The Perfect Storm: The Perfect Storm: Forces of Local Assessment, Forces of Local Assessment,

Certification, and Accountability CollideCertification, and Accountability Collide By By

Jeff Beaudry & Jeff Beaudry & Lynne MillerLynne Miller

University of University of Southern Southern

MaineMaine

The Perfect Storm?The Perfect Storm?

Cold, dense air, stableCold, dense air, stable - Local schools - Local schools districts (AKA Assessment Systems)districts (AKA Assessment Systems)

Hot, wet, saturated air, unstableHot, wet, saturated air, unstable - - NCLB, AYP, Highly Qualified Whatever NCLB, AYP, Highly Qualified Whatever

Occluded cold frontOccluded cold front - Certification of - Certification of Maine LRMaine LR’’s (LAS Guide, PIs (LAS Guide, PI’’s, MAP, LAD, s, MAP, LAD, reliability)reliability)

Jet streamJet stream - Principles of High Quality - Principles of High Quality Classroom AssessmentClassroom Assessment

The last remains of Hurricane Grace; warm, moist, unstable air going further to sea

Cold, dry, stable air moves from Canada to the east coast.

The occluded cold front gives an enormous burst of energy to the dying hurricane.

The Perfect Storm, an extremely rare, never-observed phenomena.

The new hurricane was never given a proper name, simply the Perfect Storm.

The Perfect Storm:The Perfect Storm:Human-designed Scales for Gauging Human-designed Scales for Gauging

natural Disastersnatural Disasters

Beaufort Wind (1838) & Saffir-Beaufort Wind (1838) & Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scales (1970Simpson Hurricane Scales (1970’’s)s)

Boat Design Standards – Are the Boat Design Standards – Are the vessels fit to float, empty and with vessels fit to float, empty and with cargo?cargo?

Zero Moment Point for boats – Zero Moment Point for boats – tipping pointstipping points

DrowningDrowning

Force 1 = Light air wind 1-3 knots waves < ¼ ft

Ripples with appearance of scales, no foam crests

Force 4 = Mod. breeze wind 11-14 knots waves 3-5 ft

Small waves becoming longer, numerous whitecaps

Force 8 = Gale wind 34-40 knots waves 18 – 28 ft

Moderately high waves of greater length, edges of crests begin to break into spindrift; foam is blown in well-marked streaks

Force 11 = Violent storm wind 56-63 knts waves 39-46

Exceptionally high waves; sea covered with white foam patches; visibility still more reduced

Force 12 = Hurricane wind>64 knots waves 37-52 ft

Air filled with foam; sea completely white with driving spray; visibility greatly reduced

Force 1 = Light air Force 4 = Moderate breeze

Force 8 = Gale Force 12 = Hurricane

ItIt’’s only a metaphor…s only a metaphor… Teachers and administrators – Teachers and administrators – boat boat

owners and designers owners and designers Teaching and learning – Teaching and learning – outfitting and outfitting and

preparation of boatspreparation of boats Students – Students – boat usersboat users CurriculumCurriculum – ocean and destination – ocean and destination AssessmentAssessment – wind and weather (the – wind and weather (the

interaction of cold and warm air)interaction of cold and warm air) Colleges and universitiesColleges and universities - weather - weather

women and menwomen and men

What happens after you reach What happens after you reach 64 knots of wind speed?64 knots of wind speed?

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleSaffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

1 Minimal damage to vegetation 65 – 82 knots1 Minimal damage to vegetation 65 – 82 knots

2 Moderate damage to houses 83 – 95 knots2 Moderate damage to houses 83 – 95 knots

3 Extensive damage small buildings 3 Extensive damage small buildings 96 – 113 knots96 – 113 knots

4 Extensive structural damage 4 Extensive structural damage 114 – 135 knts114 – 135 knts

5 Catastrophic building failures 5 Catastrophic building failures > 135 knots> 135 knots

ItIt’’s only a metaphor…s only a metaphor…

Beaufort Wind ScaleBeaufort Wind Scale – how many – how many common assessments can you fit into your common assessments can you fit into your classroom?classroom?

