2014 by The Leadership and Learning Center All rights reserved. Copy only with permission.

(866) 399-6019


Building Common Formative Assessments














Select the Topic for Your Unit of Instruction (Approximately one month in length)

Determine Priority Standards









Unwrap the Priority Standards and Create a Graphic Organizer








Determine the Big Ideas









By focusing on the
filters for Priority
Standards,
educators
distinguish the
essentials from the
nice to know.
Readiness: Prepares students for the next level of
learning
Leverage: Has value in many disciplines
Rigor: Addresses high cognitive level in Blooms
Endurance: Has value for life long lasting
knowledge
High Stakes Tests: Supports what is being
emphasized on the State assessment

Unwrapping
Standards
clarifies what
students should
know and be
able to do.
Circle the verbs (skills).
Underline the important noun
phrases (concepts).
Separate the concepts and skills
and display in a graphic organizer

Big Ideas capture
the overarching
concepts or
important
generalizations that
students are
expected to reach
after a specific unit
of study.

Broader Big Ideas: the generalizations
derived from one area of study that
connect to several subject matter areas.
Topical Big Ideas: relate primarily to the
inherent understanding in a particular
course of study or section of the
standards.


Laying The Standards Foundation:
Steps 1-6
Step 1: Choose Important Topic
Step 2: Identify Matching Priority
Standards
Step 3: Unwrap Matching Priority
Standards
Step 4: Create Graphic Organizer
Step 5: Determine the Big Ideas
Step 6: Write the Essential Questions

Creating The Assessment:
Steps 7-10
Step 7: Write Selected-Response Items
Step 8: Write Constructed-
Response Items (extended or
short)
Step 9: Create Scoring Guides for
Constructed-Response Items
Step 10: Write Essential Question-Big
Idea Directions

2014 by The Leadership and Learning Center All rights reserved. Copy only with permission. (866) 399-6019






Write the Essential Questions



















Write Constructed-Response Assessment Items and Scoring Guides













Include Essential Questions and Scoring Guide









Essential Questions
lead students to the
Big Ideas from the
unit of study.
Guide the development of instruction
and assessment
Challenge students to determine an
answer in their own words
Selected Response
questions include
multiple choice,
matching, true/false,
and fill-in the blank.
Align questions with the units unwrapped
standards
Match assessment items to rigor of skill
level
Follow the guidelines for constructing high
quality selected response questions
Include answer key
Answers to the
Essential
Questions are the
Big Ideas of the
unit stated in
student terms.
Provide clear directions
Can use a generic scoring guide
Short or extended
Constructed
Response
Questions require
written answers from
students (simple
phrases to multiple
paragraphs).
Align questions with the units unwrapped
priority standards
Match assessment items to rigor of skill
level
Follow the guidelines for constructing high
quality constructed response questions
Write clear directions
Create scoring guides that are aligned with
the unwrapped priority standards (begin
with proficient)

Write Selected-Response Assessment Items