ERIC EJ1148462: Teachers, Micro-Credentials, and the Performance Assessment Movement

2017·0.37 MB·English

by  ERIC

Teachers, Micro-Credentials, and the
Performance Assessment Movement
Dan French and Barnett Berry
Micro-credentials, a new form of personalized professional development for teachers, offer a
unique solution to the challenge of training school staff to design and implement performance
assessments.
Micro-credentials move professional Deeper learning outcomes for all
development toward a more person- students – and more accurate
alized learning system for teachers in and authentic measures of
which you can go at your own pace them – have become the school reform
and the work is job-embedded. coin of the realm. If this new era of
performance assessment is to be
–Tony Lementowicz,
successful, we need teachers to serve as
Westerly (RI) High School teacher
assessment leaders who can help to
build the literacy and capacity of every
Dan French is the executive director of the Center for Collaborative Education. Barnett Berry is the
founder and CEO of the Center for Teaching Quality.
VUE 2017, no. 46 37
school to design, field-test, score, and It is within this space – placing
refine high-quality performance tasks. teachers at the center of designing their
own professional development,
Teachers are the cornerstone of
coupled with the need for teachers to
successful performance assessment
build performance assessment literacy
initiatives. They generate, validate,
and capacity – that performance
administer, and score the performance
assessment micro-credentials come to
assessments that are used (Tung &
the fore. Micro-credentials for teachers
Stazesky 2010). Teachers need more
are competency-based, personalized,
support and training in order to fill
small-scale professional development
this important role in performance
modules that are suited for anytime/
assessments, yet most professional
anywhere learning and allow teachers
development for teachers has been
to show what they can do, not only
found to be ineffective. Too much of
what they know. Micro-credentials
the time, district central offices
change the face of teacher professional
determine professional development
learning to move away from one-size-
focus and delivery, all but guaranteeing
fits-all efforts to customized,
teacher dissatisfaction in meeting their
just-in-time learning that leverages
needs and interests. A recent study
personal desires for professional
points to the woeful state of our
growth.
nation’s $18 billion public education
professional development enterprise. Professional development for perfor-
The researchers found that “one-shot” mance assessment literacy is uniquely
workshops are the most prevalent form suited to micro-credentialing.
of professional development (Bill & Both require teacher agency and
Melinda Gates Foundation 2014). This collaboration, and the fact that
one-time professional development has micro-credentials can be pursued by
been found to “neither change teacher individuals rather than schools or
practice nor improve student learning” districts allows teachers to take the
(Gulamhussein 2013 , p. 3). Fewer lead in scaling up to school-wide
than 30 percent of teachers choose performance assessments.
most or all of their professional
learning opportunities. Only 7 percent
SOME BACKGROUND ON
of teachers reported that their schools
have strong collaboration models (Bill MICRO-CREDENTIALS
& Melinda Gates Foundation 2014).
The idea for micro-credentials began
On the other hand, research suggests with “digital badges,” which first
that the most effective professional gained recognition as a means to
development is contextualized to the personalize student learning; they “are
specific needs of teachers, where they designed to make visible and validate
have opportunities to take ownership learning in both formal and informal
of their professional learning (Berry settings, and hold the potential to help
2016). Professional development needs transform where and how learning is
to be of a granular size so that teachers valued” (MacArthur Foundation
can engage in it during a hectic school 2017). School districts (such as the
year. Such a model often sits outside Aurora Public Schools in Colorado)
most university graduate courses, and nonprofit organizations (such as
district-delivered and batch-sized Connected Learning Alliance) are
professional development, and one- beginning to recognize digital badges,
shot conferences. not just seat-time requirements (or a
3 8 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
required number of hours for courses), Four characteristics distinguish the
as markers of student achievement.1 By micro-credentialing approach from
enabling students to demonstrate traditional professional development
proficiency over identified competen- systems:
cies (or learning targets, including
• Competency-based. Micro-credentials
dispositions such as collaboration
focus on evidence of teachers’
and communication or skills as
attainment of actual skills and
wide-ranging as set design or research
abilities, not on the amount of seat
skills), they are better able to track
time they’ve logged in their learning.
their progress in gaining tangible
and usable knowledge, skills, and • Personalized. Teachers select micro-
dispositions. credentials to pursue on the basis of
their own needs, their students’
Now the personalized learning move-
strengths and challenges, school
ment is reaching teachers. Over the
goals, district priorities, and/or
past two years, Digital Promise, a
instructional shifts. They identify
nonprofit seeking to accelerate innova-
specific activities that will support
tion in education, has been building an
them in developing each competency.
ecosystem for advancing the design,
development, and implementation of • On demand. Micro-credentials are
micro-credentials for educators. Digital responsive to teachers’ schedules.
