Introduction (The facilitator leads this section.)

• The facilitator opens the meeting with personal introductions and asks participants to include why they came and what they want to get out of the session.
• The facilitator introduces the topic by using the informational handout "What is Formative Assessment?" (p. 14).

Discuss the First Topic (Shared Understanding of Formative Assessment)

• Using the Shared Language worksheet on p. 15, ask the participants to complete the worksheet individually, discuss it in pairs, and report out to the group.

Orientation to the PLC Structure

• The facilitator announces that the content or "meat" of each session begins with three inputs from this book: (1) shared language activities (optional except for the first one on formative assessment), (2) assigned readings and reflection questions, and (3) classroom connection activities, including reflections and student work.
• The facilitator distributes the Classroom Connections Options handout on p. 16. The facilitator should explain how the Classroom Connections activities can be used. Each session presents prescribed Classroom Connections activities, but participants may substitute their own choices from this list. Participants must bring back both their reflections and evidence of the effects on their students when it is their turn to present to the group.
• The facilitator sets the roles and ground rules using the Meeting Basics on pp. 3–6. If this meeting is an open-house session, use this section as additional information for your gathering. If this session is an orientation to an existing PLC, have a brief discussion about whether each member can commit to these roles and ground rules. Decide on what sort of roles your group will need, seek volunteers, and assign people accordingly.

Wrap-up (a)

• If this meeting is an open-house session, conclude with a brief sharing session with the group. Answer any questions, and tell people how and when they should indicate whether they would be interested in participating in the PLC.

Wrap-up (b)

• If this is an orientation session for an existing PLC, assign the reading for Session 1B. Participants will finish this reading and complete the Reflections on Reading worksheet on p. 17 before Session 1B.
• Set the next meeting date.
• Decide who will be the facilitator for Session 1B.
• Decide who will be responsible for leading the reading discussion at Session 1B.

Formative assessment refers to the ongoing process both students and teachers engage in when they

• Focus on learning goals
• Take stock of current student work in relation to the learning goals using formal or informal assessment processes
• Take action to move students closer to the learning goals (i.e., teachers adjust teaching methods or students adjust learning methods)

From a teacher's perspective, formative assessment can involve the following actions:

• Clearly communicating learning goals to students
• Helping students make connections between the learning goals and the work they do
• Getting information from students about where they are
• Giving feedback to students or suggestions about how they might move closer to their learning goals
• Keeping records that show patterns in the kinds of feedback students need and receive
• Facilitating student self-assessment and goal-setting
• Using assessment information to fine-tune lessons in progress and plan future lessons

Teacher skills required for formative assessment include the following:

• Having a clear idea of the learning goal and ways for students to make progress on it
• Using observational skills
• Using verbal skills to give clear feedback
• Developing a repertoire of strategies for teaching the learning goal
• Building a repertoire of motivational strategies

Benefits to students can include the following:

• Increased achievement
• Increased understanding of how to learn
• Increased control over their own learning and increased motivation

Definition

What does the term formative assessment mean to you?

What do you wonder about formative assessment?

Example and counterexample

Give an example of something you would consider formative assessment. Explain why.

Give an example of something you would not consider formative assessment. Explain why.

Sharing and focusing

With a partner, share your definitions, examples, and counterexamples. How did you fine-tune your concept of formative assessment based on your discussion?

In the whole group, share the results of your partner discussions. As a group, discuss and decide on a current working definition of formative assessment and write it below.

Classroom Connections are suggested activities for you to try in your classroom. Activities will be suggested at the introductory and experienced level. For each session topic, select the activity that fits your level of experience with the topic or your interest. If the suggested session activities are not completely in line with your own learning goals, you may design something for yourself. Your self-designed Classroom Connection should be related to the session topic, and you should have good answers for the before and after questions below.

Classroom Connections activities can be as follows:

1. Strategies and evidence about their implementation and results
2. Student achievement data
3. Student work and/or your feedback
4. Action research
5. Assessment design
6. Case study of a lesson or instructional activity
7. Case study of a student
8. Observations or classroom walk-through visits with a partner
9. Students' voices via interviews, discussions, and questionnaires

Questions to answer before the Classroom Connections activities:

1. What am I interested in? Why?
2. What do I want to know?
3. Where will I get more information?
4. What will I try in my classroom?
5. What are my working assumptions behind deciding to try this?
6. What do I expect to happen?
7. What evidence would it take to convince me that this did or did not happen and to what degree?
8. How will I collect that evidence?