Design - Design - what is the balance between what is the balance between formative and summative assessment?formative and summative assessment?

Zero moment (tipping) points for Zero moment (tipping) points for vesselsvessels – How and when do we know the – How and when do we know the assessment is rocking the boat too much?assessment is rocking the boat too much?

DrowningDrowning

Four Assessment ConferencesFour Assessment Conferences 1998 - 2000 Era of Assessment 1998 - 2000 Era of Assessment

EnlightenmentEnlightenment ““We never looked at assessment like thisWe never looked at assessment like this”” Local designLocal design Measured MeasuresMeasured Measures

2002 Era of Rules & Reg2002 Era of Rules & Reg’’ss ““Just tell us what to doJust tell us what to do”” Chapter 127Chapter 127 MAP, LAD, LAS GuideMAP, LAD, LAS Guide NCLB, AYP, Highly Qualified TeacherNCLB, AYP, Highly Qualified Teacher

2004 Era of Extreme Accountability2004 Era of Extreme Accountability ““Oh my…Oh my…””

Era of Extreme AccountabilityEra of Extreme Accountability 75% Common – 25% Teacher Assessments75% Common – 25% Teacher Assessments Certification of MLRCertification of MLR’’s - 8 common s - 8 common

assessments per content standard per assessments per content standard per grade spangrade span

Reliability of scorers & reliability of the Reliability of scorers & reliability of the systemsystem

Gathering and reporting student data on Gathering and reporting student data on MEDMS; what about using all that data?MEDMS; what about using all that data?

NCLB grades 3 – 8 testing with MEA & GLENCLB grades 3 – 8 testing with MEA & GLE’’ss AYP status; effects of reporting on sub-AYP status; effects of reporting on sub-

groupsgroups Highly Qualified Teacher Highly Qualified Teacher

What now?What now? Re-think essential curriculum for all Re-think essential curriculum for all

(Maine Learning Results) (Maine Learning Results) Focus on teaching, learning, & Focus on teaching, learning, &

assessment (FOR much more than OF)assessment (FOR much more than OF) Encourage and support local district Encourage and support local district

innovation and action research innovation and action research Continued professional development of Continued professional development of

teachers, administrators, parents and teachers, administrators, parents and publicpublic

Articulate transition from K-12 to Articulate transition from K-12 to colleges, universities, jobs & careers colleges, universities, jobs & careers

Focus on Teaching and LearningFocus on Teaching and Learning

What Works in Schools (Marzano) – 9 What Works in Schools (Marzano) – 9 instructional strategiesinstructional strategies

How People Learn (National Research How People Learn (National Research Council)Council)

A Mind at a Time (Levine)A Mind at a Time (Levine) Doing It Right, Using It Well (Stiggins, Doing It Right, Using It Well (Stiggins,

Chappuis J & S, Arter)Chappuis J & S, Arter) Action research & collaborative Action research & collaborative

inquiryinquiry

Encourage & support local district Encourage & support local district innovation & action researchinnovation & action research

Collaborative leadership development - new Collaborative leadership development - new leaders for new timesleaders for new times

Regional partnerships and alliances focused Regional partnerships and alliances focused on teaching, learning, and assessmenton teaching, learning, and assessment

Graduate courses with action research on Graduate courses with action research on student involvement in classroom student involvement in classroom assessmentassessment

Impact of technology - laptop computer Impact of technology - laptop computer studies studies

Local Assessment Implementation Study Local Assessment Implementation Study (LASIS – K-12, Maine DOE, University (LASIS – K-12, Maine DOE, University partnership)partnership)

Encourage & support local district Encourage & support local district innovation & action researchinnovation & action research

Use of standardized tests in Local Use of standardized tests in Local Assessment System – e.g., Northwest Assessment System – e.g., Northwest Evaluation AssociationEvaluation Association

MEA – what is the potential? MEA – what is the potential? Critical FriendsCritical Friends’’ Groups; Great Maine Groups; Great Maine

