Attached is our newsletter for the week. Thank you for continuing to do the hard work you do daily. It certainly doesn't go unnoticed. Each Markham staff member is an integral part of why our students have the opportunity to grow and excel both academically and socially.
1: Read the article
2. Answer one of the 3 questions (questions are at the end of the article) and be among the first three people to email Mr. Bermudez with the correct answer.
3. You will be notified if you are the winner. Thank you for reading through our newsletter! :)
What are Common Formative Assessments Anyway?
One thing I’ve learned as I work with schools across the country is that there are a lot of different definitions collaborative teams are using for common formative assessments, and what these teams think common formative assessments are influences how they write and use these assessments with their students. In our book, Collaborating for Success in the Common Core, we offer the following definition to help teams make sure they’re able to use their results to improve student learning:
“Common formative assessments are team-designed, intentional measures used for the purpose of monitoring student attainment of essential learning targets throughout the instructional process. In addition to providing information about which students need additional support or extension, common formative assessments allow teams to examine the effects of their practice, and gain insight as to which instructional strategies yield high levels of learning. Furthermore, the data can be used to provide frequent feedback to students that they can use to adjust their own learning strategies.”
In our definition, we look at three important concepts that we know help students achieve at high levels through the use of these assessments: they are formative (and thus occur during the learning process), they are team-designed, and they assess essential learning targets.
Formative
The first idea we included in our definition is the importance of the word formative. In working with teams, we’ve found that some teams focus on common assessments rather than common formative assessments. When teams write and use common summative assessments (think, for example, end of the unit tests), they are able to use essential standards and common pacing in their work. While this is a valuable step, we now know that it is formative assessment that truly impacts student learning. In 1998, Black and Wiliam published their revolutionary researchconcluding that formative assessment has a .9 standard deviation impact on student learning. This caused educators at all levels to focus on how to use formative assessment in their work. If student learning is the ultimate goal, then, high performing teams must use formative assessment throughout the learning process. High-performing teams understand that the purpose of formative assessments is different than summative assessments.
Sometimes teams will ask whether they can use their benchmark assessments as common formative assessments as long as they use them in a formative way. Here’s why we recommend that they not do this. Formative questions are intentionally written in a different manner than summative assessment items.
The first thing is that formative items are written around learning targets rather than standards. Learning targets are the smaller skills and concepts students have to learn to become proficient on the standard. When questions are written around these smaller skills and concepts, the information they provide is much more diagnostic than when written around a standard.
Additionally, most benchmark assessments are not tightly linked to concepts that students are currently learning. Sometimes items assess content that was taught in earlier units of instruction and sometimes items assess content that hasn’t yet been taught. We included the phrase “throughout the learning process” in our definition to emphasize how important we believe it is for formative assessment to occur shortly after students are taught new essential content.
When teams design their own common formative assessments, they write items to specifically match the learning targets they want to measure while they are still teaching that content. That means that before teachers move on to new content in the unit, they are able to correct misconceptions students might have that could impede them learning related concepts. This also means that teams are able to move from reporting the percentage correct each student earned to being able to report—for each student—which targets have been mastered and which still need response.
Getting their data back at this level of specificity also allows teams to examine which instructional practices are most effective either for all students or even for certain types of students. In a PLC, we start with the premise that teachers will use the instructional strategies that they believe will be most effective for their students, and that there is no expectation that all teachers will use the same strategies. High-performing teams, however, examine their resultsto see if a particular strategy is more effective. They also realize that, for students who need additional response, using the same instructional strategy they used the first time won’t be very effective. When teams analyze the results of a common formative assessment, they can discuss these issues and learn from each other and from the results.
Team-Designed
The second idea we included in our definition is that these assessments are team-designed to assure that the items are aligned with the learning targets teams are teaching as well as the expected rigor teams have for results. We’ve seen some examples where teams use an assessment designed by curriculum writers or from a test bank of questions and though these items might be aligned with the content taught, they aren’t always aligned to the rigor that it was taught at. This results in information that isn’t helpful to teams in planning the response. Teams can effectively use items they’ve found in curriculum materials or online, but it’s vital that they make sure the item matches the learning target they taught in both content and rigor.