Promise has partnered with technology Educators can opt to explore new
companies to create online professional competencies or receive recognition
development platforms to facilitate the for existing ones in any manner and
process of an educator selecting a time span they choose. They then
micro-credential and submitting upload evidence of proficiency using
evidence to earn it. an online system.
As of late fall 2016, over forty content • Shareable. Educators can share their
partners have developed more than micro-credentials across social media
400 micro-credentials – organized in platforms, through email, and on
“stacks” – to address a variety of blogs and résumés. As a result,
educator skills and competencies. micro-credentials can emerge as
Micro-credentials hone in on a wide shareable currency for professional
variety of competencies, from highly learning.
granular aspects of teaching (such as a
unit on “wait time” issued by the
Relay Graduate School of Education)
“
to a bold brand of teacher leadership
(such as the “teacher-powered” and
“virtual community organizing” stacks
“
issued by the Center for Teaching
Teachers select micro-credentials to pursue
Quality [CTQ]), as well as the “perfor-
mance assessment literacy” stacks on the basis of their own needs, their
issued by the Center for Collaborative
Education (CCE).2 students’ strengths and challenges, school
goals, district priorities, and/or instructional
1 See http://badge.aurorak12.org/ and
http://educatorinnovator.org/webinars/why-
should-you-care-about-badges/. shifts.
2 See the online version of this article at
http://vue.annenberginstitute.org/issues/46
for links to these micro-credential stacks.
Dan French and Barnett Berry VUE 2017, no. 46 39
CENTER FOR COLLABORA- Creating performance assessment
TIVE EDUCATION’S micro-credentials
MICRO-CREDENTIAL
In the spring of 2016, CCE and CTQ
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
launched the Performance Assessment
STACKS
for Learning (PAL) initiative, with
1. Basic Performance Assessment support from the Center for Innova-
Design: design of performance assess-
tion in Education at the University of
ments; design of competency-based
Kentucky and Next Generation Learning
rubrics; and performance assessment
Challenges. In particular, we sought to
validation.
test the power of micro-credentials in
2. Advanced Performance Assessment promoting teacher leadership to drive
Design: calibrating scoring among adoption of schoolwide performance
teachers; looking at student work; assessment systems that lead to
assessing habits, skills, and dispositions; personalized, proficiency-based
and using performance assessments to learning and assessments for students.
provide formative feedback.
We launched our initiative in partner-
3. Building and Leading a Performance
ship with the Rhode Island Department
Assessment Learning Community:
of Education (RIDE), which has
modeling processes for educator collabo-
a ten-year history of promoting
ration; facilitating performance
proficiency-based education. A com-
assessment protocols in professional
mittee of five teachers worked with
learning communities; and communicat-
CCE and CTQ staff to design three
ing and advocating for performance
“stacks” of performance assessment
assessment policies at the school- and
micro-credentials, with each stack
district-levels.
containing three separate micro-creden-
tials (see sidebar).
Each micro-credential in the Digital In the 2016-2017 school year, we
Promise ecosystem includes six parts: brought together fifty volunteer
competency, key method, components, teachers from a handful of schools,
research and resources, submission with the premise that a team of
criteria, and scoring rubric. Teachers teachers pursuing performance
assemble and upload a mini digital assessment micro-credentials would be
portfolio, which might include a video better positioned to effect school-wide
of a lesson, student work, classroom change than individual teachers. These
observations, teacher and student teachers came together for a half-day
reflections, and/or other documenta- orientation, then worked with CCE
tion of teacher learning. Trained staff individually to select their
assessors – individuals whom the preferred micro-credentials and
issuing organization has qualified to develop a plan of professional growth
review the evidence – examine the to attain them, including identifying
teacher’s submission against a rubric. the evidence they would collect. CTQ
The issuing organization then deter- created a virtual community for
mines whether the teacher should be participants to share and learn from
awarded the micro-credential. (Since each other.
Digital Promise is still in the early
CCE sees growing demand for its
stages of developing the micro-creden-
performance assessment micro-
tial eco-system, the cost model for
credential as states and school districts
issuing micro-credentials is still under
seek to build teacher capacity to
development.)
transform the ways student learning
is assessed. Early adopter states are
40 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
making strides toward embedding Micro-credentials are viewed as a
micro-credentials in their teacher valuable means for teachers to improve
certification renewal processes; for their practice. A teacher noted that he
example, recently enacted legislation in had “hit a wall” with his classroom
Illinois allows “teachers and adminis- teaching. He felt like he was not
trators in the state to pursue different getting better at his craft, and the PAL
types of professional development that stack offered “a clear path for setting
can include micro-credentials” (Center goals and improving his practice.” A
for Teaching Quality and Digital high school teacher asserted, “Through
Promise 2016, p. 14). Simultaneously, engaging in these micro-credentials, I
early adopter districts, such as Kettle have seen the power in creating good
Moraine School District in Wisconsin, assessments and how it improves
are integrating micro-credentials into learning for students and drives my
teacher salary scales and teacher leader instruction.”
