Karen Nelson Assistant Director, Curriculum & Instruction Los Angeles County ROP Downey, CA Sarah Vielma Consultant, Business Occupations Los Angeles County ROP Downey, CA Herb Smith Graphics Instructor La Crescenta High School La Crescenta, CA Linking teaching and learning to test scores is of critical importance as career technical education demonstrates standards based instruction and support of academic standards through assessment. This workshop will provide an overview of a process to increase student achievement through instructional change.

1. Accountability Pressures
Common Formative Assessments
for Career Technical Education
Increased accountability
February 23, 2009
NCLB
Career Pathways Conference
“One more thing to do”
Herb Smith, ROP Instructor,
Connection
Graphic Arts, Glendale Unified School District
Sarah Vielma, Consultant,
Business Occupations, LACOROP
Karen Nelson, Assistant Director,
Curriculum & Instruction, LACOROP
Impact
The large-scale external assessment is Large Scale Assessment
an assessment of the students’ Minimal impact on student academic growth
learning that is summative, whereas Late received results
Broad curriculum change
the classroom internal assessment is
an assessment for the students’
Common Formative Assessment
learning that is formative.
Assesses student understanding of a particular
standard at that time
-Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis, 2004
Assessment scored and analyzed collaboratively
Assessment informs instruction
What are Common Formative
Workshop Objectives
Assessments?
What are common formative Periodic or interim assessments
assessments? Collaboratively designed
How do they connect to other powerful Administered within a CTE course
instruction and assessment practices? Matches pre- and post- assessments
What are the components of a quality Intentionally created and aligned
common formative assessment? Reflect a blend of items
What are the benefits of using Analyzed by a group of educators
common formative assessments to both Provides predictive value
teachers and students?
1

2. Manufacturing and Product
How do they connect to other
Development Industry Sector
powerful instruction and
assessment practices?
Graphic Arts Technology Career Pathway
What are Priority Standards?
Standard
Unwrapping a Standard A2.0 Students understand graphic arts
Determining the Big Idea functions and copy preparation, including
applications of desktop publishing and
Writing Essential Questions
electronic imaging software.
Understanding Priority Standards
Performance Indicators
as a Foundation
A2.3 Know desktop publishing and
electronic imaging software principles and
What are Priority Standards?
processes used to prepare graphic arts
products. Unwrapping a Standard
Determining the Big Idea
A2.4 Produce a printed product using Writing Essential Questions
desktop publishing and electronic imaging
software.
Example: Medical Treatment Plan
Graphic Organizer
E3.0 Students understand the purpose and Concepts: Need to KNOW about Medical Treatment
components of a treatment plan: Plans
E3.1 Understand the roles and responsibilities, (1) UNDERSTAND [identify, define] (roles and
responsibilities)
within their scope of practice, that contribute to
the design and implementation of a treatment (5) UNDERSTAND [prioritize, evaluate] (process of
prioritizing and organizing work)
plan.
(4) DETERMINE (resources)
E3.2 Understand the process of prioritizing and
(2) KNOW [demonstrate] (process)
organizing work in accordance with the patients’
and clients’ treatment plans. Roles and responsibilities
E3.3. Determine the resources available for the Within scope of practice
effective implementation of treatment plans for Contribute to design of a treatment plan
patients and clients. Contribute to implementation of a treatment plan
E3.5 Know the process for the documentation of Work process
actions in accord with the facility’s protocol and Prioritizing
regulatory guidelines. Organizing
2

3. New Bloom’s Taxonomy Example: Leadership
OLD NEW
5.3: USE critical thinking skills to MAKE
informed decisions and SOLVE problems.
Evaluation Creating
9.1: UNDERSTAND the characteristics and
benefits of teamwork, leadership, and
Synthesis Evaluation
citizenship in the school, community, and
Analysis Analyzing
workplace settings.
Application Applying 9.3: UNDERSTAND how to organize and
structure work individually and in teams for
Comprehension Understanding
effective performance and attainment of
goals.
Knowledge Remembering
Graphic Organizer Graphic Organizer
Concepts: Need to KNOW about Teamwork and
(3) Use (critical thinking skills to make effective performance
decisions and solve problems) Critical Thinking Skills
Informed Decisions
(4) Understand (characteristics and
Problem Solving
benefits of teamwork, leadership, and
Characteristics and Benefits
citizenship) – level 4 is distinguish
Teamwork
(5) Understand (organization and structure Leadership
of work) – level 5 is justify, support, Citizenship
Organization and Structure of Work
evaluate
Individually
Teams
Unwrapped Standard: Unwrapped Standard
Graphic Arts Know (Know what?)
desktop publishing
A2.3 Know desktop publishing and
electronic imaging software principles
electronic imaging software principles
processes used
and processes used to prepare Prepare/Produce (Prepare what?)
graphic arts products. graphic arts products
printed product
Use (Use what?)
A2.4 Produce a printed product using desktop publishing principles
desktop publishing and electronic electronic imaging software principles
imaging software.
3

