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Formative Assessments for Mathematics in Standards Based Grading

Jeanette Rausch
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs
Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standard 1 and 8

EDUW 699 Formative Assessments for Standards Based Grading

Stephanie Belter
December 10th, 2017
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Selected Wisconsin Teacher Standard Descriptors

Wisconsin Teacher Standard 1 Teachers know the subjects they are teaching

Knowledge. The teacher understands how students’ conceptual frameworks and their

misconceptions for an area of knowledge can influence their learning.

Dispositions. The teacher is committed to continuous learning and engages in professional

discourse about subject matter knowledge and children's learning of the discipline.
Performances. The teacher effectively uses multiple representations and explanations of

disciplinary concepts that capture key ideas and links them to students' prior understandings.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard 8 Teachers know how to test for student progress

Knowledge. The teacher understands the characteristics, uses, advantages, and

limitations of different types of assessments (e.g. criterion-referenced and norm-

referenced instruments, traditional standardized and performance-based tests, observation

systems, and assessments of student work) for evaluating how students learn, what they

know and are able to do, and what kinds of experiences will support their further growth

and development.
Dispositions. The teacher values ongoing assessments as essential to the instructional

process and recognizes that many different assessment strategies, accurately and

systematically used, are necessary for monitoring and promoting student learning.
Performances. The teacher appropriately uses a variety of formal and informal

assessment techniques (e.g. observation, portfolios of student work, teacher-made tests,

performance tasks, projects, student self-assessments, peer assessment, and standardized

tests) to enhance her or his knowledge of learners, evaluate students’ progress and

performances, and modify teaching and learning strategies.

Pre-assessments
Self-assessment of Instruction Related to WTS and Targeted Student Learning Objective
For Wisconsin Teaching Standards (WTS) 1 and 8, I want to focus on improving

formative assessments in my mathematics classes. I teach Algebra 1 and Geometry at Baraboo

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High School. Our students are required to take three credits of mathematics in order to graduate.

Some students are able to enter straight into Geometry or Algebra 2 when they become freshmen.

Otherwise, these students must take and pass Algebra 1 to earn their first math credit at the high

school. Since the majority of our students are required to take these courses, it is essential that

they are retaining what they are learning as well as being aware of their progress throughout the

course. This was a large reason that I chose to focus on formative assessments. I need to be able

to keep track of how my students are progressing and they also need to know what they

understand and what they need to work on more.

I chose two knowledge descriptors to assist in improvement plan for formative

assessments. Both WTS 1 and 8 emphasize the importance for an instructor to know their craft,

including the content they teach as well as the types of assessment to support growth in students.

I have tried a few different types of assessment techniques throughout my years of teaching, but I

knew that in order to get better, I would need to reach out beyond my normal research to learn

new ways. This led me to the disposition descriptors. Both of these descriptors stress the

importance of continuous learning for both my students and myself. I decided to enroll in

multiple professional development trainings so I could learn as much as possible. Finally, the

performance descriptors assisted me in crafting my assessments. Both descriptors talk about the

importance of variety and multiple representations. I did my best to provide assessments in an

assortment of formats to increase both student engagement and to allow my students to show

their thinking in a variety of ways.

Assessment of Student Performance Related to Targeted Student Learning Objective
During previous years, I had given different types of formative assessments. I kept track

of their progress using Infinite Campus and gave students their scores back in a timely manner.

However, students didn’t seem to be advancing their learning from this. Students would receive

their grade and then put it away immediately, hardly even looking at their mistakes. I decided
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that I would work this past semester to increase my student’s learning experience with formative

assessments.
Assessment of Learning Environment While Learning Targeted Objective
The majority of the time students took a formative assessment they were in their normal

seats, in pairs, and completed a problem set printed on a sheet of paper. I would have them turn it

in and then the students would get it back graded the next class. Even though I was returning

their scores the next class period, it was still about 48 hours later and students had forgotten how

they answered the assessment. I wanted to focus this semester on getting students feedback

quicker so they could correct mistakes right away.

Assessment Conclusion and Essential Question to Guide Research
The self-assessment, assessment of student performance, and learning environment

assessment show students are learning very little from their formative assessments. I want my

students to grow from these assessments, not just give me an idea of where they are. The

essential question that directly relates to my learning goal is: What strategies can I use to assist

student’s learning with formative assessments?

Research Summary
I was very lucky this semester to be allowed to attend multiple professional development

opportunities on formative assessment, specifically in the mathematics classroom. The majority

of the professional development centered on Cheryl Tobey and her books “Mathematics

Formative Assessments, Volume 1 and 2.” Before I attended these sessions, I thought that

formative assessment was for me to understand where students were at and change my

instruction accordingly. These helped me understand that formative assessments are primarily

meant for students to learn and continue their growth.

Tobey also emphasizes the importance of the right kind of formative assessments. There

are so many different options put out on the internet, that we as educators need to know what is

best and how to accurately implement them. Tobey breaks down how to analyze the assessments
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into five purposes. The first purpose of formative assessments is to clarify, share, or understand

learning intentions. The second purpose is to engineer effective discussions, tasks, and activities

that elicit evidence of learning. The third purpose is to provide feedback that moves learning

forward. The fourth purpose involves students being resources for each other, while the fifth

focuses on students taking ownership of their learning. Tobey provides many strategies in her

books, but emphasizes that the purpose behind the strategy is the most important part. She also

emphasizes that you must try a strategy at least 3 times with the same class before determining if

it is effective or not. The first time the students are learning how to do it, the second they are

working on getting better at what you’re asking, and by the third time the students understand

how to do it and can show their knowledge of the content the best.

