succeed in a standards-based environment? How does it relate to my application of multiple intelligences theory, to differentiated instruction, and to everything else I'm already doing in my classroom? In this volume, author Laura Greenstein has gathered what you really need to know in order to make formative assessment a seamless part of your everyday practice. Emphasizing formative assessment application in secondary schools but applicable to teachers of all grade levels and all subject areas, this book provides * Straightforward answers to teachers' most frequently asked questions * Dozens of strategies for measuring student understanding and diagnosing learning needs before, during, and after instruction * Illustrations of formative assessment across the content areas, from math to language arts to science to social studies to health and physical education * Guidance on making data-informed instructional adjustments * Sample templates for organizing assessment data to track both whole-class and individual progress toward identified goals * Case studies to illustrate effective and ineffective formative assessment and deepen your understanding If you're looking to take formative assessment from theory to practice—and from practice to genuine learning improvement—this is the place to begin.
Download or read book TEACHER PERSPECTIVE AND THE IMPACT OF USING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS ON CLIMATE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS written by Yolanda Alovor and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A descriptive case study was conducted to examine how teachers' perception of a positive school climate and effective use of formative assessment practices impacts their students’ learning as measured by a state level standards-based assessment. Data collection included (a) two surveys; (b) an e-interview collected from eight 7th and 8th grade core teachers from a suburban public Midwestern middle school utilizing expeditionary learning related to their use of formative assessment practices and school climate; and (c) their student (N = 178) results on the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts assessment. Study results showed that grade 7 and 8 core teachers clearly understood the definition of formative assessment practices, agreed that a positive school climate can impact the effectiveness of formative assessment practices, and expressed confidence that their use of formative assessment practices aided in closing the achievement gap and contributed to student academic success on the Smarter Balanced English Language Arts assessment.
Download or read book Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-05-29 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessments, understood as tools for tracking what and how well students have learned, play a critical role in the classroom. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards develops an approach to science assessment to meet the vision of science education for the future as it has been elaborated in A Framework for K-12 Science Education (Framework) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These documents are brand new and the changes they call for are barely under way, but the new assessments will be needed as soon as states and districts begin the process of implementing the NGSS and changing their approach to science education. The new Framework and the NGSS are designed to guide educators in significantly altering the way K-12 science is taught. The Framework is aimed at making science education more closely resemble the way scientists actually work and think, and making instruction reflect research on learning that demonstrates the importance of building coherent understandings over time. It structures science education around three dimensions - the practices through which scientists and engineers do their work, the key crosscutting concepts that cut across disciplines, and the core ideas of the disciplines - and argues that they should be interwoven in every aspect of science education, building in sophistication as students progress through grades K-12. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards recommends strategies for developing assessments that yield valid measures of student proficiency in science as described in the new Framework. This report reviews recent and current work in science assessment to determine which aspects of the Framework's vision can be assessed with available techniques and what additional research and development will be needed to support an assessment system that fully meets that vision. The report offers a systems approach to science assessment, in which a range of assessment strategies are designed to answer different kinds of questions with appropriate degrees of specificity and provide results that complement one another. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards makes the case that a science assessment system that meets the Framework's vision should consist of assessments designed to support classroom instruction, assessments designed to monitor science learning on a broader scale, and indicators designed to track opportunity to learn. New standards for science education make clear that new modes of assessment designed to measure the integrated learning they promote are essential. The recommendations of this report will be key to making sure that the dramatic changes in curriculum and instruction signaled by Framework and the NGSS reduce inequities in science education and raise the level of science education for all students.
Download or read book Teacher Assessment and the Quest for Teacher Quality written by Mary Kennedy and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-02-15 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TEACHER ASSESSMENT AND THE QUEST FOR TEACHER QUALITY Teacher Assessment and the Quest for Teacher Quality is an essential resource that provides school leaders, administrators, and teacher educators with a wide range of perspectives on the complex issue of teacher quality. The book examines assessment in the context of preparation, licensure, hiring, tenure, and even dismissal and explores a wealth of relevant topics. Comprehensive in scope, the handbook includes contributions from leading experts in the field of teacher quality and teacher assessment. This important book contains basic information on a variety of approaches to teacher assessment and teacher quality topics including the science and psychology of teacher selection, performance-based assessments, and hiring decisions. In addition, the contributors explore the role of formative assessments in new teacher induction, assessing for teacher tenure, various approaches to annual performance assessments, assessing teacher contributions to student achievement, and the law regarding teacher dismissals. The expert authors also tackle broader assessment issues including the interpretation of assessments, standards for teacher evaluation, and the inherent dilemma posed by measuring the quality of teaching. For the goal of ensuring quality teaching for all our students, Teacher Assessment and the Quest for Teacher Quality is an important resource and a lasting contribution to the literature on the topic.
Download or read book cover Towards the implementation of formal formative assessment in inquiry based science education in Switzerland written by Regula Grob and published by Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH. This book was released on 2016-06-29 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inquiry has been an important part of educational theory and practice for the last decades. As in other competence-oriented approaches to teaching and learning, the appropriate support and assessment of the students' competences has been much debated in the context of inquiry-based science education. One way to support and assess students in their learning is formative assessment. The concept is also known as "assessment for learning" which means that the information on the students' levels of achievement is not used for grading but for planning the next steps in teaching and learning. The use of formative assessment methods as a means of support for students' learning is promoted in national and international position papers and reports. However, in the Swiss teaching practice, formative assessment, particularly formal formative assessment methods which involve a certain degree of pre-definition, planning, and formality, are not widely used nor researched. Therefore, the focus of this study is on exploring possibilities and challenges for the implementation of formal formative assessment methods in the context of inquiry-based science education in Switzerland. The emphasis of the study will be on the teacher perspective.
Download or read book Enhancing Learning through Formative Assessment and Feedback written by Alastair Irons and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-10-10 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is based on the argument that detailed and developmental formative feedback is the single most useful thing teachers can do for students. It helps to clarify the expectations of higher education and assist all students to achieve their potential. This book promotes student learning through formative assessment and feedback, which: enables self-assessment and reflection in learning encourages teacher-student dialogue helps clarify what is good performance provides students with quality information to help improve their learning encourages motivation and self-confidence in students aids the teacher in shaping teaching Underpinned by the relevant theory, the practical advice and examples in this book directly address the issues of how to motivate students to engage in formative assessment effectively and shows teachers how they can provide further useful formative feedback.
Download or read book Inside the black box written by Paul Black and published by Granada Learning. This book was released on 1998 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers practical advice on using and improving assessment for learning in the classroom.
Download or read book Investigating Formative Assessment written by Assuntina Del Gobbo and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
