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Module 2: Where the learner is now, Part 1: Using quick pre-assessments to elicit evidence of student strengths and learning needs

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Version 1.0 | Updated October 2021 | Developed By:�Carla Evans & Jeri Thompson�National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment

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Micro-Course 1:

Learning Acceleration Using Formative Assessment Processes in the Classroom (Introductory Version)

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Warm-Up

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What do you think are the purposes and uses of pre-assessments?

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What are strategies/tools you use to pre-assess students?

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Establishing a Common Belief

No student—regardless of background or experience—approaches a concept, topic, or skill “empty.”

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Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

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And not only are students not blank slates, they are also unique. Students arrive in our classrooms at different points along their learning journey, even if they are all in the same grade and around the same age.

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Pre-assessment considers how we can build off students’ developing understandings based on how we expect learning to develop in a content area.

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Defining Pre-Assessments

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A way to collect information about what students already know and can do and any gaps or misconceptions that must be addressed.

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https://www.ncme.org/resources/formative/diagnostic-assessment

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Connection to Learning Acceleration

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Misconception Alert

Using an end-of-year test at the beginning of the year tells a lot about what students do not know and little about what they do know.

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For example, if I gave an end-of-year physics test to incoming physics students, what information would I gain except that they know very little physics.

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Pre-Assessment Fundamentals

  1. Make student thinking visible in relation to important goals of the unit and/or crucial pre-cursor knowledge, skills, and understandings.
  2. Multiple-choice and true/false items do not usually lend themselves well to a pre-assessment unless students are prompted to explain, defend, or justify their choices. However, well-designed multiple choice items can provide insight into students’ general misconceptions.
  3. Student reasoning can also be captured through a short, purposeful conversation, especially if writing is not what you are focusing on.

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Pre-Assessment Fundamentals

2. Pre-assessment questions should be limited to those that have predictable instructional implications.

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3. Should be administered shortly before the unit or lesson is taught so that the pre-assessment provides the most up-to-date information about students’ strengths and needs.

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Example Pre-Assessment Tools & Strategies

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Example pre-assessment tools from NCME: Concept Map | One Question

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High School Physical Science Pre-Assessment Example

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Goals of the Lesson

Pre-Assessment Question

Predictable Instruction Implications

Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship

among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration (HS-PS2-1)

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Student work could be sorted into three piles that will lead into differentiated instruction (flexible grouping) for this lesson:

  1. Students who did not select the correct answer
  2. Students who selected the correct answer, but were not able to explain using Newton’s second law of motion
  3. Students who both selected the correct answer and explained fully

Select the correct answer and explain your reasoning.

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Gr 5 Math Pre-Assessment Example

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Goals of the Lesson

Pre-Assessment Question

Predictable Instruction Implications

Student will understand equivalent fractions represent the same value (5.NF.A.1)

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Students will know how to replace fractions with equivalent fractions (5.NF.A.1)

Create four equivalent fractions for ½ and draw a visual model for each.

Using the OGAP fraction learning progression, student work could be sorted into three piles that will lead into differentiated instruction (flexible grouping) for this lesson:

  1. whole number reasoning, not fractional reasoning applied
  2. uses a fractional or transitional strategy like partitioning visual models, but the solution includes an error (e.g., partitioning, size of whole, concept error in part of the problem)
  3. accurately finds equivalent fractions and visual model

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Gr 1 ELA Pre-Assessment Example

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Goals of the Lesson

Pre-Assessment Question

Predictable Instruction Implications

Students will understand that a central message is the author’s statement of his/her beliefs. The central message or lesson addresses the author’s point of view about relationships between people (RL.1.2).

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Students will know how to use word details from the story to tell about a character (RL.1.3).

After the teacher reads the story aloud, students are asked to identify and tell the teacher about the character.

Student oral responses could be sorted into three categories that will lead into differentiated instruction (flexible grouping) for this lesson:

  1. Student is not able to identify the character
  2. Student can identify the character, but is not able to retell any details about that character
  3. Student identifies and provides details about the character

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Finding Pre-Assessment Questions

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What if you want to select (rather than design) pre-assessment questions aligned with your unit of instruction, lesson goals, and state standards?

Just make sure students are asked to BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THEIR THINKING and (as appropriate) draw a visual model.

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It must make student thinking visible!

Link to Virginia’s Just in Time Mathematics Quick Checks that are created for every Virginia math standard and could be cross-walked with California standards

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Practice Activity: Gr 6 Physical Science Example

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What would you need to ask students to do in order to use this item for pre-assessment purposes?

(6-MS-PS1-1)

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Practice Activity: Gr 4 Math Example

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What would you need to ask students to do in order to use this item for pre-assessment purposes?

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Practice Activity: High School ELA Example

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What would you need to ask students to do in order to use this item for pre-assessment purposes?

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Making Student Thinking Visible

Asking ‘Why’. Why did you select the answer(s) you did?

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      • Science Example: Explain your thinking about what makes certain molecular structures stable or reactive using words and models/drawings?
      • Math Example: Explain your thinking using words and models/drawings?
      • ELA Example: Explain why the two sentences you chose provide the best evidence to support the main idea of the paper.

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Then what would you need to do with the student responses?....

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Then What?...Student Work Analysis

  1. Sort the student work into three piles or groups:
    • What is the evidence of developing understanding that can be built upon?
    • What issues or concerns are evidenced in the student work?
  2. What are the next instructional steps based on the evidence?

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There’s no point in giving a pre-assessment if you do not plan to examine the resulting student work and use it to monitor/adapt your instruction!

We talk more about student work analysis in Module 4 as it is a key component of all formative assessment processes!

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Going Deeper

Module 1

  • Overview: Formative assessment processes and learning acceleration (Introduction)

Module 2

  • Where the learner is now, Part 1: Using quick pre-assessments to elicit evidence of student strengths and learning needs

Module 3

  • Where the learner is now, Part 2: Using formative assessments during or after instruction to elicit evidence of student strengths and learning needs

Module 4

  • Closing the gap, Part 1: Using evidence of learning to adjust instruction and better meet students’ needs

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Reflection Questions

  1. Describe the purpose, characteristics, and fundamentals of designing or selecting a pre-assessment.
  2. Consider an upcoming lesson or unit of study that you teach. What are the learning goals?
  3. What pre-assessment question(s) could you develop based on the goals for your unit or lesson? What are the instructional implications for each?
  4. Describe one way your pre-assessment could be used by students to set, monitor, or adjust their own learning goals.
  5. What is one key takeaway and one lingering question you have after listening to this module?

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