Essential learning targets
The third important concept we included in our definition is that these assessments are used to monitor essential learning targets. Some teams write their CFAs around all of the content they’ve taught. When they do this, they lose the idea of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. We know that it’s impossible to guarantee that all students learn everything we teach. When a team identifies its essential standards, they are agreeing that all students will learn these standards. We expect that they will learn more than these standards, but at least these standards. Agreeing about what is the most essential content assures that students are commonly prepared as they move from grade level to grade level and course to course. This common preparation means that less time is spent on review for previous grade level standards and more time to assure student learning of the essentials. If we know with specificity what students have or have not yet learned, responding is much more precise and, therefore, effective.
In this case, vocabulary matters because your definition of common formative assessment impacts your practice. Consider whether your own work around CFAs aligns with this definition.
Questions for gift cards:
1. What type of assessment, according to this article, truly impacts student learning?
2. What are CFA's?
3. Please describe essential learning targets?
Staff Shout Outs-Timberwolf "howl"
Shannon Pike: For always being so welcoming and helping out with paperwork!
Simone Martin: Thank you Simone for your positivism and genuine persona. You made my week with your sweet comment!
Heather Tuttle: Yay! You are staying at Markham!
Gina Llamas-Cruz: Gina has been working hard on getting ELPAC testing finished!
Jose B.: He is starting Markham down a unifying path.
Shannon Pike: For always being so welcoming and helping out with paperwork!
Fifth and sixth grade teams: Thanks for everyone's support with my challenging situation on Friday.
Alex Hernandez: Alex does her job with excellence in a quiet and steady way. I so enjoy her subtle humor and her keen insights. She gives her students a calm and peaceful environment and gives them a great start to their educational career. It is fun to have her in our circle.
Regina Herrera: Gina is a true blessing to me and to the students in our class. She cares about each child and nurtures them while setting limits and boundaries. She is flexible and without her, we could not deliver the kind of instruction we offer our students. Her sense of fun helps us all enjoy the day. Parents, students and teachers know that she will be honest with whatever needs to be said, but that it is done with a big heart. We are so lucky to have her.
Sunshine (Karen, Gina, Chelcy): Thank you for all of your efforts holding the baby shower for my family! The outpouring of support from our Markham family would not have been possible without your planning. The baby shower was fun, and gave us an opportunity to connect as friends (beyond just colleagues). Thanks for all of your time and coordination!
Important Dates... check out the yearlong calendar by clicking HERE
Mon. Apr. 8
Tues. Apr. 9
Weds. Apr. 10
Thurs. Apr. 11
Fri. Apr. 12
National Library Workers Day
Muffins with Mom day @ 8am
GOTR @ 2:40
5th Grade EXPLORIT
Muffins with Mom day 2 8am
PTO Dine & Donate at Villa Corona - 4-7 p.m
SPICE Program Meeting @ 3pm
SPICE Board Presentation @ 6:30pm
AR Breakfast 8:00-8:30
6th Grade Science Camp Meeting @1:05
PTO Spirit Wear orders DUE!
Mon. Apr. 15
Tues. Apr. 16
Weds. Apr. 17
Thurs. Apr. 18
Fri. Apr. 19
6th Grade @ Science Camp
3rd Grade GLAD
6th Grade @ Science Camp
Sylvester @ Town Square Library
2nd Grade @ Exploratorium
GOTR @ 2:40pm
6th Grade @ Science Camp
No School- Beginning of Spring Break
Important Dates... check out the yearlong calendar by clicking HERE
Mon. Apr. 8
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Tues. Apr. 9
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Weds. Apr. 10
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Thurs. Apr. 11
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Fri. Apr. 12
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National Library Workers Day
Muffins with Mom day @ 8am GOTR @ 2:40 5th Grade EXPLORIT |
Muffins with Mom day 2 8am
PTO Dine & Donate at Villa Corona - 4-7 p.m
SPICE Program Meeting @ 3pm
SPICE Board Presentation @ 6:30pm
|
AR Breakfast 8:00-8:30
6th Grade Science Camp Meeting @1:05 PTO Spirit Wear orders DUE! | ||
6th Grade @ Science Camp
3rd Grade GLAD |
6th Grade @ Science Camp
Sylvester @ Town Square Library 2nd Grade @ Exploratorium GOTR @ 2:40pm |
6th Grade @ Science Camp
|
No School- Beginning of Spring Break
|
PBIS WORLD- Great Resources for Tier 1,2 & 3 Interventions Click here for more resources
Hello from the PTO!
