When my colleagues and I set out to develop new PASST assessments for social studies in Michigan, we quickly realized that we were going into uncharted territory. There wasn’t really a recipe for doing something like this.
What we came up with to create the PASST assessments and train teachers to use the assessments ended up being transformational, but getting there was a learning experience. So, how did we do it?
We put master teachers in a room and told them that the sky was the limit. The first day was tough. The teachers reviewed dozens of content standards and began connecting skills to these content standards given their teaching experiences. We didn’t push them immediately into the C3 waters. Instead, we asked them to dream up the perfect assessment item based on their experiences. It was only after these prototype items were developed that we started to look at the C3 Framework. The question was– would our items align with the C3?
Given that our work began right about the time the C3 Framework was published, we had to learn about C3 along the way. As our familiarity with the C3 Framework grew, it became very clear to us that our view of the relationship between content and the skills was validated in the C3 Framework. Our process resulted in what we think is an innovative skills-based assessment that has amazing potential for Michigan social studies.
So, here’s the recipe we came up with.
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A group of committed social studies teachers
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High quality content standards
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Social studies skills
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Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
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Some creative thinking and encouragement
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A voice of reason
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The C3 Framework baking pan
Directions
Begin by putting your teachers in a large bowl on the stove! Turn the heat to medium-high and wait a few moments. As the group begins to come to a boil, add the content standards to the mix. Stir in social studies skills from teachers’ experiences. Add Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and encourage some creative thinking. Keep stirring vigorously until you have a thick, soupy mess. Preheat your standards oven to 350 degrees.
Pour this mixture into the C3 Framework baking pan.
Place your C3 pan into the oven and cook for 30 days. You’ll want to remove it from the oven at this point and inspect the product for any noticeable flaws or irregularities. Sprinkle a voice of reason on the product and bake for another 30 days. Repeat this process as needed. It might be necessary to add a little more encouragement at this point. Bake for another 30 days.
After your assessment mix has baked for 90 days, remove from the oven. Flip your assessment upside down, removing it from the pan. It should be very much in a C3 shaped. Allow to cool.
Makes a lot of delicious social studies assessments!