Questions to answer after the Classroom Connections activities:

1. What did I learn? What do I want my colleagues to learn?
2. How will I summarize my evidence to make a case for my colleagues at the next meeting?
3. What questions do I have for my colleagues as they review my evidence?
4. What actions should I take based on this learning?
5. What actions would I like my colleagues to take (e.g., observe, help with data, or try something themselves)?

Read the article "The best value in formative assessment." Answer the reflection questions individually and take your answers to your next PLC session to share your thoughts.

1. According to the authors, what is the difference between formative and summative assessment?
2. Describe some of the summative assessment practices you use in your school or classroom. Do any of them lend themselves to the possibility of being used formatively? If so, how?
3. Describe some of the formative assessment practices you use in your classroom. In particular, describe how you involve the students in answering the three formative questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
4. When are you most likely to give descriptive feedback? Have you ever collected any information about how students in your classes use your descriptive feedback?
5. What interested you the most about this article?

Reference

Chappuis, S., & Chappuis, J. (2008, January). The best value in formative assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 14–18.

Introduction (The facilitator leads this section.)

• The facilitator opens the meeting with a welcome and a personal greeting.
• The facilitator reminds the participants of their shared definition of formative assessment from the last session, and makes a note that it will be revisited after the discussion of the reading.

Complete the Pre-Assessment survey

• All participants will complete the Pre-Assessment Questionnaire worksheet individually (see Figure 3 on pp. 19–20) and save it for future use.

Discuss the Reading (All group members participate in this section.)

• Using the Reflections on Reading worksheet on p. 17, all participants will share their insights and questions from the reading, first in pairs and then with the whole group.
• All participants will make adjustments to the group's working definition of formative assessment as needed.

Select Classroom Connection activities for trial between Sessions 1B and 2.

• All participants will review and discuss the Classroom Connections for Formative Assessment on pp. 21 and 22–23. Participants should commit to what they are going to do and why. This planning will allow participants to select partners and build mutual support between meetings. The process will also help the participants to set group expectations for the next meetings. All participants will do the Classroom Connection activities, and one or two group members will volunteer to present their work and questions for discussion at session 2.

Wrap-up (The facilitator leads this section.)

The wrap-up session can be done in either of the following ways:

• The facilitator leads a round-robin discussion where each participant states his or her most salient learning point from the session
• Each participant uses a 3×5 index card to write down one salient learning point from this session and one item that is still fuzzy or incomplete. The facilitator collects the cards and leads a discussion based on the feedback.

Set Next Meeting Date and Responsibilities

• The group will decide who will be the meeting facilitator and the discussion leader for the Classroom Connections at session 2.

Introductory Level

Identify things you already do in your classroom that are formative in nature. These are potential areas for fine-tuning your Classroom Connections projects. Consider your students' formative assessment questions as you complete this activity.

What aspect of my teaching help students know "Where am I going?"

What aspect of my teaching help students know "How close is my current achievement or performance"

What aspect of my teaching help students know "What do I do next?"

Collect student work and/or peer observations that give evidence for your statements. Explain how the evidence supports the formative nature of your teaching.

What did you learn about your teaching? Which of these aspects of your teaching would be a good launching point for trying a formative assessment practice in-depth?

Experienced Level

Do a case study of a student with whom you have worked formatively.

1. What was the learning goal(s) you were working on?

2. How did you communicate the goal(s) to the student?

3. How do you know that he or she understood the goal (e.g., What did the student do, say, or produce that showed understanding)?

4. Describe the student's initial work on this goal. What was the assignment? Attach the work and your feedback. How did the student know what to do next?

5. Describe the student's subsequent work on this goal. What was the assignment? Attach the work and your feedback. What evidence is there that the student used the previous feedback in this work? How did the student know what to do next? If there are other practice assignments, repeat this question.

6. Describe the student's final work on this goal. What was the assignment? Attach the work and your feedback.

7. What was the student's response to the final assignment?

8. What was your next learning goal for this student? How did you and the student select it?

9. What did you learn from assembling this case study? What are your next steps with this student?