District Benchmark Assessment Definition and Parameters

(Proposed Revision after PLC implementation in 2012-2013)

What is a District Benchmark Assessment (DBA)?

A DBA is an assessment that is administered across a grade level or course that is common to all elementary, middle, or high schools. DBAs define and measure the degree to which students are mastering the essential learning within the Parkway curriculum as defined in Stage 1. DBAs may be used either formatively or summatively, depending on the goals and focus of the PLC/CLT/MSPLC.

How could our CLT/MSPLC use information from District Benchmark Assessments (DBAs)?

The five PLC questions are: 1. What do we want our students to understand?; 2. How will we know if they understand?; 3. How will we respond when a students do not understand?; 4. How will we respond when a student already understands it?; 5. What are the best practices to ensure student understanding?.

While the goals and focus for each PLC/CLT would change the specific ways a team could use information from a District Benchmark Assessment, below are possible ways DBAs could assist teams in answering the PCL questions:

·  Use information to identify areas of strength and weakness in students’ learning (PLC Question 2).

·  Based on DBA information, develop goals in CLT that the team could monitor using information created or identified in the CLT (PLC Questions 1, 3, and 4).

·  Share best practices that are shown by strong student performance on DBAs (PLC Question 5).

·  Identify areas for student goal-setting that could be monitored by teachers or CLTs (PLC Question 3).

·  Help clarify key pieces of Stage 1 (PLC Question 1).

·  Use information from DBA to make adjustments to instruction, sequence, or areas of focus for next semester or next school year (PLC questions 1, 3, and 4).

In what ways are DBAs similar to or different than CLT-created assessments?

In addition to the uses above, DBAs also have uses that are distinct and separate them from assessments created by a school CLT. These may include the following:

·  Information from DBAs may be used for curriculum evaluation or to monitor program effectiveness.

·  Student performance on DBAs may assist in planning for revision of curriculum and instruction.

·  DBAs are common across all CLTs in that content or grade-level.

·  Often in DBAs, students are asked to demonstrate understanding of broader skills or learning goals that may not have come from one specific unit. These may include indications that students are achieving the mission/vision.

·  Information from DBAs is shared by all CLTs in the grade or content.

·  DBAs are not intentionally designed to measure goals specific to an individual CLT.

What is the relationship between DBAs and teacher evaluation?

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How are DBAs designed (how long are they, how often are they given, etc.)?

DBAs will be planned to be administered at least twice per year (with one being a pre-assessment), and will have common testing windows across classrooms and schools by content/grade level. The results will be entered into PARS and disaggregated by student populations and schools.

DBAs will be planned using staggered windows for elementary students to avoid test fatigue/overload. The instructional time required for test administration will vary by grade level in consideration of the age and development of the students:

Grades K-1—small group administration, approx. 30 minutes

Grades 2-3—30-50 minutes

Grades 4-5—50-60 minutes

Grades 6-8—not to exceed 2 class periods (90 min. max)

Grades 9-12—not to exceed one block (90 min. max)

Implementation Schedule (Still in Development)

Elementary

·  ELA, Math, and Science—Unit Assessments through 2013-14, revisit possible transition to DBAs as Smarter, Balanced Assessments are implemented (by 2014-15). New assessments will be created in mathematics that are unit-based, though items from current assessments may be utilized in creating the new assessments.

·  Social Studies—current unit assessments optional in 2012-13

·  Social Studies, Library, ELA--Development of Interdisciplinary District Benchmark Assessments for implementation in 2013-14

·  Encore/specials (Art, Music, PE/Health, Orchestra, Counseling)—DBAs begin 2013-14 based upon the implementation schedule forthcoming.

Middle School

·  MS ELA DBAs continue throughout 2012-13 (2 x year)

·  MS Social Studies DBAs 2 x year (beginning 2012-13)

·  MS Science recommended to continue unit-based assessments (DCUAs)

·  Encore/specials (Art, Music, PE/Health, Orchestra, Counseling)—DBAs begin 2013-14 based upon the implementation schedule forthcoming.

High School

·  Algebra I continue District Common Unit Assessments

·  Biology I has DBA in place for 2013-14

·  ELA is in process and has several possible approaches

·  All other assessed courses to be implemented based upon the implementation schedule

4/12/2012 8:33 AM