4. Understanding Priority Standards
Instructional Tasks as a Foundation
Know
What are Priority Standards?
Prepare/ Unwrapping a Standard
Produce Determining the Big Idea
Writing Essential Questions
Use
BIG IDEAS
Example: Medical Treatment Plan
2. Implementing a treatment plan by
STANDARD importance and in order is efficient for
E3.1 Understand the roles and the patient.
responsibilities, within their scope of
practice, that contribute to the design and
3. There are many things available in
implementation of a treatment plan.
effectively implementing a treatment
plan.
BIG IDEA
The appropriate staff is essential in
4. Documentation is important for keeping
providing a proper treatment plan.
the patient alive and you out of jail.
Understanding Priority Standards
BIG IDEA: Graphic Arts
as a Foundation
You can do effective work What are Priority Standards?
when you know the goals of Unwrapping a Standard
the work you want to Determining the Big Idea
produce. Writing Essential Questions
4

5. Example: Medical Treatment Plan
Example: Medical Treatment Plan
STANDARD
Implementing a treatment plan by importance
E3.1 Understand the roles and responsibilities, within their
scope of practice, that contribute to the design and and in order is efficient for the patient.
implementation of a treatment plan.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How do you determine what comes first in
UNWRAPPED
patient treatment?
(1) UNDERSTAND [identify, define] (roles and responsibilities)
BIG IDEA Documentation is important for keeping the
The appropriate staff is essential in providing a proper patient alive and you out of jail.
treatment plan.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What are the rules of documentation and why
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
are they important?
Who is involved with a patient and why is it important?
Assessment Writing and
Essential Question: Graphic Arts
Scoring Guides
What good does a flyer do? Why
would anyone need to use one? Assessment Formats
Item Writing Guidelines
How can you get people to Creating Scoring Guides
notice your flyer first?
Types of Assessment
When (teachers) …know and
understand principles of sound Large-scale or external assessments
assessment, know how to translate
Small-scale or internal assessments
those principles into sound
Norm-referenced assessment
assessments and quality information
Criterion-referenced assessment
about students…a range of benefits
will accrue to all. Selected-response assessment
-Stiggins, 1997 Constructed-response assessment
Performance assessment
5

6. Constructed-Response
Selected-Response
Multiple choice
Short Constructed-Response
True/False
Matching
Extended Constructed-Response
Fill-in (with answers provided)
What are the components of a
What are the components of a
quality common formative quality common formative
assessment? assessment?
1. Identify Priority Standards
8. Administer pre-assessment
2. Identify Interdisciplinary Standards
9. Plan learning activities
3. Unwrap Standards
10. Teach
4. Determine Big Ideas
11. Administer post-assessment
5. Write Essential Questions
6. Review Assessments Types & Formats
7. Select those that will provide the most
credible evidence of student achievement
Selected-Response
Selected-Response
Example: Leadership
Example: Medical Treatment Plan
As a manager you will need to make many
informed decisions throughout the day, which of
(1) UNDERSTAND [identify, define] (roles and the following will allow you to make the best
responsibilities) decision:
Which of the following is the responsibility of the past experience
a.
critical thinking skills
Nursing Assistant? b.
analysis of options
a. transcribes information from the treatment plan to their c.
In the workplace there is diversity, differing
worksheet.
opinions, many ideas and points of view. This
b. carries out all patient care duties as prescribed in the
represents the power of:
treatment plan.
teamwork
c. transcribes information from the patient’s chart to the a.
racial tension
treatment plan. b.
gender differences
d. contacts other departments to schedule tests and c.
leadership
procedures. d.
6

