| AAC | COMMUNIQUE |
| Winter 2001 |
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AAC OFFICE
#500, 11010-142 Street IMPORTANT DATES October 25 to 27, 2001
July 30 - Aug 2/2001
Alberta Teachers' Association
AAC is a not-for-profit partnership of basic education organizations. It is dedicated to enhancing student learning through classroom assessment that increases student confidence as learners and enables them to reveal what they know and demonstrate what they can do. AAC membership consists of 37 jurisdictions representing approximately 80% of the students in Alberta.
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Over the past year the Alberta Assessment Consortium has experienced significant growth and change. At this time last year, our membership numbered 30 school jurisdictions. Since then, we have added seven new members, an increase of 23 per cent in our membership and a record number of members for the Alberta Assessment Consortium. Our member jurisdictions now represent about 80 per cent of the students in Alberta schools. This year the Alberta Assessment has also established a new record of more than 500 delegates for our conference attendance. In past years, we have been delighted when the attendance exceeded 300. To think that the interest has doubled is astounding, but perhaps it shouldn't be. In my own district, months afterwards, I have heard teachers still exclaiming about how much they learned at the annual conference of the Alberta Assessment Consortium. We have expanded our services to teachers this year. Our summer development workshops continue to receive rave reviews from the teachers who participate. In addition to building the repertoire of performance tasks available to teachers at our web site, the summer workshops also provide an opportunity to develop teacher leaders who can assist colleagues in their home districts in assessment design and practice. There are now about 300 performance tasks on the AAC web site. Many of these now have samples of students' work illustrating the performance levels in the rubric, an addition that makes clearer to teachers and students the expectations for student achievement. Recently, we have added a "Work-in-Progress" section to our web site. Teachers can now access drafts of new assessment tools. We are encouraging them to field test these materials in their own classrooms, collect and submit samples of students' work, and suggest ways of improving the tools. This innovation will make new assessment tools available to teachers in a more timely fashion, will help to ensure a more comprehensive field testing of the tools, and will contribute to a higher quality in our assessment materials. At the recent conference, delegates received a copy of the new professional resource created by the Alberta Assessment Consortium. This new resource, How to…. Develop and Use Performance Assessment Tools in the Classroom, is intended to help teachers extend and refine their skills in classroom assessment. This will soon have a companion resource, A Facilitator's Guide, to introduce the "How to" teachers resource to teachers. The Alberta Assessment Consortium has continued to build a mutually helpful and respectful relationship with Alberta Learning. The assessment tools we have developed are supporting teachers as they implement the new Alberta Program of Studies in subjects such as mathematics, English language arts, science and health and life skills. The Alberta Assessment Consortium has recently completed a review of assessment materials designed by Alberta Learning for the new Program of Studies in Information and Communication Technology. I think this testifies to the respect that Alberta Learning has for the quality of our work. Over the past year, we have witnessed a burgeoning interest in assessment. A substantial body of research now supports a belief that has guided our work for the past seven years - that student achievement and confidence increases significantly when teachers are equipped with quality assessment tools, when they are knowledgeable about assessment practices, and when they are skilled in using formative assessment in the classroom to encourage student learning. The research also emphasizes the need to provide effective professional development to support teachers as they implement new ways of assessing students' learning. The Alberta Assessment Consortium has never been more relevant. Our challenge in the coming years will be to ensure that we reach every teacher in our member jurisdictions. I think we are well positioned to meet this challenge.
Dr. Darlene Montgomery, Chair
Call for PresentersThe AAC 2001 Fall Conference program has practical in-depth, half-day workshops - a new feature - and practical break-out sessions. We are seeking workshop facilitators and break-out presenters. If you are interested, please see the workshop and breakout session topics, themes or focus to determine if you would like to be considered as a speaker. Complete and submit the Call for Presenters Application. This information and application form is available on-line at www.aac.ab.ca and through your AAC jurisdiction representative. The deadline for Call for Presenters Applications is February 28th.
