Using SMART Goals in Art Education Assessment

Jill Palumbo, MAE Virginia Commonwealth University

Using a pre and post test model to measure learning, 80% of students in the Assessment class will be able to correctly identify and describe the criteria defined by SMART goals after this presentation. Students who were initially able to identify and describe the SMART goal criteria will be able to produce their own art education SMART goal.

What is a SMART Goal?

SMART goals sound like a good way to achieve objectives, as opposed to . . .

Who uses SMART Goals?

SMART goals have been used by marketing agencies as a way to improve staff performances and close achievement gaps since they were developed by George Doran in 1981. SMART goals are becoming increasingly popular within the education sector as a way to evaluate teachers.

Doran, G. T. (1981). There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review, Volume 70, Issue 11 (AMA FORUM), pp. 3536.

WHY?
New teacher evaluation standards in Virginia STANDARD 7
Performance Standard: The work of the teacher results in acceptable, measurable, & appropriate student academic progress. 40% of teacher evaluation based on student progress. Annually, each teacher creates an evaluatorapproved SMART goal and monitors student progress towards the goals attainment.

Research-based best practice:

Assess Student Learning
Goal Setting and Reflection Checking for Understanding Assessments

Arguably the most basic issue a

teacher can consider is what he or she will do to establish & communicate learning goals & track student progress. Robert Marzano, The Art and Science of Teaching
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D.J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Virginia Department of Education & SMART goals

Sample Performance Indicators Examples of teacher work conducted in the performance of the standard may include, but are not limited to:
7.1 Sets acceptable, measurable & appropriate achievement goals for student academic progress based on baseline data. 7.2 Documents the progress of each student throughout the year.

7.3 Provides evidence that achievement goals have been met, including the state-provided growth measure when available as well as other multiple measures of student growth.
7.4 Uses available performance outcome data to continually document and communicate student academic progress and develop interim learning targets (VDOE, 2013).

In a school, teachers work with administration to create SMART goals that use pre-tests and post-tests to measure student performance growth.

But not all performance tests are created equal. How can we help art educators create meaningful SMART goals?

Lets break these SMART goals down.

SPECIFIC

Identify a SPECIFIC group of students Identify specific learning needs Establish baseline data to determine student readiness and prior knowledge

Plan for differentiation of instruction

Consider this: Id like you to set a goal to improve your 7th grade assessment scores over last year. -administrator

SPECIFIC
Identify SPECIFIC skills and knowledge Aligned to national, state, and local standards of learning Must be measurable
Consider this: Students will develop creativity through art making experiences.

MEASURABLE

Develop assessment tools before instruction

Backward by Design: Identify desired results Determine acceptable evidence

Plan learning experiences and instruction.

MEASURABLE Monitor student learning

Pre-assess Re-assess regularly Make sure identified skills and content can be measured over time
Consider this: By the end of the school year, all grade 5 students will improve their printmaking skills by at least 2 levels on an established rubric.

ATTAINABLE
Doable, yet challenging

Baseline data is required to establish an attainable goal.

Is it rigorous?
Progress vs. Achievement

(Growth)
Students will perform X% greater on the post-test than the pre-test. Or Students will improve by X performance levels on the rubric. X% of students will achieve a score of X or higher.

ATTAINABLE
Progress vs. achievement Higher order thinking skills

Consider these: Students will define vocabulary words Students will identify elements and principals

Students will list artists

RESULTS-ORIENTED
Standards-based and strategic
How can you support school and district goals?

Learning outcomes, not activities

Consider these:
Students will produce original artwork by using a variety of ceramic materials, tools, and techniques. Discuss the function and meaning of selected artworks from various times and places.

RESULTS-ORIENTED
Progress for all students
All students can make progress Establish a Baseline for each student

Differentiate instruction
What if they already have mastery?

TIME-BOUND
Identify clear time frames for meeting the goal Establish a sense of priority or urgency for goal attainment

TIME-BOUND
Consider these: Students will become better artists. My 9th grade students will become proficient in using value in their drawing by practicing shading techniques for 10 minutes at the beginning of each class over the course of this semester.

NOW THATS

S M A R T

Practical Applications
Specify student group Select content that is taught repeatedly Align assessment tool to goal/ outcome Develop baseline data

Are your SMART goals up to snuff?

Criteria

Specific Measurable Attainable Results-oriented Time-bound Appropriate content ID student group Progress for all

20 % of students will win awards for artwork submitted to art competitions during the current school year.

By the end of third quarter, 85% of second grade students will demonstrate control of the painting process by properly loading & wiping a brush; & using the 3step painting process of outlining, filling in, and adding details.

In the current school year, all students will make progress in the area of twodimensional landscape. Using a 24-point rubric to measure texture, form, space, color, tone, and line (20 points is considered proficient) all students will improve at least 5 points throughout the course of the year. Students scoring a level 20 or higher will further advance their skills by learning another artistic style, such as still life, and be scored using the division-developed rubric.

During the school year, Art Foundation students will improve in the application of 2D media techniques to depict subject matter in artworks with form, value & texture. Targeted techniques include gesture, contour [etc.] Students who scored a 1 or 2 on the pre-assessment will improve to a 3. Students who scored a 3 will improve to a 4, and students who scored a 4 will access advanced techniques scored using the same rubric.

Implementing SMART Goals

Pre-assess and establish baseline data Modify instructional plans as needed after pre-test and other assessments Instruct Intervene, re-teach, extend Plan time for multiple opportunities to reassess Look at data for each student!

How will using SMART Goals improve my instruction?

Focus instruction on required standards of learning

Use data to drive instruction

Plan for differentiation Define mastery Implement a variety of teaching strategies Advocate for your program!

Advantages of SMART goals for Art Educations

SMART goals are a good way to communicate with administration SMART goals enable you to reflect upon how you teach. SMART goals focus on measuring your students learning. SMART goals help you clearly advocate for visual art. SMART goals encourage you to produce better assessment tools. SMART goals are mutually developed between administration and teacher.

Disadvantages of SMART goals

Certain SMART goals for art teachers may be hard to develop (see SOL exercise). Art teachers may develop SMART goals that are not rigorous, in that they focus on production skills or easily tested tasks (vocab, measuring negative space).

The definition of measurable: . . . Assumes that a b is a straight and measurable path. Quantification does not equal quality. SMART goals are not useful unless art teachers have good student assessments in place.