DATE:
Thursday, July 9, 2020
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
Formative Assessment Trainings as Preparation for Fall School Reopenings
Student's prior learning and current needs vary a lot in a good year; under current circumstances, those differences will likely be more profound. There are no pre-packaged tests that will figure out what each student needs, but teachers can use formative assessment processes to build responsive instruction. The Evaluation, Research, and Accountability Department is offering a course on building and using assessments. The Canvas course, JPLS course #101586 - Assessment for Learning, will be open for enrollment on July 17 with three modules to start with. Each module is designed as a stand-alone learning experience and they do not need to be completed in order:
- RISE Benchmarks: Teachers will learn how to select and administer these tests, as well as how to view the results. A protocol to help teachers use benchmarks to examine student learning gaps is included. Completion time should be 2-3 hours.
- Learning Progressions: Teachers will isolate an essential skill or concept from an essential standard, then develop a hierarchy of what must be learned first, next, last, etc. By the end of the module, teachers will produce an anchor chart for use with students, as well as formative assessment and enrichment opportunities that can be immediately implemented for fall instruction and remediation. Completion time should be 4-5 hours. This complements the information presented by Kim Rathke, formative assessment specialist at USBE, in her course:https://usbe.midaseducation.com/site.php?page_id=1210&subpage=1275&course_id=58224
- Pre-Assessment: Teachers will learn the various forms and purposes of pre-assessment, and follow steps to create a pre-assessment of their own. The emphasis of this module is using pre-assessments to see student needs and support differentiated instruction. Completion time should be 4-5 hours.
The self-enroll link for teachers is https://jordanpd.instructure.com/enroll/D4PT6K and the course number in JPLS is 101586. If you would like to arrange in-person or blended (recommended!) training for faculty, please email Brooke Anderson at brooke.anderson@jordandistrict.org with dates and times.
Principals may wish to consider allocating professional development funding to incentivize teachers to take these courses over the summer as they prepare to identify and fill learning gaps this fall. Principals are encouraged to send this information to their teachers.
