Developing Quality Classroom Summative Assessments

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Date

November 9 - 10, 2026

Monday, December 7, 2026

Time

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location

1980 N College Rd., Mason MI 48854
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Resources

DQCSA flyer

Developing high-quality classroom assessments demands careful planning and deliberate effort. This three-day professional learning series is designed to delve into the complexities of designing impactful, precise classroom summative assessments.

Participants will be exposed to high-level content based on Rick Stiggins, Jan Chappuis and Steve Chappuis’ 5 Keys to Quality Classroom Assessment, and engage in an interactive, comprehensive process, that will enable them to develop robust tools for gathering reliable evidence, featuring high-quality items to thoroughly evaluate student learning. This series shines a light on the critical importance of thoughtful design, development, and implementation in crafting effective classroom summative assessments that truly measure student achievement.

Series Outcomes:

  • Deepen participant understanding of Balanced Assessment Systems to include Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning.
  • Enhance participant understanding and ability to design and/or refine summative assessments that are both accurate and effective through the use of a test blueprint.
  • Improve participant understanding of the “art and science” of quality item selection and/or development.
  • Increase participant confidence in their ability to implement assessments effectively, including administration, accommodations, and analysis of assessment results.
  • Enhance participant abilities to communicate assessment results clearly and transparently, making them accessible and comprehensible to students, parents, and other stakeholders, thereby clarifying and simplifying the assessment process.
  • Promote participant awareness of the need for student voice and choice as well as strategies available to increase them in the assessment process.
  • Collaborate and network with colleagues, fostering a community of practice focused on continuous improvement in assessment strategies.
  • Deepen the assessment literacy of participants.

Cost: $500.00 per person
Fee includes participation, all session materials, and lunch for all series sessions.

Presenter: Dr. Ellen Vorenkamp

Ellen Vorenkamp, Ed.D., serves as Professional Learning Director of the MAC where she contributes to the development of professional learning opportunities for the MAC as well as related course materials, including facilitation guides, learning maps, and other instructional resources. She serves as coordinator for MAC’s Achieving Balance in Classroom Assessment (ABCA) program, as coordinator and faculty for the Assessment Learning Institute, co-coordinator and faculty for the TLAS Program, and leads the MAC Reads statewide book studies. Ellen is a frequent presenter at various statewide and national conferences on assessment, and she has contributed to the Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators (FAME) and served as a Lead Coach for 17 years. For more than 20 years, Ellen has focused her consulting services on balanced assessment systems, assessment literacy, quality classroom summative assessment, the formative assessment process, grading and reporting to support student learning, assessment within a PLC, and facilitation with district assessment inventories. Her 30+ year career started with teaching middle school English language arts and social studies. She has been an assistant principal, curriculum director, and a project director for the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Charter School Office. She has also served as adjunct professor at EMU and presently does so with Concordia University.

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