Contest
Paper
June
21,2002
By
Kathy
Benson
Oshkosh
Area School District
Jacob
Shapiro Elementary School
Grade 5
Performance
Assessment
And the Matrix Binder
Performance
Assessment Roots
My interest in Performance Assessment dates back to 1996 with my training by David Langford in the Oshkosh Area School District. I began changing my teaching style from a teacher-based focus to a student-based focus. I started looking at our district curriculum in a different way. Instead of basing my teaching on the textbook, which was impossible to cover, I began to examine the district curriculum for each subject area and from that I developed a matrix for my fifth grade curriculum. I made copies of the fifth grade curriculum for students and parents and began putting students in charge of their own learning. It made more sense to my students and made communication easier with parents because everyone knew from the start what the learning expectations were for fifth grade. This led me into student led conferences with parents. Parents were thrilled to listen while their child explained what they had accomplished each quarter of the school year. I was becoming a better teacher for my students. It seemed, the more I handed curriculum over to them, the more engaged they became as learners.
I joined the math and language arts curriculum committees for our district. They were already involved in forming matrices for all four areas of the elementary curriculum, which was a boost for me to see other teachers were already on board in this area.
We have 17 elementary schools in our district and I was feeling alone in my building at the time. This opportunity encouraged me to continue to move in this direction in my classroom. I am still working with both these committees on the district level.
Our school has been working with the curriculum and assessment directors of our district over the past five years to improve our school. Unfortunately, we have had three different directors over this time period and movement hasn't been as quick as we would like it. I would like to describe how my matrix binder for students and parent conferences has developed and changed over the past 6 years and how students assess their own learning in my classroom.
Development
As my teaching focus changed from textbook based to curriculum based and I really began looking at our district learning objectives for fifth grade, I began listing the objectives for parents as well as students. That first year, parents were thrilled that they had, at home, a list of what their child would be learning in fifth grade. This saved me lots of questions about what was going on at school and helped parents keep their children on task at home.
A couple of months into the year I started working on a matrix format I had learned during my Langford training that summer. My first matrix used the Langford Elementary terminology. [I know this; I can do this with help; I can do this on my own; I can break this into parts; I know when and where to use this; I know why this works; and I like/love this.] These fit into these broader learning terms: information, knowledge, know-how, and wisdom. My students were beginning to understand that learning takes many forms and that just because they could do well on a test didn't necessarily mean they really understood it. Problems arose because standards hadn't been established and the students often didn't know where they fell on this measure. (See example on next page)
My next version of the matrix kept these standards, but gave percent scores for the students to mark their learning level I know this = < 70%. I can do this with help equaled 70-79%. I can do this on my own = 80-85%. I can break this into parts = 86- 92%. I know when and where to use this = 93-100%. I know how this works = 100-103%. And I like/love this was an extra wisdom project they did on their own to prove it. This format was much easier for my students and parents to understand. It helped everyone to see that learning happens over time and in many forms. I used these percentages because they were used in our school at the time for report card grades. (Example was somehow lost.)
Bloom's Taxonomy is my latest fascination for learning and has changed my format again. My new headings are: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. I teach each of these the first quarter during reading and science. I explain them similar to the previous version, but add all the key words and questioning techniques that go along with Bloom. I have kept the percentages to help students and parents, but hope our district will change the report card to reflect minimal, basic, proficient, and advanced. At that time I'll start working on a new version again.
I feel it is important that you understand the thinking that went into these matrices and that this is an ongoing process over time. Students are reminded weekly of the progress they are making in the subject areas of: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. They also graph their spelling progress and keep track of their weekly average. Quarterly they reflect on their learning, evaluate their goals, set new ones, plan a conference with their parents, and get feedback from their parents on how their presentation skills are developing. (See picture examples)
My students have the opportunity to increase their learning by redoing assignments with scores below 70%. They have one week to accomplish this and may raise their score to 80%. Quarterly I ask my students if they feel the matrix binder is worth the time and effort. The answer from all students is yes; they feel more knowledgeable about how much they really know and how much improvement they have made.
Example of First Matrix
Format
-Omitted due
to technical limitations-
Example of Present Matrix
Format
-Omitted due to technical limitations-
Set up and Management of the
Matrix Binder
Each year it gets easier to set
up and manage the matrix binder. The following are the initial steps:
· Add at least a two inch, three hole binder to your student supply list
· Check curriculum for changes in any of the core areas and add or delete to the established formatted matrices NOTE: I formatted them using Excel.
· Choose different colors for each learning area and run enough copies for each of your students and yourself, adding a few extra for new students. Be sure to include the proficiency standards for your district in the same color. That page goes first for each learning area.
· Punch the pages to fit a three ring binder
· As you introduce subject areas at the start of the year, pass out the corresponding learning objectives to your students
· Give each student a length of masking tape, about an inch per page of objectives
· Use the masking tape to make tabs for each page of the learning objectives. Have them label the tab with a letter and the top objective number on that page (Example: R1 means Reading, objective #1 begins the page) This helps students find the page to record their objective. When finished the tabs will filter down the page, like the ones they would buy in the store.
