Consensus Scoring and Peer Planning

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

"Consensus scoring and peer planning is a tool that teachers can use as a means to collaborate with developing and scoring formative assessments, supporting each other through professional development and, ultimately, achieve improvement in student achievement." The article describes how teachers can "work together improve their understanding of content and performance standards, collaborate to assess student work, work together to plan instruction and re-teach content as necessary." Though the article's focus is literacy, the concepts can be applied to any subject area.
 

In the article, the authors describe a five step process for consensus scoring and peer planning and illustrate its application in two case examples.
 

Step 1: Unpacking the standards - Understanding the content and performance standards for their grade or subject area.

Step 2: Developing common assessments that are standard aligned - the teachers working together to develop standards-aligned assessments that can be use at the end of major units or as clusters of standards are accomplished.

Step 3: Providing quality curriculum and instruction - Collaborating with each other teachers are able to discuss effective instructional strategies and to question each other on how they can improve their instruction when student achievement data is poor.

Step 4: Collecting Assessment information - Through the use of pacing guides and common assessments groups of teachers can collect assessment information at designated times.

Step 5: Discussing results, implications, improve practice and next steps - Working together teachers can assess the results of their instruction, assess areas needing improvement and develop ways to accomplish such improvement with the ultimate objective of increased student achievement.

Source:

Consensus Scoring and Peer Planning: Meeting Literacy Accountability Demands One School at a Time; Douglas Fisher, Diane Lapp, James Flood; The Reading Teacher, April 2005 Vol. 58. No. 7; International Reading Association

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