Common Formative Assessments

Common Formative
Assessments
Presented by:
The Leadership and Learning Center
www.LeadandLearn.com
(866) 399-6019

Larry Ainsworth, M.S.

Larry Ainsworth is the Executive Director of Professional Development at The Leadership and
Learning Center (formerly the Center for Performance Assessment) in Englewood, Colorado. He
travels widely throughout the United States and Canada to assistschool systems in implementing
best practices related to standards, assessment, and accountability across all grades and content
areas. He is the author or co-author of nine published books: “Unwrapping” the Standards,
Power Standards, Common Formative Assessments, Student Generated Rubrics, and Five Easy
Steps to a Balanced Math Program, including three 2006 editions, one each for thePrimary,
Upper Elementary, and Secondary grade spans. His chapter, “Common Formative Assessments:
The Centerpiece of an Integrated Standards-Based Assessment System,” appears in the 2007
assessment anthology, Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and
Learning, edited by Douglas B. Reeves. Larry’s primary motivation is to assist educators and
leaders in helping allstudents succeed by “taking the mystery” out of the instruction, learning,
and assessment process.
Larry has delivered keynote addresses across North America, most notably for the U.S.
Department of Education, New York Department of Education, Connecticut Department of
Education, North Carolina Department of Education, Ohio Department of Education, Michigan
Department of Education, HarvardUniversity Graduate School of Education’s Principals’
Center, Solution Tree of Canada, Solution Tree, 21st Century Learning, California Staff
Development Council, Louisiana Staff Development Council, Indiana Staff Development
Council, Indiana Computer Educators’ Conference, California Private Schools, Archdiocese of
Los Angeles, Diocese of Fort Worth, and the Southern Regional Education Board. He hasconducted keynotes and breakout sessions at national and regional conferences throughout the
country, most notably for the Ohio’s Battelle for Kids conference, Virginia Title I and STARS
conferences, the California Math Council, the California International Studies Project, the
Alabama CLAS Summer Institute, the Delaware Professional Development Conference, the
National Council of Teachers ofMathematics, the National Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, and the National School Conference Institute.
With 24 years experience as an upper elementary and middle school classroom teacher in
demographically diverse schools, Larry brings a varied background and wide range of
professional experiences to each of his presentations. He has held numerous leadership roleswithin school districts, including mentor teacher and K-12 math committee co-chair, and has
served as a mathematics assessment consultant in several San Diego County school districts.
Larry holds a Master of Science degree in educational administration.

The Leadership and Learning Center
317 Inverness Way South, Suite 150
Englewood, Colorado 80112
Toll Free: 1.866.388.6019
International:+1.303.504.9312
Fax: 303.504.9417
LeadandLearn.com

Compelling Question
Common Formative Assessments:
The Power of Assessments For Learning

 What are effective schools doing to
achieve dramatic results in student
learning?

Presented by

Larry Ainsworth
Ainsworth
The Leadership and Learning Center
Englewood, Colorado
LeadandLearn.com
866.399.6019

Common Findings inSuccessful Schools

Priority Standards

 Formed a professional learning
community
 Focused on student work (through
assessment)
assessment)
 Changed their instructional practice
accordingly to get better results
 Did all of this on a continuing basis

DataDriven
Decision
Making

“Unwrapped”
Standards, Big
Ideas, Essential
Questions

Common
Formative
Assessments

Performance...