Ready to Socialize: Middle School Formative Assessment Clusters Professional Learning

Are you a Middle School Mathematics Educator or Leader (6th – 8th Grade) who is interested in learning how to implement the Middle School Formative Assessment Clusters to further Personalized Competency Based Learning with students? Consider joining this professional learning opportunity, sponsored by the Utah State Board of Education and facilitated by Carrie Caldwell (mathematics teacher at Hillside Middle School and 2016 Utah PAEMST awardee).

• Registration and more information

Background on the Middle School Formative Assessment Clusters

As you may recall, this summer we had an amazing team of Utah middle school mathematics educators representing:

• Canyons District
• Weber District
• University of Utah
• Jordan District
• Ogden Preparatory Academy
• Davis School District
• Granite School District
• Salt Lake City School District
• Utah Valley University
• Tooele School District
• Early Light Academy
• Nebo School District
• Cache County School District
• The Mana Academy
• Who came together to create the Middle School Formative Assessment Clusters!

The Formative Assessment Clusters are now housed in the UEN Mathematics eMedia Hub about 2/3 down the page under the header 6-8 Major Work of the Grade Formative Assessment Clusters. Direct links to the menu are here:

• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade

The Formative Assessment Clusters are like no assessment you have ever seen before. They are meant as a tool to help middle school educators surface a student’s funds of mathematical knowledge and a student’s way of mathematically thinking. Each cluster starts with a context providing a task statement, necessary supporting information, and a sequence of questions to scaffold student sense-making.

The cluster provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their mathematical knowledge, their ability to apply their knowledge, and their ability to communicate their understanding of the targeted mathematical standard. Students should be allowed agency to use whatever technology and/or physical or virtual manipulatives or tools to facilitate student thinking (unless otherwise indicated).