David and Marie have both raised questions about professional development for
teachers,  helping them to integrate foramtive assessment into their regular
teaching.  
 
I gave a few examples earlier of strategies different schools involved in the
OECD study used to encourage systematic practice of formative assessment.
Each school had a very different approach.  To  add to the examples cited
earlier -  at the time we visited Waitakere College in New Zealand, they had
a 1/2 time coordinator who worked intensively with the four or five teachers
engaged in a pilot programme targeted to Maori students (and incorporating
the principles of formative assessment).  This coordinator also liaised with
researchers at the University of Waikato. I would have to say this was
probably the Rolls Royce model of teacher p.d.  
 
Teachers and school heads we met in England participated in short-term
professional development, but really, their most intensive development
occured in the process of figuring out among themselves and with King's
College researchers how to use the principle of formative assessment in the
classroom.  They spent time observing each other in the classroom, as well.
 
We visited 19 schools in 8 different countries.  The majority of these
schools  had some kind of relationship with an external expert who was able
to give input and advice on formative assessment as well as the process of
implementation.  Sometimes, only department heads were able to take advantage
of professional development opportunities, but they were well positioned to
share what they had learnt.  All teachers were involved in broader networks. 
 
It is safe to say that that the teachers and school heads in our case study
schools saw their ongoing professional development, as well as professional
dialogue among teachers, as absolutely essential to their efforts to
implement formative assessment as part of their regular practice.  Certainly,
though, there's a need for more research on "what works" in effective
professional development.
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 1:26 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 193] Formative assessment and professionaldevelopment



	Thanks for your thoughtful and informative answers to these
questions, Janet.  And thanks for your willingness to stay on through Friday
(morning in the U.S.). 
	
	Colleagues, if you have more questions or comments, please post them
now.
	
	Marie wrote:  "Did the process of going from random to systematic use
of formative assessments begin with professional development for the
teachers, application of the learning, and then reflecting on the results, or
was it less deliberate?  In other words, did the teachers in your case study
already use this approach and just realized it was successful so incorporated
it further?  Or were these teachers part of a process to get them to learn
and use formative assessment strategies? " 
	
	I too have been wondering about professional development for
formative assessment.  In the high school study, or in the current adult
basic skill study, are there examples of good models for professional
development for formative assessment? Are any of these documented?  And has a
relationship been established between professional development, especially
ongoing professional development, and success in implementing formative
assessment?
	
	David 
	
	David J. Rosen
	Special Topics Discussion Moderator
	djrosen at comcast.net
	
	
	

		
		


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