Congratulations to Theresa Civitano who on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation. The title of Theresa’s dissertation is: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS’ CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT FIVE STRATEGIES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT.
A shift in assessment is occurring. The use of standardized tests as a means to measure student achievement has not proved effective (Tienken, 2016). Consequently, ESSA (2015) has encouraged the development of balanced assessment systems. These systems include both summative and formative assessment and include varied indicators of learning (Tienken & Mullen, 2016). Formative assessment (FA) is a complex process whereby teachers integrate a variety of assessment tasks, activities, and strategies to evaluate students’ learning progression and inform instruction. Drawing upon Black and Wiliam’s (2009) theory of FA, this process has been broken down into five key strategies and can be operationalized using Wiliam and Thompson’s (2007) framework.
This explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed to explore the extent to which middle school math teachers were using the five strategies of FA in their classrooms to advance student learning. Guskey’s (2002, 2020) model of teacher change and Fullan’s “right drivers” were used as secondary lenses for this study. Additionally, this study sought to investigate the professional development (PD) structures influencing teachers’ FA capacity levels.
Middle school math teachers were surveyed using both closed and open-ended questions and districts’ PD documents were analyzed. The findings indicated teachers’ partial implementation of the five strategies of FA, and the influence of collaborative PD structures on teachers’ FA capacity levels. The need for greater teacher support for strategy implementation and PD type was highlighted. The insights gained from this study can provide guidance to district and math leaders, teacher educators and professional development providers. As districts move toward balanced assessment systems that include FA, an understanding of the process, and how best to support teachers is essential.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Nora Broege
Dr. Marc Baiocco
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