Research Implications
I completely changed how I thought about formative assessment through these

professional development days. I was able to refocus some of the strategies that I was already

using and analyze new ones that I wanted to include in my class. I decided to alter and improve

strategies such as peardeck interactive notes, paper skills checks, and reviews. I included

different types of questions in the peardeck slides that focused on the learning target for the day. I

also figured out how to add a slide question in the deck, so I was able to be much more flexible

and allow our conversations to take a different direction. I altered the way I graded the paper

skills checks. Instead of grading them after class and getting them back to students the next class

period, I either graded them as they got turned in and returned them to students that same day or

I had students keep them and grade it themselves. Both of these allowed students to get feedback

on the material when it was still fresh in their heads. I also asked students to answer review
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questions on whiteboards instead of paper. Students were much more engaged by changing the

way they answered the questions.

I also wanted to implement a few strategies that I had learned: My Favorite Mistake and

Noticings. Both strategies focus on allowing mistakes and learning from them. The students

would do their warm up on a sheet of paper and then turn it in. I will then go through them and

pick out a common misconception. We will talk first about what is correct with the problem and

then dissect where the error is. This allows the class to have a safe place to make mistakes as

well as lead to a conversation about why it is mathematically wrong. Students then are able to

understand what rules of mathematics are being broken and how to follow them. Noticings is

similar. During work time, I will point out a misconception that I am seeing around the room. No

students are put on the spot, but everyone interacts in a conversation about the mathematics

behind the mistake. Students are able to immediately fix their mistake and then practice the

material the correct way.

Research-based Action Plan
Action Plan Summary Outline
1. Implement purposeful formative assessment techniques into my classroom
a. I will try a new technique at least three times with the same class before I

determine whether it is successful or not.

b. I will implement both traditional and informal formative assessments.
2. Provide immediate feedback to my students
Targeted Learning Objective
1. Standardized Goal: Pose purposeful questions. Effective teaching of mathematics

uses purposeful questions to assess and advance students’ reasoning and sense making

about important mathematical ideas and relationships. (National Council of Teachers

of Mathematics, 2014).
2. Targeted learning objective: Same

Task and Essential Proficiency Criteria for Targeted Learning Objective(s)

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1. Task: I will implement different types of meaningful formative assessment that

allow my students to gain immediate feedback. This includes: peardeck, socrative,

review using whiteboards, “my favorite mistake” warm ups, and traditional skills

checks on paper.

2. Criteria that Prove Proficiency in Meeting Targeted Learning Objective(s)

a. I will observe student engagement and keep track on a seating chart.

Methods to Assess Progress of Proficiency for Targeted Learning Objective

1. I will observe student engagement during these activities.

a. I will track engagement of technology-based assessments using Go

Guardian.

Post-assessments
Instructional Insights Related to WTS and Targeted Student Learning Objective
Overall, I found this to be a very successful change in my class. Students were much

more engaged in the activities we did and paid much more attention to their mistakes on the

skills checks. Students were highly engaged when we were taking interactive notes, through

peardeck, which I was able to monitor on my tablet. Students also were more invested in fixing

their mistakes during traditional quizzes.

Comparison of Student Performance Related to Targeted Student Learning Objective
Students were much more engaged during class and invested in their work. I was able to

get more students involved during class. Sometimes, this included non-verbal participation,

through anonymous online answers or through anonymous hand written work. The verbal

participation also increased. Students felt more comfortable sharing answers and ideas with the

class after they had worked with the material a bit by themselves or with a group.
Comparison of Learning Environment While Learning Targeted Objective
The learning environment improved as well. Instead of a few students participating, many

more were willing to share their ideas. The class became a time where everyone was responsible
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for sharing ideas. The students also took ownership of their learning when they were able to get

immediate feedback on their assessments. They would correct their answers, instead of spacing

out when we would go over the assessments.

Reflection of Entire Learning Process

My research plan was based on the question “What strategies can I use to assist student’s

learning with formative assessments?” This process has opened my eyes to different types of

assessments and the different uses they can provide.

What Worked and Why
1. The technological formative assessments were very effective. Students were highly

engaged in the notes and were asking questions about their answers during the socrative

quizzes. Students were evaluating their thinking much more often than traditional notes

and quizzes.
2. Students took a lot more out of traditional quizzes when they were returned the same

day or when they graded it themselves. They wanted to know if their notation was correct

and were more engaged in figuring out if their answer was a different mathematical

iteration of what I had announced. Students were able to identify immediately what they

knew and how to fix their mistakes for the future.

What Did Not Work and Why
1. The “My Favorite Mistake” warm up activity did not work as well as I wanted it to. I

often felt myself getting into a conversation with one or two students instead of involving

the entire class. The students also had a hard time focusing on what was done correctly

first, they were eager to describe the mistake first.

My Next Steps
1. I will continue to try different assessment types with other classes. I will compare the

engagement from semester to semester in order to determine which assessments are the

most productive
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2. I will continue to seek professional development on this topic. I will seek out more

books and speakers so I can build my repertoire and become more comfortable

implementing these activities into my classroom more often.

References
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring

mathematical success for all. Reston, VA: Author.

Keeley, P., & Tobey, C. R. (2011). Mathematics Formative Assessment, Volume 1. Corwin

Mathematics
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Artifact A: Class Result from a Socrative Quiz

Artifact B: Example of Student Take-Aways from Peardeck Interactive Notes