Spiritwear Orders are due April 12th! Please be sure to turn in any orders that have been brought in to your classroom.
MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL: The results of the Multicultural Festival Doodle Poll are in. We've received and heard your comments. As a result, the Multicultural Festival will be in a different format this year. It will be in the form of an end-of-the-year community picnic/potluck, with some activities and entertainment, but without fundraising pressure. There will be cultural performers, including the Jepson Ballet Folklorico, Aztec dancers and others, and there may be some food vendors there for those who do not want to cook or bring food. All of this is still forming, and we'll keep you informed. Let's all just relax and celebrate a successful school year together! The date has also changed, and will now be on MAY 31st.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES: We still have LOTS of school supplies, so if you are starting to think about stocking up for next year, we have erasers, pencils, spiral notebooks, scissors, crayons, markers, pencil sharpeners and rulers. We'd love to get these out of storage and into your hands so that you can stock your classrooms. We have some glue sticks, but very few.
RECYCLING: The PTO's Recycle for Reading Program has raised over $581.00! This Friday is our last Friday school day in April. Please encourage your students to bring in cans and plastic bottles for recycling -- no garbage, please!
DIA DEL NINO: April 30th. Kids will enjoy inflatable slides, an inflatable obstacle course, bounce house, otter pops, music, and other activities during their lunchtime recess. We will be sending a flyer home about this event, and are hoping to get parents to volunteer. The more volunteers we have, the more activities we can have available for the kids!
WE'RE MOVING! Due to construction this summer, the PTO Con-Ex/Storage is being taken out of service. Our Board Members have started the process of moving our property to an off-site storage area, not far from campus. If you need items from PTO Storage, we appreciate your patience, as things may take a little longer to get to. Our tables and items that we still need for end of the year activities will remain on campus until the end of the school year.
HELP FOR MARKHAM FAMILIES:
We have a few members of our Markham Family who are struggling right now and could use our help. A meal train has been set up for Sally Poe, who is battling cancer. You can follow this link to sign up. https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/y27wnk?fbclid=IwAR32KWXjnX0gIl_uTIGwJSq64RDBK95hAdJxjuHmgH30sahypXXAOJpjIZQ
Also, Ryley Hampton, who is in First Grade, is battling leukemia. A Go Fund Me has been established for her family, to assist them as they spend time supporting her treatment. You can follow this link to help: https://www.gofundme.com/ryley039s-warriors?fbclid=IwAR2Df2Ip-Uju_lZFUS6TgrxIhQ-EOJCWtoq6b5qLmUl7B7MgRwkQ3kAfAp8
Have a great week!
Kim & the PTO Team
MATH Interactive Tool!
Interactive Math Tool- Here is an online tool that might be useful. It lists vertically all the standards so you can scroll through and see how different concepts are articulated through the grade levels and exactly how standards build throughout the grade levels.
MATH PROGRESSION VIDEOS
I encourage all elementary math teachers to check out Graham Fletcher’s website www.gfletchy.com It has great information including performance tasks and progression videos that show where the heart of understanding in certain math strands. From a vertical articulation standpoint it gives great information to educators on depth in certain grade levels.
The Progression of Multiplication (Progresssion Video)
The Progression of Fractions [Progression Video]
The Progression of Division [Progression Video]
The Progression of Addition and Subtraction [Progression Video]
The Progression of Early Number & Counting (Progression Video)
BETTER LESSON- Science, Math, ELA and more
Visit the website www.betterlesson.com and see the plethora of free lessons in several content areas and grade levels for science (and other subjects too!)