Schools (SMP & Mitchell Institute)Schools (SMP & Mitchell Institute) Rethinking the last two years of high Rethinking the last two years of high

school: early college experiences, school: early college experiences, internships, and college-ready internships, and college-ready courseworkcoursework

Continued professional Continued professional development of administrative & development of administrative & teacher leaders, parents & publicteacher leaders, parents & public

Professional learning communities Professional learning communities (Lieberman & Miller)(Lieberman & Miller)

Networks & partnerships (SMP, CASE, Networks & partnerships (SMP, CASE, DEEP, WMP, WA Co Consortium, The DEEP, WMP, WA Co Consortium, The Center, and others)Center, and others)

Local districtsLocal districts Maine Dept of EducationMaine Dept of Education ATI ATI U Maine System – Regional Teacher U Maine System – Regional Teacher

Development Centers & PDC Development Centers & PDC

Articulate transition of Articulate transition of colleges and universities with colleges and universities with

the K-12 education systemthe K-12 education system Every college student-ready; every Every college student-ready; every

student college-readystudent college-ready Include colleges and universities in Include colleges and universities in

review and revision of Maine Learning review and revision of Maine Learning Results & assessment systemResults & assessment system

Do current assessments prepare Do current assessments prepare students for college?students for college?

What next? ItWhat next? It’’s only a s only a metaphor...metaphor...

Tip balance to emphasize formative over Tip balance to emphasize formative over summative summative Positive results follow from strong connections of Positive results follow from strong connections of

teaching and learning with assessmentteaching and learning with assessment Using multiple measures (teacher, common, and Using multiple measures (teacher, common, and

accountability) to improve student achievement accountability) to improve student achievement demands of the systemdemands of the system

Balance feasibility with accountabilityBalance feasibility with accountability Capacity of students, teachers, administrators to Capacity of students, teachers, administrators to

accommodate the assessment implementation accommodate the assessment implementation

K-12 articulated with college and universitiesK-12 articulated with college and universities

Revise curriculum to fit needs of learners & Revise curriculum to fit needs of learners & education of 21education of 21stst century century

What about Scales?What about Scales?

The human scale of The human scale of workwork Assumes adequate Assumes adequate

expertise, expertise, preparation, and preparation, and knowledgeknowledge

FeasibleFeasible PracticalPractical

Scales as measuresScales as measures Targets are clear Targets are clear

and appropriateand appropriate Appropriate level Appropriate level

and technical and technical quality of quality of assessmentsassessments

Articulation Articulation throughout the throughout the educational systemeducational system

Design and BalanceDesign and Balance

What should be What should be done before we done before we sail?sail? Getting it right Getting it right ““

means that we work means that we work on a human scale on a human scale means with means with appropriate and appropriate and feasible measuresfeasible measures

BalanceBalance Mid-course Mid-course

adjustments and adjustments and shifts of load based shifts of load based on observation and on observation and data, prior data, prior knowledgeknowledge

Avoiding the tipping point 1Avoiding the tipping point 1

• The zero moment or tipping point is The zero moment or tipping point is the balance between what is lifting the balance between what is lifting and inspiring (buoyancy), and what is and inspiring (buoyancy), and what is dragging and weighing (gravity)dragging and weighing (gravity)

• When you lose alignment between When you lose alignment between what inspires and what drags, and what inspires and what drags, and the waves continue to increase, the the waves continue to increase, the vessel tips and sinksvessel tips and sinks

Avoiding the tipping point 2Avoiding the tipping point 2

• Read the wind and wavesRead the wind and waves

• Adjust the cargo for balance; get rid Adjust the cargo for balance; get rid of excess if necessaryof excess if necessary

• Re-read the wind and other forcesRe-read the wind and other forces

• Figure out how to adjust to the storm; Figure out how to adjust to the storm; how to navigate through and around how to navigate through and around itit

Call us when you get there. Call us when you get there. Thank youThank you

Jan, Steve, Rick and Judy

Force 0 = Calm Force 4 = Moderate breeze

Force 8 = Gale Force 12 = Hurricane