Thoughts on District Assessments
This week we looked at Jacobs, Serra and Holt math texts. We matched the chapters and common core standards with chapters and units in each on the three books.
Teachers throughout the district frustrated with the bench mark because:
1. The are usually not when the bench mark is
2. The questions come from out of left field. No practice problems to help prepare the kids.
3. There is no time to really go over the data and discuss the problems.
4. Teachers have to input into or feed back on the assessments.
5. There is littles emphasis on projects, activities and conceptual understanding.
This week the Geometry team is developing 6 assessments based on 6 units in Geometry and tied to the core standards.
To address the above problems, here are some on my ideas. These ideas follow what O High successfully did a while ago (see the email I sent)
For the OEA perspective, hopefully this can be duplicated across subject areas and grade levels.
1. Teachers would get assessments/ practice problems at in AUGUST so they can better prepare their students.
2. Teachers would have a online resource with a variety of projects, links and activities to chose from (on the OUSD website) so that they can focus on more that just preparing for the test, but also on discovery and conceptual understanding.
3. Assessments would be by unit and there would be a bigger window for completing the assessment. This would allow for differentiation and flexibility (this is the biggest complaint from OEA members). For example, the Geo 9 and 10 kids would assess earlier and the Geo 11 - 12 would assess later.
3.5 The OUSD timeline would have the ideal Geom 9 timeline and and end of year unit that is optional in case new teachers or 11-12 teachers couldn't get that far. That way the goal is to complete at least 5 of the 6 assessments even for the really slow classes. This would cause a lot more teachers to do common assessments and use them in grades as opposed to just giving them (or not) and ignoring the scores. Like they do with the benchmarks.
4. There would be a Geo 10 class to follow Geo 9. Then a Geo 11-12 if needed. This would be optional site to site. Geo 10 kids are slowed down by the 11-12 kids.
5. There would be a math resource center and workshops at the start of each unit so that teachers could learn about activities/ supplements and get an overview on assessments.
6. There would be a publicity campaign with the OEA/ OUSD to get math teachers more involved with the math resource center workshops.
7. Eventually there would be vertical teams with elementary/ middle school teachers.
8. In the summer, teams would be able to help create or modify the assessments.
9. After each assessment, there would be an OEA/ OUSD survey for feedback on how things went.
10. Schools would be encouraged to make their own assessments with the understanding that they would be incorporated into the next years district assessments.
11. Use websites, word of mouth, OEA, and blogs for communication as opposed to only department chairs.
12. These assessments are in addition to the OUSD benchmarks and are optional, BUT the goal is to get as many people as possible to do them.
13. Really look at the necessity and usefulness of benchmarks. Some really great but a lot suck. They are really out of tune with what teachers are teaching the classroom. So a LOT of OEA people would like to be able to give feedback on all benchmarks OR if not, people don't take them seriously and it's a huge waste of money. I think personally only two benchmarks are necessary.
14 Ideally the assessments would be a marking period final for each marking period. At Oakland high these exams were 30% of each students grade. Kids took them VERY seriously.
15 Professional Development would support this work! New activities project. Better ways to assess the exams or write exams, etc ...
More later ...
This week we looked at Jacobs, Serra and Holt math texts. We matched the chapters and common core standards with chapters and units in each on the three books.
Teachers throughout the district frustrated with the bench mark because:
1. The are usually not when the bench mark is
2. The questions come from out of left field. No practice problems to help prepare the kids.
3. There is no time to really go over the data and discuss the problems.
4. Teachers have to input into or feed back on the assessments.
5. There is littles emphasis on projects, activities and conceptual understanding.
This week the Geometry team is developing 6 assessments based on 6 units in Geometry and tied to the core standards.
To address the above problems, here are some on my ideas. These ideas follow what O High successfully did a while ago (see the email I sent)
For the OEA perspective, hopefully this can be duplicated across subject areas and grade levels.
1. Teachers would get assessments/ practice problems at in AUGUST so they can better prepare their students.
2. Teachers would have a online resource with a variety of projects, links and activities to chose from (on the OUSD website) so that they can focus on more that just preparing for the test, but also on discovery and conceptual understanding.
3. Assessments would be by unit and there would be a bigger window for completing the assessment. This would allow for differentiation and flexibility (this is the biggest complaint from OEA members). For example, the Geo 9 and 10 kids would assess earlier and the Geo 11 - 12 would assess later.
3.5 The OUSD timeline would have the ideal Geom 9 timeline and and end of year unit that is optional in case new teachers or 11-12 teachers couldn't get that far. That way the goal is to complete at least 5 of the 6 assessments even for the really slow classes. This would cause a lot more teachers to do common assessments and use them in grades as opposed to just giving them (or not) and ignoring the scores. Like they do with the benchmarks.
4. There would be a Geo 10 class to follow Geo 9. Then a Geo 11-12 if needed. This would be optional site to site. Geo 10 kids are slowed down by the 11-12 kids.
5. There would be a math resource center and workshops at the start of each unit so that teachers could learn about activities/ supplements and get an overview on assessments.
6. There would be a publicity campaign with the OEA/ OUSD to get math teachers more involved with the math resource center workshops.
7. Eventually there would be vertical teams with elementary/ middle school teachers.
8. In the summer, teams would be able to help create or modify the assessments.
9. After each assessment, there would be an OEA/ OUSD survey for feedback on how things went.
10. Schools would be encouraged to make their own assessments with the understanding that they would be incorporated into the next years district assessments.
11. Use websites, word of mouth, OEA, and blogs for communication as opposed to only department chairs.
12. These assessments are in addition to the OUSD benchmarks and are optional, BUT the goal is to get as many people as possible to do them.
13. Really look at the necessity and usefulness of benchmarks. Some really great but a lot suck. They are really out of tune with what teachers are teaching the classroom. So a LOT of OEA people would like to be able to give feedback on all benchmarks OR if not, people don't take them seriously and it's a huge waste of money. I think personally only two benchmarks are necessary.
14 Ideally the assessments would be a marking period final for each marking period. At Oakland high these exams were 30% of each students grade. Kids took them VERY seriously.
15 Professional Development would support this work! New activities project. Better ways to assess the exams or write exams, etc ...
More later ...
No comments:
Post a Comment