Building Parent Support for Implementation of Assessment for Learning (A4L) at the High School Level

Abstract

The next organized professional development at District Alpha was the Understanding by Design (UBD) unit planning model created by Wiggins and McTighe (Wiggins, 2001). The goal of working backwards by first identifying the desired results, then planning lessons accordingly, is the backbone of the UBD program. The question asked before embarking upon curriculum review is "how do we design work for students that develops deep, enduring understanding of key concepts and processes that will serve students well over the course of their lives?" (Wiggins, 2001, p. 1). This was the first time that assessment, not just teaching to a test, was a focus for District Alpha classrooms. This reform initiative still thrives at District Alpha in 2014. Each academic department uses the UBD template, including standards, essential questions, knowledge and skills, and assessment types for each unit taught. To support assessment accountability, the district began to collect performance data on summative assessments via the Abacus program. Unfortunately, the program's ambiguous science standards were more like broad category labels such as 'forces', 'cells' or 'reactions'. Using the program became a labor intensive nightmare, only mandated by the district during final exams to fulfill NCLB data recommendations. Any feedback on assessment was quickly overlooked as the teaching staff did not have any accountability to, or belief in, the system. There was a need for change. Dr. Bobb Darnell became District Alpha's next consultant in 2007, bringing the district its first taste of Assessment for Learning (A4L). As the district's consultant, Dr.