7. Selected-Response
True/False
Example: Medical Treatment Plan
(5) UNDERSTAND [prioritize, evaluate] Write several questions
(process of prioritizing and organizing Entirely true or entirely false
work) Write so students must think
What would be the first procedure a CNA Write items in pairs
would provide to a bed-ridden patient?
Equal number T and F
a. Vital signs
Equal item length
b. Skin care
Avoid negative language
c. Feed
Use A for True and B for False
d. Change clothes
Example: Matching
Example: True/False
Select the appropriate branch of government for
each function below. Write your response in the
Level 4 – DRAW (inferences, conclusions, blank next to the number. You will use an answer
generalizations) more than once.
__ 1. Ratifies foreign treaties
_____ The little frog knew the milk would __ 2. Creates laws a. Executive
turn into butter if he kept paddling. __ 3. Has veto power b. Legislative
__ 4. Decides if laws are c. Judicial
working fairly
_____ The little frog hoped that if he kept
__ 5. Represents US in the
paddling, he would live.
world
Example: Fill-In
with Answer Choices Provided Short Constructed-Response
______________, we recommend following the
sequence of 10 steps for improving the use of
common formative assessments that teacher teams
design, administer, score, and analyze. Recall and understanding
Good source of common errors
Which word or phrase could best provide a
Easy to score
transition that would unify its ideas with the
previous sentence? Ask direct question
A. After that
B. For example
C. In addition
D. To accomplish this
7

8. Extended Constructed-Response
Example: Example: Medical Treatment Plan
Soil Composition & Management (1) UNDERSTAND [identify, define] (roles and
responsibilities)
1. What are the four major characteristics
(5) UNDERSTAND [prioritize, evaluate] (process of prioritizing
and one use for each of the soil types? and organizing work)
(4) DETERMINE (resources)
2. What are four major soil categories
(2) KNOW [demonstrate] (process)
detailed on a soil map and explain how
each characteristic influences best-use
As a CNA, you are given a bed-ridden patient and
decisions? her/his treatment plan. Fill-in your worksheet
3. What are the three major soil sections identifying the care you need to provide on the AM
shift. List the tasks in order, identify the resources
and components of each section?
needed, and explain the need for each resource.
Evaluate and document the patient’s response to
your care.
Assessment Writing
Example: Medical Treatment Plans
and Scoring Guides
As a CNA, you are given a bed-ridden
patient and their treatment plan. Fill-in
Understanding Scoring your worksheet identifying the care you
Guides and Rubrics need to provide on the AM shift. List the
tasks in order, identify the resources
needed, and explain the need for each
resource. Document the patient’s
Writing Rubrics response to your care.
Exemplary
Proficient Level All “Proficient” criteria plus:
Identifies the duties of the RN related to AM care.
Orally discusses personal interpretation of each patient
response with charge nurse
Worksheet includes all CNA AM care. Proficient
Worksheet includes all CNA AM care.
All AM duties listed All AM duties listed
Duties prioritized Duties prioritized
All resources identified
All resources identified Purpose of each resource explained
Purpose of each resource explained Response is documented for each task
Spelling counts!
Response is documented for each
Progressing
task Meets 5 of the “Proficient” criteria
Spelling counts! Beginning
Meets fewer than 5 of the “Proficient” criteria
Task to be repeated after re-teaching
8

9. Using Data Data
1. Collect and chart data and results
2. Analyze results
Teachers # Stud. # Prof. + #Prof. - % Prof.+
Tom 25 3 22 12% 3. Write S.M.A.R.T. goal
4. Select effective teaching strategies
Betty 27 5 22 19%
5. Results indicators
Susan 25 5 20 17%
TOTALS 77 13 64 17%
Putting the Pieces Together
What are the benefits of
using common formative Schools are busy places
Decisions are student-centered
assessments to both
Meet student needs
teachers and students? Gain confidence
Information on Training Resources to Ponder
Ainsworth, Larry and Viegut, Donald, “Common Formative
Assessments: How to Connect Standards-Based
MakingStandardsWork.com Instruction and Assessment,” Corwin Press, 2006
Popham, W. James, “Test Better, Teach Better: The
Instructional Role of Assessment,” Association for
Center for Leadership and Learning Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2003
Englewood, Colorado Pollock, Jane E. and Ford, Sharon M., “Improving Student
Learning One Principal at a Time,” Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2009
9

10. hsmith@gusd.net
vielma_sarah@lacoe.edu
nelson_karen@lacoe.edu
10