PLC - Planning Common Assessments

PLC - Planning Common Assessments

A question mark

Course Question

How do you select, adapt, and modify assessments to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities?

An image of a book

Study Guide

Complete this study guide to help you focus on the most important aspects of the readings.

Download Common Assessment Study Guide.docx

Download

MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR ALL LEARNERS


Tier.pngTHE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT IN A PLC MODELProfessional Learning Communities work together to determine how to support individual students. In the graphic above you can see the three tiers of support available to students in the area of academics and behavior. The PLC will evaluate students' performance to determine who needs tier one, two, or three interventions. In order to accurately evaluate student performance data, the members of the PLC need to develop a common way to assess students that can be used in each of their classes. In this lesson you will learn the purpose of common assessments. After completing the readings for this lesson, you will meet with your PLC and develop a common assessment or assessments to measure your course goals.

This video will provide a perspective on the purpose of assessment in a Professional Learning Community model. The presenter will outline the purpose of assessment, give his own perspective about teaching in a school with and without a PLC model and discuss the benefits he has experienced for himself and his students in the PLC model.

What to look for:

  • What is the purpose of a common formative assessment?
  • What are formative and summative assessments?
  • What do teachers who do not feel supported tend to do when students are not successful?
  • What is the process when reviewing common formative assessments?
  • What was the solution the team settled on to help this teacher meet the needs of his students?

 

 

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

The following pages created by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology give an overview of the role of assessment and provides information about creating quality assessments.  As you read, consider whether or not you would use these types of assessments to measure your students’ skills in the unit you are working on with your PLC group.

Basic Concepts

Selected Responses

Constructed Response

What to look for:

  • What are summative vs. formative assessments?
  • What are the pros and cons of selected responses versus constructed responses?
  • What are key features of good essay questions?
  • What are options for scoring essay questions?

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Click the following links to read about 5 types of assessments that can be used as formative or summative assessments in the classroom. Each link gives a brief explanation of the assessment and provides additional pages where you can see examples. As you read about each assessment, ask yourself if you would use this tool to assess your students in the unit you are planning with your PLC group.

Assessments

What to look for:

  • What is the type of assessment?
  • How is it used in the classroom?
  • Is this an assessment that you could see yourself using in your classroom? Why or why not?

Professional Learning Communities

Before you begin your assignments, watch this video about how teachers at Riverview Junior High worked as a PLC to plan common assessments. This video will prepare you to work with your group members on your assignment for today’s lesson.

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. Complete the closed book, closed note quiz for the readings.
  2. Complete the PLC - Common Assessment with your PLC group.
  3. Complete the self evaluation of your PLC participation.