October 10-13, 2002
The Spencer Foundation Meeting
The Idea of Testing: Expanding the Foundations of Educational Assessment
Thursday, October 10
Fireside Room
7:00 p.m. Dinner
This is an informal opportunity for us to renew acquaintances.
Friday, October 11
Fireside Room
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Welcome: Lauren Jones Young, The Spencer Foundation
Overview of Goals and Agenda for Seminar: Seminar Organizers
- Intersections of Assessment and Opportunity to Learn (EH)
- Seminar Activities (DP)
- AERA symposium (PM)
- Some possible long-range outcomes (JG)
9:00 a.m. The Case of Assessment-Based Reform in Massachusetts (DP) <>
Discussion of response to Diana's challenge: "If you were to advise either the Massachusetts Department of Education or the advocacy groups challenging the high stakes uses of the MCAS, what you advise concerning the design and implementation of the assessment systems required by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act? If you were to take the conceptual toolkit developed in your years of research and practice in American public school out in the field in Massachusetts, what would you study and how?"
How would you address these topics of investigation?:
- opportunity to learn what is (really) tested
- assessment practices that promote opportunity to learn
- assessment of opportunity to learn
- testing practices and public discourse around opportunity to learn
- documenting opportunity to learn
- teacher assessment and opportunity to learn
11:30 a.m. Presentations and Discussion of Sociocultural Approaches to Classroom
Interactions (based on videotaped evidence) (JG)
We have asked Carol Lee and JimGreeno to make brief presentations on how they approach the conceptualization and study of learning and/or opportunity to learn in classrooms. During the discussion that follows, we'd like to consider the benefits, limitations, and effects of this sort of evidence for use within and across classrooms.
We also would like for Carol and Jim to begin the "Sharing Concrete Ideas" session
by offering at this time their ideas for a study of OTL-and-Assessment intersections.
Carol Lee's Classroom Video Presentation and Discussion
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m. Jim Greeno's Classroom Video Presentation and Discussion
2:30 p.m. Presentation and Discussion of a Psychometric Approach to Assessment (EH)
Bob Mislevy's Case of Complex Performance Assessment
Bob will be joining us by speaker phone. We have asked him to share an example of how he approaches assessment development and implementation. During the discussion that follows, we'd like to consider how this practice might translate to the classroom context, how it might be used to provide information within and across classrooms, and what are its benefits, limitations, and effects. During this session, we would like for Bob to share his ideas for a study of OTL-and-Assessment intersections.
3:30 p.m. Reviewing Issues Raised by the Discussion So Far (EH, JG)
3:45 p.m. Sharing Concrete Ideas for the Study of OTL-and-Assessment Intersections
(PM)(about 30 minutes each for sharing and discussion)
As described in the cover letter, each participant will have an opportunity to share an idea for a proposal: "What do you see as a specific important researchable question, study, or productive line of research, however you like to put it? How might your question, study, or line of research be carried out? How does the particular analytic lens or disciplinary perspective you employ inform this question, study, or line of research and how might it contribute to pursuing it? Do you see opportunities for integrating the analytic lenses or disciplinary perspectives of others at the meeting in pursuing your question, study, or line of research?" We're imagining up to 30 minutes for sharing and discussion of each participant's ideas. Carol, Jim, and Bob started us off earlier today, and we will continue these discussions through the morning tomorrow. By late morning, we hope to begin exploring a collaborative agenda.
5:30 p.m. Adjourn
6:30 p.m. Depart for Dinner
Saturday, October 12
Tower Suite
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Sharing Concrete Ideas for the Study of OTL-and-Assessment Intersections (continued) (PM)
11:00 a.m. Exploring a Collaborative Research Agenda (EH)
We will use this time to articulate possible goals for collaborative work and ways
to accomplish them, including discussion of research proposals, an edited book,
and/or ???
12:30 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. Exploring a Collaborative Research Agenda (EH) (continued from morning
session)
4:00 p.m. Taking Stock of Our Progress (EH, DP)
4:30 p.m. AERA Symposium (PM)
5:30 p.m. Adjourn
6:30 p.m. Depart for Dinner
Sunday, October 13
Fireside Room
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Finalizing Decisions about AERA and Discussing Next Steps (DP, PM)
10:00 a.m. Adjourn
10:15 a.m. Shuttle Departs for Airport