February 14th, 2020

Do Proficiency Scales Support Balanced Assessment Practices?

​The short answer to that question is yes - proficiency scales do support the balanced assessment practices in Jeffco.  We will unpack that a bit further and add some details in this week’s blog post.  As you will recall in our previous blog post in January we shared with you about this work in crafting proficiency scales.  To ground you in the work and understanding of balanced assessments in our district, here are two documents from our assessment colleagues:  Understanding Balanced Assessment and Breaking Down Balanced Assessment .

Identify the prioritized standards and outcomes on which students will need to demonstrate mastery at the end of a unit.
Scale connections: Prioritized standards are identified through the 3.0 level on each proficiency scale.  Standards were identified by various stakeholders as a priority if they met the following criteria provided by Marzano Research:

• Endurance- Will this provide knowledge and skills that are valuable beyond a single test date?
• Leverage-Will this provide knowledge and skills that are valuable within multiple disciplines? 
• Readiness for the  next level of learning-Will this provide students with tools for success at the next grade or level?
• Teacher judgment-Is this skill or knowledge critical for all students to know and be able to do?
• Assessment connection- Will this skill or knowledge be assessed on a tool used for instructional decision making?

Design or curate a summative assessment that will gather sufficient evidence of student performance for each of the identified standards and learning outcomes. Use of an assessment blueprint (from CDE) can help to ensure alignment between outcomes and assessment items.
Scale connections: Using the various levels of the proficiency scale, teachers and PLCs can create assessment items aligned to the level of knowledge that the student should be demonstrating.

Create a balanced assessment plan. Think of this plan as a ruler that will help educators to measure student performance throughout the learning process. Plan for a variety of formative assessment opportunities that will allow students to demonstrate their learning progress and provide teachers with valuable information to adjust instructional strategies. Your balanced assessment plan will likely adapt over time as you learn more about your students’ needs.
Scale connections: As you reflect on your students’ needs perhaps you consider the 2.0’s as teaching points.  Criteria at the 2.0 level can also provide content and suggestions for formative assessments throughout your learning plan.

Teachers and students should reflect on current performance, adjust instructional and learning techniques as needed, and set meaningful goals for future learning. Over time, student mastery of learning targets and independence in demonstrating mastery should grow.
Scale connections: Sharing the proficiency scale (either as-is or as a student friendly version) with students to aid in goal setting and self reflection on progress of prioritized standards.  Students and teachers can use these in a formal conference setting with parents, or informal one-on-one conversations, such as in a workshop model.

Click back next week as we look deeper into Proficiency Scales and the Reflect portion of JDLM. 

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