Fall Forum 2010, Demanding Education That Matters: Assessment Strand

Register for Fall Forum: http://www.regonline.com/fall_forum_2010 

Demanding Assessments that Matter: Putting Assessment Back in the Hands of Teachers
Performance assessments can and should be part of a balanced assessment approach that provides meaningful teaching and learning in the current NCLB culture of accountability and standardized testing. Exploring the work of twelve schools in the Building Quality Performance Assessments Initiative in Massachusetts in developing common and local assessments of technical quality we will demonstrate the possibilities, featuring three CES schools: Boston Arts Academy, Parker Essential Charter School, and Fenway High School. Tools and strategies for improving the technical quality of performance tasks including alignment, rubrics, and common scoring will be shared.
Center for Collaborative Education | Christina Brown, Susan Westlund | Workshop
Friday, Nov. 12, 8:00-9:45am

“What Did You Get?” Establishing Inter-Assessor Reliability and Exploring the Role of Rubrics in Assessment and Instruction
Rubrics are essential for both students and teachers in preparing, instructing, and evaluating assignments, but different understandings of rubrics can undermine their effectiveness. In this workshop, two teachers from Parker Charter Essential School will present a project and the accompanying rubric, and the participants will participate in a protocol to "norm" the assessment. We will discuss how to use this protocol to help revise assignments, shape individual student coaching, and plan for future instruction.
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School | Jennifer Alexander, Laura Smith | Workshop
Friday, Nov. 12, 8:00-9:45am

A Look at Student Work from Tenth Grade Gateway Exhibitions
Tenth grade students at Civitas School of Leadership in Los Angeles must pass Gateway, a spring exhibition of academic work and collaboration experiences from their first two years of high school. Work samples and experiences are offered as evidence of growth in specific behaviors called "indicators" for each of seven Habits of Mind. Gateway committees comprised of parents, faculty advisors and students serve as adjudicators for the exhibition, and essential rubrics are calibrated annually.
Civitas School of Leadership | Tina Kim | Looking at Student Work
Friday, Nov. 12, 1:30pm-3:15pm

I Told You So! My Real World Learning Project DOES Meet State Proficiency Standards!
In an ever-changing climate of what we want our students to learn and what state and national standards tell us our students should be learning, many find it difficult to focus on project work and real world leaning. In this workshop, students will share their interest-driven Real World Learning Projects that not only helped them learn hands-on and in a real-world setting, but also taught them proficiency-based graduation requirements set by the state. Educators will show how they coached their students to link their multidisciplinary project work to the state’s requirements and explain why it is important to continue to have students learn based on what they are passionate about, no matter their interest or skill level.
The Met - Peace Street Campus, Megan Cresci, Jeff Johnson | Looking at Student Work, Friday, Nov. 12, 3:45pm-5:30pm

Classroom-Based Performance Assessments
Participants in this interest group on performance assessment will have an overview of Federal Hocking High School’s first attempts at implementing performance assessment and our role in the Performance Assessment Pilot Project through the Ohio Department of Education. The session will look at strategies for developing and implementing classroom performance assessments and how the performance assessments are used to evaluate essential subject area skills. Veteran teachers John Wryst and Kizzi Elmore-Clark will facilitate this workshop.
Federal Hocking High School | John Wryst, Kizzi Elmore-Clark | Interest Group
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:15am-12:00pm

“Both/And”: Is It Possible and How Can I Do It?
This interest group is for those who are practicing in schools where the main focus is, by necessity, the state test. How can we create democratic, thinking, learning climates for children AND prepare our children well, both emotionally and academically, for the tests that will determine their futures? What can we do to deepen the focus of the schools we work in to allow children to grow as human beings and thinkers?
Neighborhood House Charter School | Heidi Lyne, Cara McCarthy | Interest Group
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:15am-12:00pm

A Modern Rite of Passage: The Exit Presentation as an Authentic Demonstration of Student Learning
How can we create a modern rite of passage where students authentically demonstrate what they know and can do? At Monarch Community School, a K-6 alternative school, we have created our own assessment system for reflecting student progress and success. From portfolios to exit presentation, find out how a school community, students, teachers and parents work together to create authentic assessment that is both a rite of passage and a demonstration of growth over time.
Monarch Community School | Lisa Tybochnik | Workshop
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:15am-12:00pm

Register for Fall Forum: http://www.regonline.com/fall_forum_2010