FAME Research, Evaluation, & Development
Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators (FAME) continually invests in program improvement by studying the program’s effects on teachers and students. The FAME Research, Evaluation, and Development (RE&D) team also engages in the development and evaluation of resources used in the FAME program and prepares comprehensive program evaluation reports. The newest RE&D efforts include the completion of new "Going Deeper Guides," plus initiation of a review and revision to key FAME resources such as the FAME Learning Guide and the FAME Learning Guide-Coach Edition.
RE&D Activities
Research Studies
The FAME RE&D team is currently conducting several research studies.
- Studying district implementation of the FAME professional learning program in several school districts.
- Studying how prospective teachers learn about the use of the formative assessment process and how it is used when they teach for the first time.
- Examining the ways in which FAME Learning Teams study and learn to use formative assessment practices in the classroom.
- Identifying the strategies used by long-term FAME teams to work on use of the formative assessment process for three or more years.
Evaluation Studies
The FAME RE&D team is currently conducting several evaluation studies.
- Studying the work of FAME Learning Teams by conducting periodic surveys of FAME Coaches overall as well as district implementation faculty.
- Gathering feedback from participants in FAME-sponsored professional learning activities such as Launches into Learning, Thinking Collaborative trainings, Building Understanding sessions, and other activities.
- Reviewing the public and gated FAME website to enhance the user experience.
Resource Development
The FAME R&D team also creates new resources for FAME Coaches and Learning Team members. Current development work includes:
- Going Deeper guide on planning in formative assessment
- Going Deeper guide on student self-assessment
- Going Deeper guide on teacher questioning as defined in the FAME program
- Guide for the using the formative assessment process effectively with students with disabilities
- Resources on culturally responsive/sustaining practices and the FAP
- Resources on student self-directed learning (portrait of a learner)
- "Myths and Misunderstandings" resources to clarify educator thinking about the formative assessment process
- Resource on professional learning structures that align with desired classroom innovations
- Case studies on effective formative assessment learning and use by various types of FAME teams
Featured Case Studies
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A district-wide initiative to provide and support professional development for teachers includes encouragement to participate in the FAME professional learning model on formative assessment. (Includes video)
