Assessment and Reporting in the Primary School

Wednesday 29th October 2014

Aims

1. Examine types of assessment, their uses and importance to learning

2. Explain the assessments used in Primary

3. Share Assessment and Reporting Cycle for Primary

4. What is important for Reporting? Developments.

Introduction – importance of assessment

The Learning Cycle

Plan Teach

Review Assessment

Part 1

Types of assessment, their uses and importance to learning

Summative Assessment

This is:

Assessment OF Learning

Most commonly identified as being ‘real’ assessment

Summative assessment is a snapshot test at a given moment in time that relies on specific, limited tasks (tests).

It is the process of measuring students at a particular moment in time (end of unit, term or year)

Summative Assessment

Its strengths are:

Useful for comparison and analysis – standardised against external norms

Reliable and repeatable for all who do them

Indicates general trends such as areas of strength and areas to develop for particular groups, years, classes

Helps measure progress over a set period.

Summative Assessment

Its drawbacks are:

Tests cannot reflect everything taught - narrow and focus on what’s easy to assess (usually knowledge)

Teachers can feel pressure to teach to the test narrowing what children learn

Gives a picture of where a child is at, but not how to get to the next stage

Opportunities for correcting misconceptions have passed

Indicative / Cognitive Assessment

This is:

A form of Assessment OF Learning that focuses on future ‘potential’

A bank of tests that focuses on 4 cognitive areas (verbal, non-verbal, spatial and quantitative)

Used to identify basic reasoning abilities not what they have been taught

Useful as it can give an indication of future attainment

Not based on curriculum taught so can be different to actual attainment

Based upon norms in the UK so it does not account for EAL

Formative Assessment

“Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.”

(Assessment Reform Group, 2002)

Formative Assessment

It is:

Assessment FOR learning

Gathering evidence from a variety of sources over a longer period of time to measure attainment and achievement

On-going assessment (integral part of teaching and learning) within the classroom that happens every second/minute/lesson/day

Marking (written and verbal feedback), questioning, discussing

Formative Assessment

Its strengths are:

It identifies misconceptions immediately and allows instant work on those things

Informs the next steps in a child’s learning journey.

It is focused and specific to the individual and what they need to progress

It takes into account variable performance across a range of tasks

It covers more of what a child knows, can do and understands across a larger amount of the curriculum

Formative Assessment

Its drawbacks are:

It is not easily comparable across groups of children – it is about what an individual needs

It is not repeatable – what works for one child doesn’t always work for another

It is difficult to track and moderate

Formative versus Summative Assessment

An example:

136 + 178 =

136 + 100 = 236

236 + 70 = 296

296 + 8 = 304

On a Summative assessment at the end of a unit this is simply wrong! It tells us that they have not got a secure grip of the learning? However, it is too late to diagnose fully or improve. It can inform future planning only.

For on-going Formative assessment, the teachers identifies this through marking or as they move around in a lesson this is an opportunity to discuss/share, find out what is wrong, teach how to correct and have another go.

Four key aspects of AFL

Sharing clear learning intentions and success criteria –opens a

dialogue of success and improvement

Effective questioning –asking challenging questions, questions that are worth asking

Effective feedback –focus on the learning objective, indicate successes, give specific improvement suggestions, allow time for improvements

Pupil Self evaluation –use success criteria as a constant reminder during lessons, for checking against work, for deciding best achievement and improvement possibilities

Best Practice in Assessment

Use a balance of Summative and Formative Assessment!

Part 2

Assessments used in Primary(measuring attainment and achievement – progress)

Attainment and Achievement

Attainment - English National Curriculum has attainment levels which go from Key Stage 1 (Y1) to Key Stage 3 (Y9)

Each level has criterion statements to measure against

These criterion are broad so they are divided into sub levels c, b and a

Achievement - the progress the pupils make through the attainment levels

Each attainment level normally takes around two years to complete

Rates of progress can and do fluctuate – all children are different and age is a factor in progress

Achievement - Progress

For example, it is expected that a student will make two levels of attainment from the beginning of Y3 to the end of Y6

If entering Y3 with Level 2B (expected level at end of Y2), they should achieve at least Level 4B at the end of Y6 (expected level)

Expected Achievement - Progress

Assessments used

To assess where a child is we use a combination of both Summative and

Formative assessment (test result and teacher judgement)

What formative methods do we use to assess? Why?

We use structured criterion scales (APP/Big Writing/ILD). These:

enable teachers to make judgements on attainment levels

develop and refine teachers’ understanding of progression

provide information about strengths and weaknesses

enable teachers to track pupils’ progress over time

inform curriculum planning

help targets to be set and then shared with pupils/parents

promote teaching that is matched to pupils’ needs

What formative methods do we use to assess? Why?

Progress in Mathematics (PIM) and Progress in English (PIE) tests - at the end of the year in Y2 to Y6 (and on entry)

Progress in Primary Schools (PIPS) – at the end of the year in FS2 and Y1

Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) - at beginning of Y3 and Y6 (and on entry)

Rising Star Mathematics and Reading Assessments – at end of each term in Y1 to Y6

Writing Assessment – 2 pieces a term / mixed genres

What formal summative methods do we use to support / standardise formative assessment?

Spelling of high frequency words

Letters and Sounds phonic assessments

End of unit assessments for mathematics

Mental mathematics assessments

Times tables / Key Facts assessments

Etc.

These are at the teachers’ discretion and choice as part of the teaching cycle.

Other smaller, short term assessments are used…

Part 3

Assessment and Reporting Cycle for Primary

Tracking and target setting

Three times a year, assessments in mathematics, reading and writing are formally moderated and analysed as a whole school

Using the assessment evidence a pupil’s progress is tracked to ascertain if they are on target to achieve age appropriate and predicted attainment levels

Intervention programmes are put in place for targeted groups and individuals

Reporting to Parents

Written Reports are issued twice a year: Mid-Year Report in January and End of Year Report in June

Parent Consultations occur twice a year - Target setting meeting in first half term and Progress Meeting at end of Term 2

Celebration of Learning days occur at the end of Term1 & 3

Meeting with teachers can be organised at other times as required by the teacher or parent (good communication between teacher and parent is crucial)

Part 4

What is important for Reporting? Developments

BIS Learner Profile IPC Personal Goals

Report Review

Report Review

Report Review

What should be reported on and in what format? Our thoughts.

Academic areas?

Attendance?

Personal and Social development?

Habits that improve learning?

Should children report on themselves?

Should there be lots of written comments?

Should there be tables / charts / matrices?

Should there be effort / progress / attainment?

Should there be targets? If so how many?