'Tis the Season for Mistletoe: KISS It!
December 1, 2021
Now that the Thanksgiving holiday has passed, our attention turns to the December holidays. And one of the traditions that you’re likely familiar with has to do with mistletoe. Yep–we’re talking about KISSing. (For an interesting history on where this tradition came from, check out this article).
Those that know me well, however, know that my use of KISSing is unrelated to that winter-time tradition. I’d like to reference the KISS principle: Keep it Short and Simple (some might use slightly different wording…).
In the last month (and more) I’ve referenced the KISS principle A TON when working with a number of schools in improving adult practice and results for students. As we get clearer about what we want students to know and be able to do (Critical Question 1), we turn to the second Critical Question: How will we know when students know and/or can do it?
In education-ese, this means assessment.
And, unfortunately, assessment is too often seen as a four-letter word: TEST.
And tests mean paper/pencil bubbles, and paper/pencil bubbles means tedium and disengagement–together with students in rows, dividers separating test-takers, absolute silence, #2 pencils (of course!), and, worst of all, lost instructional time.
But it doesn’t HAVE to be this way. Indeed, it SHOULDN’T be this way. KISS it.
What is Assessment?
One of the world’s leading experts on assessment, Rick Stiggins, defines assessment as “the process of gathering evidence of student learning to inform educational decisions.” I just love this succinct definition.
Assessment is
“the process of gathering evidence of student learning to inform educational decisions.”
That’s quite different from a paper/pencil test, though it might (sometimes) include a paper/pencil test.
Here are some key words that I’d like to highlight:
Process of gathering: Assessment is not a one-and-done event. Processes have a series of actions or steps built into them. So assessment is ongoing. And the point is to gather or collect.
Evidence: Assessment provides a body of information, or evidence. Not just a score or a grade. But evidence.
Inform: If it doesn’t inform, is it assessment? It seems like that answer is a big ol’ “No.”
Educational decisions: Many educational decisions are made with assessment information, and by a variety of stakeholders–students, teachers, administrators, schools, districts, states, policymakers, etc, etc, etc. Students and teachers, of course, are the most important of those in making educational decisions–with students outweighing even teachers, if done right.
PLC Critical Question #2
With this definition in mind, the whole notion of assessment is significantly broadened: Process. Evidence. Inform.
And with this definition, combined with the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple!), addressing Critical Question #2 becomes much more manageable.
I have loved working with teams of educators who are having “lightbulb moments” with regard to assessment–especially related to the creation and use of Common Formative Assessments (CFAs).
Exit tickets. Writing prompts. A performance task with a rubric or checklist. A short, 3 – 5 question quiz.
These are just a few of the ways teachers are KISSing their processes of gathering evidence of student learning to inform their own (and student) decisions about learning.
And this is a good thing. Because if what we are teaching is important, then it needs to be assessed: If it’s worth teaching, it’s worth assessing.
No mistletoe needed.
Questions for Reflection
- If you were to ask colleagues to give examples of assessment, what would they say?
- What steps might you take to KISS your assessment practices?
Do you have a story you’d like to share?
Comment below
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