Cohort+1+Day+13+Assessment

1. Getting at the problem in assessment: Our personal experiences and issues in our classes
 * We identified three key problems:

2. A Carnival of Assessments - examine students' writing about science ideas and how to assess writing samples 3. Discuss most poignant items from the Carnival and linked to issues and new resources -->Getting students to think at that level. What does it take? --->Looked at the Science Writing Heuristic and the idea of getting student used to talking about "Claims-Evidence-Reasoning". --->Questioning strategies - see "Questions are the Answer" article by John Penick (in //The Science Teacher//) Ideas generated: --->Model and practice as a class! Gradual release of responsibility, but release sooner for some than others. --->e.g. early on can give words to use in map --->Have students add to their concept map over a lesson/unit (can use different color for additional learning) --->Use Inspiration software to create maps using computer -- also will turn map into an outline for writing a paper! --->Compared sample rubrics for grading concepts maps Also took second look at grading students' writing in the notebook... e.g. How much weight is placed on the form and content of writing? Increasing the stakes over time in the "form and content of writing" sections of the notebook check Looked at some alternative forms of the notebook check.
 * Constructed response items (i.e. open-ended questions) -- individually as formative assessment and on formal tests
 * Concept maps -- getting students to fully develop their ideas is difficult and grading them is even harder!
 * Notebooks -- how do you get students into the habit of expressing their ideas and doing extensive writing?


 * Also briefly talked about minute papers, compare/constrast charts
 * Books chapters --> cool suggestion was having student do "extra" work like this to co-create a book and then using that book as a resource for students that read a low levels! especially since district $ for new and differentiated reading materials that are aligned with the new Essential Science Standards is scarce!

---> Noted that the Science Writing Heuristic breaks up the traditional "Conclusions" section into multiple pieces: Claims, Evidence, Reflection, Explanation ---> Talked about how often we would do a formal lab writeup at the middle level.
 * Formal lab write-ups: Looked at the Science Writing Heuristic again ("Claims-Evidence-Reasoning") compared to the traditional lab writeup (based on the Scientific Method).

4. Assessment and the 5Es --->From Seamless Assessment (Abell and Volkman 2004) 5. So what are expected to assess in the writing domain? e.g. grammar, etc. Looked back at the @Common Core Standards! ---> We found that they focus on ***CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, MEANING, REASONING*** for assessment and not things like grammar, etc.

6. Schedule next meetings ---> Will meet March for Peer Coaching

7. Discuss artifacts and due dates --->Will complete surveys and evaluations by Thanksgiving --->Will have videotaping also finished by winter break --->Will collect class set of student writing samples (Teachers can collect samples without permission; J.Geib will send permission slip to see which samples can then be provided to her.) ---> Will upload new lesson plans and (nameless) sample of student work onto Wiki over winter break

8. Other notes:
 * Wilkes administration has asked them to spend their $ ASAP.
 * Payment for Fall is still $150 per PD day, but is dependent on submission of all artifacts.