Pearson Benchmark Stage Setting

January 12, 2006 9:00 – 11:30 AM

Three questions

• Do you need your own curriculum framework in Benchmark? (SCoPe, Locally developed or copies and modified, or both)

• Will you be giving paper tests or electronic tests?

• Next steps?

Welcome (Glad to see you and why we are here today.)

Lake Orion’s success story (Human aspects trump technology)

SCoPE Model Curriculum Framework vs. Curriculum (What

it is and what it is not. What is there now and what is not.)

Getting Started in Benchmark the Easy Way (If paper and pencil

will work for you, consider the Answer Key Only option.)

Wow! Benchmark Reports (Getting instructionally useful data or “Grain size kills”)

Oakland School Continuing Role (Bite-sized training models

for just in time implementation of Benchmark)

Let the User Groups Begin! (Who is doing what to whom?

What works? What doesn’t work? Tips and tricks, etc.)

Pearson Benchmark Implementation

Lake Orion Community Schools

2005-2006

The Big Picture – The District

• Board Goal (7 years)– Student achievement– Align Curriculum– Communicate Curriculum– Assessment Strategies

• MEAP• Norm-referenced tests• Common Assessments• Benchmark Report Cards

Initial Challenges

• Teacher Fear– Is the data going to be used for teacher

evaluations?

• Benchmarks?

• Defining Common Assessments

Goal for high school

• By June 2006 every course in the high school will administer common assessments using Pearson Benchmark– Scanned sheets– Online– rubrics

Timeline• September 27: access to Benchmark partition

• October 26/27: testing/scanning

• Nov/Dec: try out different assessment scenarios

• January/May: additional course assessments; add middle school assessments

• June: create and administer benchmark assessments in all high school

courses and selected middle school courses

We’re going to do WHAT? ….WHEN?

• Denial– This too shall pass

• Panic– We’re not ready– Are you ready?

• Relief– This is easier than we thought!

Participation

• 6 departments– Social Studies– Science– Mathematics– World Languages– Physical Education– Business

• 17 courses• 46 teachers• 88 sections• Over 5000 scan sheets (approximately 40% of students)

What Needs to Be Done

• Individual meetings with department heads• Review exams with course teams• Create answer keys• Pre slug scan sheets• Verify data (pre assessment)

– Course benchmarks– Class rosters

After Assessment

• Scan Sheets• Verify data (post assessment)

– Assessed students– results

• Distribute basic results to participating teachers• Review detailed reports with participating teachers

(individually)• All-staff professional development

– Share experiences– Review reports

This program doesn’t give us answers …

it gives us questions!

Is this a TEST

Or

an ASSESSMENT?

Impact of Participation

• Dialogue improved between teams– Discussed and modified student assessment– Assessment question issues– Assessment design

• Increased participation • Teacher’s comfort level of the common assessment

process was eased

“Challenges”

• Assessment design

• Speed/Response time

– Benchmark structure• Framework

• Creating items and tests

– Results

• Initial upload

• Deleting/correcting input errors

(November – January)

• Create different assessment scenarios

– Online testing

– Rubrics

• Additional course benchmarks

• Build tests

• Identify/train department “experts”

Where Do We Go From Here?

(January – March)

• Initiate middle school implementation

– Benchmarks

– Create common assessments for CORE courses

– collaborate with high school departments

• Coach high school teams

• Final exams (January, March)

(April – August)

• Create and administer benchmark assessments in all high school courses

• Administer common assessments in middle schools

• Design/modify instructional practices based on data

Making It Work

• Be Organized

• Ask for 2 Answer Keys

• Be Available

• Do It Yourself

• Be a Cheerleader

• Be a Duck

Curriculum, Frameworks, and Other Forms of Confusion

Presented by the goddesses of the SCoPE Curriculum:

Kelly Carey and Heather Curton

SCoPE

Let’s Talk Frameworks!

• Michigan Curriculum Framework (MCF) - Mathematics (GLCEs), Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts (GLCEs)

• Model Core Curriculum and SCoPE Lessons Framework

SCoPE

Let’s Talk Curriculum!

