Thursday, October 12

Meeting Objectives:

  1. Define and organize FAST SCASS: discuss member expectations and goals, establish core leadership group, and subgroups by area of focus, and develop communications plan.
  2. Develop shared understanding of CCSSO Formative Assessment Initiative, which centers on the Chiefs' strategic aim #1 "to inform teaching and learning for the 21st century."
  3. Work towards a vision of a balanced assessment system and a durable "definition" of high quality formative assessment, relevant at both the classroom and district level.
  4. Specify Concrete Priorities and Action Plans for this year: Explore member state and organizational priorities and needs for integrating formative assessment in standards-based assessment and learning systems in areas such as research, policy, implementation, professional development, and technology (including small group activity) and Recommend overarching scope of work for sustained and coherent efforts across SCASS projects in advancing formative assessment, and specify scope of work for FAST.

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7:00 A.M. REGISTRATION
7:30 A.M. BUFFET BREAKFAST
8:30 A.M. DEVELOPING NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND FORGING CONSENSI
Speakers: Doug Christensen, Commissioner of Education, and Pat Roshewski, NE

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX OR ENVISIONING NEW BOXES!
STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR MAXIMIZING LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
9:15 A.M. CONCEPTUALIZING THE DOMAIN OF TEACHING FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES
Speaker: Margaret Heritage, CRESST/UCLA

The greatest impact of formative assessment may be on teacher practice, not assessment. Participants are invited to lead in this arena through this presentation’s focus on the following:

  1. Discuss the critical elements in formative assessment from a synthesis of the research;
  2. Consider the knowledge, understanding and skills that teachers need to possess to operationalize formative assessment in the classroom; and
  3. Begin to define a conceptualization of the domain of teaching for formative assessment practices
9:45 A.M. CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION: STATE PERSPECTIVES
State Education Leaders: Angela Faherty (ME) and Julie Quinn, (UT)
  1. The State’s Role in Supporting Local Assessment Systems: Policy, Implementation, Professional Development, and Implementation Considerations – Angela Faherty, ME
    1. State policies options for promoting effective local assessment systems.
    2. The state’s role in establishing and supporting professional development for local assessment.
    3. Implementation considerations for state leaders.
  2. Systems Connections: Instruction, Assessment and Teaching: Utah Test Item Pool Server (UTIPS):– Julie Quinn, Utah State Office of Education.
    1. An internet-based, formative assessment engine for public and charter school teachers in the state of Utah
    2. Teachers are encouraged to adjust their classroom instruction, based on the data UTIPS provides, to improve student achievement
10:45 A.M. BREAK
11:00 A.M. A FRAMEWORK FOR CONSIDERING INTERIM ASSESSMENTS: A DECISION-MAKING RESOURCE FOR STATE AND DISTRICT LEADERS
Speakers: Marianne Perie, Brian Gong and Scott Marion, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment
12:00 P.M. LUNCH
1:00 P.M. BEGIN DEVELOPMENT OF PRELIMINARY SCOPE OF WORK FOR SCASS PROJECTS
Speakers: Don Long, Doug Rindone, and FAST SubGroup Leaders
  1. Introduction to essential question: What should the state role be in building balanced assessment systems with districts?
  2. Review and discuss suggested ideas from previous input on Formative Assessment Initiative
  3. Engage participants in small group discussions by broad areas of focus:
    1. Policy
    2. Research
    3. Implementation
    4. Professional Development
    5. Technology (including Item Banks, Designing integrated solutions, data and instructional adjustment systems, etc.)
1:45 P.M. CONCURRENT SESSIONS ON A) POLICY AND B) RESEARCH
Speakers: Don Long and Doug Rindone

We will break out into two groups to discuss these topics in-depth and recommend objectives.
3:00 P.M. BREAK
3:15 P.M. CONCURRENT SESSIONS ON A) IMPLEMENTATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND B) TECHNOLOGY (E.G., ITEM BANKS FOR TEACHERS)
Speakers: Don Long and Doug Rindone

We will break out into two groups to discuss these topics in-depth and recommend objectives.
4:30 P.M. RECOMMENDING AN OVERARCHING SCOPE OF WORK: SECOND ROUND

The subgroups report back by areas of focus.
5:00 P.M. ADJOURN
6:30 P.M. SOCIAL ACTIVITY?? - AUSTIN IS RIGHTLY KNOWN AS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY (ACTUALLY WORLD!)