Assessment Development

If your PLC is at the Assessment Development Phase:

3 Big Ideas of a PLC	Four Critical Questions of a PLC
PLC Big Idea 1: Focus on Learning Do we share a common purpose? PLC Big Idea 2: Collaborative Culture Highly effective teams PLC Big Idea 3: Results Orientation Using assessments to make a difference	What do students need to know and be able to do? How will we know when they have learned it? What will we do when they have not learned it? What will we do when they already know it?

 

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and learning. Through effective assessment, we are able to measure what students know and what they can do, and respond effectively in instruction. 

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Guiding Questions/topics for your PLC at this phase center around common assessments, which should provide accurate information to inform ongoing instruction.  Effective assessments in this context primarily address the score 3 level, as defined in related Proficiency Scales, as well as some items at score 2, and even fewer at score 4.  Effective assessments reflect a close match with instructional methods. 

District PLC discussion topics are likely to include &/or reference:

Proficiency Scales to reference – How were the levels of proficiency defined?  Are all levels represented appropriately in the assessment?

Completed assessments for the identified priority standards (link) -

District PLC discussion may include the following and questions included in Data Analysis Protocol below:

• Constructive debate regarding levels of proficiency:  Have we clearly identified what students will know and be able to do at each level of proficiency?
• Prerequisite skills & Vocabulary – What evidence do we see that students have attained the necessary prerequisite skills and vocabulary related to proficiency on this/these standard(s)?
• What evidence do we see that students have achieved proficiency on these standards?
• How will we respond to the assessment data instructionally in the coming weeks to assure student mastery of priority standards?

Discussions/focus for PLCs comprised of non-reading content areas:

• Do the assessment results indicate that students have effective reading skills which were identified as relevant to the content?

Work Products (may include):

• Assessments for priority standards (link)  
• Build Your Own Curriculum (BYOC) to note which strategies reflected stronger student outcomes, etc. (link)
• All things plc data analysis protocol (linked—content below)

References:

Rick DuFour Blog post on common formative assessments within a PLC:  http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/14/common-formative-assessments

 

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