2001 Fall Conference - October 25th to 27th - CalgaryThis year's conference will be held at The Westin Hotel in Calgary and features keynotes Ruth Sutton, (renowned British educator and author of several books), and Elliott Asp (Assistant Superintendent, Research and Assessment from Colorado)
The theme is "2001: An Assessment Odyssey" and brochures outlining all sessions will be distributed to schools early in May. Check our website for the latest information.
AAC - ASCD* ConnectionsAAC has been invited to become a member of the ASCD Assessment Consortium. As an active member of the ASCD consortium, AAC will forge new assessment linkages across North America and beyond. Further details about membership and its benefits to member jurisdictions will be provided through AAC jurisdiction representatives and the AAC web site. Here is the address of the 'fledgling' ASCD Assessment Consortium web site http://www.aconsortium.org/aconsortium.htm *Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Special ThanksAAC thanks the 2000 Fall Conference sponsors and contributors, including:
Nelson Thomson Learning
Alberta Teachers' Association
Victoria School Concert Choir
Morgex Insurance
Fantasyland Hotel
Xerox
Pearson Publishing
Hole's Greenhouses and Gardens
Premier Agenda
Scholastic
Staples
Let's Talk Science
MAKING CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT WORKBy Anne DaviesPublisher: Connections Publishing (2000) ISBN 0-9682160-4-8 In her introduction, Anne Davies writes that an Eskimo Inukshuk (a rock cairn marker) "can make the difference between reaching a destination successfully or not getting there at all." Her latest book, Making Classroom Assessment Work, is an "Inukshuk" for all of us in helping us reach the destination of increased student learning. Anne Davies, whom we last saw leading a successful series of workshops at the 1999 AAC Fall Conference, is both an experienced educator and author. Currently, she is researching, writing, conducting educational workshops, and most importantly, spending her time in classrooms. In 10 brief chapters this useful book travels from building a foundation for assessment to using samples to show what learning could look like to use assessment to guide instruction to involving the entire community in evaluating and reporting. The book ends with a challenge to deepen our own understanding and the understanding of others about classroom assessment. The book is written as a series of Inukshuks for educators. It is easy to read and features many relevant and concrete examples at all grade levels. She believes that teachers need to increase descriptive feedback and reduce evaluative feedback while at the same time slowing down the speed of learning because students need the time to set criteria for assessment, they need to self-assess while at the same time receiving and giving feedback. This would allow students to collect evidence to set and reset their goals in learning. What she writes is not all that new nor is it written in isolation. Covey states that we need to begin with the end in mind and Ralph Tyler wrote as long ago as 1949 that the first question teachers need to answer is "What do you want students to learn?" Teachers need to describe what needs to be learned (outcomes), show students what learning looks like, and then develop assessment criteria with students. In her conclusion, Davies states the importance of her Inukshuk. "Making classroom assessment work means reframing the conversation from one about ranking and sorting students to one about assessing learning in the context of our students' futures. It means talking with and listening to learners, their parents, and the community about learning and about assessment…when it comes to classroom assessment, solutions can only be found in thoughtful, informed conversation as we work together on behalf of students and their learning." It is books such as Making Classroom Assessment Work that challenge us to learn both by ourselves and with others. Anne Davies' latest is a book that will soon become a valuable landmark in helping schools reach their destinations.
Tom Sperling
Request for Tools (RFT)Beginning in February 2001, AAC will offer opportunities for teachers to receive feedback and recognition for performance-based assessments they have developed, field tested, or reviewed.Here is how RFT will work. Teachers will receive a non-taxable benefit for
Further details and the first RFTs will be announced on the AAC web site - Request for Tools (RFT) - beginning February 12.
Summer Development WorkshopCall for ParticipantsEach summer AAC brings together large numbers of teachers from our member jurisdictions to learn about classroom assessment and develop materials for use by all members. This year's four-day development workshop will be held Monday, July 30 to Thursday, August 2 in Calgary. Workshop activities will include
Interested teachers are invited to complete the Call for Participants Application and submit it before Friday, April 6. The AAC web site provides further information and the application form. |