Part 1: Improved Professional Development Session

Topic: Implementing Formative Assessment Strategies in the Classroom (Job-Embedded)

Target Audience: Middle School Math Teachers (Grades 6-8)

Model: The Five Dimensions of Professional Learning by Guskey (2000) [Source: Thomas R. Guskey, “Five Dimensions of Professional Learning,” Educational Leadership, ASCD, February 2000, Vol. 57, No. 6, pp. 49-54]

This model emphasizes five key elements for effective professional development:

1. Content Focus: The session will focus on practical formative assessment strategies aligned with the middle school math curriculum.
2. Active Learning: Teachers will participate in simulations, analyze real student work samples from their colleagues, and practice designing formative assessments for their own classes.
3. Collaboration: Teachers will work in small groups to discuss challenges and share best practices they’ve observed within the school.
4. Coaching and Feedback: During the session, the facilitator will provide constructive feedback on teacher-designed assessments and offer coaching support for implementation.
5. Connection to Practice: Time will be dedicated for teachers to plan how they will integrate the learned strategies into their upcoming lessons.

Step-by-Step Details:

1. Introduction (10 mins):
   • Briefly discuss the importance of formative assessment in improving student learning.
   • Introduce the Five Dimensions model and its connection to the session goals.
2. Content Review & Simulations (20 mins):
   • Review key formative assessment strategies (e.g., exit tickets, quick quizzes, peer review).
   • Facilitate simulations where teachers practice using these strategies in small group scenarios.
3. Analyzing Student Work (30 mins):
   • Present anonymized student work samples from different colleagues within the school.
   • In small groups, teachers will analyze the work, identify areas for improvement, and design formative assessments to address those needs.
4. Sharing & Collaboration (20 mins):
   • Each group will share their designed assessment and rationale with the whole group.
   • Facilitate discussion and encourage feedback from other participants.
5. Coaching & Feedback (20 mins):
   • The facilitator will provide targeted feedback on the assessments and address any implementation questions.
   • Briefly discuss resources and ongoing support options.
6. Planning for Implementation (20 mins):
   • Provide teachers with time to plan how they will integrate the learned strategies into their upcoming lessons.
   • Encourage them to identify specific data points they want to gather through the assessments.

Part 2: Justification of Modifications based on Colleague Feedback

Rationale: Following the initial session, feedback from colleagues indicated a need for more personalization and practical application support. Here’s how modifications addressed these concerns:

1. Focus on Real Student Work: Shifting from generic examples to analyzing actual student work from colleagues within the building increased the relevance of the strategies. It allowed teachers to see how formative assessments could be applied to their specific student population and curriculum.
2. Increased Collaboration & Feedback: Expanding group discussions and peer feedback promoted deeper understanding and exchange of practical teaching experiences. This fostered a more collaborative environment and encouraged teachers to learn from each other’s successes and challenges.

Improved Effectiveness: These modifications directly address the first two dimensions of Guskey’s model (Content Focus and Active Learning). By analyzing real student work and engaging in peer feedback, teachers gained a more concrete understanding of how to implement formative assessment strategies in their classrooms.

Long-Term Effects: Effective professional development, as supported by the Learning Forward framework [Source: Learning Forward, “Standards for Professional Learning,” 2013], leads to long-term changes in organizational practice. This session’s focus on implementation planning encourages teachers to integrate formative assessments into their ongoing teaching routines. Additionally, the focus on collaboration fosters a learning community within the school, promoting the sustained use of these strategies beyond the initial session.

By providing ongoing support and opportunities to share experiences, schools can cultivate a culture of continuous improvement where formative assessments become a central component of effective teaching practice.