· As you plan your units, put the objective numbers on each paper you run off for your students. I put them at the top right or list down the right side so they don't get punched out as they are added to the binder.
· Choose one day of the week to "fill" the matrix binder or if you pass back papers daily, plan a time to teach how to add papers to the binder.
How to add papers
to the binder lesson
· Organize your papers into subject areas
· Have students open their binders to a given area (Math)
· Discuss the objective/s learned in that lesson
· Have students find the page the objective is on
· Pass back the papers
· Students use a pencil to put a check mark or the score in the corresponding objective. If two objectives are listed, students record it on both objectives. NOTE: If three or more are listed and you know this will be covered many times have them circle the objective that this learning evidence will cover and record that objective.
· Place evidence of learning behind the page the objective is recorded on.
·
Continue this procedure until all papers for each
subject area are in the binder.
· Extra information: If there is a sample already placed in the binder for the same objective, they only enter the new grade if it is above or below the original sample. Extra samples I send home in a take-home folder for parents to view and discuss each week. Parents then sign, date and make any comments they may have to me. I check them weekly and either call or send a note home answering the questions. This saves many misunderstandings about what's going on at school.
·
Only at the beginning of the year: Learning
expectations are all in the
binder. Have your students set learning goals in each area on loose-leaf paper
and put them after the proficiency standards page. That keeps them easy to
find and evaluate again at the end of each quarter and set new ones on the same
page.
· Near the end of each quarter: As a class, write out a plan on how to share this binder with parents. This should include:
· Thank parents for coming
· Introduce teacher ( if this is an "at school" conference)
· Share self evaluation sheets
· Share goals for the quarter and new goals for the next quarter
· Share matrix binder
· Share classroom materials needed
· Share report card and print-out grade sheet
· Give parent evaluation sheet on presentation to parents and allow time to fill out
· Return matrix binder to shelf in classroom (if this is an "at school" conference or back to school if it is "at home")
Have students place this in the
left- hand flap of the binder with the
parent evaluation form under it.
·
Allow student's time in class to practice giving
this conference to each
so they feel secure doing this presentation.
·
At the beginning of each quarter, choose a new color
to record evidence.
NOTE: I start with pencil so they can erase easily while learning the
routine.
·
At the end of the semester, I "clean out"
the binder when they're
returned from the "at home" conference. I send all first semester
papers
home. Otherwise the binder gets too full by the end of the year.
·
At the end of the year, we make the binder into a
fifth grade memory book by adding pictures, etc.
Performance Assessment -
Putting it all together
This is performance assessment in its' simplest form. The teacher's role is to examine curriculum, number and list learning objectives, and devise performance assessment lessons that will provide evidence to show students learning these objectives. Paper evidence needs to be labeled with the learning objective numbers; project evidence can be recorded in the matrix binder and either taken home or saved for conferences in a portfolio at school.
Next, the students need to be taught the importance of goal setting, managing one's learning, and reflecting on their own accomplishments and areas that need improvement. They also need lessons in Bloom's Taxonomy, which allow them to see that learning develops on different levels and basic questioning techniques aid them to stretch themselves toward higher achievement. These developmental and life-long learning skills, I hope, will continue through out their lives.
The student response to the matrix binder has been exciting. They enjoy providing themselves and their parents with "proof” of their learning. It also helps them see how many things they are responsible to learn in fifth grade. They sometimes request time off learning. All I have to say is, "Let's look in the matrix binder to see what's left," and they realize we really don't have time to waste at school. It has been a tremendous boost in this area. The binder makes most students more accountable for their time and effort at school.
Students evaluate their progress weekly. As they record their learning evidence in the matrix binder they easily see their own improvement or their need to improve. The binder allows immediate feedback for self- assessment and reflection.
At the end of each quarter, they reflect on their learning, set new goals, plan and give a home conference, and accept feedback from their parents on their presentation.
Conclusions
My growth as a teacher has been enhanced since I began using the matrix binder with students. I have my own copy where I record the learning activities that match the district objectives. Because of my work with curriculum committees, I know our district standards are directly linked to our state standards. My student's awareness of learning requirements keeps everyone focused on standards. As our district moves in the direction of proficiency levels on report cards, my matrix will change. I'm very excited with this shift in feedback for students and parents. Parents have been responsive to this new format because it gives better feedback as to exactly what their child knows and understands.
I feel this experience helps build life long learning for my students and gives them valuable practice in tracking their learning and growth. I have had feedback from former students that have wished this were used in middle school classes. They miss knowing what learning goals are expected of them and being able to keep track of their own progress. Now they must wait for progress reports to really find out how they are doing. It seems I'm making an impact of student learning in fifth grade at Jacob Shapiro Elementary School in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Pictures
-Omitted due to technical limitations-