Partial sample of the structure of: Model Core Curriculum and SCoPE Lessons - Science

Framework Tier Names:Tier 1: SubjectTier 2: GradeTier 3: StrandTier 4: StandardTier 5: Benchmark / Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs)Tier 6: Contextualized Benchmark / GLCEs

SCoPE

Science

Kindergarten

I Constructing New Scientific Knowledge

I.1 Constructing New Scientific Knowledge

I.1.E.1 Generate questions about the world based on observation.

I.1.E.1.01 Generate questions about the physical characteristics of plants or animals based on observation.

I.1.E.2 Develop solutions to problems through reasoning, observation, and investigations.

I.1.E.2.01 Create clues to help identify physical objects.

I.1.E.2.02 Develop solutions to problems of waste management through reasoning.

I.1.E.3 Manipulate simple devices that aid observations and data collection.

I.1.E.4 Use simple measurement devices to make measurements in scientific investigations.

I.1.E.5 Develop strategies and skills for information gathering and problem solving.

I.1.E.6 Construct charts and graphs and prepare summaries of observation.

I.1.E.6.01 Construct graphs based on observations of the physical characteristics of animals or plants.

I.1.E.6.02 Construct a chart classifying objects based upon physical attributes/properties.

SCoPE

What Attaches Where?

Science - Sequence of Study, Grade Level Overview (K-11)

Kindergarten - Units of Study (documents in their entirety), Grade Level Overview (K only)

I Constructing New Scientific Knowledge

I.1 Constructing New Scientific Knowledge

I.1.E.1 Generate questions about the world based on observation. - Test Items

I.1.E.1.01 Generate questions about the physical characteristics of plants or animals based on observation. - Lesson Plans, Test Items

* Resources to be attached (hyperlinked) in blue text.*

An on-line demo of some of Lake Orion’sresults in Pearson Benchmark.

I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.

-Oscar Wilde

Quick Start

... it is always the simple that produces the marvelous.

-Amelia E. Barr

Quick Start

We’re trying to suggest that you start simple with Pearson

Benchmark……that means giving your first few

tests using “Answer Key Only”

Quick Start

Why Answer Key Only?

• You get up and running in the shortest amount of time

• You get up and running with the least amount of up front set-up

• You get access to content based reports• You don’t have to put items into Benchmark• You can use the paper tests that you have been

using all along• You’ve minimized your “degrees of freedom”

which will maximize your chance for success!

Quick Start

Why NOT Answer Key Only?

• You won’t get reports that include the actual test item.

Quick Start

Steps for AKO tests

• Tell Benchmark how many items there are on the test

• Tell Benchmark what the answers are• Tell Benchmark how the items relate to the

curriculum• Assign/print/administer test• Scan answer sheets• Emerge from your office, victorious!

Quick Start

Such simple things, and we make of them something so complex it defeats us, almost. Why can’t everything be simple again?...

-John Ashbery

Quick Start

Oakland Schools’ Continuing Role in Pearson Benchmark

We’re here for you…help is just a phone call away!

OS Support

OS support will include:

• Maintaining and developing SCoPE within Benchmark

• Providing professional development in using Benchmark

• Help Desk (248.209.2060) Call us first!• Psychometric / Data analysis support• Support in using Benchmark data for school

improvement

OS Support

OS support of SCoPE

• Maintaining alignment of the SCoPE framework to Michigan’s curriculum

• Developing / adding resources (lesson plans, etc.) to the framework

• Developing / providing items and assessments aligned to the SCoPE framework

OS Support

A “modularized” notion of PD

1. Stage setting (planning)

2. System Administration training

3. AKO Use

4. Curriculum Management

5. Test Item Input

6. Test Construction

7. Online Test Delivery

8. Reports

9. Test Diagnostics

10. Others?

OS Support

A “quick start” training path:

Stage Setting

SysAdmin

Test Const

OS Support

Please note:

OS Support

This model is still very much under development…

…we welcome your thoughts as to how this training could be designed

to best suit your needs!

OS Support

What “user group(s)” do we need?

User Groups

Listserv – BenchmarkInform.oakland.k12.mi.us

Pearson will also support a statewide user group.

One group for both products – specific agendas(attend the part you want)

Curriculum, Assessment, & Technology & StudentInformation System people.

Frequency – as needed