CFG Protocols

Collaborative Assessment

Time: 30-40 minutes.
This protocol provides a structure for groups of teachers to look collaboratively and closely at a piece of student work in order to learn what it reveals about the student, his/her interests, and the issues and problems he/she finds most compelling.

Specifics

1. (5 minutes) The presenter puts the selected work in a place where everyone can see it or provides copies for the other participants. The presenter says nothing about the work, the context in which it was created, or the students until step 5. The lack of comments from the presenter helps eliminate bias of the viewers about the student work.
2. (5-10 minutes) The facilitator asks the group, "What do you see?" Group members provide answers without making judgments about the quality of the work. If judgments emerge, the facilitator asks for the person to describe the evidence on which the judgment is based.
3. (5-10 minutes) The facilitator asks the group, "What questions does this work raise for you? Group members state any questions they have about the work, the student, the assignment, or the circumstances under which the work was carried out. The presenter takes notes about these questions but may not comment.
4. (5-10 minutes) The facilitator asks the group, "What do you think the student is working on?" Group members, based on their reading and observation of the work, make suggestions about the problems or issues that the student focused on in carrying out the assignment.
5. (10 minutes) Now it is the presenter's turn to speak. The presenter provides his/her perspective on the student's work, responding to the questions raised and adding any other information that he/she feels important. Most importantly, the presenter also comments on any surprising or unexpected things that he/she heard during the describing, questioning and speculating phases.
6. (5 minutes) Everyone debriefs the process and the new insights generated by the collaborative assessment.