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Target Tracker Quick Start Guide – Mastery

Mastery Accessing the Statements Selecting Pupils The 2014 National Curriculum describes Mastery as something which every child can aspire to and every teacher should promote. It is about the depth and quality of learning for all, with extension of able students (more things on the same topic) rather than acceleration (rapidly moving on to new content).

In developing new approaches to assessment, schools have the opportunity to make “mastery for all” a genuine goal.

We have produced this document to help you to use Target Tracker to support Mastery assessment against the Programmes of Study in the most efficient and effective way.

From the Home – Pupil Selection page choose a cohort or class.

To access the assessment statements click on Steps - Statements

from the Home tab.

Choose a subject via the Subject button.

By default a single pupil will display on the right hand side of the screen (first alphabetically by forename). It is possible to alter this selection to work with a group. This is done by clicking on the Pupils icon. Having selected the required pupils these will then be listed on the right hand side of the screen. If choosing to work with individual pupils the Previous Pupil / Next Pupil button makes it easy to move to the next pupil when required.

Setting Statements to Mastered To assess a single statement double click the desired statement. It will turn from black text which is ‘Not Begun’ to red text. Red text represents Working Towards or shallow understanding. Double click the same statement and it will turn from red to blue text. Blue text represents Achieved or fully confident deep learning. The final double-click will turn the statement to gold text. Gold text represents Mastered or learning which is embedded, and applied to other contexts. This assessment will be applied to all of the pupils in the list on the right hand side of the screen. When using the formative assessment data to inform the Step judgement we would suggest you consider the gold mastered section of the dynamic bar as having the same weighting as the blue secure section.

EES for Schools

E: enquiries@EESforschools.org | T: 0345 200 8600 |

W: EESforschools.org EES for Schools is owned by Essex County Council

Version 15.6.5

Assessment stages Reports

Identifying when a child has 'mastered' a learning objective will then allow you to show progress for the child in the learning objectives using the Statements Progress Summary report.

There is detailed guidance on the use of each of the Formative Statements reports in the Target Tracker software in Help > Analysis > NC 2014 Steps Reports > Statements Reports.

Alternatively an Overview of all Steps Reports in Target Tracker can be found on our website from Downloads – Target Tracker Year Planners and Report Summaries.

A Consistent Approach

It is important that certain decisions should be made across the school so that a consistent approach is maintained, particularly in terms of assessment moderation. Therefore we would suggest…

Staff need time to think about the characteristics of mastery and how they can enable it.

Plan for mastery opportunities, encouraging children to become independent.

Build this picture over time.

Observation and questioning as a means of assessment (rather than just testing).

A new mind-set for teachers: mastery is not necessarily the domain of the higher attainers.

On the surface, the curriculum is being dipped into

Knowledge, understanding and skills are developing

and are unlikely to be remembered at this stage

Confidence is growing

Reinforcement may be required from another person or through a variety of related activities

Working Towards Shallow

Curriculum content has been covered and the depth of knowledge, understanding and skills is developed

Confidence is secure

Similar tasks can be completed successfully and independently

Achieved

Deep

Curriculum content has been explored in a variety of contexts so that the full depth and breadth has been mastered and connections can be made

Knowledge, understanding and skills are embedded and can be transferred to different subjects or to another person with absolute independence

Skill sets and knowledge banks are tapped into

purposefully to match a variety of tasks over time

Mastered