Redefine Student Assessment!

MCIEA believes there are richer means of assessing student learning and school progress than established
practices. Our vision of quality schools allows all students to demonstrate what they know and can do through
performance assessmentsmulti-step assignments with clear criteria, expectations, and processes which
measure how well a student transfers and applies knowledge and complex skills to create or refine an original
product and/or solution.

MCIEA will engage educators in a multi-faceted, hands-on professional development experience in the
creation of local (school-based) standards-aligned, curriculum-embedded performance assessments and
common (across schools) performance assessments, leading to strengthened curriculum and instruction. We
are looking for schools and teachers to lead this work in Massachusetts!

Why Join Us?

Faculty at MCIEA schools will have the opportunity to:
Bring the assessment of student learning back into the hands of classroom teachers.
Increase their skills and knowledge in the design, validation, and scoring of high-quality performance
assessments.
Engage in collaborative planning with peers at their school and teams from across Massachusetts.
Strengthen teacher practice, build teacher leadership, and make a positive impact on learning for all
students.
Change the face of assessment and accountability in their school and across the state.

Key Activities and Dates for 2017-2018

Quality Performance Assessment Institute
The Quality Performance Assessment Institute includes four in-person
days during a Summer Session (two days), Fall Session (one day),
and Spring Session (one day). Each school will select a team of 4-6
teachers and at least one administrator to participate in the
Institute sessions. Institute teachers will serve as leaders in their
respective schools and facilitate teacher teams in the design, field
testing, and validation of local, curriculum-embedded performance
assessments for all grades and disciplines. The QPA Framework
(right) serves as a guide as participants learn about performance
assessment design and implementation.

We will be offering two date options for the Summer, Fall, and
Spring Sessions. Each school team chooses one date option for
each session; the whole team must pick the same set of dates.

The MCIEA districts that are here today represent different demographics, different income levels. Sometimes I think that
when you are in schools with high-poverty levels, people think that those kids need something different from kids in
wealthier districts and its not true. Kids are kids and all kids want to be engaged and all kids deserve a rich, inspiring
education. - Erica Pastor, Orchard Gardens Pilot School, Boston MA (during the first QPA Institute)
QPA Institute Scope and Sequence

Session Topics Date Options

Summer Introduction to performance assessment
including assessment purposes and uses,
scaffolding, depth of knowledge, Universal
Design for Learning (UDL), elements of high
quality assessment, and introduction to design
process.
Thursday, June 29, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Friday, June 30, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
OR
Wednesday & Thursday,
August 16-17, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Performance assessment design (tasks and

rubrics) and introduction to Performance
Assessment Validation Protocol.

Fall Performance assessment validation and Wednesday, October 18,

planning aligned instruction for implementing 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
performance assessment OR
Thursday, November 2,
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Spring Introduction to scoring, calibration, and student Thursday, March 15,

work analysis 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
OR
Wednesday, March 21,
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Leadership Professional Learning Community

The Leadership PLC is a space to share practice for creating local assessment systems and building an
assessment-literate school and district. Suggested participants include the principal and one teacher leader
from each school. There will be an in-person kickoff session in early June and then five, monthly, one-hour
webinars to support your roles as leaders in your schools. To accommodate different schedules we will
collect your preferences beforehand and set up a workable schedule for the webinars. An email and
calendar invite with information for the meeting will be sent out in advance.

School Coaching
Coaches will provide customized, in-person coaching sessions at each school in between institutes. Coaching
dates will be coordinated by the designated coach for each school. The goal is to connect with your coach
between each institute day in a combination of half or full days and by phone or email.

For More Information

MCIEA is governed by participating districts Superintendents and Union Presidents. Contact your local
governing board members for more information.

The Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) is an MCIEA partner helping with network convening,
administrative tasks, and professional development planning. If you have questions about the Quality
Performance Assessment activities, please contact Laurie Gagnon at lgagnon@ccebos.org.