roles. As stated on their website,
Teachers value the opportunity to
“Micro-Credentials for Kettle Moraine
individualize their professional growth
educators . . . provide pathways to
but also drive teaching as a collective
specific skills and habits that closely
practice. An administrator of an adult
align to the District’s mission and goals,
education program told us, “Micro-
as well as each educator’s professional
credentials are a perfect way to present
goals.”3
individual learning opportunities for
our professionals.” Several colleagues
Early lessons: What are teachers pointed out that their most profound
saying about micro-credentials for utility may be in driving a collabora-
performance assessment literacy? tive process and a means to improve
team-wide practice. For example, a
If micro-credentials are intended to be
teacher pointed out that the CCE and
a form of professional development
CTQ process of engaging colleagues in
that empowers teachers, then our early
micro-credentials created “an effective
efforts with the PAL stacks suggest we
formal structure for a team of teachers
are on the right track. At a fall 2016
to ensure integrity in the process of
forum highlighting the work of Rhode
professional growth.” Another high
Island high schools in implementing
school teacher noted the power of the
new assessment systems, teachers
micro-credentials in defining the what
piloting performance assessment
and how of her professional learning
micro-credentials shared their insights
community: “The micro-credential
about engaging in learning and
process has really focused us in a way
building a body of evidence to demon-
that helps us reflect on things. For
strate proficiency over chosen
example, we are using [CCE’s] Quality
micro-credentials. Several ideas
Performance Assessment tools4 to see
emerged from listening to them:
what we are already doing as a team
Teachers view micro-credentials as a and what gaps there are in our knowl-
means to take control over their own edge and experience.”
professional development, shaping it in
ways that are meaningful to them. One
teacher, told us that the PAL stack
helped him to “pursue his own goals,”
while a second pointed out that
micro-credentials “help teachers clarify 3 See http://www.kmsd.edu/Page/992.
what is important to them.” 4 See http://cce.org/work/instruction-
assessment/quality-performance-assessment/
tools-resources.
Dan French and Barnett Berry VUE 2017, no. 46 41
Educators want states and districts to PAL micro-credentials and
formally recognize micro-credentials as next-generation reforms
a credible form of professional
The recent passage of the Every
development. While embracing the
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) presents
potential power of micro-credentials,
district and state leaders with new
educators were also keenly aware that,
opportunities to rethink strategies and
in order for them to be widely accepted
funding for accountability systems as
and used, micro-credentials need to be
well as avenues for teachers’ profes-
integrated into district and state
sional learning and growth. States have
systems so that they become a viable
greater latitude to redefine their
path for teacher professional growth.
accountability metrics and to include a
As the adult education administrator
greater range of measures as part of
asked, “Is the state going to be
the system of oversight and reporting.
accepting micro-credentials as a valid
As Darling-Hammond and colleagues
credential – and can I use it for
have noted, new accountability
recertification?” One teacher got even
systems should “include annual
more specific:
determinations of student achievement
There needs to be some form of and growth through locally designed
currency to incentivize teachers to and state-validated systems of perfor-
use micro-credentials. This is not mance assessments”
about seat time – it is about real (Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit &
learning. There are some teachers Pittenger 2014). In such systems, a
who want leadership opportunities, network of practitioner “assessment
and micro-credentials are a way of experts” will be needed to support
demonstrating competencies and schools. Each school would have two
earning badges that schools and to five of these teacher assessment
districts [should] value. experts to lead faculties in the design,
validation, administration, and
The teachers we interviewed are
calibration of robust, curriculum-em-
hungry for a different form of profes-
bedded performance assessments.
sional development – and are seeking
tools and processes to spur ownership With Darling-Hammond’s words in
of their own learning. A recent mind, to bring performance assessment
national survey, commissioned by micro-credentials to the fore, states
Digital Promise, found that nearly and districts must take critical steps.
three in four teachers are pursuing
“informal” learning (e.g., participation
States need to:
in online communities like the CTQ
Collaboratory or Teaching Partners) • establish micro-credential
that satisfies their quest to improve. At attainment as a means of
the same time, we recognize that if certification attainment and renewal;
micro-credentials are going to gain
• invest federal professional
currency as a powerful tool for
development dollars in creating
teacher-driven professional develop-
well-facilitated, cross-district
ment and new performance
networks (virtual and face-to-face)
assessments, states and districts need
for teachers to build performance
to create incentives and opportunities
assessment expertise; and
to leverage the time teachers have to
learn. • develop incentives for districts to
reallocate professional development
dollars to give teachers more choice
42 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
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Dan French and Barnett Berry VUE 2017, no. 46 43